New Tyres - Continental vs. Michelin

YorkshireTraveller

Thanks Iceweasel for your input.

My Eos is a 2 litre diesel (DSG automatic) version - so not the most sporty version but quite nippy nonetheless.

I'm no boy racer but do put my foot down occasionally! I tend to drive reasonably sedately when pottering around town.

Today we've been on a 250 mile roundtrip to the NEC to visit the Classic Car Show. The trip was 95% on the motorway sticking to the speed limits - according to the on-board computer I averaged 61.2 mpg which seems about right - this Eos is the most economical car I have ever owned!

I had a previous sporty model diesel Eos with the same engine/gearbox that was significantly less economical. That had rock hard suspension with very skinny tyres that felt every pot hole - never again!

As you say I guess VW fitted Contis for a reason - but that may just be German manufacturer fitting German tyres (do VW ever fit Michelins as standard?).

Thanks again for your help.

Iceweasel

Yorkshire_Traveller wrote: »

As you say I guess VW fitted Contis for a reason - but that may just be German manufacturer fitting German tyres (do VW ever fit Michelins as standard?).

Thanks again for your help.

I can't say for sure about VW, but other German manufacturers like BMW and Opel do fit Michelin tyres to some of their models.

As well as Pirelli and Bridgestone too.

Of course some cynics will put that down to a matter of economics and who gives them the biggest discount, rather than based wholly on suitability.

I'm running CSC 5s as my Summer tyres and can't fault them - wet or dry.

force_ten

Yorkshire_Traveller wrote: »

Thanks Iceweasel for your input.

My Eos is a 2 litre diesel (DSG automatic) version - so not the most sporty version but quite nippy nonetheless.

I was going to guess at a 2.0L turbo diesel making around 140-150bhp so does it really need a sport performance tyre?

I am a great believer in fitting a brand name premium tyre but as with everything we can over engineer things sometimes

I would be happy to run a 2.0lL turbo diesel with the primacy 3 or the conti premium contact

missile

Some tyres suit some cars better. If you are happy with your current tyre, I would fit same again.

VW do fit Michelin as OEM.

Crag30

I've just changed from Continentals to Michelin Primacy on my A4 Avant. Too early for me to comment other than to say the Continentals didn't seem to last very long and hoping the MIchelins will last longer

Iceweasel

Crag30 wrote: »

I've just changed from Continentals to Michelin Primacy on my A4 Avant. Too early for me to comment other than to say the Continentals didn't seem to last very long and hoping the MIchelins will last longer

It would be interesting to know exactly which Contis you have replaced and if you could come back after a while and leave a comment on how they compare that would be great.

That kind of info from real people is very useful, as long as we know all the details.

force_ten

in tyre reviews the continental sport contact 5 gets bad reviews for wear rate with many saying they are down to 3mm in 5K-6k now i know that the SC5 is a sport performance tyre which may be more orientated to grip and handling with a rubber compound that may be prone to wear due to the extra grip

if i was looking to fit tyres on a 335i or an M3 then i would definitely be looking at the sport performance tyres but for a 2.0L d daily driver i would be looking for the best mix of grip performance and wear

These tyres came fitted to my wife's car, so when she needed 2 fronts replaced on MOT I stuck with the same on the rear, imagine my surprise when less than 5000 miles later the fronts were on the legal limits AGAIN!

the 5s at 5500 miles and also require changing are quite simply the worst wearing tyres I have ever had!!

Had continental sport contact 3 which did 20,000 miles on the front of my Saab 93 aero.bought sport contact 5 this year to replace,excellent grip in wet and dry but wear is very poor,need replacement after 8000 miles.going back to sport contact 3 which are almost as good but last much longer

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Continental/Sport-Contact-5.htm

the worst score on the test is for wear and i agree that you will find reviews from people that are getting 30k-40k from the sc5 you will find a lot more that are getting under 10k from the tyres fitted to the drive wheels

missile

Like MPG, how you drive will have a significant impact on tyre wear rate.

What price do you put on safety? I am more concerned in how the tyre performs.

YorkshireTraveller

My current SC3's get 24000 on the front, 48000 on the back.

Perhaps I'm a sedate driver!

force_ten

Yorkshire_Traveller wrote: »

My current SC3's get 24000 on the front, 48000 on the back.

Perhaps I'm a sedate driver!

as said above the style of driving and where you drive has a big impact on tyre wear

if all you miles are around town and on the motorway i would expect a tyre to last longer than a tyre that spends all its time on 60MPH twisty Roads

I live in a rural area and a couple of hundred yards from the house you are out onto national speed limit A roads and they are very twisty and the constant accelerating hard breaking and hard cornering will cause the tyre to wear faster than a tyre that spends most of its life around town and on the motorways