Tyre conundrum

[NiceCupOfTea]

Bought the Saab 9000 with a set of decent tyres on it (2 different decent brands, can't remember what off the top of my head), loads of tread, but in the wet stopping was not good. I've been on my winter tyres but it's time to change back now.

I've had a look but none of my usual preferred tyres are available in the size I want (205/60 R15). If I could get Toyo T1Rs or Falken FK452 in that size I would be happy. However, I have no idea if any of the tyres that are available in that size have decent wet performance - so could end up spending 2-300 quid and have no better performance!

The other option is to get some 16" wheels (just missed a set for 150) as there are loads more tyres available.

Bearing in mind this is the comfy car and I'm not cornering on the doorhandles, are there any suggestions in the 205/60 R15 size that have decent handling and good braking performance (wet & dry)? Not too fussed about wear rates, and prefer a mid priced tyre. Or should I look to the 16" wheels? Undecided how long I will keep the car so not sure the investment in wheels is worthwhile... (16" superaeros do look good though...)

[stek]

Try swaping the fronts to the back

[NiceCupOfTea]

I'm going to do that when I swap the summer wheels back, just don't want it swapping ends! Wish I could remember what tyres were on it, they are buried under the workbench at the mo...

[Garett]

I used to have Vredestein Sportrac 3s on my Saab 9000, they were fantastic in both wet and dry conditions and I seem to remember they were only around 50/60 each from Camskill which is a bloody bargain!
My 9000 was pushing out about 230 bhp and they coped fine with it and lasted about 12k miles.

[NiceCupOfTea]

Garett said:

I used to have Vredestein Sportrac 3s on my Saab 9000, they were fantastic in both wet and dry conditions and I seem to remember they were only around 50/60 each from Camskill which is a bloody bargain!
My 9000 was pushing out about 230 bhp and they coped fine with it and lasted about 12k miles.

Did you have 15s or 16s on?

Edit: showing 350 for 4 fitted on Event-tyres

280 for 4 at Camskill which is better, but still need to get them fitted which is another 50...

Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Sunday 18th March 15:33

Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Sunday 18th March 15:35

[jagnet]

Falken FK452s aren't renowned for their wet weather performance anyway, so perhaps a blessing that they aren't available in 205/60/15.

Perhaps have a look at the Nokian V. Well regarded for their winter tyres, their summer tyres have been impressing in tests, which frequently praise their wet weather performance, and at 68 per corner from mytyres aren't budget breaking either.

[Ozzie Osmond]

Call me old-fashoned, but I reckon one set of decent tyres (yes, the expensive ones) is a massively better option than fiddling about with cheap ones for winter, cheap ones for summer and cheap ones for anything else.

[iva cosworth]

NiceCupOfTea said:

The other option is to get some 16" wheels (just missed a set for 150) as there are loads more tyres available.

Without researching it ,i always thought there was much more choice in 15s than 16s

[jon-]

iva cosworth said:

NiceCupOfTea said:

The other option is to get some 16" wheels (just missed a set for 150) as there are loads more tyres available.

Without researching it ,i always thought there was much more choice in 15s than 16s

205/55 R16 is now the most popular tyre size by quite a chunk.

[NiceCupOfTea]

jon- said:

205/55 R16 is now the most popular tyre size by quite a chunk.

Exactly the size I'd want if I had 16" wheels!

[Garett]

NiceCupOfTea said:

Did you have 15s or 16s on?

Edit: showing 350 for 4 fitted on Event-tyres

280 for 4 at Camskill which is better, but still need to get them fitted which is another 50...

I had 205/60 15 although 195/65 is another option and I think is actually the correct size IIRC. I actually have some 9000 wheels still that I an trying to sell, if you're interested PM me.

50 for fitting seems very steep to me, I'd not pay over 10 a corner personally.

[NiceCupOfTea]

Just got the wheels out to refit them and rotate as I decide what to do.

Previously it had 2x Goodyear Optigrip on the front, and 2x Toyo CF1 on the back, which I was going to rotate.

However, had a quick low and one of the Optigrips is very near the wear mark in the centre so think I will get something else put on before I change them over.

Anybody got any thoughts on either tyre? Tyrereviews is predictably unhelpful (For the optigrips half the reviews rave about wet weather performance while the other half say it is appalling!). Are the CF1s any good? Thought I might swap them to the front and put something else on the back, but has to be available in 205/60r15... (a pair of those Vredesteins fitted are £195 from event tyres...)

[Caulkhead]

Easy choice for me - Uniroyal Rainexpert all round, £58ish each from Camskill in your size. Just fitted them to my runaround Doblo and they are very impressive with really strong grip wet or dry. So good in fact I've just fitted their bigger brothers, Rainsport2 to my 6 MPS and are even better.

[tim-b]

The ADAC (Germany's version of the AA) are fairly well respected for their tyre tests. None in your size, but gives you an idea of which brands come out top.

http://www.adac.de/infotestrat/tests/reifen/sommer...

If you are using Chrome browser, you can easily translate, otherwise google translate will help you out, not that you really need it when you know that 'trocken' is dry and 'nass' is wet.

HTH!

[corvus]

Caulkhead said:

Easy choice for me - Uniroyal Rainexpert all round, £58ish each from Camskill in your size. Just fitted them to my runaround Doblo and they are very impressive with really strong grip wet or dry. So good in fact I've just fitted their bigger brothers, Rainsport2 to my 6 MPS and are even better.

This ^^^

[jon-]

NiceCupOfTea said:

Tyrereviews is predictably unhelpful (For the optigrips half the reviews rave about wet weather performance while the other half say it is appalling!)

I could take offence to that

tim-b said:

The ADAC (Germany's version of the AA) are fairly well respected for their tyre tests. None in your size, but gives you an idea of which brands come out top.

http://www.adac.de/infotestrat/tests/reifen/sommer...

If you are using Chrome browser, you can easily translate, otherwise google translate will help you out, not that you really need it when you know that 'trocken' is dry and 'nass' is wet.

HTH!

These have all been converted to English and the points system revered so that higher is better.

You can find them all here: http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre-Tests/#summer

[bakerstreet]

tim-b said:

The ADAC (Germany's version of the AA) are fairly well respected for their tyre tests. None in your size, but gives you an idea of which brands come out top.

http://www.adac.de/infotestrat/tests/reifen/sommer...

If you are using Chrome browser, you can easily translate, otherwise google translate will help you out, not that you really need it when you know that 'trocken' is dry and 'nass' is wet.

HTH!

Good find. Will have a look at that using Chrome later on

I've been struggling to choose a tyre for my Saab and I'm only after long life. I jyst want to get 25-30k out of my fronts.

[NiceCupOfTea]

Thanks guys - funnily enough, the OptiGrips seem to get a good review in that ADAC test.

The Uniroyal Rainexperts are £145 a pair fitted (event-tyres), or £120 for a pair from camskill.

Optigrips are £163 fitted from event, £130 from camskill

Vredestein Sportrac 3s are £140 from camskill but out of stock, can't find them on event any more although they were there the other day...

Anything else I should consider?

Edit: jon-, don't get me wrong, the main bit of the site is great but I find the user reviews frustratingly contradictory!

Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Friday 23 March 16:23

[NiceCupOfTea]

Well, I bought a set of ratty 16s in the end so I can fit 205/55R16 tyres.

Shortlist is:

uniroyal rainexpert £266
uniroyal rainsport2 £287
vredestein sporttrac3 £288
toyo t1r £302
toyo t1 sport £302

Price are for 4 fitted by Event-tyres.

Wasn't going to bother with the T1-Rs, but I've heard the T1 Sports are good, and much better than the T1-Rs in the wet.

Choices, choices. Want to get them ordered ASAP though as I need to get the winters off before they turn to jelly!

[jon-]

If you want comfort and wet grip, I'd be aiming for a Uniroyal.