recommend some all round tyres

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

Over the years I have used cars with a variety of tyres and you start to realise that one brand to another can have dramatic effects on the car handling and comfort - and unfortunately it is not something you get to try before you buy. If you keep a car for many years as I tend to then you get through enough sets of tyres to understand the difference - or even the impact of a poorly chosen emergency replacement.

I had Firestone tyres, a supposed premium brand, that simply were not round. I've had Michelin which lasted for ever but the traction control light was forever coming on when it rained, regardless of driving gently.

Currently, my tyre of choice is the Kleber Quadraxer, an all season tyre which is not too noisy and is not only good in winter but is excellent in the wet. My old car would easily break traction with Goodyear in the wet, which I felt were a good quality tyre compared with others I'd used. but the Quadraxer were noticeably grippier and also had much better cornering in wet weather on greasy roads, where in the past I was aware of the need to be careful. The car was actually useable in winter whereas previously we would switch to using the Golf, even though it didn't have particularly exotic tyres.

Stability control systems will cover up a lot of tyre limitations these days too, so you may well find yourself dropping off a cliff you didn't know was there on switching to cheaper tyres.

force_ten

darkmatter101 wrote: »

Force ten may I ask what family saloon car you drive?

I drive a Ford mondeo Zetec 2.0L petrol, and it is the fourth Mondeo that i have owned, the first being a 1996 1.8 LX and the other three have been 2.0L zetec

force_ten

darkmatter101 wrote: »

Also I would think twice before getting a used premium tyre. If money were a constraint, it be safer to purchase a brand new budget chinese tyre than a part worn premium tyre. You do not know weather that used tyre has had any punctures or repaired damage etc.

every time you buy a second hand car you are buying four part worn tyres, You do not know if that part worn tyre has had any punctures has been repaired or suffered any damage etc.

when we buy a used car it normally comes with part worn tyres of unknown history, this said i would much rather take a chance on a part worn premium tyre than a cheap tyre from china

darkmatter101

force_ten wrote: »

I drive a Ford mondeo Zetec 2.0L petrol, and it is the fourth Mondeo that i have owned, the first being a 1996 1.8 LX and the other three have been 2.0L zetec

I see you have a love for Fords. Have you driven a Japanese performance car such as the Integra or a BMW?

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

darkmatter101 wrote: »

I see you have a love for Fords. Have you driven a Japanese performance car such as the Integra or a BMW?

Give it a rest. Stick to the topic.

To be honest, having a high performance car with high performance tyres will get you into far more trouble than a cheap runabout on cheap tyres driven within its limits. Accidents rarely happen when driving normally. the flowers on lampposts round here are for the performance BMW drivers on ordinary roads being stupid - not even at exceptionally high speeds - we have two dead in a local lake and one who managed to hit a lamppost on the inside of a bend, both lost control.

It is a myth that you are safer, mainly because of the faulty component behind the steering wheel.

Oh, and my old Citroen GS handled far better in the wet than the far more expensive performance cars of the time - skinny tyres versus wide low profile tyres and a moderately powered engine will be far safer in wet conditions.

force_ten

darkmatter101 wrote: »

I see you have a love for Fords. Have you driven a Japanese performance car such as the Integra or a BMW?

I wasnt aware that BMW,s were japanese performance cars

I have no interest whatsoever in so called performance cars, for me a car is a way to get from A to B, and the car that i own has a very good euro NCAP rating and suits my needs

I have been a ford owner since the mid 1980,s and have always been more than happy with the cars and the service that i receive from my local dealer so why should i look elsewhere

AdrianC

force_ten wrote: »

I wasnt aware that BMW,s were japanese performance cars

Poor punctuation, perhaps, but he didn't necessarily say they were.
"Have you driven a Japanese performance car such as the Integra or a BMW?"
"Have you driven a Japanese performance car such as the Integra, or a BMW?"
"Have you driven (a Japanese performance car such as the Integra), or (a BMW)?"

Oh, and ForceTen...
http://www.viking-tyres.co.uk/
http://www.viking-tyres.com/the-brand/history.html
Looks like Viking still manufacture tyres, but their UK distributor are merely a more generic wholesaler now.

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

force_ten wrote: »

I wasnt aware that BMW,s were japanese performance cars

I have no interest whatsoever in so called performance cars, for me a car is a way to get from A to B, and the car that i own has a very good euro NCAP rating and suits my needs

I have been a ford owner since the mid 1980,s and have always been more than happy with the cars and the service that i receive from my local dealer so why should i look elsewhere

...and the Mondeo has been acknowledged as an excellent handing car, whose fundamental design was good enough to pass muster as the X-type (discontinued because it had so much Ford componentry it only made money for Ford not for Jag after the split).

Unfortunately, DM has no real world understanding of the different needs and wants of motorists and is incapable of constructive discussion taking into account the circumstances of other people.

darkmatter101

force_ten wrote: »

I wasnt aware that BMW,s were japanese performance cars

I have no interest whatsoever in so called performance cars, for me a car is a way to get from A to B, and the car that i own has a very good euro NCAP rating and suits my needs

I have been a ford owner since the mid 1980,s and have always been more than happy with the cars and the service that i receive from my local dealer so why should i look elsewhere

I meant a Japanese performance car or a BMW. I think one should explore and test drive other cars rather than just sticking to one manufacturer. What do you have to lose by doing so?

Once you have a go at driving my car, with its rear wheel drive, zero body roll, excellent handling dynamics, fast response steering and feedback, I doubt you will ever want to drive a Ford Mondeo again.

AdrianC

IanMSpencer wrote: »

...and the Mondeo has been acknowledged as an excellent handing car, whose fundamental design was good enough to pass muster as the X-type (discontinued because it had so much Ford componentry it only made money for Ford not for Jag after the split).

Actually, the writing was on the wall for the X-type before Ford sold JLR to Tata, largely because it sold poorly and was unloved by the market.