I have recently bought a used Focus 1.8 Zetec. All 4 tyres were replaced with what appear to be cheap Far Eastern ones by the dealer because the original tyres were very worn (with just 2mm tread depth remaining).
What tyres is the Focus supplied with originally, and what have other Focus owners found to be the most suitable make/model of tyre?
What difference in performance/economy could I expect by replacing them with more expensive branded ones?
Thanks,
Tim
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My '99 2.0 Ghia 5-dr came shod with Michelin Energy tyres, but a relative has a newer version of the same model and that came with Firestones. Noticed a lot of Zetecs on the road with Pirelli P6000s, so guess they are what that model comes with.
Recently replaced the front pair on mine with Continental Premium Contacts after reading a favourable comparison review in Which? magazine, though since I then had them put on the back (and still have original Michelin on the front) I can't really comment on whether they're any different in day-to-day use.
If you want to know whether better brand tyres will make a lot of difference before shelling out, go down to your local Ford dealer and take a Zetec with the Pirellis for a test drive!
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Mainly in the wet. Better grip, better braking.
checkout www.tyres-online.co.uk/tyretest/tests.asp
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Thanks for the link. The tyres on my Focus are Kumho - the ones which came last in the test!
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Which test are you referring to. It would be nice to have some good data to refer to when buying tyres in the future. The cheap far eastern tyres I recently replaced (not kumho) were very easy to lock up in the wet with only moderate braking. It seems that there ought to be a minimum coefficient of friction wet and dry for tyres as well as depth of tread.
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Kumho tyres are made by Michelin. I borrowed a couple of wheels with these tyres a while back. They are not great, but they last quite well. You should notice a significant difference in grip from fitting a decent set of tyres.
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I bought a pair of Bridgestone Potenza RE720 last week based on the recommendation of a backroomer (thanks Andy P) and I am well pleased with the improvement in steering and handling over the Michelins I had on previously. They got very good reviews in tyres-online and cost £46 ea in 195/50/15 from Micheldever. Might be worth considering.
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Ford do not fit any one make of tyre exclusively; their mainstream cars will be fitted top quality tyres from all the major manufacrurers-even things like RS TURBOS which need something more special in the way of rubber will probably be made with two or three manufacturers' tyres.
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Relax timp,
Kumho are good tyres. Far Eastern, yes - Korean. Cheap, no.
If you need convincing further:-
Europe's largest car manufacturer, Volkswagen AG, has awarded Kumho Tire a contract to supply 200,000 tyres a year for the new Polo to be launched in the UK in February 2002.
Kumho, currently ranked among the world's top ten tyre companies, has already begun supplying the 185/60R14 size of its Power Max 769 tyre to the German carmaker. This is the first major original equipment supply contract that Kumho has won in Europe.
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LeZebre,
Interested in your comments. Kumho are the most frequently seen budget tyres around this area. They are very cheap to buy in the version we see, at not far off "remould" prices.
I will not advise fitting them because, in my experience, they take the edge off wet grip, wet braking and high speed cornering stability on mixed surfaces.
This of course applies to anyone who values a car being spot-on in the handling department. For many folks who buy them it is better to have a new set of Kumhos at a budget price than a mixture of the usual "on the limit" tyres.
David W
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I have had Pirelli P6000(original equipment), Michelin XV1 & currently, Conti Eco Contacts. The P6000s gripped well but wore rather quickly, XV1s were noticeably less grippy but lasted a little longer, and the Conti's are grippy but don't know about longevity yet. All roughly the same price, all from Micheldever.
(On this basis, I would not, personally, recommend Michelins)
I have seen new Foci on Pirellis, Goodyears & Firestones.
Hope this helps
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Hi, David,
Looking around the web, I have noticed that Kumhos are well regarded in the States, in fact sometimes they are even recommended as the tyres of choice, irrespective of price.
If they are low cost in the UK, it may just be that they neecd to get established here.
Certainly as a company they are not to be regarded as unable to compete with the traditional names. The only thing that occurs is that their range may be wider than most, so that at the top end they give nothing away to, say, Dunlop, but there may well be a wider gap between the various models they offer.
Even so, now that they are becoming established in the OE market, I shouldn't think they could risk offering any model which was seriously under par.
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"If they are low cost in the UK, it may just be that they need to get established here"
OR it could be that they are second-rate.
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That's possible, TrevorP. I don't have any personally acquired evidence, and David W's experience is valuable here. My piont is that Kumho is an up and coming mfr who are concerned with quality, and are not to be confused with the no-name products that you see around.
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