|
Whenever I see a car with low profile tyres I can't help thinking how vulnerable the wheels must be to kerbing damage.
|
|
I agree, although I think it depends on other things as well such as wheel design (spokes that stick out), tyre width vs wheel width and whether or not the tyres have rim protectors on
|
|
|
|
And how uncomfortable they are... hate the things!
|
And how uncomfortable they are... hate the things!
>>
seconded....trouble is unless you buy new, you have to go with what the first purchaser has ordered...and many people don't realise the foolishness of having low profiles
|
unless you buy new
They wouldn't let me specify any other wheels/tyres when I got the motablity car as it took the car away from standard spec! So even though it was new I'm stuck with 45 profile tyres...
|
|
|
|
My (manufacturer-fitted) alloys are over 6-years old now and there's not a mark on them.
However, during that time I have reversed into a fence-post (twice) and 'kissed' a brick-wall at t'other end!
|
|
|
One of the things that appealed to me about the C5 was that I could get a top spec model without being forced to have silly alloys. They're just nice simple, kerb resistant 16"s which are relatively cheap to replace.
SWMBO has left her mark on the Zafiras 17"s, forgive the pun. They're very pricey tyres for a family runabout too. Plus the ride quality issues...
How tempting it is to downgrade them to some 16" or even 15" rims...
|
|
|
Well, I guess there's low-profile and low-profile.
It used to be quite 'racy' to have 70-section tyres when 80- / 82-section jobbies were the norm.
35- or 30-section boots do look more like an elastic band stretched round the rim!
|
|
Horses for courses. A waste of time on a family saloon but needed on a performance car if you want to go round corners quickly.
|
I'm not convinced that profiles really need to be that low. Formula one tyres are not particularly low profile.
However there is a certain type of owner who believes that you can never be too low. Witness a certain wag's Bentley who has already kerbed her ridiculous wheels.
|
My boss's, sorry, wife's, Ka has "normal" profile skinny tyres on steel rims and it changes direction quicker than a housefly.
Can't imagine why anyone not planning to use one at Oulton Park would need lower profile tyres. I accept that they can look nice on some cars though.
My Mondeo has larger than normal wheels and lower profile tyres on it. They are the original spec for the model but examples of the same car I've driven on the standard 16" wheels are much less crashy/thumpy. Strangely enough they seem to be able to cope with corners just as well as mine does. It's just a fad.
The Qashqai has big wheels but also has 60 profile tyres. It goes round corners too.
|
At the other (older) end of the spectrum, my MB sat on it's original 15" 195's would roll a lot on corners spoiling it's surprisingly nimble country road ability, i did the unthinkable and went 17"...it's fair a cop guv...but the car goes round corners like it's on rails now.
Yes it's at the expense of a firmer ride, but still a nicer ride than most cars i drive.
Looks had nothing to do with it, i would have gone 16" if i could have got some decent wheels and split the difference so to speak, however 16" are like the proverbial rocking stuff.
|
|
|
My boss's sorry wife's Ka has "normal" profile skinny tyres on steel rims and it changes direction quicker than a housefly.
My Mondeo has larger than normal wheels and lower profile tyres on it. They are the original spec for the model but examples of the same car I've driven on the standard 16" wheels are much less crashy/thumpy. Strangely enough they seem to be able to cope with corners just as well as mine does. It's just a fad. The Qashqai has big wheels but also has 60 profile tyres. It goes round corners too.
I said performance cars, fast cars, sports cars, call them what you will. The three you mention are not that, adept as I'm sure they are at the tasks for which they are designed. Think more Porsche 911, Impreza, Evo etc.
|
Oh I dunno, the old diesel Mondy estate can get up a fair lick coming down off Shap if you've got a load on, turn the ac off and you fold the door mirrors in..........
:-0
I know what you mean Nick, not arguing for or against really.
|
|
|
|
|
|
It's bonkers - our new Jazz is on 55 profile tyres and there's just not enough sidewall height to bulge and offer any protection to the wheels at all.
On the Jazz sized tyres (185/55R16) they're only available from a couple of manufacturers and they're hideously expensive. Seriously made me think twice about buying the car. I will blame Honda if we have any issues!
|
|
Just to play Devil's Advocate, if you park (presumably, parallel against a kerb) carefully you won't 'kerb' your wheels! The odd scuff is almost inevitable and part of the car-owning experience. There's a fine line between looking after your car and obsession, and choosing wheel/tyre dimensions on the basis of likely damage is at the obsession end of the spectrum imo.
|
Just to play Devil's Advocate if you park (presumably parallel against a kerb) carefully you won't 'kerb' your wheels!
Ah, thanks for that. A useful tip. (I would insert a rolleyes smiley here if this forum supported such things).
|
|
|
|
Whoa, hands off low profile tyres ;) - without them I wouldn't have obtained two brand new/unsed sets of standard 17" wheels/tyres for my Captiva last year.
Chevrolet were offering some sort of deal whereby purchasers could 'upgrade' to 20" low profiles for a measly £100.
Lot's of people took up the offer, which left quite a few sets of the normal wheels/tyres for sale. I paid a total of £350 for the two sets I bought - so, with the standard tyres being a bit of an odd size and costing about £150 each, I'll be set for as long as I'll own the car.
None of which wuld have been possible without the wonderful people who chose the low profiles ;)
Mind you, they might well regret it when they go to replace them at about £250 per corner ;)
Odd thing is, I've now done 16K on the originals, they look good for at least another 4K - and not one single mark on the alloys ;) If I didn't have a garage full of the things, the tyres would probably be worn out, and the wheels would be all scuffed and curbed....... such is life ;)
|
I've never had a problem with low profiles on any car I have owned. I do a high yearly mileage and have never had a puncture or kerbed a wheel, although I do try and get wheel protection on my tyres but this is not always possible.
The ride is firm (but then all models of my car are like that), and my car isn't anything powerful but I value safety being on the road so much and the better roadholding has saved me more than once from a nasty crash (not my fault either!!!).
|
>...although I do try and get wheel protection on my tyres...
That puzzles me. I always thought the point of low-profile tyres was to show more wheel and less rubber. That, certainly, seems to be the aim of people who fit those enormous multi-spoke VW-badged wheels to Mk IV Golfs. So if that's the case, doesn't an extra band of rubber to cover the rim leave you with the same visual effect as a smaller wheel and a more comfortable and much less expensive tyre?
And just out of curiosity, Eoin, if you choose them for safety rather than looks, how did you conclude that you wouldn't have been able to avoid those accidents if your Audi (I'm guessing, just for fun) had had normal-profile tyres?
|
My previous MK5 Golf SE had 195/65 tyres on 15" wheels and had a splendid ride quality. Its successor and my new MK6 Golf SE is shod with 16" wheels and 205/55 tyres.
The ride is much less forgiving and somwhat harsher, on our appalling road surfaces, although there may be other parameters to take into account - simplified rear mulitilink suspension etc. etc.
|
The manufacturers have to take a fair degree of responsibility for this. It surprised me what 'b308' stated about his Motability vehicle i.e. he had to have it thus. How many other vehicles come like this and you have no choice....madness.
My wife's car can only be specified with 17" wheels and low profile tyres. Furthermore it came as standard with Pirelli P Zero tyres....and surprise, surprise the ride is a tad harsh. I've recently re shod the thing with 4 x Pirelli P6000's which has improved the ride noticeably, although the 16" tyres on the bog standard version would improve it more no doubt. I'd noticed that the P Zero's were an 'ultra high performance tyre' and the P6000's a 'high performance tyre'...why would we need ultra high performance tyres on a diesel estate car?
|
>>however 16" are like the proverbial rocking stuff.
Tell me about it. It cost me £75 a corner for my Almera on 195/55-16s.
When my daughter bought her New MX5, I asked what happened to all the old steel wheels and tyres. "In the skip" was the reply - I almost sobbed.
|
It cost me £75 a corner for my Almera on 195/55-16s.
Hmm...that's annoying. I just looked the prices up. Why on earth are 195's £30-£40 cheaper than the 185/55R16 on wifey's new Jazz?
|
£30-£40 cheaper than the 185/55R16 on wifey's new Jazz? >>
So it will cost you £60-£80 extra per new set of 2 tyres.
How often do you expect that to happen during your ownership of the car?
How does that compare to the capital cost of a brand new car, and the depreciation cost?
p.s. camskill have them from £62 each:
£62 www.camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m4b966s3840p5...b
£79 www.camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m4b1027s3840p...b
plus shipping
Edited by jbif on 09/10/2009 at 21:49
|
# late edit #
plus shipping = £5 pre set of 2 tyres
plus fitting = about £10 per set of tyre at your local fitters.
|
>> plus....
So they're typically £100 each (ignoring the Goodyear's - I wouldn't have those).
OK, I know it's only now and again, but it's a bit of a shock after tyres for her last car were £40. I'm more concerned that there are so few suppliers in that size - with no spare, it might be necessary to obtain a tyre in a hurry.
|
So they're typically £100 each (ignoring the Goodyear's - I wouldn't have those). >>
At the current price:
CONTINENTAL TYRES / CAR / CONTINENTAL PREMIUM CONTACT 2 - 185/55R16 83V TL
Total price of goods = £157.22
Shipping & Handling (P&P) ( UK - England/Wales (exc. Islands) - TYRES Only) = £4.90
ORDER TOTAL delivered including VAT = £162.12
Add fitting £20 for the 2 tyres, total fitted price = £182.12
So per tyre, it is £91.06 all in.
That is £16 per corner extra more than bathtubtom paid for his tyres, not the £30 - £40 extra you had claimed.
Now pay the Bill and be happy, it is only 5p a day put aside in your piggy bank to save up £16 in a year. So, in two years you can afford to pay the extra charge for your Jazz, assuming you change 2 tyres every 2 years.
it might be necessary to obtain a tyre in a hurry. >>
as I suggested in your Jazz thread, buy the spare(s) you need and keep them in your garage.
Edited by jbif on 09/10/2009 at 22:31
|
it is only 5p a day
You're very cavalier with other people's money!
Can you work out how much extra per mile it would be, please?
|
I saw a Roomster, in our local Waitrose car park, that was fitted with very low profile tyres.
Oh well ! I did not even notice what brand they were :-(
|
I think a lot of this has to do with cars being fitted with low profile tyres where the suspension hasn't been properly designed to cope with the reduced sidewall.
The Accord I used to have had 45-profile 17" tyres and the ride was superb - better than a Focus on 16" wheels. In this instance the suspension was more compliant so counter the reduced sidewall of the tyre. Same with my BMW - 35-profile 18" run-flat tyres and it's firm but not uncomfortable.
|
Can you work out how much extra per mile it would be, please? >>
miles less than the depreciation (or fixed/standing charges such as insurance, tax, service) on a brand new Jazz will cost you!
|
|
