Hi all, I will shortly need four new tyres. Does anyone have recommendations for:
a) Tyre manufacturer/model. The tyres are fairly large (the rear ones are 255/35-18)and if possible I would like to increase the levels of ride comfort and decrease the levels of noise I get from the Bridgestones that are on at the moment.
b)Supplier/fitter. Somewhere in Essex/Kent/Sussex/Surrey. I am not at all keen to use regular fast-fit places.
Many thanks. Mods - wasn't sure where to put this posting. If it's Technical, please move it.
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Hi,
I'm very impressed with the goodyear Eagle Ventuta's I fitted to the Yaris.
Qet a quote from as many local firms as possible then try
www.mytyres.net their prices are very keen.
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Some of the Bridgestone tyres listed on mytyres.co.uk have very good ratings for noise, IIRC.
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Of the premium tyres listed on mytyres.co.uk, the Bridgestone Potenza RE 050 A gets by far the best rating for noise and just about every other quality too. Of the cheaper tyres, the Hankook Ventus gets by far the best ratings. The Dunlop SP Sport 9000 gets quite good ratings for noise and grip too.
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See if you can find some Avons. Always seem to have a superb ride and low noise.
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Not always great for wear though. On our C5 they lasted just 13k on the front wheels.
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My last tyres were Avons. The fitter at Micheldever tyres (well respected on this site) suggested that they certainly weren't what I should have bought.
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Bear in mind also that the same tyre will behave differently on different cars - and in different sizes - with respect to noise & comfort. Perhaps there's an owners club for your car that you could browse for useful advice? and do a google search - try keywords like "tyremake model cartype review" (e.g. "bridgestone S03 review" without the quotes) - perhaps adding in your car. Tried it for mine last week & got some useful results.
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For performance tyres, Goodyear F1.
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Bear in mind also that the same tyre will behave differently on different cars - and in different sizes - with respect to noise & comfort. Perhaps there's an owners club for your car that you could browse for useful advice? and do a google search - try keywords like "tyremake model cartype review" (e.g. "bridgestone S03 review" without the quotes) - perhaps adding in your car. Tried it for mine last week & got some useful results.
Agree with above entirely. Which? magazine has tested tyres a couple of times over the years and a tyre which is their best buy in one particular size is not necessarily their best buy in another size. Which tends to rule out compound formulations and tread patterns. I used to swear by Michelins on my XR4x4 and swear at Dunlops. Now with an Accord Tourer, I'll probably go back to the Dunlops that were fitted as original instead of the Michelin Pilot Primacys I'm running on now. So much depends on your style of driving, the vehicle and the roads you frequent. Probably no help whatsoever - sorry.
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If you want better comfort / noise then I would go to 17" wheels and a higher profile. Anything on that sizing/profile is going to give a harsh ride and noise.
Whats the car ? If you get tyres with an N rating they will have stiffer sidewalls (N ratings are made to porsche spec - so are only available in certain sizes, but you imply diff size on front and rear and that looks like a porsche size) So a 17" with an N should help keep performance but improve comfort I think.
Michaeldever tyres (sp) gets good recommendations for price and service.
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Thanks everyone. I've done a bit more research over the weekend and Dunlop SP9000 has come up a few times as a quite(er) tyre.
I take the point that all tyres of this size are likely to give poor ride and noise. I can live with it, particularly as I'm really not keen on paying for new wheels too. However, With the benefit of experience, purchasing a car with such over-specified wheels and tyres (for road use anyway) is not a mistake that I will make again...
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I agree about over specified tyres. I saw a Citroen C4 1.6i VTR+ yesterday, with 17 inch alloy wheels and 205/50 R17W tyres. W rated tyres, on a car with an engine producing just 110 bhp, is a little over the top, in my opinion, never mind what the low profile does for the ride.
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255/35-18 and the front ones are a different size? What do you drive?
As for fitters, I'd go to Micheldever. Indeed, I always do, considering it worth the drive from Herts even when I can't combine it with a convenient business trip. Their kit and competence are first class and their prices usually rock bottom.
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'Steer' clear of Avons.
On two occasions I had tread separation issues with ZV1's. Avon's attitude to the serious problem with the tyre construction was abysmal to say the least.
Nuff said
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The Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 I have are very quiet on good road surfaces, but the poorer the surface the noisier they get. They're also wearing quite well - 14k and still plenty of tread left on them.
Andy
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It's a BMW 325 sport. I only realised last week that the tyres on the back were bigger than the front. I thought that kind of thing was usually reserved for 911s, M3s and the like. All seems a bit OTT for a car of (relatively) modest power. Mostly motivated by appearance, I suspect.
I had a 323SE previously which on reflection was far better for ride and noise. The wheels/tyres on that were considerably smaller. What's worse it that the grip/handling of the 325 doesn't appear (to me at least) to be significantly better than the 323.
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If you really would prefer more "normal" wheels/tyres have a word with you friendly BMW dealer, he may be willing to swap your wheels/tyres for some more modest ones from a 2nd hand car on the forecourt of a similar age, should not cost you much (assuming the tyre wear is about the same) because the value of the dealers 2nd hand car will be enhanced by the wider/fatter wheels.
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You would be far better off selling the wheels on Ebay etc. 18's for a 3 series will sell like hot cakes. I imagine with the money you get for them (assuming the condition is reasonable) you would be able to afford a set of second hand BMW wheels and a new set of tyres.
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I use RM Tyre in Strood Kent, very careful with Alloys and good prices. +44 (01634) 716336 2 man band Phil & Barry.
Jim
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Just a quick note to say thanks to everyone who took the time to post their ideas about my recent tyre purchase. As suggested I went to Micheldever Tyres who were excellent - efficient, pleasant people to deal with (the absolute opposite of most national fast-fit places I've used in the past). Lowest prices I have come across too which certainly justified the three hour round trip I made to go there.
Finally chose Dunlop SP9000s. Pleased to say that they are much quieter and smoother riding that the Bridgestones fitted previously. In fact, I'm actually surprised how much difference the choice of tyre appears to have made to the car. I guess time will tell how long they'll last but right now I'm well happy. Thanks again.
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Not sure I would have chosen the SP Sport 9000. They came supplied on my Mondeo when I bought it, and whilst they were excellent tyres and I had no complaints they have now been replaced by the Dunlop SP Sport MAXX a good few months ago now.
Whilst this may not seem like a problem, if you ever damage a tyre and need a replacement you will find it difficult to get a matching tyre. I don't know about you, but I'd only be happy with identical tyres on all 4 corners of my car.
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I'm now getting close to the time when I'm going to have to replace my Michelin Economy tyres, after four years and close on 40,000 miles.
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you do not state what vehicle and you will have had thr rubber fitted by now. when talking about ultra high performance sizes, car match can be of major significance. would normally recommend goodyear F1 GSD3 tyres in this sector or bridgestone SO3 (slightly noisier) both super gripping tyres. Good reports on dunlop spmaxx but i have not tried yet. good suppliers in your area elite near dartford man on wheels kent or merityre.
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Out of curiosity, for those of you who have just changed, or are about to change tyres, did you measure the tread depth remaining or did the tyres just look worn?
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Kwik fit vary, Harrogate routinely quote £10-£15 cheaper than Ripon for 205/55-16 quality brands, ie harrogate £90 ripon £105 for michelins last time I checked.
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Typical Kwikfit pricing though! Currently paying around £ 65 in Bracknell or Chatham for the same fully fitted, valve & balance.
One of the reasons INEVER use Kwikfit!
Jim
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