Best value tyres for "normal" driving?

[Pondrew]

Gotta love a 'tyre debate'.
Probably THE most common thread on EVERY car forum on the planet with just as many differing views.

As for the phrase 'ditch finders', that is ridiculous. No such thing sold in the UK.

I have probably said this before but I would really love to know how many accidents each year in the UK can 100% be attributed to cheap tyres. Not under-inflated or over inflated, or low tread level, etc. Just from being fitted with 'poor quality' tyres. I am betting it will be zero! :?

BTW Nexen (owned by Continental IIRC) make very good tyres too at very good prices!

 

[warmasice]

To be honest, over the years, I have found out lots of things about cars, and that one thing I don't scrape a few quid off of is tyres. Tyres and brakes should always take your hard earned over engine mods, aesthetics etc. It is what keeps you on the road and stops you.

So when I look at tyres and see a set of four costing 600 or 800 pounds I take the 800 every time. Assuming there is a difference to be had in terms of how they perform. Owning a car worth thousands if not tens of thousands, why scrimp on a couple hundred quid.

There are always deals to be had out there, I bought and got fitted x4 Michelin PS4's for £440 in a deal on Blackcirlces doing money off Michelins when I had my E86 a couple years back.

Ultimately safety is generally all our priorities, and by paying a couple hundred quid more I can increase my odds of not hitting something should the need arise, then I pay that.

You could also improve your odds by spending £5k on brake upgrades, or by never exceeding 30mph, but you have to draw a line somewhere. Just by buying a Z4, you've already compromised safety in the pursuit of having something fun to drive. If safety was the number one priority we'd all be driving an Ora Funky Cat.

How much do your odds of having an accident actually decrease by using Michelin over Kumho? I'm guessing somewhere between not at all and very, very small fractions of a percent, if you're a normal driver in a normal car.

Absolutely this. The op said 'normal driving', not driving at 110%.

 

[tiglon]

Gotta love a 'tyre debate'.
Probably THE most common thread on EVERY car forum on the planet with just as many differing views.

As for the phrase 'ditch finders', that is ridiculous. No such thing sold in the UK.

I have probably said this before but I would really love to know how many accidents each year in the UK can 100% be attributed to cheap tyres. Not under-inflated or over inflated, or low tread level, etc. Just from being fitted with 'poor quality' tyres. I am betting it will be zero! :?

BTW Nexen (owned by Continental IIRC) make very good tyres too at very good prices!

You love a tyre debate :wink:

For me a "ditch finder" is the 10 year old budget tyre that's cracked to hell, but left on because the thread is still 2mm. 4 different makes, with varying levels of inflation on each corner. I've bought a few cars like that, and it is pretty scary - but that is a few years ago now.

I cant find a link, but I saw a tyre review very recently comparing a budget tyre with UHP. The budget tyre was obviously not as good, but it was a lot closer than you'd think. The theory was that they use a much softer compound to get good grip from cheaper materials, and therefore the trade off is that they will wear really quickly.

 

[Argyll Andy]

The M40i came with Michelin Pilot Super Sports, great tyre but took quite a while to heat up so first 10/15 minutes were arse clenching!

Replaced with Conti 7’s even better tyre but started life with 6.8mm and very quick wearing.

Replaced with Falken 520 UHP’s, half the price of the Michelin’s and £80 a rear cheaper than the Conti’s,

Wouldn’t put the Falkens back on the M40i, squirrelly as f**k would be the best way to describe them compared to the other two, chirping away when driving spiritedly, but I suppose the question in the thread was was normal driving……….., all of these tyres have been given a reasonable work out :tumbleweed: :rofl:

But would put the Falkens on my other cars

Not sure what will replace the Falkens, if I still have it by then

 

[MikeyH]

Call me a boring old f*rt but this is the first sensible tyre thread I have read for normal drivers like me, thank you all. I have written this in my note pad for future reference when I need it.

 

[MikeyH]

Just realised I’m in the E89 area, would this tyre selection be suitable for an E85? As tram lining is a known problem with these cars

 

[Pondrew]

The M40i came with Michelin Pilot Super Sports, great tyre but took quite a while to heat up so first 10/15 minutes were arse clenching!

Replaced with Conti 7’s even better tyre but started life with 6.8mm and very quick wearing.

Replaced with Falken 520 UHP’s, half the price of the Michelin’s and £80 a rear cheaper than the Conti’s,

Wouldn’t put the Falkens back on the M40i, squirrelly as f**k would be the best way to describe them compared to the other two, chirping away when driving spiritedly, but I suppose the question in the thread was was normal driving……….., all of these tyres have been given a reasonable work out :tumbleweed: :rofl:

But would put the Falkens on my other cars

Not sure what will replace the Falkens, if I still have it by then

Just when I thought you had gone for good! Nice to see (read :wink: ) you again Andrew

 

[Pondrew]

I cant find a link, but I saw a tyre review very recently comparing a budget tyre with UHP.

That's another nonsense IMO. Tyre reviews. The kind of tests they do to try and differentiate between tyres should never be relevant on normal roads unless you are stupid. "The 'Landyacht' took 3.5cm further than the Michelin MPS6SSSR to brake to a standstill at 350mph" type of rubbish!

 

[matsmith749]

Disagree - the tyre review sites have value so long as you interpret with your own values in mind.

Comparisons need to be considered based on whatever it is you care about - if you think your current tyres are shite in the wet, you can see how they stack up against others / similar good for noise & comfort.

So not a complete waste of time.

If you don't care about the top 1% of anything, I've found that most of the top 5 in any given category are pretty much interchangeable & the differences tiny.

But - standard fit bridgestone runflats tested bottom of all tryres ever tested.... if nothing else, it's a bit of fun!

 

[Nictrix]

Ditchfinders are definitely real.
I had a set of really cheap tyres on an old car just to have something legal to run around locally and they were terrible.
With a small stab of the accelerator peddle the front could be made to slide on demand going around roundabouts, spun far too easily on damp roads and gave you absolutely no confidence in bends particularly if the roads were wet.
They also didnt seem to wear out.
I never actually put the car in a ditch but it would have been easily done if not driven carefully.

 

[coldel]

I just dont see the point in spending thousands on a car, calling it your pride and joy, and scrimping on the key part that keeps you attached to the road. Ive owned Vreds Kumhos and Michelins and definitely between the Vreds and Michelins it was very noticeable and very marked. You might be driving Ms Daisy around but i bet you also do 80mph on the motorway where tyre performance/braking is significant.

Fair play if you want to save a couple of hundred quid, thats completely your choice. But personally, for the stuff that attaches your car to the ground, if you can afford it, then get that important part purchased and on the car.

 

[mr wilks]

I just dont see the point in spending thousands on a car, calling it your pride and joy, and scrimping on the key part that keeps you attached to the road. Ive owned Vreds Kumhos and Michelins and definitely between the Vreds and Michelins it was very noticeable and very marked.

I know what you mean , a few years ago i bought a 997 Carrera4 that came with a brand new set of PS4S on , noise was intolerable , wet grip was " ok "
Sold them , replaced with Vred Vorti & all was well . Grippy in cold , wet & dry + quiet

 

[warmasice]

^^:rofl: :rofl:

 

[Argyll Andy]

The M40i came with Michelin Pilot Super Sports, great tyre but took quite a while to heat up so first 10/15 minutes were arse clenching!

Replaced with Conti 7’s even better tyre but started life with 6.8mm and very quick wearing.

Replaced with Falken 520 UHP’s, half the price of the Michelin’s and £80 a rear cheaper than the Conti’s,

Wouldn’t put the Falkens back on the M40i, squirrelly as f**k would be the best way to describe them compared to the other two, chirping away when driving spiritedly, but I suppose the question in the thread was was normal driving……….., all of these tyres have been given a reasonable work out :tumbleweed: :rofl:

But would put the Falkens on my other cars

Not sure what will replace the Falkens, if I still have it by then

Just when I thought you had gone for good! Nice to see (read :wink: ) you again Andrew

Nah, I’m still here, life just got in the way a bit

 

[plenty]

I've not tried Vortis but I really liked their predecessors, the Vredestein Sessantas that I ran on my E39 M5. I rated them on a par with the PSSs and Eagle F1 A3s which I also ran on that car, two of the leading UHP offerings at the time.

I considered Vortis for my most recent set for the Z4 in June, but PS5s during a Costco promotion worked out about the same money, so chose those instead.

 

[coldel]

I just dont see the point in spending thousands on a car, calling it your pride and joy, and scrimping on the key part that keeps you attached to the road. Ive owned Vreds Kumhos and Michelins and definitely between the Vreds and Michelins it was very noticeable and very marked.

I know what you mean , a few years ago i bought a 997 Carrera4 that came with a brand new set of PS4S on , noise was intolerable , wet grip was " ok "
Sold them , replaced with Vred Vorti & all was well . Grippy in cold , wet & dry + quiet

I had the Vortis, they were ok, they were quieter than the chinese god knows what on the car before them. Have PS4's not PS4S on my Z4 now and much better overall than the Vortis on my other car (which was AWD and heavier) they broke loose quite easily especially when cold they didnt like the AWD for sure. The wear on them wasnt great either (leads to false economies)

What I read Continentals are now class leading.

In any case, I agree, its the driver that finds a ditch not the tyres. However if I am going to have an expensive car, I am going to put decent tyres on it. Makes me laugh seeing blinged up cars on crap tyres, priorities all wrong.

 

[Stevo1987]

Today I have had a set of Falken FK520’s fitted. Admittedly, not to the Zed but my little four wheel drive motor. I will report back with my findings in due course

 

[MikeyH]

Okay, so Halfords has the Goodyear F1 Assym 5 going for a very good price. How do you all rate these considering they are now older but were once one of the best. Debating getting a pair for the rear of my 2.2 E85, I tend to drive carefully

 

[B21]

Okay, so Halfords has the Goodyear F1 Assym 5 going for a very good price. How do you all rate these considering they are now older but were once one of the best. Debating getting a pair for the rear of my 2.2 E85, I tend to drive carefully

They are still great tyres sitting in the premier league with no foibles or issues..you won’t regret buying them ..

 

[MikeyH]

Okay, so Halfords has the Goodyear F1 Assym 5 going for a very good price. How do you all rate these considering they are now older but were once one of the best. Debating getting a pair for the rear of my 2.2 E85, I tend to drive carefully

They are still great tyres sitting in the premier league with no foibles or issues..you won’t regret buying them ..

That’s great to hear, thank you