Tye Options

[reprosteve]

Hi
I'm due for 2 new front tyres 17000 on the clock. Do I stick with the conties or switch? Gilbert Lawton quoted £200 each errrr no thanks, even ATS are £180.
As this is my first VW anybody switched to other tyres?
Steve

[johnloaderuk]

Although they sound a bit expensive firstly they've done 17k, which is pretty good, and secondly they're self sealing tyres, which may explain the price. If you get cheaper tyres, but they don't last as long it's false economy. Providing you are happy with the Conti tyres why not stick with them. Personally I don't like mixing different makes of tyre anyway, so if it was me I'd have the Contis again.

[hartry]

If it is snowy again this winter you will find that the Conti's are absolutely dreadful in the snow, there were loads of threads about this in the B6 forum from around January time. The slightest incline and they will just spin up, driving style and ESP on/off seemed to make little difference.

[johnloaderuk]

If it is snowy again this winter you will find that the Conti's are absolutely dreadful in the snow, there were loads of threads about this in the B6 forum from around January time. The slightest incline and they will just spin up, driving style and ESP on/off seemed to make little difference.

Very true, but given that we have very very few snowy days compared to non snowy days I wouldn't worry about that. If this is an issue a Tiguan or other 4Motion VW would be more appropriate.

[hartry]

Very true, but given that we have very very few snowy days compared to non snowy days I wouldn't worry about that. If this is an issue a Tiguan or other 4Motion VW would be more appropriate.

I don't agree. Living down an uphill cul-de-sac, being able to drive on the few snowy days we have is enough to influence my choice of tyres, when there is effectively little else between them to affect my decision. On the other hand buying a completely different class of car to overcome the problem would be a slight overreaction, in my opinion!

[gamichea]

Found Contis so bad last winter (all ways out of the village involve uphill as does my drive) I've invested in a spare set of wheels fitted with winter (M+S) tyres which I will use November to March inclusive.

For the cost of four self sealing Contis I got five TUV approved German made alloys and Nokian M+S tyres all in the correct VW approved size for M+S on the CC.

A good site for Europe-wide user reviews of tyres is www.pneus-online.co.uk (http://www.pneus-online.co.uk) The reviews rate all aspects of tyre performance including on snow where the Contis get just over 3 out of ten. Some other summer tyres achieve considerably more than that. Over 6 for Goodyear Efficient Grip IIRR.

[thax1]

Found Contis so bad last winter (all ways out of the village involve uphill as does my drive) I've invested in a spare set of wheels fitted with winter (M+S) tyres which I will use November to March inclusive.

For the cost of four self sealing Contis I got five TUV approved German made alloys and Nokian M+S tyres all in the correct VW approved size for M+S on the CC.

A good site for Europe-wide user reviews of tyres is www.pneus-online.co.uk (http://www.pneus-online.co.uk) The reviews rate all aspects of tyre performance including on snow where the Contis get just over 3 out of ten. Some other summer tyres achieve considerably more than that. Over 6 for Goodyear Efficient Grip IIRR.
Was it pneus-online that you sourced them from?

I very briefly searched last winter, but was soon put off by the price for wheels + M/S tyres.

The Golf GTI DSG was very good last year in the snow with its Michelin PS2's, so long as you were light on the gas and let the auto 'crawl' get you moving.

Not looking fwd to this winter with the new TDi, a straw-poll of neighbours reckoned they were too torquey even at idle to pull away without spinning up.

[gamichea]

Was it pneus-online that you sourced them from?

I very briefly searched last winter, but was soon put off by the price for wheels + M/S tyres.


I started looking for steel wheels & M+S tyres but no joy. mytyres.co.uk list steels & M+S for loads of vehicles but not for the CC. I emailed them and they confirmed non-availability. I think they source from Germany where M+S are a requirement. Their site has a link to a German one with exactly the same content.

mytyres and the Goodyear site have a selection of alloys suitable for M+S tyres for the CC so I chose one of the least expensive options that I liked the look of, Dezent RE 7Jx17, and got googling. The best price was offered by POTN of Northampton at £339.99 for five wheels plus £14.99 for a set of anti-theft bolts. The wheels came direct from the UK importer and apart from a lot of toing and froing to get the right number of spigot rings in the right size, service was good. I've still to organise some 60mm VW wheel centre caps to suit.

I selected Nokian WR G2 tyres based on pneus-online user reviews. I asked my usual tyre supplier to source them but she had to report the importer advised no 205/50x17 in the UK and none expected until after seasonal production started again.

I therefore sourced them from pneus-online at £472.95 for five including carriage from Holland. Their service was quick and efficient. My usual tyre supplier fitted and balanced them for £44 all in.

Which tyres do you have on the new TDI? Your neighbours' verdicts may be based on the PD engines. The CR engines have a more measured torque delivery and if you've gone for DSG again I would have thought it would do the business on decent tyres, assuming the the mechatronic unit has been as well matched to the engine characteristics as it sounds to have been in the GTI.

[thax1]

Which tyres do you have on the new TDI? Your neighbours' verdicts may be based on the PD engines. The CR engines have a more measured torque delivery and if you've gone for DSG again I would have thought it would do the business on decent tyres, assuming the the mechatronic unit has been as well matched to the engine characteristics as it sounds to have been in the GTI.

Thanks for the info, as I'll have the car for 4 years on this lease, the outlay seems a bit more reasonable, particularly if I factor in a couple of alpine trips during its life.

Can't comment on tyres fitted yet - it won't be delivered until Wednesday next week, although I understand they are all equipped with Conti self-sealers now.