car tyres - what do you recommend?

Hintza

I've started buying Cooper Tyres I particularly like their 4x4 tyres but have stuck a pair on the front of the Panda. They generally get a good/reasonable write up.

http://www.camskill.co.uk/m53b938s288p78078/COOPER_TYRES_CAR_COOPER_ZEON_XTC_-_195_55R15_85H_TL_

Review:-

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Cooper/Zeon-XTC.htm

mikey72

That should be interesting to finally get a repeatable, quantifiable difference between the tyres performance, it's a shame the two websites have completely different views on what the differences mean though.

iangex

The 55 profile of this size limits choice. Uniroyal Rainsport IIs are available for £38.60 (+ £3 shipping) each from camskill at the moment if you drop down to 195/50/15. Well within your budget even at £10 to fit each one!

As a new user, I am unable to post links but you can find them on the camskill website.

I did this for my 306 (down from 55 profile also) and it handles and rides much better (although it was on budgets before). Especially impressive in the wet! Just remember to pump them up slightly higher than most tyres as the sidewall is soft, which can make the car feel 'wooly' at normal pressures. An extra 3psi solved this for me.

melbury

I am having two Federal tyres fitted on Tuesday total cost of about £79. Previously had Kuhmo, which were another budget tyre.

I find it very disconcerting that many people assume not buying a premium tyre is just plain negligent and dangerous. Surely a lot depends on the mileage and speeds that you do.

When I started driving you could buy remoulds and run your tyres until they were just about smooth:eek::eek: I am not saying that is a good thing, but presumably even budget tyres have to meet certain safety standards, don't they?

colino

The new tyre grading system going live in November is as much use as a chocolate fireguard. Efficiency and noise are useful to know, but the main one, wet grip, isn't even tested like an emergency stop. The tyre will be "tested" from 50mph to 12mph, hardly a useful or worthwhile scenario is it? The driving examiner doesn't check for the reactions and ability of a learner by asking them to slow down a bit do they?

As with the white goods labels, it will be handy to know, but I warrant most will still buy on price.

Ultrasonic

colino wrote: »

The tyre will be "tested" from 50mph to 12mph, hardly a useful or worthwhile scenario is it?

Interesting - I wonder if anyone knows why that test condition was picked?

For me I'd say in principle the new tyre label is a good thing. It will give consumers some information, whereas at present if someone walks into a tyre shop they have none. (Unless they'd looked online for tyre test results first of course.)

mikey72

Ultrasonic wrote: »

Interesting - I wonder if anyone knows why that test condition was picked?

For me I'd say in principle the new tyre label is a good thing. It will give consumers some information, whereas at present if someone walks into a tyre shop they have none. (Unless they'd looked online for tyre test results first of course.)

Because you can put a tyre on a machine, apply a constant pressure, and rotate it against a "calibrated" known surface. 50 is a reasonable top speed, and 12mph is the typical speed at which abs, eps etc starts to affect the wheel locking. Everything is equal, so it will be very interesting to see the results.