Choosing new tyres?

[patmahe]

Well the mismatched ditchfinders (2 Runways on the front, a Nankang and a Yokohama) that were on my Suzuki Ignis Sport when I bought it are finally worn out and I want to buy some decent rubber for the months ahead.

The thing is, brilliant though the Ignis is, the ride comfort on the current tyres leaves a lot to be desired (the poorly and unevenly surfaced roads where I live don't help). I'm having great difficulty finding a site (or other information source) that recommends tyres based on their attributes. I know I can just google Suzuki Ignis Sport tyres, but that just comes up with individual opinions, I'd prefer something thats been scientifically tested.

For example my priorites are:
1. Improving Ride Comfort.
2. Progressiveness (I want something that loses grip gradually rather than all of a sudden).
3. Outright Grip.
4. Wet Weather performance.
5. Occasional Track day use (4 per year)

So does a website exist where I can input the above along with tyre size etc... and get some recommendations spat back out? How do you research your tyres?

[HustleRussell]

Uniroyal.
Why not see what's available in your size and seek out individual reviews for them?

[VeeDub Geezer]

I fitted Uniroyal RainSport 2s to the Corrado a couple of months ago and I'd recommend them. Competitively priced and decent dry performance is boosted massively by their unreal wet weather performance.

[Billy_rfc]

Have a look here, http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/

[Dan Friel]

Is it a 185/55/15 tyre?? If it is, I don't think the Rainsport 2 is available in that size...

You need to do an internet trawl, starting with:

www.tyrereviews.co.uk

Recommendations seem to point toward the Goodyear EfficientGrip or the new Vredestein Sportrac 5 tyre (I use the Sportrac 3 on a Panda 100HP and it's an excellent tyre). Tests like the link below help but aren't always gospel.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/601...

[r11co]

patmahe said:

I know I can just google Suzuki Ignis Sport tyres, but that just comes up with individual opinions,

Of course it will. Google doesn't come up with answers - it just dredges the 'net for pages where the words you are looking for get mentioned (amazing that so many people don't realise that, yet search engines have never claimed to do anything but).

Anyhoo, with such a wide variation of requirements I'd suggest you first park your notion of what ditchfinders are, purchase a second set of wheels, fit a good value set of new 'day-to-day' use tyres (Nankangs or even Yokohamas, for example) and look for a set of (maybe part worn) grippier tyres for track use for your second set of wheels.

Might sound expensive, but buy sensibly and you will be able to recoup most if not all of the cost of the wheels and whatever percentage of the tyres is left when you don't need them anymore.

Oh, and be careful about judging ride comfort of tyres - too many people are fitting tyres with load ratings much higher than their car requires (because they think the bigger number is better) but one of the factors in the load rating is the pliability of the sidewalls, so a light car with 'XL' extra load tyres is going to feel much more crashier than the same car fitted with the same tyre with a lower load rating.

Edited by r11co on Friday 5th October 11:26

[patmahe]

HustleRussell said:

Uniroyal.
Why not see what's available in your size and seek out individual reviews for them?

This was what I had been doing, but the inconsistency across various sites was pretty serious, what was considered brilliant on one website was considered crap on another. That's why I was wondering if there was any one website which had taken a scientific rather than subjective approach.

Not to worry, probably just overthinking it as usual thanks all for your input. Will use it to narrow down my choices. Had heard those rainsport tyres are good alright, and a lot here seem to rate them so might give them a look.

[Ozzie Osmond]

You'll be needing some Michelins. Costly but very good. They'll sort out your ride comfort whilst retaining good performance wet and dry.

[csampo]

Toyo T1-R's work very well on the Ignis Sport, their slightly soft sidewall (something that can become a problem when fitted to heavier cars) only really serving to take the edge off a little in the Ignis. Ideally suited to the car in my experience. I know this is the kind of personal opinion you were looking to avoid but I figured it could be of some help anyhow!

Edited by csampo on Monday 15th October 17:22

[philmots]

I've fitted some
Rainsport 2's to the OH's 206...

After initial disappointment i'm now very impressed.

In the dry they were really vague, ad moved around on their blocks.. Best way to describe would be like drivin on a flat tyre.

So I went out for 5 minutes and gave them death. Lots of full on braking from high speed, smoking them up from standstill etc just to try scrub them in a bit..now they're great and the way they resist aqua planing is unreal!

If you're putting 4 on i'd do the above then swap them round front to back otherwise it will take an age for the backs to scrub in.. It feels almost dangerous till then.

The sidewall is also super soft and I've noticed an improvement in quality.

For the price they're great.