Money saving vs life saving

Grumpy_chap

Supersonos said:

Money_Grabber13579 said:

Supersonos said:

Grumpy_chap said:

Supersonos said:

The front tyres on my car are looking pretty bald and one of them appears to have a slow puncture.  The rear tyres look ok.  The car has done 17k miles.

4 new tyres is around £650 but I've read that it's a good idea to move the rear tyres to the front and therefore just buy two new tyres.  But at what point is saving money worth the increased risk of an accident?

Is your car front or rear wheel drive?
Back to money-saving:
Why do you need new tyres after only 17k miles?
Why are four tyres £650?  The last set of 4 tyres I got £150 for cash.  

It's a BMW X1 so I'm guessing rear.

225/45 R19 are the tyres, so for a decent set (Michelin/Hanook etc.) they're £150-170 per tyre.

Are the tyre sizes the same on the front and back? Mine have different sizes and I understand that it is not uncommon these days.

Yeah, same front and back.  And now I've realised it's 4WD, probably makes sense to do all 4 tyres.  So that's £600-700 gone in one go.  And after only 17k miles seems extreme.

It depends on the type of mileage you do.  I can get 40k miles from a set of tyres, but low stress motorway cruising.  

AdrianC

Supersonos said:

Money_Grabber13579 said:

Supersonos said:

Grumpy_chap said:

Supersonos said:

The front tyres on my car are looking pretty bald and one of them appears to have a slow puncture.  The rear tyres look ok.  The car has done 17k miles.

4 new tyres is around £650 but I've read that it's a good idea to move the rear tyres to the front and therefore just buy two new tyres.  But at what point is saving money worth the increased risk of an accident?

Is your car front or rear wheel drive?
Back to money-saving:
Why do you need new tyres after only 17k miles?
Why are four tyres £650?  The last set of 4 tyres I got £150 for cash.  

It's a BMW X1 so I'm guessing rear.

225/45 R19 are the tyres, so for a decent set (Michelin/Hanook etc.) they're £150-170 per tyre.

Are the tyre sizes the same on the front and back? Mine have different sizes and I understand that it is not uncommon these days.

Yeah, same front and back.  And now I've realised it's 4WD, probably makes sense to do all 4 tyres.

Go and read your owner's handbook. The viscous centre diff means you need to keep all four tyres the same, else you'll likely end up replacing the centre diff, perhaps transfer box.

Four Avons or Uniroyals for £130 each. Job jobbed.
https://www.blackcircles.com/order/tyres/search?width=225&profile=45&rim=19&id=10010

But why on earth does it need 19" rims with 45-profile tyres? Ridiculous... It's a Mini on stilts... Bet the ride is atrocious. And, of course, those rims are going to be vulnerable to potholes...

Sandtree

Supersonos said:
(I thought BMW didn't do FWD - thought they championed RWD).

As has already been said, the X1 is based on a Mini base not a BMW

fred246

I love it. When I was at work people used to spend £40K on a car. I used to ask them simple questions like "How many cylinders has it got?" The blank faces. It's unbelievable someone can buy a 4 wheel drive car without realising it is.

Supersonos

Sandtree said:

Supersonos said:
(I thought BMW didn't do FWD - thought they championed RWD).

As has already been said, the X1 is based on a Mini base not a BMW

?  

No-one has said that.  I wasn’t aware it was based on a Mini.  

Supersonos

fred246 said:

I love it. When I was at work people used to spend £40K on a car. I used to ask them simple questions like "How many cylinders has it got?" The blank faces. It's unbelievable someone can buy a 4 wheel drive car without realising it is.

You’re right.  I spent something like £40k on a car but it’s my wife’s.  She chose it and she may well know it’s 4WD, but I’ve never even driven it.

But, of course, when it comes to tyres, I’ve got to be the one to sort them out.

AdrianC

Sandtree said:

Supersonos said:
(I thought BMW didn't do FWD - thought they championed RWD).

As has already been said, the X1 is based on a Mini base not a BMW

The Mini's UKL platform is a BMW group platform, because - of course - Mini is a brand of BMW group.

The X1 is built alongside Clubmans in the Netherlands, the former DAF and Mitsubishi factory.

molerat

AdrianC said:

Four Avons or Uniroyals for £130 each. Job jobbed.
https://www.blackcircles.com/order/tyres/search?width=225&profile=45&rim=19&id=10010

Tyreshopper have Uniroyals at £121 and Avons at £120 plus a 5% discount code.

£160 a corner is way OTT for tyres that often live off their name rather than performance.

Sandtree

Supersonos said:
No-one has said that.  I wasn’t aware it was based on a Mini.  

No?
                 

AdrianC said:
The newer, 2015-on, is a tubby Mini on stilts, so FWD. 

AdrianC

molerat said:

AdrianC said:

Four Avons or Uniroyals for £130 each. Job jobbed.
https://www.blackcircles.com/order/tyres/search?width=225&profile=45&rim=19&id=10010

Tyreshopper have Uniroyals at £121 and Avons at £120 plus a 5% discount code.

Entirely possible that they're cheaper elsewhere, yes - it was simply a case of "You can get stuff worth having cheaper".

£160 a corner is way OTT for tyres that often live off their name rather than performance.

Horses for course.

I'm usually happy to pay a bit extra for a premium, especially Mich. Depends on the premium, depends on the use the car's getting. But I do tend to drive cars a bit harder than many.

If the car's user doesn't even know how many wheels are driven, then mid-range should be just fine. Especially given the likelihood of pothole damage in the future with 45 profile 19" pimprims...