Pirelli P6000s really that good? - robZilla
Am I alone in thinking that Pirelli P6000s aren\'t that great? I used to have four Michelin Pilot Exalto which were fantastic - best tyres I\'ve ever used but they\'re now discontinued.

Long story but old car got written off and new car (same as before, 99T Vectra 2.0 GLS) which I bought in March was fitted with brand new P6000s (195/65/15 VR), which I thought great because I\'ve heard people rave about them.

Well, they\'re certainly long-lasting and not too noisy but compared to my old Michelins, they\'re about as grippy as a greased weasel on a frozen lake.

I\'m no a boy racer but I do like to drive fairly quickly on the open road when there\'s no-one about but the Pirellis scare theout of me when they start to lose it on a bend.

Anyone know of a decent alternative to the Pilot Exaltos? Not time to replace the P6000s yet but I\'ve been thinking about Michelin Pilot Primacy for when I do. Anyone else have any suggestions?
Pirelli P6000s really that good? - teabelly
Toyos are supposed to be pretty fine grip wise. No idea about noise or wear rate though. The uniroyal r540s I have are supposed to be fairly quiet for low profiles. They are very good in the wet too.

If you find that the handling on this new car is a little tricky then it is worth having a full 4 wheel alignment in case the skittishness is down to the suspension not being set up correctly. My car felt like it was being unseated on bumps during bends and the steering felt a little vague. Getting a 4 wheel alignment sorted it completely. Worn shocks would also give a similar skittishness.
teabelly
Pirelli P6000s really that good? - robZilla
Pretty sure it's the tyres causing the probelm as the car had a our wheel alignment done less than a month ago and a full dealer service about two months ago.

Thanks for the advice, I'll check the tyres you mentioned.
Pirelli P6000s really that good? - Cyd
Uniroyal 540s generally recieve reviews that say they're ok for wet braking but poor for wet handling and generally weak in the dry. I would agree with this. I changed from these to Goodyear Eagle F1s - it is no exageration to say the car was transformed, for the better. ABS threshold in the wet is tremendous, and there's no more slithering about. Tramlining was reduced and they're also pretty quiet. Rotating them regularly, it looks like the set will last about 35k - good on a 1480kg 200hp front driver. They're generally reviewed as being a only average for dry handling, but their wet performance more than makes up for this (and anyway their dry performance is sufficient to satisfy all bar The Stig).

GE F1s get my recommendation. two blokes at work have Dunlop SP9000s (one on a Porsche) and thoroughly recommend these. I'll be having SP9000s next.
Pirelli P6000s really that good? - Cardew
Robnorton,
There have been a number of threads about P6000s - the last quite recently

www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=12582

The consensus was that their grip was fine, but some felt they had limited life.

C
Pirelli P6000s really that good? - ChrisV
Rob,
When I bought my used Focus it had Michelin Primacy tyres on the front, I thought they were excellent, great grip wet & dry and quite quiet. When they wore out I priced a new pair, but they would have been nearly £100 each (205/50-16).
P6000 were about £70 each and they are ok, but not quite as good as the Primacy. They have plenty of grip at sensible speeds but aren't quite as good for steering feel as the Michelins.
Not sure the Mich's were £30/tyre better though!. Not sure about relative wear rates because I don't know when the old ones were fitted.
Chris
Pirelli P6000s really that good? - robZilla
My local tyre place has quoted me the same price for the P6000 and the Primacy at my size (195/65/15) - £54 a corner inc. VAT, fitting & balancing, so the price is not an issue for me. I think I will go for the Michelins. The way it's going I'll be replacing the Pirellis when I get bored with them rather than when they wear out!!! Might keep one on the spare though as they're not directional..
Pirelli P6000s really that good? - andy n
i have been using p6000 for the last 18 months on a v70 t5 and have found them to be an excellent choice, wet weather grip being in particular very good, wear rate appear to be about average, all in all a good compromise, shop around and you can get some excellent deals
Pirelli P6000s really that good? - robZilla
As there are such differing opinions about them, it seems to me like it's more to do with tyre size, type of car and how you drive than the actual tyre itself. I guess for me they're not a good choice but for others they are just fine. I'm going with Michelin!
Pirelli P6000s really that good? - patpending
Hi there,

looks like Rob's already made his choice and can't say I know he's wrong. My car had four P600s and I found them great. Then one was replaced by a P6000 and it was not really compatible. last change saw two Michelins at the front - they were good.

Message - don't mix your Pirellis!

pat