Where do you buy you tyres from?

[elvismiggell]

Howdy folks, did a quick search but couldn't see a similar thread, so;

Where do you buy your tyres from and how do you decide which tyres to buy?

I've never really worried about it before as I've had cheaper (slower) cars so tyres haven't been that expensive.

My Astra has 235/40/R19s and it seems like I'm looking at around £250 a corner for ContiSport Contact 2s which are what Vauxhall sold it to me with.

I'm probably a couple of thousand miles away from needing to replace them (which means they will have done 30,000 miles), but a discussion today at work prompted me to wonder about this.

Considerations;
99% of my driving is on the motorway.
Car is not ragged or tracked so I don't need the last word in performance.
I hear you can get tyres with reduced road noise? Does this compromise on how well they last?
I'm not too fussed about changing cheap tyres regularly or more expensive tyres less often as long as over a couple of years it stacks up. (I do about 15,000 miles a year.)

Having spent 10 minutes reading reviews of tyres it looks like there's a lot of rubbish spouted about them. Of the ContiSport Contact 2s on the same page I've seen it said they are both the loudest and quitest tyres people have had etc.

Thoughts?

[E31Shrew]

I always use my local bod. Does his best to match internet bods, but even if he was a few bob more expensive, I would still use him.

Sorry. No idea re your tyres though!

[farrendahl]

From today I'm a black circles convert. Really can't fault them and the fact that I can still use a local fitter? Even better

[SirSamuelOfBuca]

camskills is ok or EARS

i used to work at my mates tyre fitting place so get them at cost (no help for you i know!)

[vixen1700]

After getting two front tyres from Event Tyres a little while back, I don't think I'd ever waste my time sitting in a tyre place on a Saturday morning again.

Great service, decent prices and all done in the work car-park.

[p4blo32]

I've just had a set of rear tyres delivered today from Camskill - ordered yesterday morning. They weren't much cheaper for ContiSport 3s which I had on before, but they do stock a far wider range of tyres than my local fitter can supply so I got some Falkens which are probably slightly inferior but still recommended by people, for £110/tyre rather than £200/tyre for the Continentals.

[SonicShadow]

I thought 19's on Astra's (assuming a VXR here?) were 235/35R19? If so:


http://camskill.co.uk/m55b0s24p0/Car_Tyres_-_MPV_T...

[elvismiggell]

SonicShadow said:

I thought 19's on Astra's (assuming a VXR here?) were 235/35R19? If so:


http://camskill.co.uk/m55b0s24p0/Car_Tyres_-_MPV_T...

Astra J 1.6T SRi, not a VXR as it's not out yet and couldn't afford one if I did want one!

[Panda76]

Depends what you do with the car re tyres.

My car came with "performance" top of the range tyres on it albeit they were runflats too.
My normal day to day driving doesn't require top range tyres in my opinion.

When they wore down I opted for non runflat mid range tyres(falkens) and never had a problem with them in the wet or dry.I can push on with them too and they grip well.
I would happily buy them again.

[trickywoo]

vixen1700 said:

After getting two front tyres from Event Tyres a little while back, I don't think I'd ever waste my time sitting in a tyre place on a Saturday morning again.

Great service, decent prices and all done in the work car-park.

Pleased to hear that as I'm going to use them next week. Having looked at all the usual suspects price wise they are close to the cheapest and the mobile fitting is a bonus.

Their pricing is a bit brand specific though as I found one brand significantly cheaper at my local ATS than on Event.

[HustleRussell]

I get 'em at cost thanks to business

[crazy about cars]

I check prices online at Blackcircles and call around local garages to see if they can offer cheaper deals. Most of the case I get slightly cheaper (Fitted) prices!

[DaveH23]

farrendahl said:

From today I'm a black circles convert. Really can't fault them and the fact that I can still use a local fitter? Even better

This for me.

[T16OLE]

Bugga paying £1000+ for tyres for your car. Avons in that size are £105 each from camskill

See link.

http://camskill.co.uk/m55b0s24p78033/AVON_TYRES_CA...

I am sorry, but £1000 rather than £400 is a no brainer IMO

[PlayersNo6]

I check out what is available using :

http://www.mytyres.co.uk/

Then read up on reviews here :

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/

I find my local place can beat any other supplier on the fully fitted cost for any tyre

[bakerstreet]

farrendahl said:

From today I'm a black circles convert. Really can't fault them and the fact that I can still use a local fitter? Even better

I used black cirlces for the first time the other day. Very impressed. Quick and easy to use and a great price. Local fitting centre were good too.

OP: You have done well to get 30k out of the Contis. I can also recommedn Michelin Primacy HPs as a good distance tyre. I got approximately 25k out of my last set.

[djfaulkner]

I used a local place £80 for michelin primacy hp2

[Chrisw666]

I always use a small local indi chap, first one I used was ok on price but stocking wasn't great (but he did 30 day invoicing for customers that were trusted which was handy), I now use another place that always ends up less than the black circles fitted price (they're a BC fitting centre too) and the good bit is they keep T1Rs in Puma size in stock (I've bough 6 this year ).

[VinceFox]

Camskill are cheaper for me than blackcircle.

[philmots]

Always bought from Camskill..

I'm due 2 sets of 4 in a few months and have priced up Event tyres, if you buy 4 they work out more or less exactly the same price as Camskill by the time you've paid postage and fitting.