Tyres - How important are they to you
Discussion
1. Premium
2. Right tool for the job? I can understand it to a point on slower cheaper cars, most cheap tyres can put 100bhp into the ground but when you buy one with a bit of power and speed why put cheap anything on/in it? Why spend £600 on 4 tyres for a £1,500 car. Likewise why spend £300 on 4 tyres for a £50,000 car.
3. The MPS4S's probably don't give better MPG or last longer than cheaper tyres as they are very sticky and focused on grip and performance, that said I did get 25k miles out of a set of MPSS's on the M135i. The C63S would bonfire cheap tyres every time you pulled away.
I have this view with most things, I would rather spend a little more and keep safe, I would rather spend a little more and enjoy the expensive powerful car.
My wife does not get it, she would buy the cheapest tyre, one at a time, just after they become illegal, thats why I am in charge of car maintenance.
2. Right tool for the job? I can understand it to a point on slower cheaper cars, most cheap tyres can put 100bhp into the ground but when you buy one with a bit of power and speed why put cheap anything on/in it? Why spend £600 on 4 tyres for a £1,500 car. Likewise why spend £300 on 4 tyres for a £50,000 car.
3. The MPS4S's probably don't give better MPG or last longer than cheaper tyres as they are very sticky and focused on grip and performance, that said I did get 25k miles out of a set of MPSS's on the M135i. The C63S would bonfire cheap tyres every time you pulled away.
I have this view with most things, I would rather spend a little more and keep safe, I would rather spend a little more and enjoy the expensive powerful car.
My wife does not get it, she would buy the cheapest tyre, one at a time, just after they become illegal, thats why I am in charge of car maintenance.
If it's black and round it'll do.
Well, to a certain extent anyway. Used to buy part worns all the time when I was younger and never had an issue. Now the budget has gone up a bit, as has the HP, and so something midrange (Nexxan/Kuhmo) is generally acceptable although if there is a good deal to be found on a premium brand they can be reasonably priced.
A lot depends on what you're doing, surely? A 90 year old lady going to the shops twice a week in her Micra is going to be asking a lot less of the tyres than someone with a C63, and what is perfectly within the capabilities of what the Micra will be asking maybe totally useless for the C63.
Well, to a certain extent anyway. Used to buy part worns all the time when I was younger and never had an issue. Now the budget has gone up a bit, as has the HP, and so something midrange (Nexxan/Kuhmo) is generally acceptable although if there is a good deal to be found on a premium brand they can be reasonably priced.
A lot depends on what you're doing, surely? A 90 year old lady going to the shops twice a week in her Micra is going to be asking a lot less of the tyres than someone with a C63, and what is perfectly within the capabilities of what the Micra will be asking maybe totally useless for the C63.
LeeM135i said:
1. Premium
2. Right tool for the job? I can understand it to a point on slower cheaper cars, most cheap tyres can put 100bhp into the ground but when you buy one with a bit of power and speed why put cheap anything on/in it? Why spend £600 on 4 tyres for a £1,500 car. Likewise why spend £300 on 4 tyres for a £50,000 car.
3. The MPS4S's probably don't give better MPG or last longer than cheaper tyres as they are very sticky and focused on grip and performance, that said I did get 25k miles out of a set of MPSS's on the M135i. The C63S would bonfire cheap tyres every time you pulled away.
I have this view with most things, I would rather spend a little more and keep safe, I would rather spend a little more and enjoy the expensive powerful car.
My wife does not get it, she would buy the cheapest tyre, one at a time, just after they become illegal, thats why I am in charge of car maintenance.
Off topic, but I have bought another set of wheels for my C63 with the idea of fitting winter tyres. They came with Prestivo tyres fitted, so I'll see how long they last & see what kind of grip they don't give, all in the name of PH research. I do keep seeing the word "ditchfinder" in PH when referring to cheapo tyres, so I'll see if this is true.2. Right tool for the job? I can understand it to a point on slower cheaper cars, most cheap tyres can put 100bhp into the ground but when you buy one with a bit of power and speed why put cheap anything on/in it? Why spend £600 on 4 tyres for a £1,500 car. Likewise why spend £300 on 4 tyres for a £50,000 car.
3. The MPS4S's probably don't give better MPG or last longer than cheaper tyres as they are very sticky and focused on grip and performance, that said I did get 25k miles out of a set of MPSS's on the M135i. The C63S would bonfire cheap tyres every time you pulled away.
I have this view with most things, I would rather spend a little more and keep safe, I would rather spend a little more and enjoy the expensive powerful car.
My wife does not get it, she would buy the cheapest tyre, one at a time, just after they become illegal, thats why I am in charge of car maintenance.
1. Premium, or midrange. Has to be a brand I've heard of
2. Safety, quality control, consistency, reputation. I'm sure some of the Chinese stuff is OK, but it's an unknown. At least with a known brand you can be reasonably confident that you're buying something that has had a level of expertise and experience go into its design and manufacture, and that a valuable brand is confident enough to put its name to. Chinese tyres are a lottery by comparison.
3. Not necessarily. Some of the cheap Chinese crap is like Bakelite and lasts forever.
2. Safety, quality control, consistency, reputation. I'm sure some of the Chinese stuff is OK, but it's an unknown. At least with a known brand you can be reasonably confident that you're buying something that has had a level of expertise and experience go into its design and manufacture, and that a valuable brand is confident enough to put its name to. Chinese tyres are a lottery by comparison.
3. Not necessarily. Some of the cheap Chinese crap is like Bakelite and lasts forever.
Performance is the main factor for me.
I have MPS4Ss on my 997. It's used in all weathers and used on track. On road, the tyres are fantastic and on track they perform very well for a road tyre and don't melt. I've done 3 days on them and there's still lots of life in them and they aren't showing signs of dropping off with the amount of heat cycles they've gone through. They suit my needs for the balance of road and circuit driving I do for now.
I don't believe a more budget road tyre could achieve what I want from it.
On the family car I run Conti Sport Contact 5s. It's a Golf R that only sees road use. My priority here is safety for obvious reasons. They stop very well and in my experience they perform well in all conditions although they do feel softer than the Michelins on the 911, but the Golf doesn't do that many miles so I'm happy with their longevity for our application. I could put a more budget tyre on but why would I when my wife and 6 month old are in the car? If the car needs to stop quickly, I don't want to compromise.
The Contis came on the Golf from the factory. When they come to the end of their useful life, I'll have a look at other offerings but they'll only be the highest rated options. Interestingly I've seen another Golf on the Michelins and aesthetically I preferred the Contis on the Golf so I would look for a tyre that I also think looks the part. On the 911 the Michelins look nice and fat.
On my daily Bora TDI I run Michelin Cross Climate. They feel like the perfect all rounder where I'm not extracting any kind of performance from the car. I could opt for a budget tyre if I was desperate, but at this small wheel size the cost of the Michelin is low enough not to concern me.
I have MPS4Ss on my 997. It's used in all weathers and used on track. On road, the tyres are fantastic and on track they perform very well for a road tyre and don't melt. I've done 3 days on them and there's still lots of life in them and they aren't showing signs of dropping off with the amount of heat cycles they've gone through. They suit my needs for the balance of road and circuit driving I do for now.
I don't believe a more budget road tyre could achieve what I want from it.
On the family car I run Conti Sport Contact 5s. It's a Golf R that only sees road use. My priority here is safety for obvious reasons. They stop very well and in my experience they perform well in all conditions although they do feel softer than the Michelins on the 911, but the Golf doesn't do that many miles so I'm happy with their longevity for our application. I could put a more budget tyre on but why would I when my wife and 6 month old are in the car? If the car needs to stop quickly, I don't want to compromise.
The Contis came on the Golf from the factory. When they come to the end of their useful life, I'll have a look at other offerings but they'll only be the highest rated options. Interestingly I've seen another Golf on the Michelins and aesthetically I preferred the Contis on the Golf so I would look for a tyre that I also think looks the part. On the 911 the Michelins look nice and fat.
On my daily Bora TDI I run Michelin Cross Climate. They feel like the perfect all rounder where I'm not extracting any kind of performance from the car. I could opt for a budget tyre if I was desperate, but at this small wheel size the cost of the Michelin is low enough not to concern me.
the problem is that apart from the "I skidded on cheap chinese tyres and I've never skidded before therefore all cheap tyres are s
te" type anecdotes, no-one seems to have any evidence that expensive brands are any 'better' than cheaper brands (or please publish it if you have!)
it comes down to what makes you feel happiest whilst you're driving...
te" type anecdotes, no-one seems to have any evidence that expensive brands are any 'better' than cheaper brands (or please publish it if you have!)it comes down to what makes you feel happiest whilst you're driving...
Premium or mid-range, nothing budget.
Firstly, the reason for nothing budget, is the small £5-10 saving over a mid-range tyre tends not to be worth it.
Premium summer & all season tyres go on the cars I'm going to be doing lots of miles on, or hard driving on.
Mid-range tyres touring or all season tyres go on the town/skip bus that will never see above 40mph or need to have outright grip for the track.
Firstly, the reason for nothing budget, is the small £5-10 saving over a mid-range tyre tends not to be worth it.
Premium summer & all season tyres go on the cars I'm going to be doing lots of miles on, or hard driving on.
Mid-range tyres touring or all season tyres go on the town/skip bus that will never see above 40mph or need to have outright grip for the track.
Tye Green said:
the problem is that apart from the "I skidded on cheap chinese tyres and I've never skidded before therefore all cheap tyres are ste" type anecdotes, no-one seems to have any evidence that expensive brands are any 'better' than cheaper brands (or please publish it if you have!)
it comes down to what makes you feel happiest whilst you're driving...
https://www.tyrereviews.comte" type anecdotes, no-one seems to have any evidence that expensive brands are any 'better' than cheaper brands (or please publish it if you have!)it comes down to what makes you feel happiest whilst you're driving...
...and yes, some of the 'cheaper' tyres perform better than premium tyres in some tests...but their downfall is they tend to perform well in ONLY ONE area, and are useless in the others...
- e.g. 1st in noise, last in aquaplaning, 2nd place in straight aquaplaning, 2nd last in wet braking, etc.
- e.g. 2nd in curved aquaplaning, 3rd in straight aquaplaning, 1st in dry braking, 2nd in wet braking, etc.
Edited by mmm-five on Friday 11th June 15:54
brisel said:
Off topic, but I have bought another set of wheels for my C63 with the idea of fitting winter tyres. They came with Prestivo tyres fitted, so I'll see how long they last & see what kind of grip they don't give, all in the name of PH research. I do keep seeing the word "ditchfinder" in PH when referring to cheapo tyres, so I'll see if this is true.
Will be interesting to see how you get on! As another slightly off topic, I have a cheap set of winter wheels/tyres I used to put on the M135i when it went sub zero and they were far better than the MPSS's in the same weather.
Tye Green said:
no-one seems to have any evidence that expensive brands are any 'better' than cheaper brands (or please publish it if you have!
have you had your head in the sand, even for someone who drives sensibly at the limit the difference between a good tyre and a cheap one is monumental, in this test its 18m additional stopping distance in the wet which would be the difference between stopping and killing the kid or a major impactsame goes for emergency avoidance in the wet and aquaplanning
and these results all get worse as the tyre wears
https://www.tyrereviews.com/Article/2021-Auto-Bild...
brisel said:
Off topic, but I have bought another set of wheels for my C63 with the idea of fitting winter tyres. They came with Prestivo tyres fitted, so I'll see how long they last & see what kind of grip they don't give, all in the name of PH research. I do keep seeing the word "ditchfinder" in PH when referring to cheapo tyres, so I'll see if this is true.
But are you going to drive it like you've got Michelin Sport Cups on, or are you going to drive it like you've got ditchfinders on?Only anecdotal evidence but a car crazy friend worked for a company which insisted on the cheapest possible replacement tyres being put on company cars when the OEM tyres wore out. He swore that new ditchfinders had as little grip when new as proper tyres when worn.
To me tyres are the components that are your contact with the road. Your brakes, handling, performance deserve good tyres to give their best.
On my last couple of cars I’ve bought GoodYear EfficientGrip tyres although I might go to Eagles next time on the Leon. All those GP races were good marketing but they are good all rounders. I have to admit that economy and tyres noise are my top criteria when reading tyre reviews.
If all goes to plan I’ll need a shed for long distance commutes and I might put mid market tyres (Fulda or similar) on that.
To me tyres are the components that are your contact with the road. Your brakes, handling, performance deserve good tyres to give their best.
On my last couple of cars I’ve bought GoodYear EfficientGrip tyres although I might go to Eagles next time on the Leon. All those GP races were good marketing but they are good all rounders. I have to admit that economy and tyres noise are my top criteria when reading tyre reviews.
If all goes to plan I’ll need a shed for long distance commutes and I might put mid market tyres (Fulda or similar) on that.
1. Only premium.
2. Because when I find myself driving along a dark, wet motorway in the rain at night and I suddenly pass through a layer of standing water, I want to know damn sure I’ve got the best chance of staying in a straight line and not hydroplaning off into the barriers or across the carriageway. I only ever fit tyres rated A for wet grip, nothing else gets a look in.
My tyres are the only things keeping me attached to the road surface, inside my car is myself and potentially my family or friends. No way am I sticking “budget” rubber between my car and the road, when their only advantage is being a few quid cheaper.
The other thing is I will not run them down below 3mm. Once they’re down to that, they’re binned and replaced with fresh rubber, usually as a set of four.
3. Couldn’t care less what MPG they claim, economy is not their priority. I suspect they last longer than a budget tyre but again, that’s not their priority.
2. Because when I find myself driving along a dark, wet motorway in the rain at night and I suddenly pass through a layer of standing water, I want to know damn sure I’ve got the best chance of staying in a straight line and not hydroplaning off into the barriers or across the carriageway. I only ever fit tyres rated A for wet grip, nothing else gets a look in.
My tyres are the only things keeping me attached to the road surface, inside my car is myself and potentially my family or friends. No way am I sticking “budget” rubber between my car and the road, when their only advantage is being a few quid cheaper.
The other thing is I will not run them down below 3mm. Once they’re down to that, they’re binned and replaced with fresh rubber, usually as a set of four.
3. Couldn’t care less what MPG they claim, economy is not their priority. I suspect they last longer than a budget tyre but again, that’s not their priority.
1. Premium always.
2. When motoring along, you don't want the thought that you scrimped on one of the most important things there is related to yours and your passengers safety. Certainly don't want to regret things after an accident.
3. Don't care, for me its not priority and I wouldn't go with mpg or cost over safety.
2. When motoring along, you don't want the thought that you scrimped on one of the most important things there is related to yours and your passengers safety. Certainly don't want to regret things after an accident.
3. Don't care, for me its not priority and I wouldn't go with mpg or cost over safety.
Muddle238 said:
1. Only premium.
2. Because when I find myself driving along a dark, wet motorway in the rain at night and I suddenly pass through a layer of standing water, I want to know damn sure I’ve got the best chance of staying in a straight line and not hydroplaning off into the barriers or across the carriageway. I only ever fit tyres rated A for wet grip, nothing else gets a look in.
My tyres are the only things keeping me attached to the road surface, inside my car is myself and potentially my family or friends. No way am I sticking “budget” rubber between my car and the road, when their only advantage is being a few quid cheaper.
The other thing is I will not run them down below 3mm. Once they’re down to that, they’re binned and replaced with fresh rubber, usually as a set of four.
3. Couldn’t care less what MPG they claim, economy is not their priority. I suspect they last longer than a budget tyre but again, that’s not their priority.
You may want to re-read what those ratings on tyre labels mean.2. Because when I find myself driving along a dark, wet motorway in the rain at night and I suddenly pass through a layer of standing water, I want to know damn sure I’ve got the best chance of staying in a straight line and not hydroplaning off into the barriers or across the carriageway. I only ever fit tyres rated A for wet grip, nothing else gets a look in.
My tyres are the only things keeping me attached to the road surface, inside my car is myself and potentially my family or friends. No way am I sticking “budget” rubber between my car and the road, when their only advantage is being a few quid cheaper.
The other thing is I will not run them down below 3mm. Once they’re down to that, they’re binned and replaced with fresh rubber, usually as a set of four.
3. Couldn’t care less what MPG they claim, economy is not their priority. I suspect they last longer than a budget tyre but again, that’s not their priority.
An 'A' for wet grip, is a bit of a misnomer, as it's purely wet braking. There is no straight/aquaplane, curved aquaplane, nor wet handling test involved.
So a dozen tyres could all have an 'A' for wet grip, but some may be better in aquaplaning scenarios, and one tyre might have an 'A' rating, but take 2.4m further to stop than another tyre with the same 'A' rating.
It's a minefield, but it's the best, simplest, official label we've got for the moment
CoupeKid said:
Only anecdotal evidence but a car crazy friend worked for a company which insisted on the cheapest possible replacement tyres being put on company cars when the OEM tyres wore out. He swore that new ditchfinders had as little grip when new as proper tyres when worn.
My budget tyre experience is similar - replaced illegal Michelins with a pair of Stunners at MOT time - a distress purchase. (Stunner was a part of the same group as Marangoni and don't appear to exist any more - Marangoni seem to only make tyres for commercial vehicles now.)The Stunners had less grip (subjectively) than the illegal Michelins and made the car (a Citroen ZX 1.4) jittery. To be fair, I never felt like they were dangerous or that I wouldn't be able to stop in time (I was probably driving more slowly intuitively) they were just horrid to drive on. I bought some Bridgestones and swapped the Stunners onto the back as the Michelins were starting to perish and was much happier with the car as a result!
So, in answer to the OPs original questions:
1. Premium or mid-range
2. I'll try to find the best combination of performance and price, although I must confess it's been quite a long time since I bought anything other than Michelin or Conti! Sometimes, the likes of Kumho and Hankook produces tyres that out-perform the premium manufacturers in certain sizes and applications.
3. Not necessarily - a Michelin Energy Saver tyre is likely to give better mpg and last longer than any Michelin tyre that has the word "Pilot" in its name! It very much depends on the specific tyres. In general, I would suggest you are more likely to get a tyre that will perform better and last longer than if you buy budget (or even mid-range). The less you spend on a tyre, the more likely you are to find an aspect of the tyre's performance that lets it down, whether that is handling/braking related, noise, comfort or wear.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff