OT: Choosing tyres

[mike]

Need a new tyre soon soon and thought I'd try and make an informed decision rather than the usual throwing my hands in the air and plumping for the best price I can find on some brand or other that I've heard of.

The above method usually results in Michelin or Goodyear and on the one occasion when someone sold SWMBO some budget tyres, I don't think they lasted very well.

It's an average car, average mileage, averagely driven, not some hot hatch, flogged to death, heavy breaking etc.

Has anyone used any of the online fit-at-home services like

? Recommended or best avoided?

Has anyone used CostCo for tyres? I've heard they do Michelin cheap and a friend has a Costco card?

Anyone got any opinions on Continental tyres? Which and Autotrader seem to rate them highly in their tests over the last two years and they seem a bit cheaper than Goodyear/Michelin.

Just spoke to the chap at the local autocentre who said, "if you don't do much motorway driving, just get the budget one. That's all the taxi drivers buy and they never come back and complain". I think he meant this as a recommendation but I wasn't entirely convinced.

So is there a way to make an informed decision, or do I just pay my money and take my choice?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Have you considered remoulds? I bought a set of Colways for my old Rover after my brother raved about them. And am very pleased. Much better grip than the Avons they replaced, more conformable and quieter too. Far better than some no name budget type.

[NoSpam]

Coincidentally I've been having the same thoughts today for my Saab Aero (225/45R17W). The tyres now are P6000 and pZero rosso; they seem to stick to the road OK but they're a bit noisier and firmer than I'd really like. I've spent some time looking at the tyre review sites but every tyre I've looked at seems to have an equal number of "crap" and "great" ratings. Is there anywhere with worthwhile comparisons?

D

[Bob Eager]

Yup. I think they only had Michelin (certainly in the size I wanted, for a Galaxy).

The procedure is a bit involved (or it was, this was a year or so ago). You go into the store, go to the tyre shop and buy the tyre (with some paperwork). Then you wheel it round to the tyre bay in a trolley. Go and get the car, hand over the tyre etc. and they tell you how long they'll be.

It was a pretty good price, AFAIR.

[Matthew Ames]

Some tyres are much better on certain cars than others. Care to enlighten us as to what the car is? I on my Octavia estate I use Falken F452 which seem to have a hard enough compound to wear well, but enough grip that I have never got into trouble.

Tyres are the one thing between you and things going wrong, so best not to buy the cheapest ones you can find. You might drive "average", but there may be a time when something out of your control causes you stamp on the brakes, etc and some cheapo £15 remould tyre might do you no favours then.

[geoff]

In message , mike writes

They always seemed to come out cheapest for tyres for the van

You buy the tyres and than have an appointment for fitting - it can take a few hours when they are busy

[Andy Champ]

Mike,

If you happen to be in Berkshire or Hants I can recommend

Bracknell Tyre and Battery 01344 411323

Micheldever Tyres 01962 774437

.. as suppliers. Good prices, good range of stock, and usually helpful.

On the tyre itself - it entirely depends on the car and the way you drive. But I don't buy no-names or remoulds, I only have one life.

Andy

[www.GymRatZ.co.uk]

Depending what they're going on. I used to be a bit anal about tyres on my LR Discovery untill my brother suggested retreads!

WHAT>>>> I nearly fell off me chair. Untill I realised I could get a set of 4 for the price of 2 BFG's and they were more than rated enough for Motorway work.

Recycle and re-use. Check out Colway see if they have a size to suit.

a personal recomendation for "tyremonkey" just the Colway tyres. They've been wearing brilliantly and haven't needed rebalancing and have done loads of 80+ mph motorway miles without a flinch.

Don't dis re-treads!

:¬)

Pete

[Bob Eager]

OK for you...it's practically next door, isn't it? My nearest Costco is

45 miles so I make a shopping day of it.

[Tim Southerwood]

mike coughed up some electrons that declared:

Not used CostCo. I've always found "Just Tyres" reliable (Sutton/London and Tonbridge Branches).

As to tyres, I've been fitting Avon ZV1's, later ZV4's on my Daewoo Lanos. The sole reason was the first time, Just Tyres recommended them and offerred a discount which put them in the middle price bracket. However, I noticed straight away that they had excellent water displacement, far in excess of any tyre I've ever used in my life. Flooded roads at speed resulted in a "whooosh" and full control, rather than the dodgey feeling of nearly aquaplaning that I'd become accustomed to. Hence I've asked for them (and their current replacement, the ZV4) ever since.

It should be noted that they don't wear well though, probably get half the life of a harder tyre, but they're no worse than Michelins in that respect. But the safety aspects (given the roads round this part of Kent) are worth it IMO.

Just my 2p's worth.

Tim

[John Rumm]

Supposed to be good in the wet, but not had personal experience.

I experimented with a few different types on my previous car (Subaru Legacy Turbo 205/60R15V) including various Michelin (stock tyres for the car - decent all round), Pirelli (so so - soft walls so easy to damage), and some Yokohama ones (very good in the dry but crap in the wet, very noisy, and poor wear). The ones I found I liked best were Goodyear NCT5. These seems to be very good in the dry, and more importantly, still pretty good in the wet. Quite although slightly more body roll than the stock tyres they were nice and quiet and wore quite well.

YMMV (literally!)

Much depends on the car and what you expect from them. In addition to grip you will find the choice will influence the ride quality, the road noise, the wear rate, and the handling. If you are happy with "adequate" in all the above categories you can probably fit just about anything.

[Dave Liquorice]

CostCo only stock Michelin.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You'd better not fly then, since aircraft use remoulded tyres. And they are probably subjected to more stress in one landing than the average car tyre in its life. And do you drive as fast as a 747 at take off?

Colway supply tyres for racing, rallying and off road use. As well as for ordinary cars. My brother has had several sets without problems. I'm very pleased with the set I bought last year. Better in every way than the Avons they replaced. Too soon to say how long they will last, though.

[Dave Liquorice]

I'm a little concerned about the singular purchase rather than a pair. A new tyre will have significantly more grip than a worn one and very much more than one down towards the legal limit. This can have rather adverse affects on the handling when things are pushed to the limits for what ever reason.

With modern FWD cars wearing out fronts faster than rears when the fronts need replacing put the new ones on the rear and the old rear ones on the front. This ensures that the back of the car has more grip and follows the front rather than putting you into, tricky to handle in a FWD car, oversteer when the road is slippy.

[Clot]

ISTR that most HGVs were running on remoulds. Don't know whether that is still true though?

[Ron Lowe]

I do, all the time. They've always been better cost-wise than the local quick-fits etc.

As regards how the michelin tyres compare to other brands, well I don't know. If you drive to the limit of traction on your daily business, then it may be important. My boy-racer factor is fairly low these days.

I think that's pretty much it. Is the michelin range of products sufficiently different to your expectations to cause a problem?

Take into account your boy-racer factor. Do you want some specific super-sticky compound that can corner at 100gees and be worn out in 100 miles? If it's a michelin product, then you can order it. If you want the yokorelli9000crotchbulgenhancers range then go elsewhere. For most people, the costco range is fine.

Get your friend's card number, and call the tyre desk at the store. ( usually a seperate number ). They generally won't quote you without a membership number, unless you are silver-tounged.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I believe so, yes.

With car tyres, worn ones are a negative equity, so a decent remould company can be very picky about those they remould since most still have prejudices based on years ago and want new. I'd rather have a remould based on a decent make carcass than some budget no name made out of gawd knows what.

[Clot]

I tend to concur, though despite running 3/4 motors- a son has to grow, I've not been in the position to have to purchase tyres for several years thankfully.

[Clot]

What? I thought that that had been banned eons ago! I could be wrong and readily stand corrected?

[geoff]

or recuts