Tyre downsizing

[jagnet]

Johnny5hoods said:

I've now got Conti Prem Contact 6 on my 2005 130i SE (205/50 17), and, honestly, they're not as good as the 2s were. They're comfortable and there's no tramlining, but the feel, feedback and communication has been mucked about with, and they're not as much fun as the 2s. Next time I plan to get Michelin Pilot Sport 4, which I understand is a complete reinvention, and not an evolution of the PS3. But that obviously won't help you with your size.

Your experience of the Conti PremiumContact 6s is similar to mine. Extremely disappointing given the good reviews that they've had.

On top of what jon- said regarding sidewall thicknesses, cars now seem to run wider rims as standard to counter the soft sidewalls whereas with my 2002 Saab and I suspect your 2005 130i the wheels were quite narrow for a given tyre width to offer extra comfort on the then much thicker sidewalls. 225/45 tyres were standard on the Saab's 7Jx17 rims at the time, later ones had 7.5J rims. If they were still around then I suspect an 8J rim would be more likely as is the case on a family member's 2008 Scirocco.

I recall seeing some tyre specs from Conti recently that put the 7J rims outside of the recommended wheel widths for a 225/45/17 94 tyre despite those being the handbook specified tyres.

Suffice to say, the Conti tyres on the front of the Saab may as well have been blancmange rings. There was grip there but there was so much transitional movement between rim and tyre contact patch that I lost any sort of confidence in the handling in corners. At times the car felt as though it was lurching towards the outside of the turn. On the back they're not such an issue as there's much less weight there.

The Michelin PS4s that I've fitted since have made a massive difference so I don't think you'll be disappointed.

For those of us with older cars this is something that I think needs to be considered when choosing tyres now as the magazine tests all tend to be done on new cars which means that their results can't always be relied upon.

To the OP, I've been running Dunlop BlueResponse tyres on the OH's car for a while now in a 195/65/15 size and have found them to be very good in all weathers. They may not be a Michelin PS4 but they're very confidence inspiring.

[Matttrakker]

Have a look at willtheyfit.com it show the circumference difference between different sizes. 205/50/15 is bigger than 195/50 and your speedo will be a bit wrong and your mileage will go up quicker.

[James080]

jon- said:

Additional - James, I've just seen you've asked the same question on tyre reviews. The advice here covers it well so I don't feel like I need to add anything else myself

That's right. thanks for all the advice.