Will New VERY QUIET Tyres for Mazda 2 make any difference?
Discussion
Hi Peeps
So i brought a Mazda 2 Sport, as it was in great condition for age, low mileage and cheap... running well BUT is very bumpy, and noisy, will NEW Tyres make any difference to the ride?
Currently its got 4 newish tyres all difference makes: Uniroyal, Autogrip, CEAT SEcura Drive and Ziex, presumable all CHEAP!!
they are Sport tyres so 'thin' , size 195/45 R15
SO my question is will getting 4 New tyres of same brand which are QUIET make a LOT of Difference or am I better just waiting until they need replaceing? ...
most are 5-6mm, theres one newish one... 8mm
can I sell mine as 'second hand' as they still are very good tread on them ?
Any advice would be great and can anyone reccomend Bigger (more cusioning) and Quieter TYres are brands to go for !!
Cheers
Ludwig II
So i brought a Mazda 2 Sport, as it was in great condition for age, low mileage and cheap... running well BUT is very bumpy, and noisy, will NEW Tyres make any difference to the ride?
Currently its got 4 newish tyres all difference makes: Uniroyal, Autogrip, CEAT SEcura Drive and Ziex, presumable all CHEAP!!
they are Sport tyres so 'thin' , size 195/45 R15
SO my question is will getting 4 New tyres of same brand which are QUIET make a LOT of Difference or am I better just waiting until they need replaceing? ...
most are 5-6mm, theres one newish one... 8mm
can I sell mine as 'second hand' as they still are very good tread on them ?
Any advice would be great and can anyone reccomend Bigger (more cusioning) and Quieter TYres are brands to go for !!
Cheers
Ludwig II
mmm-five said:
How old is the car, is the suspension (springs, dampers, bushes, etc.) all in good condition?
its OLD!! 2008, low mileage, drive by nice old lady so probably not thrashed about I've no idea how to check if suspension is any good, where would i LOOK? My local mechanic could have a look, if its crap can I claim with my 3 month warrenty? or as i've read these are not worth paper written on?
I know jack all about cars , except put petrol in and drive it, lol , but relaising I need to know more!!
I've read that Mazda 2 sports are quite bumpy and loud, so just looking in any way to smooth it out of possible!!
Smint said:
Low profiles like that are going to be noisy and hard riding whatever you fit, you might improve things a little by fitting winter rated all seasons but don't expect miracles.
You'd be better tracing where the noise is coming from...a bundle of old blankets duvets and coats will do temporarily, place them over the usual sources of noise, hatch area front footwell (passenger side only obviously
) under rear seat rear footwell, rear 3/4 panels or doors...when you've found where the noise is coming in have a poke nose on the Bay of E and you can buy self adhesive pads specifically designed for this type of thing, £50 spent like this can transform a car completely, i used 10mm thick sheets if i recall correctly.
I've done this to an Aygo and Cit C2VTS, both improved a lot, the Aygo also benefitted from a n upgrade to the sound system, ended up quite a pleasant place to be for such a small cheap runabout.
You'll be shocked how little soundproofing there is on some cars, i've padded out inside door skins, under rear wheel arch trims, the complete boot areas of both cars, under rear seats and under the rear floor carpet and the step up at the back of the rear footwell, most noise seems to come in from the back wheel areas and boot floor, the doors helped further refine the sound, i didn't need to do much at the front of either car.
Choose a warm day for fitting the proofing, less chance of trim clips breaking when its warm, you'd be surprised what you can do in a morning.
Also consider fitting more sensible wheel sizes, try and raise the profiles to 55 or even 60 aspect if you can, tyres usually cheaper, offer much better snow grip in higher profiles, better ride and quieter.
All this sounds like great advice , I tihink it'll br hard to find out where noise os coming from, certainly hideous going over bumpy roads, or that new gravelly tarmac... You'd be better tracing where the noise is coming from...a bundle of old blankets duvets and coats will do temporarily, place them over the usual sources of noise, hatch area front footwell (passenger side only obviously
) under rear seat rear footwell, rear 3/4 panels or doors...when you've found where the noise is coming in have a poke nose on the Bay of E and you can buy self adhesive pads specifically designed for this type of thing, £50 spent like this can transform a car completely, i used 10mm thick sheets if i recall correctly.I've done this to an Aygo and Cit C2VTS, both improved a lot, the Aygo also benefitted from a n upgrade to the sound system, ended up quite a pleasant place to be for such a small cheap runabout.
You'll be shocked how little soundproofing there is on some cars, i've padded out inside door skins, under rear wheel arch trims, the complete boot areas of both cars, under rear seats and under the rear floor carpet and the step up at the back of the rear footwell, most noise seems to come in from the back wheel areas and boot floor, the doors helped further refine the sound, i didn't need to do much at the front of either car.
Choose a warm day for fitting the proofing, less chance of trim clips breaking when its warm, you'd be surprised what you can do in a morning.
Also consider fitting more sensible wheel sizes, try and raise the profiles to 55 or even 60 aspect if you can, tyres usually cheaper, offer much better snow grip in higher profiles, better ride and quieter.
how much would new wheels cost? Not cheap... perhaps I may just keep it for a while and get something quieter and more comfy, my old beat up Renault megane was a joy to drive like sitting in a big sponge... now its like being in in a tank or something... its nice to dirve, cornmering is great, its nippy but really unco,fortable and only had it a few days... shame
Davie said:
My Mum has had an 08 Mazda 2 Sport for a few years now and it's had a few tyres on it from cheap nasty budgets when she bought it then Toyos and it's currently in n Nankang winters (she does about 2000 miles a year!) and regardless of the tyre brand, it's a pretty noisey / harsh riding car and seems incredibly puncture prone too.
I'm also debating the next move as far as tyres go... it's likely I'll put a set of decent all seasons on it but I'm also debating if changing to a 195/50/16 will help the 'harshness' somewhat as it's pretty unrefined on the 195/45/16's. I asked the question on a couple of Mazda pages with regards to upping the sidewall height but nobody really gave an constructive feedback.
It's definitely a by product of the car / suspension / 45 series tyres and from what I've found, changing tyre brand makes a negligible difference.
Cheers for feedback, maybe its just the way the car is, I did read reviews saying it was loud and bumpy, whn I took it for a test drive it seems quite smooth and quiet, may be I wasn't listening hard enough.... no rattles, its just very very bumpy... I'm also debating the next move as far as tyres go... it's likely I'll put a set of decent all seasons on it but I'm also debating if changing to a 195/50/16 will help the 'harshness' somewhat as it's pretty unrefined on the 195/45/16's. I asked the question on a couple of Mazda pages with regards to upping the sidewall height but nobody really gave an constructive feedback.
It's definitely a by product of the car / suspension / 45 series tyres and from what I've found, changing tyre brand makes a negligible difference.
Shame no much can be done...
probably won't keep it for too long ... damn...
mmm-five said:
If it's very low mileage, then it's possible that all the rubbers have perished (tyres and bushes), and even possible that the springs/dampers are past their best.
All of these things can have a huge impact on handling and comfort - but which one(s) is causing it will be down to examining each item individually, and then deciding whether it's worth spending much money on a 13 year old car.
Even with a brilliant warranty, you'd be unlikely to be able to claim for something that is just 'worn out' or 'past its best'. Even if it actually failed, it would be hard to argue the point if it's considered a wear & tear item.
Yeah I don't want to spend one single on this car, just to get me around do a few thousand miles and sell it when its done under 60,000... .so far its done 49,000... body is very good nick, checked mot history, no majot problems, got new cam belt, battery, disc pads etc.... All of these things can have a huge impact on handling and comfort - but which one(s) is causing it will be down to examining each item individually, and then deciding whether it's worth spending much money on a 13 year old car.
Even with a brilliant warranty, you'd be unlikely to be able to claim for something that is just 'worn out' or 'past its best'. Even if it actually failed, it would be hard to argue the point if it's considered a wear & tear item.
so its OK, just bloody bumpy!! I may get it checked over at my garage, if suspension is really f
ked maybe get a refund, as its clearly a 'dodgy mota' !! although I bought it from a very good dealer!! Davie said:
You'd be best to try a like for like car or ask somebody who knows to drive it and advise whether it's just how the car is or if yours has issues before you go writing it off. They are pretty firmly damped, are made from tin foil and feel like the bushes are made from cast iron... refined they are not but again it's down to opinion. My mum's has done 47k, wants for nothing as far as running gear goes but even then it just feels noisey / harsh but then again it's a Mazda 2 and not a Bentley Continental.
Yeah good advice, it may be that there's 'nothing wrong' with my car its just the way its made and it is just loud and bumpy and I better get used to it! As i've not had one before or driven one before its hard to tell!
i'll probably get my mechanic, whose VERy honest to give it once over just for my peace of mind...
I think in many ways its a nice car, just after my spongy old megane , which was like driving in a sofa, this feels like a go-kart!
God knows how i'd cope with a 'real' sports car!! lol
E-bmw said:
Mrs E has a 2010 1.5 Sport & I have to disagree with a lot of criticism on the listing in general.
OK, it is no Roller, and neither is it an M5 in ride quality or handling, but for a medium to small cheapo hatchback I think it is on a par with a comparable fiesta of the same era but much better equipped.
Anyway, to get back to the OPs questions.
Your initial question is about tyres & you are in the worst possible situation of have 4 different tyres fitted, 3 of which are commonly called "ditch-finders" and the 4th of which is a reasonable mid-range tyre.
If you were to fit 4 of decent tyres, I am sure you would notice some improvement alas I suspect this is not your only issue from other things you say in latter posts.
You may well need some suspension work doing, likely shocks/springs as what you say about the car bouncing all over the place should not be happening.
Yeah I think i'll get it cheacked out, apparently before sale it had a 82 point RAC check done, so if there;s anything 'Wrong' this surely should have been detected!? OK, it is no Roller, and neither is it an M5 in ride quality or handling, but for a medium to small cheapo hatchback I think it is on a par with a comparable fiesta of the same era but much better equipped.
Anyway, to get back to the OPs questions.
Your initial question is about tyres & you are in the worst possible situation of have 4 different tyres fitted, 3 of which are commonly called "ditch-finders" and the 4th of which is a reasonable mid-range tyre.
If you were to fit 4 of decent tyres, I am sure you would notice some improvement alas I suspect this is not your only issue from other things you say in latter posts.
You may well need some suspension work doing, likely shocks/springs as what you say about the car bouncing all over the place should not be happening.
Time for my mechanic to take a look.... looks like new tyres are a go-go!!
Davie said:
Which takes me back to my point about it all being subjective...
The OP may think there's an issue when in reality it could be perfectly normal noise, harshness and road manners for that car and when he says "bouncing about" is that a slightly firmer ride than previous cars or trying to put him over a hedge. Likewise, I say "harsh" or "noisey" but again compared to what, my several tons of Volvo or a friends race prepped Caterham. So basically, it's very hard to convey what you think / feel / are experiencing via the internet which is why I said try another or get something who's more clued up to have a drive.
I drove three before my old dear bought hers, a couple of Tamuras and a Sport plus the one she bought and I thought they were all quite unrefined... or perhaps to say they feels quite "connected" is more accurate. It's less harsh than say a Panda 100hp as far as damping goes but compared to a Fiesta or a Clio, road noise seems worse in the Mazda. My Mum describes it as "Not as comfy as my old Clio" (51 plate Dynamique) The best way I'd describe it is that it feels very very light... you feel a lot of the road surface through the wheel and your arse and it is quite firm so can be a bit jiggly in certain road conditions. Not terrible, but again not the most refined small car out there so whilst tyres may help matters, I don't think it'll cure the OP's issues... or maybe it will.
Either way, with four mis-matched ditch finders I'd be changing them ASAP regardless plus four mis-matched ditch finders don't usually suggest the previous owner was that bothered about the upkeep of the car, more do the minimum required so it's possible it's got tired bushes, shocks and steering parts and buying from a dealer is no guarantee that it's a good one, nor is the low mileage.
I think I'd get a trusted mechanic to give it a once over and then take it from there... of it's all good, stick four decent tyres on it and see how you get on with it from there. I'm doing similar with my old dears but I expect the improvements to be minimal, if at all.
Many thanks for all that great advice... The OP may think there's an issue when in reality it could be perfectly normal noise, harshness and road manners for that car and when he says "bouncing about" is that a slightly firmer ride than previous cars or trying to put him over a hedge. Likewise, I say "harsh" or "noisey" but again compared to what, my several tons of Volvo or a friends race prepped Caterham. So basically, it's very hard to convey what you think / feel / are experiencing via the internet which is why I said try another or get something who's more clued up to have a drive.
I drove three before my old dear bought hers, a couple of Tamuras and a Sport plus the one she bought and I thought they were all quite unrefined... or perhaps to say they feels quite "connected" is more accurate. It's less harsh than say a Panda 100hp as far as damping goes but compared to a Fiesta or a Clio, road noise seems worse in the Mazda. My Mum describes it as "Not as comfy as my old Clio" (51 plate Dynamique) The best way I'd describe it is that it feels very very light... you feel a lot of the road surface through the wheel and your arse and it is quite firm so can be a bit jiggly in certain road conditions. Not terrible, but again not the most refined small car out there so whilst tyres may help matters, I don't think it'll cure the OP's issues... or maybe it will.
Either way, with four mis-matched ditch finders I'd be changing them ASAP regardless plus four mis-matched ditch finders don't usually suggest the previous owner was that bothered about the upkeep of the car, more do the minimum required so it's possible it's got tired bushes, shocks and steering parts and buying from a dealer is no guarantee that it's a good one, nor is the low mileage.
I think I'd get a trusted mechanic to give it a once over and then take it from there... of it's all good, stick four decent tyres on it and see how you get on with it from there. I'm doing similar with my old dears but I expect the improvements to be minimal, if at all.
if my mechanic says the suspensions all shot to pieces can I get my money back from dealer as its 'meant' to have had an 82 point RAC inspection?
Best get it checked over anyway for my peace of mind... the dealer has lots of good reviews, but they could be all made up! I like driving cars but hate buying them, i should have test driven a few more before I bought one... I was told to 'buy Japanese' which I did... trouble is I didn;t have much money to spend, so I had to either choose a newer crap car or an older 'better' car... next car I want to be like a sofa, ad quiet, don't car about speed,. just comfort!
to the mechanic!!! Many thanks again!!
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