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Live in rural area where you often have to pull over into verge on single lane roads and lots of debris and bits of flint often on road whenever it rains (so often!).
My wife has a 1 litre VW Polo Bluemotion, and it seems to eat tyres, last year she had to have 3 new tyres due to punctures beyond repair, and 4 punctures that could be repaired, this year with limited driving she has had 1 new and 4 punctures!!
Now have all tyres insured with ATS.
But, whenever i look at her tyres and compare them to my car, or others, her tyres seem to pick every bit of debris going, all embedded in the tyres, 10x more bits stuck in hers compared to those on my Focus.
So question is, would the tyres be a particularly soft compound for any reason? And any disadvantage fuel consumption wise for swapping to a tougher compound tyre??
What tyres are they? That's the first question really.. If they are 'whatever is cheapest' from quick fit, then maybe look at continental eco grip or Goodyear equivalent or similar branded tyre
Having bought the cheapest tyres going possible at one point in my life, and at another been able to buy sport-y/expensive tyres - I can absolutely say with 100% conviction that tyres are a 'get what you pay for' deal through and through. In terms of performance, wear, quality, etc etc etc
Agreed, bargain basement tyres are a false economy at best and a dangerous liability at worst.
This website is pretty good... Lots of group test reviews
https://www.tyrereviews.com/Article/2021-ADAC-Summer-Tyre-Test---205-55-R16.htm
Get some quality tyres that are hard wearing, they will resist punctures an awful lot better than the chinese brands. My Fabia picks up nails for fun if I put some soft or budget tyres on it, the last being Uniroyal Rainsport 3's that lasted only 10k on the front with two repairs. I've since gone back to Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance tyres that last well over double (fronts are 30k old and still have 3mm left) and have only picked up one nail in that time that's not even going down.
Is the ATS insurance like the one Kwik Fit used to do: on a certain brand with a sliding scale of replacement cost based on wear and free puncture repairs? If so they make money on it by using the cheapest tyres they can find but charging a mid-level price for them.
Thanks for all the replies, we have continued each time to use the tyres that came on it from new, so they were the VW specc'ed tyres... i wondered if there was any reason for trying to be "green" and lower emissions why they seemingly had used such a soft tyre.
The tyres on my Focus are fairly £120 each mid-range tyres and i have not had a single puncture in years driving the same roads.
Think we'll just have to bite the bullet and change them all.
If you aren't puncturing on the same roads it could be her driving? But blaming tyres is probably easier...
"we have continued each time to use the tyres that came on it from new, so they were the VW specc’ed tyres…"
And what tyres are they?
What was it Einstein said? 🙂
If you aren’t puncturing on the same roads it could be her driving?
But more seriously.. This might be a factor if she has little mechanical sympathy and mashes the tyres into verges with wanton abandon. It's a polo, not a hilux 🙂
But what tyres are they?
ATS are unlikely to be fitting the specific 'VW' version of whatever major brand you are using. Although I suspect brand specific versions are normally for larger faster cars, they could be the standard aftermarket tyres of said brand.
ATS are unlikely to be fitting the specific ‘VW’ version of whatever major brand you are using. Although I suspect brand specific versions are normally for larger faster cars, they could be the standard aftermarket tyres of said brand.
I fitted Audi 'spec' continental premiums to my volvo as they were ten quid cheaper per corner than the regular conti premiums in my particular size.
I've no idea if there's any difference! The speed and load rating was the same IIRC
I have a better half that inhabits the gutter when driving.... and we have had issues with sidewall punctures... passenger side...
Just saying.... so best of luck on that conversation.
I’ve no idea if there’s any difference!
Yes. Original Equipment (OE) tyres are made in collaboration with the vehicle manufacturer to suit the characteristics of the vehicle. There is a difference. Plenty of vids and articles on Google.
Got to be her driving.
Manufacturers don’t shove rubbish brand tyres on cars.
Why not swap cars for a little while and see what happens?
+1 on a combination of tyre and/or driving style.
What size tyres too? Super shallow schporty sidewalls are terrible things.
Fwiw, I used to train staff on this. Our work was 8 miles up single-track Highland road, with rock filled drainage each side.
We trained staff in the minibuses:
- never squeeze by when you can go to passing place, and even adopt central positioning on road to stop cars trying to squeeze by
- y<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">ou stop completely, then roll onto rougher edges.</span>
- you never reverse into a passing place, you reverse past it, then go forward into it.
- slow and steady, every journey
Does she drive really close to the nearside? Certainly sounds like it, pick up all the road detritus if so, and as you say thumping into verhes isn't ideal.