[Closed] Car Road tyres...worth the extra cost of going premium?

Yes in a nutshell. Its the bits that interact with the ground. Depending on tyres you probably only talking £20-£30 extra per corner for a decent brand. Better noise control, braking, grip, Why have a decent car if you only gonna stick rubbish on it. Its not a 30k per year taxi

If you are looking at Pirelli P Zero you should also look at Goodyear Eagle F1, Michelin pilot sport etc as well

ignoring the super budget ditchfinder specials, i find better tyres don't grip much better but wear & last much better than the mid range tyres. something do do with a higher silica content I seem to recall reading somewhere.

Yes.

I've got a sensible diesel hatchback (not even an audi, for shame) and the crap budget tyres that were on it when I bought it were terrifying, especially in the cold and/or wet.

Uniroyals and then Dunlops were/are loads better.

It's not (just) about cornering or doddery/sporty driving. It's about doing an emergency stop on a rainy M6 or a greasy country lane when a salesman/deer/baby robin's face veers out in front of you.

Michelin Pilot Sports if you want grip, Continentals if you want good wear and wet weather grip.

i find better tyres don't grip much better but wear & last much better than the mid range tyres.

My findings too. Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta is favourite mid range tyre of mine which compares in grip, noise and economy with the Michelin Pilot Sport 3 but they don't last as long. If I can't get the Michelin PS3 on offer, which thankfully with Costco I normally can, then I end up going for the Vredestein.
Some tyres tend to lose grip as they wear so beware of these. Premium brands tend to be better at keeping a consistent grip as they wear.

You might be best going on a Porsche forum and see what they are recommending.

I've always found the better tyres to be better all round. Grip, noise, feel all seem better in my experience and I've never owned anything sporty. Try Tyreleader online for prices

Its also how good they are in very wet weather. Sometimes you only find out the hard way.

With regard to wear, the softer the rubber the better the grip, the faster the wear. Hard rubber is fine for trundling around slowly, but you need soft rubber to maximise the cornering.

look at stopping distance tests if you can find them.

difference between budget and premium is huge.

60-0; when the best tyres stopped, the worst is still doing 30 mph!

Replaced the budget tyres (with plenty of tread left) on my 2nd hand Focus with some branded ones and it was like I'd just bought a new car.

Huge drop in noise levels, whole thing felt smoother, no shaking of the steering wheel that couldn't be removed even with wheel balancing, more grip. Cruises very quietly on the motorway now.

They weren't fancy low profile ones though, so only 55 each.

I only do about 2000 miles a year max so wear isn't an issue. Boxter forums seems to suggest falkon tyres are ok, but not sure which one to go for as the suggested one appears discontinued.

Can get Pilot sport 3s are 150 quid a corner, not cheap but not as crippling as i thought they might be

Yes! Driving over 1k miles a week here. Just put my second set of Michelin cross climates on the Skoda superb estate. Got just under 40k miles out of the last set could probably have gone more tbh but I wasn't paying for the replacements. Great all year tyre plus quiet and stops well. Had pirelli,hankook and continental on my company cars over the last 5 years and these are by far the best of the ones I've had on and not too expensive at £108 a corner fitted locally (and £50 back in fuel vouchers from Michelin on promo ATM - more for bigger tyres)

Short answer, Yes.
In a similar position at the moment, looking for tyres. Need to replace the F1 Asymmetric 2's on the rear of the Jag, current ones have done 15k and down to 4mm. Car had some hideous things on it when I bought it, Landsail (????), although brand new they were dangerous. Swapped them out for the Goodyears which have been great and I'am looking for some replacements, up to 3's now, but 97Y's seem out of stock. Also considering P Zeros.

Oh, the longer answer. Always fit the best tyre you can afford. Unfortunately that does tend to be one's from the big budget branded manufacturers. Doesn't mean some of the "new" brands aren't worth considering but check test results and reviews - ADAC test, evo tyre review etc.

Yes for the same reasons listed above by various other .

[url= http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2016-GTU-Performance-Summer-Tyre-Test.htm ]Tyre test/review[/url]

If wear isn't an issue then I'd look at mid-range. I'd concur that more expensive tyres last longer but I've switch from a mix between cars of Dunlop Sport Maxx, Michelin Pilot Sport and Continental Sport Contact (of which the Dunlops have been the best for grip and feel, the Contis for wear) to Hankook Ventus Evos and the Hankooks feel as good and handle as well as the premium brands.

Their wear is unknown but Evo liked how the handled and of the mid-range tyres only the Toyo Proxes they tested was significantly worse than any of the premium stuff.

Can get Pilot sport 3s are 150 quid a corner, not cheap but not as crippling as i thought they might be

Costs me near that for an S Max so consider yourself lucky 🙂

Used to pay less for the Elise, but did have to replace them more often!

Of course the plus side of budget tyres on performance cars is that they protect your drivetrain (due to less grip causing less strain) so you be sure that your gearbox etc. are all working fine as you slide through the fence and into a field 😛

it's all pretty relative, there's a massive upgrade as soon as you get out of the real crap, your autogrips and that (my car came with proper MOT-replacement ditchfinders on it and I'd honestly call them unfit for purpose, the wet weather grip was appalling). But then it's less simple, for one thing there's midrange products that outperform big name brands etc.

Ventus Evos were mentioned up the page, not sure they're a good pick for a boxter mind but they come very highly recommended for stuff like my lukewarm repmobile, and they do the job very very well.

Yes on a performance car like a boxster why would you cheap out on tyres. That said they make an incredible different to handling even on cheaper cars.

I am a massive fan of the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymetric 2's (new version 3 out now).

Some people suggest they wear faster than others but if you are not being unkind to them then they are pretty good. In fact I'm 15k miles in to a set and I'm not massively careful (though AWD has helped.)

Yes - always worth spending on good tyres. I’m amazed at people that spend all their money on a fancy car and then skimp on the one thing that connects fancy car to road.

Continentals on the car and Bridgestones (Battlax t30’s I believe) on the bike.

Rachel

Some tyres tend to lose grip as they wear so beware of these.

Pirelli P7s defo do this, once you get near the wear limit braking on a greasy road is instant abs, which is pretty unnerving!

Goodyear Eagle F1 what a difference from the ****i sorry wanli crap that was on the car, if you like no warning unpredictable drifting buy the Chinese ones the Goodyears are made in Germany

Goodyear f1 eagles for the win...

Avoid Pirellis.

Yup, premium tyres and buy them from Tyre leader here to offset the costs.

Can't generally go wrong with continental or Goodyear..

High end pirellis are good but the bog standard ones are junk.

Second the Goodyear eagle f1. Totally night and day better than the budget shite that was on it, in every way you can imagine. Noise, wet grip, ride comfort, steering feel, and general feeling of stability and safety.
To be honest any premium tyre will be so much better it's not funny. I like good years. Michelin are of course excellent but were more expensive. Contis ime wear worse than michelin but that was on a van.

The EU tyre ratings are worth looking at to help you pick too. I tend to look for best wet grip in favour of economy or noise, which generally means a major brand.

I'm with imn on this - wet grip above anything else. Always rated Uniroyal Rainsport 2 (think there's a '3' model now) and had them on more than one car.

Recently went with Nexen N Fera RU1's on the wife's Freelander 2 due to their wet weather performance supposedly being on par with the Uniroyals. Absolutely no complaints. http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Nexen/N-Fera-RU1.htm

Edit - if the cross climates had been available in our size we'd have gone with them, hearing nothing but praise for them. Instead we're just going to swap to winters for, arm, winter time.

The EU tyre ratings I find a bit vague and don't take into account the characteristics of different cars.

Of various tyres I have used, tend to fall back on Avons. Well priced and the near slick grip is as consistent as new, which is better than most. These mostly end up on our boring estate, but better than Falkens, Toyo CF1? we're passable as were Michelin Primacy which lasted for ages.

Had some Avons on front of MX5 too, pretty decent on that and ran Toyo T1 at the back, good tyre for cheap, suited the MX5 well, but reviews seem quite split, so maybe not for all cars. Pirellis were rubbish, must save the good stuff for the very top end.

Honestly can't remember what was on the 944, they were mid range and the car flattered them as there are no memorable losses of grip. Have a look on the TIPEC forum for some ideas of what others are running.

Now got a Panda 100hp, came with Goodyear Eagle F1, good but not amazing. Now got some Uniroyal Rainsport 2 on the front and turn in has got sharper.

As you can see, not really tried anything premium, but not had anything to fully exploit them. Might have tried some Michelin Sport on the 944 if we kept it for longer and did then in its size.

and the crap budget tyres that were on it when I bought it were terrifying, especially in the cold and/or wet.

Its also how good they are in very wet weather. Sometimes you only find out the hard way.

My first car was a mini (The old one) I got rid of the radial tyres and put cross ply on because in the words of 17yr old me- they slide better

**** 🙂

For your mileage and car OP something good or premium. I reckon you'll get better advice on an owner's club forum.

I tend to go mid range on my ageing Mondeo. Ventus or Hankook typically as that's what my usual garage hold and they're good enough. I had conti sport contacts for a long time. Better grip overall but not in all conditions than the mid range ones I use now and there was a cost and fuel economy difference.

The thing with tyres though is looking at what they are designed to do well. Ive had hire cars with energy efficient tyres in the past that felt like they wouldn't stick if you covered them and the road in contact adhesive. Of course could be the cars steering etc.

I remember Pirelli P6000s being very expensive, good wearing and much maligned by hothatch ists for wet weather grip back in the early 2000s - they've possibly been changed since. They worked well on my Passat, less suitable for my 306 (which got track use periodically).

My Good Year Eagle F1s of the same era had shed loads more dry grip but wore out faster than I could eat a pack of crisps.

Cost the same a set...

I've had many sets of Avons, mid range, wear well, and grip well.
ZZ5's are current OEM on Morgans.
Might be worth checking out

I tend to go for brands made by a well-known group, which might suit your driving style and wallet. Continental, for example, includes Uniroyal, Semperit, Barum, and Viking[url= http://www.continental-tyres.co.uk/car/company/about-us/tyre-business-units/tyre-business-units ] amongst others[/url]. Big-brand research and backing at a reasonable price

I presume your car is not under warranty, but if it is (or you are thinking about taking out a Porsche extended warranty) then you need to have N0 rated tyres fitted.

Need to new rear tyres for my boxter, and apparently the ones on the car at the moment are cheap budget rubbish with no place on a high performance car. That said I drive like a grandad and as such at no point have I ever thought I needed more grip on the rear as I slowly round a corner.

I'm sorry but I have to ask; why do you have a "a high performance car" if you "drive like a grandad"? Genuine question, I'm not trolling. I just don't understand why you'd pay a massive premium to run something like that if you're not going to use any of that performance.

+ 1 for some of the model-specific comments already made above via a good owners forum. Different tyres work on different cars - the current fave on my outmoded Corrado are Bridgestone RE002s for example along with Conti Premium Contacts.

If you're really not pushing the car at all, I'd say it still makes good sense to get decent tyres, particularly on something like a Boxster just for general safety reasons, but you probably don't need to fret over the 'on the limit' type criteria that the likes of Evo focus on.

I'd say look at the Autoexpress annual tyre reviews, but they do tend to focus more on middle of the road hatchbacks and STW estates than sports cars.

I'm sorry but I have to ask; why do you have a "a high performance car" if you "drive like a grandad"? Genuine question, I'm not trolling. I just don't understand why you'd pay a massive premium to run something like that if you're not going to use any of that performance.

I can't answer for the OP, obviously, but I guess some people like the feel and image of a nice sports car rather than an iconic turbo diesel estate plus Boxsters, in particular, are going for relative peanuts these days. Round here you see a whole load of Porsches and the like being driven pretty sedately. Personal choice, a bit like buying a Santa Cruz carbon wonder bike then pottering around like an old granny maybe.

I presume your car is not under warranty, but if it is (or you are thinking about taking out a Porsche extended warranty) then you need to have N0 rated tyres fitted.

N0 is nothign to do with speed rating

Not all budget tyres are created equal.

I run Kumho KU39 on my 911 996, no complaints on road or on track.

Some people will insist you run Porsche approved (N rated) tyres, however so long as the tyre you fit is correctly speed and load rated, no worries. In fact some N rated so called premium tyres are simply awful these days.

Same car, same issue here. Owners forums suggest that Michelin PS3 or PS4 are the best match for the chassis. I just need fronts at the mo, and Kwikfit are doing PS4s for £103 fitted at the mo. My local place (that will also do the desperately needed 4 wheel alignment) are pushing me towards Goodyear Eagle F3s though.

I'm a big fan of premium rubber on any car. It might not be your driving that means you need to rely on the rubber to keep you on the road and you or someone else alive. It's generally only £10 or £20 difference in price between mid-range and premium, so not a huge difference. I've also tried Falkens in the past on another car. Gripped OK, rode a bit harsh, only got 10k miles out of them on the back, so not good value overall.

Also this...

I'm sorry but I have to ask; why do you have a "a high performance car" if you "drive like a grandad"? Genuine question, I'm not trolling. I just don't understand why you'd pay a massive premium to run something like that if you're not going to use any of that performance.

In my experience premium tyres last longer (sometimes enough to cover the price difference alone), offer significantly better grip in the wet/cold and are worth the extra unless you're driving a banger into the ground, in which case brands like Falken serve well and much better than ditch finders. I've also found that premium tyres offer superb grip all the way down to the legal minimum tread. Ditch finder class tyres grip drops off dramatically as they approach 3mm of tread.

I've got Falken FK451 on my 996 and they've been fine, although the rears did take *ages* to bed in, during which time they always felt like they were under-inflated. Increasing the pressure just made the centres start to wear.

It's due some new tyres this summer [1] and I'm inclined to try some Contis to see if the whole N-rated thing makes any difference. I suspect it might on the 911 with its dodgy weight distribution.

FWIW, I seem to have a similar driving style to you, OP 🙂

[1] I'm doing a CarLimits day in July, new tyres will go on *after* that...

My current car was only a few k second(many?)hand and had some awful el cheapo nasties on the front. Proper Continentals were fitted at the first service and handling transformed - and presumably stopping distances drastically reduced. I hate crap tyres on cars or bikes, a total false economy.

I've just replaced all four tyres on my Mk1 TT 3.2 DSG roadster, whilst not in the performance league as a Boxter or 996 mine shifts along at pace quite nicely, but like you I do drive like a Grandad with Grandad slippers on.. No, really I drive so slowly and conservatively it's become a joke in our family.

Anyway I've gone for some Continentals, of some variety or other, not that expensive per corner £130 I think, they've certainly made my car sound nicer and quieter on the road and made me feel safer for it. The last set I had on were Pirellis of some sort and comparing the two sets the Conti's are quieter.

If that helps...

[i]Of various tyres I have used, tend to fall back on Avons.[/i]

+1 For my cars and bikes, but for the wife's cars I always get Michelins put on.

Can get Pilot sport 3s are 150 quid a corner, not cheap but not as crippling as i thought they might be

I think that's pretty good considering.

Sports car about the only place you can feel the difference in tyres (even amongst premium brands) Just how the car turns in to the corner, tramlines or how progressively they give way etc.

However if you are driving like a granny just go for ones with wet weather rating. Fat tyres/low weight car = more potential for aqua planning.

Nokian. Grip wet and dry, amazingly quiet, energy saving, last twice as long as normal tyres. Won't buy anything else again after getting Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance, which were supposed to have top wet weather grip and really don't.

Are there fake tyres on the market? From big dealers?

[i]Sports car about the only place you can feel the difference in tyres[/i]

Rubbish. Had loads of cars and loads of differing tyres, can definitely feel the 'difference'.

Also motorbikes, you can feel big-time the difference.

Sports car about the only place you can feel the difference in tyres

Rubbish. Had loads of cars and loads of differing tyres, can definitely feel the 'difference'.

Also motorbikes, you can feel big-time the difference.

cracking out of context quote there BR 😀 - still time to read the whole post and edit 😉

If your driving really is as sedate as you say it is, if imagine new tyres aren't going to do anything for you. Sounds to me more like you need a new car.

Some people will insist you run Porsche approved (N rated) tyres, however so long as the tyre you fit is correctly speed and load rated, no worries.

Bloody hate buying tyres as it is so confusing. Just had to buy 4 new ones for my VW T5 and there is just no independent advice and no one can give you clear answer as to what is good or bad. Now with the EU labels it is a bit better as at least you can see stopping distances, fuel economy and noise. Got some budgets that according to the labels out performs all he big brands. Do I actually believe that, No!!

I think the manufactures like to keep the whole industry a bit vague and a secret so they can get away with charging massively high prices for named brands. I bet if you did independent tests on all tyres there would be some bloody cheap tyres that perform and wear really well. Just like bike bit, we all know that some cheap stuff is bloody amazing and some expensive brands you really are just paying for the name.

Completely different circumstances here using a Fiesta for 25 - 30 k per year but the leasing company used to fit really really rubbish tyres.

When I bought the car off them, I put Dunlops on it. It feels like a different car, grips stupidly well and stops a hell of a lot better,