Help with tyre choice.

[raf_gti]

The time has finally come, this weekend I will be having the RE050s replaced but I just can't decide what.

My default choice is Pilot Exalto 2 but I can't justify the premium for them at this time which leaves me with the following choices.

Kumho KU39
Continental ContactSport3
Hankook S1 Evo
Toyo T1-R.

Car is a Mk3 daily driver with a 25 mile ea.way commute over B roads ()

Kumho's are winning for their keen price of £65 fitted, S1 Evo recently won a German tyre test and along with the Conti is available for £105 fitted.

Help!

[hornetrider]

Toyo for me out of that lot. I'm getting close to my first change at the rear (17.5k miles) and am considering like for like RE050s as they may be more expensive, but I find the grip levels outstanding and 17.5k miles can't be sniffed at.

[Loopyleesa]

I've just bought 2 Toyos T1Rs for mine, after lots of advice and searching for the best.

My local Protyre wanted £105 each fitted.
Black Circle is £176 for 2 fitted at allocated place.....Protyre!

[Trefy5]

raf_gti said:

The time has finally come, this weekend I will be having the RE050s replaced but I just can't decide what.

My default choice is Pilot Exalto 2 but I can't justify the premium for them at this time which leaves me with the following choices.

Kumho KU39
Continental ContactSport3
Hankook S1 Evo
Toyo T1-R.

Car is a Mk3 daily driver with a 25 mile ea.way commute over B roads ()

Kumho's are winning for their keen price of £65 fitted, S1 Evo recently won a German tyre test and along with the Conti is available for £105 fitted.

Help!

Just to throw in another tyre to the mix
Uniroyal Rainsport 2
Grip - excellent
Wear - approaching 16k with 4mm left.
The original Yokos lasted 18500 with nowhere near the grip.
I do believe (tho have no evidence) that different parts of the country work better with different rubber so Hankooks may work better with you but be useless where i live.
I think my Yokos worked better in the Highlands so... take that as you will
A friend has 205-45-17s with Kumhos and he likes them a lot and lives Cov/Warks and that's a very good price you have there
Decision decisions

[PATTERNPART]

Four Toyo T1R's supplied and fitted by mobile Event Tyres for £220 including VAT.

(195/50/15's for Mk1)

Edited by PATTERNPART on Tuesday 23 August 13:38

[raf_gti]

hornetrider said:

Toyo for me out of that lot. I'm getting close to my first change at the rear (17.5k miles) and am considering like for like RE050s as they may be more expensive, but I find the grip levels outstanding and 17.5k miles can't be sniffed at.

I bought my car last year with 14k on the clock, it's now up to 27k, decided to check the tyres manufacture date and they are all from late '06, it looks like the car is on it's original rubber which isn't too shabby!

[Riknos]

PATTERNPART said:

Four Toyo T1R's supplied and fitted by mobile Event Tyres for £220 including VAT.

(195/50/15's for Mk1)

Edited by PATTERNPART on Tuesday 23 August 13:38

I'll echo this. T1R's may not be the best tyre out there, but they're good in all weathers, and for the price I can't find anything that compares. This would be by choice.

[hornetrider]

raf_gti said:

hornetrider said:

Toyo for me out of that lot. I'm getting close to my first change at the rear (17.5k miles) and am considering like for like RE050s as they may be more expensive, but I find the grip levels outstanding and 17.5k miles can't be sniffed at.

I bought my car last year with 14k on the clock, it's now up to 27k, decided to check the tyres manufacture date and they are all from late '06, it looks like the car is on it's original rubber which isn't too shabby!

That is excellent. I have about 3mm on my rears and am toying with swapping them onto the front to balance out some wear. Should have done it at about 12k miles as the fronts have loads left. Still, at least this way I'm only buying one pair of tyres at as time!

[raf_gti]

hornetrider said:

That is excellent. I have about 3mm on my rears and am toying with swapping them onto the front to balance out some wear. Should have done it at about 12k miles as the fronts have loads left. Still, at least this way I'm only buying one pair of tyres at as time!

I rotate my tyres so they wear down at the same rate, unfortunately that does mean replacing four at a time. I had considered going for an all-season tyre but it's not early enough to benefit and I want to enjoy the car as much and for as long as possible.

[J-Tuner]

I've got Toyos on at the moment, and although they are a tad on the soft side and squeal a bit when pushed they are great on the '5. I've done 2 track days and an airfield day on them and they are still going strong

You could do a lot worse for the money.

[raf_gti]

In the end I decided to go for the ContiSportContact 3, £120 ea at my local tyre place which was pretty much the cheapest I could find on the various websites barring Camskill although obviously there is then the hassle of delivery and fitting.

Initial impressions are very positive, tram-lining has all but disappeared and the car feels a lot more 'at one' with the road, even when driving completely normal.

I shall update once tyres are scrubbed in fully and I've had a chance to play with them

[Loopyleesa]

I had my Toyos fitted yesterday and it kindly rained today for me to test them.


They are ace, no sliding what so ever and I can corner at a sensible speed now instead of slowing down to 10mph!

[jdmroadsterna6]

Hankook v12s ive heard are a good tyre.

[MaxMX5]

I have recently had Uniroyal Rainsport 2 fitted to the front of my MK2.5 and they are really good. Much better grip in the wet the the Avon's I had and noticeably better in the dry too. They were £92 each fitted through Blackcircles.com

[Aizle]

Has anybody on here experienced T1-R and Rainsport 2 on an Mx-5 of any vintage?

Can't decide what to get, it is my daily driver and will be run through winter.

[Trefy5]

Aizle said:

Has anybody on here experienced T1-R and Rainsport 2 on an Mx-5 of any vintage?

Can't decide what to get, it is my daily driver and will be run through winter.

Yes
Both work well - Rainsports will last a bit longer
Mine are on approaching 17k with 3-4mm left
Used, mostly, on rural roads

[Aizle]

Trefy5 said:

Aizle said:

Has anybody on here experienced T1-R and Rainsport 2 on an Mx-5 of any vintage?

Can't decide what to get, it is my daily driver and will be run through winter.

Yes
Both work well - Rainsports will last a bit longer
Mine are on approaching 17k with 3-4mm left
Used, mostly, on rural roads

Rainsports last longer so a harder compound, any more grip out of the toyos in the dry then?

Or nothing noticeable, thanks for the info.

[Trefy5]

Aizle said:

Rainsports last longer so a harder compound, any more grip out of the toyos in the dry then?

Or nothing noticeable, thanks for the info.

I would go so far as to suggest that the Rainsports are as good as the Toyos in the dry.
They work well on Mk2s or mk3s - i don't know about mk1s but would guess that the same should apply

[phil_cardiff]

Aizle said:

Has anybody on here experienced T1-R and Rainsport 2 on an Mx-5 of any vintage?

Can't decide what to get, it is my daily driver and will be run through winter.

I've had a set of both from new. The rainsports were superior in terms of grip, wear and feel.

[Aizle]

phil_cardiff said:

I've had a set of both from new. The rainsports were superior in terms of grip, wear and feel.

Cheers Phil and trefy.

Was this a Mk2?

The only thing about the toyos is the tread pattern is so damn sexy.