Which tyres - 2.0 170 estate

[garrad]

Hello,

I've just worn out another pair of tyres on my 2.0 Diesel 170PS B6 estate and in the past I've always just fitted more Pirelli P Zero Rossos as thats what it came out of the factory on however there are none of these in stock at any of the tyre places in my area.

The tyre size is 235 / 45 R17 97W and I wondered what alternatives people had tried??

Thanks for any advice

Philip

[angus]

Not tried the Pirellis, but I found Contis to be the best all-round so far (have also tried Dunlops, Bridgestone, Michelin and Toyo), but the Contis are without any doubt the worst tyre I have ever driven in the snow.

So as long as it doesn`t snow again.....

[kennym999]

Depends what you want to spend. Im a fan of Falkens. Although it will be between them, khumo ecstas, vredstiens or coopers depending on price.

[Trapper]

I too am looking for new fronts, my originals are Dunlop Sport 01 215/55 R16 97W Extra Load, cheapest so far is Blackcircles at £116.

I had Falken 452's on my 5 Series Estate 3.0d but on the back being rwd. I see you are a fan of them on your Passat Kenny so;

are there any specific good or bad points you could share?

My Dunlops have done just under 14k which I think is poor as I do not drive it hard. Falkens are around £93 so a slight saving.

[kennym999]

I too am looking for new fronts, my originals are Dunlop Sport 01 215/55 R16 97W Extra Load, cheapest so far is Blackcircles at £116.

I had Falken 452's on my 5 Series Estate 3.0d but on the back being rwd. I see you are a fan of them on your Passat Kenny so;

are there any specific good or bad points you could share?

My Dunlops have done just under 14k which I think is poor as I do not drive it hard. Falkens are around £93 so a slight saving.

Never had them on the passat. Put them on my ibiza which the wife still has. I have pirelli pzero's (which the ibiza had originally too). The pirellis did 13k on all 4 on the Ibiza, the falkens have at least 5mm after 17k on a car that is notorious for eating tyres. I cant complain about grip, road noise, wear for the price. I would seriously consider them for the passat if the price is reasonable.

[kennym999]

I too am looking for new fronts, my originals are Dunlop Sport 01 215/55 R16 97W Extra Load, cheapest so far is Blackcircles at £116.

I had Falken 452's on my 5 Series Estate 3.0d but on the back being rwd. I see you are a fan of them on your Passat Kenny so;

are there any specific good or bad points you could share?

My Dunlops have done just under 14k which I think is poor as I do not drive it hard. Falkens are around £93 so a slight saving.

Is 14k miles just fronts or have you swapped front to rear. I have my original pzeros on after 23k miles having swapped front to rear and they still have 4mm all round.

[garrad]

Thanks for all the ideas. It is fair to say that I didn't buy a quick car to drive slowly and I like to make progress so with this in mind I don't mind paying extra for decent tyres. The Pirelli's come in around £130 each.

I always fit the new tyres to the rear and move them to the front when the fronts wear out. Doing this I have changed tyres at 28K, 41K and I'm about to go again at 60K. Making a rear mile count as half a front mile the sets have each done between 25K and 28K.

I have heard good things about continental sport contact 2 although they may wear quicker than I'm used to! I couldn't find a Falken with the right load rating so I guess these are out as the 94 takes 60Kg less per wheel.

Thanks for your help!

Philip

[gamichea]

Goodyear F1 Assymetrics are far superior to Rossos in every respect IMO at a similar price and wear rate. Goodyear recommend specific lower pressures than VW's blanket recommendation and in my experience they have no disadvantages. I've sung these tyres praises in several posts on here. When I first bought them they had just topped the latest Autocar tyre tests beating Conti Sport Contacts, Michelin Pilot Sports, etc.

[rapport25]

I have heard excellent reviews on uniroyal rainsport 2. I think my passat I will be purchasing next friday has standard fit pirreli's on the rear and conti 2's on the front.

[Motorway]

My estate had Dunlop sports on and the ones at the back still have 4mm on them after almost 22K the fronts are in the garage at present and they have 3mm on them. i am using Vredestein winter tyres on the front until late feb or whenever the weather shows signs of improving.

just before i sold my last B5 estate i put Vredesteins on it at 44K i know the person who bought the car. it now has 71k on and he says the tyres are just getting ready to be changed 2.5mm on the fronts.

so i will be looking at them for my fronts come the spring i will post with my findings when i put the dunlops back on and see how many more miles i get out of them.

[Trapper]

Thanks Kenny, I have yet to swop fronts for rears, not the weather recently to try swopping wheels on an ice covered sloping driveway! But will swop soon.

My apologies if I gave the wrong impression when I said I do not drive the car hard.

Garrard quoted.

It is fair to say that I didn't buy a quick car to drive slowlyI do use the power of the 170 when needed or when safe to do so, to put a smile on my face! Just as I did with my remapped 3.0L BMW. I have had lesser powered cars over the years but to get the same level of response when it is needed, (note needed) often results in having to cane it even then it may not have the urge to respond, as or when needed. And they never put a smile on my face :(
IF I wanted to drive permanently slow I would by a far cheaper and slow car

I still enjoy my driving.

[redrolo]

Primacy HP's for me next from Kwik git online. Can't face the conti sports for another winter.

[gazza007]

Sticking with my Vredrstien Ultracs

[Trapper]

Hi Gazza, looked up Vredrstien Ultracs and the only ones listed found were on Blackcircles.com but when I enter my tire size of 215 55 16R 97W of the 18 tyres listed these were not shown. Either they do not make them in this size or they are not imported by blackcircles.

Are yours 16 or 17" ?

Kenny, I have just swopped the fronts and rears, hopefully his will get me through to next year;)

[gazza007]

Hi Gazza, looked up Vredrstien Ultracs and the only ones listed found were on Blackcircles.com but when I enter my tire size of 215 55 16R 97W of the 18 tyres listed these were not shown. Either they do not make them in this size or they are not imported by blackcircles.

Are yours 16 or 17" ?

Kenny, I have just swopped the fronts and rears, hopefully his will get me through to next year;)

Mine are same size as yours, I emailed blackcircles at the time as they didn't show correct size but they never came back to me. I used my regular supplier(www.selectatyre.co.uk) who got them for me & I had fitted for £90 each. No branch that far south though but you can get them here for £80 http://www.camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m62b757s292p12372&rs=gb

I really like them, were very good in the snow & Ice that we had for a month in Manchester recently. I will be putting them on the back too in the future.

[Trapper]

Thanks for that info, I will contact blackcircles and see if they do them now/can get them and what price.
Never liked the idea of buying tyres from one place and having them fitted somewhere else, should something go wrong who's to blame? Neither as each will blame the other!! And also by the time you've added the fitting, valves, balancing and VAT you often do not save much anyway, if at all.