Best performance 14" tyre
Discussion
I'm struggling to find more than half a dozen decent rated tyres for the standard 185/60/14 Mk1 alloys.
My shortlist is:
Uniroyal Rainexpert
Dunlop SP Sport FR
Yoko Advan460
Falken ZE912
Anything else I should consider? The car is a weekend toy so durability isn't a huge factor. I'd also like to try a couple of track days in the car.
Also I see Toyo T1R are available but with a 55 profile only, would this effect the handling too much?
My shortlist is:
Uniroyal Rainexpert
Dunlop SP Sport FR
Yoko Advan460
Falken ZE912
Anything else I should consider? The car is a weekend toy so durability isn't a huge factor. I'd also like to try a couple of track days in the car.
Also I see Toyo T1R are available but with a 55 profile only, would this effect the handling too much?
I changed from Toyo R888s that were on my car when I bought it to T1Rs and am very happy - more compliance in the ride quality, less overall grip in the dry, but still confidence inspiring - and so much better in the wet (or snow!!!) than the R888s.
Correct me if I'm wrong but they recommend a max of 2.5% difference to ensure people's speedos are still accurate - so long as you're aware of the change of reading 3.3% will give you, you should be ok?
Correct me if I'm wrong but they recommend a max of 2.5% difference to ensure people's speedos are still accurate - so long as you're aware of the change of reading 3.3% will give you, you should be ok?
Gearing it lower will also make it have to rev higher to make the same real speed so faster/motorway driving will be noisier and will be less economical. Not by a lot I know but they are pretty low geared already and fuel is pretty expensive.
Investing in a set of cheap 15" wheels can quickly pay off in terms of cheaper 195/50/15 rubber (Camskill T1R: 195/55/14 = £61, 195/50/15 = £35 each!)
Investing in a set of cheap 15" wheels can quickly pay off in terms of cheaper 195/50/15 rubber (Camskill T1R: 195/55/14 = £61, 195/50/15 = £35 each!)
menguin said:
Correct me if I'm wrong but they recommend a max of 2.5% difference to ensure people's speedos are still accurate - so long as you're aware of the change of reading 3.3% will give you, you should be ok?
Be a good idea to check with a satnav to see what your speedometer error is before you start!vrsmxtb said:
I know 15" tyres are significantly cheaper and more choice, but I really like the classic look the 14" gives, and I've heard they drive better on them too.
Depends what you mean better. 15s give the best compromise between tyre choice, grip level & comfort and turn-in. 14s "might" give a tiny bit more turn in speed and "might" feel a bit lighter/more delicate but realistically there will be very little in it and it will depend greatly on the tyre choice and wheel weight anyway.Marangoni make a couple of tyres in 185/60-14 size - I use them on my GTV for road and track and have found them to be excellent. Nice and grippy, but not too hard wearing, even on very abrasive runways.
However, I did my last track day on Pirelli P6000s - despite what many will claim on PH, there's absolutely nothing wrong with them. They gripped well enough, even on a damp track and have barely worn at all.
However, I did my last track day on Pirelli P6000s - despite what many will claim on PH, there's absolutely nothing wrong with them. They gripped well enough, even on a damp track and have barely worn at all.
Hi OP. I'm looking at the same size for my Minari kit car.
Your shortlist is pretty good, I'm not too sure about the Yoko A460s - they seem to be a bit of an oddball in Yokos range.
As to other suggestions, I'd agree with looking into Conti Premium Contact 2s and also the Bridgestone ER300 as these seem to be the two best performers in the magazine tests. Others to maybe consider are the Kumho KH17 (I guess these would be similar to the Falkens in price) and Michelin Pilot Exalto (if you can find any) although these are very, very expensive in comparison.
T1Rs are available in 195/55/14 which are about 1.3% smaller than the 185/60s, but again, these are pretty expensive.
Personally, I would steer well clear of P6000s - I had a set on my old Alfa 147 and they were not at all pleasant IMO. VeeFour is entitled to his view, but I'm afraid I have to disagree, I found them uninspiring in the dry and awful in the wet, but each to their own.
Has anybody tried Regal Racers? I've seen these on a couple of online tyre retail sites - they look like a rip off of the Yoko Parada Spec 2, but they're available in 14"!
Your shortlist is pretty good, I'm not too sure about the Yoko A460s - they seem to be a bit of an oddball in Yokos range.
As to other suggestions, I'd agree with looking into Conti Premium Contact 2s and also the Bridgestone ER300 as these seem to be the two best performers in the magazine tests. Others to maybe consider are the Kumho KH17 (I guess these would be similar to the Falkens in price) and Michelin Pilot Exalto (if you can find any) although these are very, very expensive in comparison.
T1Rs are available in 195/55/14 which are about 1.3% smaller than the 185/60s, but again, these are pretty expensive.
Personally, I would steer well clear of P6000s - I had a set on my old Alfa 147 and they were not at all pleasant IMO. VeeFour is entitled to his view, but I'm afraid I have to disagree, I found them uninspiring in the dry and awful in the wet, but each to their own.
Has anybody tried Regal Racers? I've seen these on a couple of online tyre retail sites - they look like a rip off of the Yoko Parada Spec 2, but they're available in 14"!
Edited to add - apologies, bit of a thread resurrection - wasn't concentrating!
Edited by Frankthered on Tuesday 12th July 23:54
I've got Dunlop SP FR 185/60/14's on my MK1 and rate them very very highly.
In the dry they hang on very well, progress nicely from grip to slip and give just enough tyre squeal when pushed to let you when your around the limit of grip without being annoyingly squealy.
In the wet they're also fantastic, great in standing water and provide more grip than I imagined was possible for an mx5 in slippy conditions. Driving normally for wet conditions I wouldn't imagine these tyres will give you any sideways surprises.
I can't comment on wear as I've only had them on for about 2000 miles, of which 1300 was motorway going to Le Mans but they don't seem to be wearing very much at all.
In the dry they hang on very well, progress nicely from grip to slip and give just enough tyre squeal when pushed to let you when your around the limit of grip without being annoyingly squealy.
In the wet they're also fantastic, great in standing water and provide more grip than I imagined was possible for an mx5 in slippy conditions. Driving normally for wet conditions I wouldn't imagine these tyres will give you any sideways surprises.
I can't comment on wear as I've only had them on for about 2000 miles, of which 1300 was motorway going to Le Mans but they don't seem to be wearing very much at all.
Frankthered said:
Personally, I would steer well clear of P6000s - I had a set on my old Alfa 147 and they were not at all pleasant IMO. VeeFour is entitled to his view, but I'm afraid I have to disagree, I found them uninspiring in the dry and awful in the wet, but each to their own.
Maybe it's an age thing with P6000s because they do seem to polarise opinion. When I got my Mk1 1.8 it had elderly Goodyear Venturas on the front and P6000s on the back, all with plenty of tread. The Goodyears were always a great rain tyre but the P6000s, of unkown age, were lethal. Not only did they have no wet grip, they were unpredictable, abrupt and hard to recover. I don't mind having moments on track but I can do without unexpected dramas on busy roads!I swapped the P6000s for Falkens and kept the Goodyears, which I'll also change to Falkens when I've had a few more miles out of them. The old Goodyears struggle a bit when pushing hard in the dry compared to the new Falkens, giving a touch of understeer, but they're safe and predictable, which is what I want in a road tyre!
Brett748 said:
I've got Dunlop SP FR 185/60/14's on my MK1 and rate them very very highly.
In the dry they hang on very well, progress nicely from grip to slip and give just enough tyre squeal when pushed to let you when your around the limit of grip without being annoyingly squealy.
In the wet they're also fantastic, great in standing water and provide more grip than I imagined was possible for an mx5 in slippy conditions. Driving normally for wet conditions I wouldn't imagine these tyres will give you any sideways surprises.
I can't comment on wear as I've only had them on for about 2000 miles, of which 1300 was motorway going to Le Mans but they don't seem to be wearing very much at all.
I like the Dunlops as well. The last ones did 20,000 miles. And 4 trackdays. However while I do like them, they don't seem to quite offer the grip of the 15" Toyo T1R on a dry track. (Although we did the "comparison" with 2 different drivers, in 2 different MX5s, with old Dunlops and new Toyos. So not exactly scientific!)In the dry they hang on very well, progress nicely from grip to slip and give just enough tyre squeal when pushed to let you when your around the limit of grip without being annoyingly squealy.
In the wet they're also fantastic, great in standing water and provide more grip than I imagined was possible for an mx5 in slippy conditions. Driving normally for wet conditions I wouldn't imagine these tyres will give you any sideways surprises.
I can't comment on wear as I've only had them on for about 2000 miles, of which 1300 was motorway going to Le Mans but they don't seem to be wearing very much at all.
Edit: I forgot. The Toyo888 does come in 185/60/14 . If you are prepared to not use the car on wet days... The decision as they say, is yours.
Edited by Munter on Wednesday 13th July 16:20
Frankthered said:
Hi OP. I'm looking at the same size for my Minari kit car.
Personally, I would steer well clear of P6000s - I had a set on my old Alfa 147 and they were not at all pleasant IMO. VeeFour is entitled to his view, but I'm afraid I have to disagree, I found them uninspiring in the dry and awful in the wet, but each to their own.
Well, the 156/147 were designed around the P6000 as OEM fit.... but I'll concede that many disagree with my opinions on them.Personally, I would steer well clear of P6000s - I had a set on my old Alfa 147 and they were not at all pleasant IMO. VeeFour is entitled to his view, but I'm afraid I have to disagree, I found them uninspiring in the dry and awful in the wet, but each to their own.
However....
Frankthered said:
Has anybody tried Regal Racers? I've seen these on a couple of online tyre retail sites - they look like a rip off of the Yoko Parada Spec 2, but they're available in 14"!
That kind of blows your opinions away as a bit worthless.
VeeFour said:
Frankthered said:
Hi OP. I'm looking at the same size for my Minari kit car.
Personally, I would steer well clear of P6000s - I had a set on my old Alfa 147 and they were not at all pleasant IMO. VeeFour is entitled to his view, but I'm afraid I have to disagree, I found them uninspiring in the dry and awful in the wet, but each to their own.
Well, the 156/147 were designed around the P6000 as OEM fit.... but I'll concede that many disagree with my opinions on them.Personally, I would steer well clear of P6000s - I had a set on my old Alfa 147 and they were not at all pleasant IMO. VeeFour is entitled to his view, but I'm afraid I have to disagree, I found them uninspiring in the dry and awful in the wet, but each to their own.
I believe the Alfa 33 was also designed around the P6000 – shows just how old the design is.
VeeFour said:
However....
Really?? Just because I ask if anybody has tried them? Comedy Frankthered said:
Has anybody tried Regal Racers? I've seen these on a couple of online tyre retail sites - they look like a rip off of the Yoko Parada Spec 2, but they're available in 14"!
That kind of blows your opinions away as a bit worthless.
FYI, I think that Yoko Paradas would suit my Minari pretty well (although they wouldn’t be my first choice in 15”), so I was asking for feedback from somebody who has tried the Regals – I assume you haven’t – because I don’t particularly want to be the guinea pig that finds out they really are a bag of s
e , as we all suspect they will be.But there we go. Just a little bit more, I think you do have a point that P6000s get a bit of a rough deal, they’re not the worst tyres I’ve ever had. They may even suit some cars, but I don’t think I’ll bother with them.
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