Tyres

[johnsimcox]

I'm afraid I'm not convinced although thanks for the link it was interesting to view.
However, the clip was bordering on an advertisement - it certainly wasn't independent.
Assuming that there is some truth in it, I still don't buy the argument that not getting the very best makes you a wicked person who should never take to the roads. That would imply anyone who didn't have full racing seats and wore (and insisted their family) wore crash helmets etc was also being a cheapskate. In fact nobody should be allowed to drive at all.

H&S gone mad again I reckon.
Bring back this chap I say !
Fred Dibnah How to remove the top of a chimney stack - YouTube

The only thing that connect your car to the road is four small contact areas and I would want to be sure that I had the best tools to ensure that those contact areas behave in the safest way possible. Premium car manufacturers design the suspension and steering components of their cars using premium tyres and to move away from those could affect many ways in which the car behaves and in some cases that could be fatal. I hate spending money unnecessarily, however I can never understand why someone is prepared to spend £30k or more on a car and then worry about spending a comparatively small amount on keeping the car safe on the road. I appreciate that not all cheap tyres are the same and some as has been pointed out are simply rebranded tyres from the premium vendors but lack the huge marketing spend behind them. I wonder how an insurance company would react if a car with cheap tyres has an accident attributed to the type of tyre fitted. Would this be seen as a material change in the specification of the car that they had not been informed about and deny the claim. It was only a couple of years ago that insurance companies were trying to avoid claims or increase premiums because the owner had fitted winter tyres which had actually made the car safer.

[Wuffles]

Where do people see brands such as the Hankook I posted in a link before?

Unimpressed with the standard offering of Pirelli on the A6 we have, pull away grip and noise being my primary gripes but don't really want to end up in a worse situation just to have saved a couple of quid.

[A6ian]

One of my favorites is Vredestein ultrac Sessantas, deffinatelly better for both wet grip and life than the pirelli P zeros I had on my X type. I will look at them when I need some for the A6.

Also, Camskill are worth a look for supply. Then take them to Hi Q for fitting at between £10 and £20 a piece. I found my local Hi Q seem to care a about the rims. Black Circles were good as a company but their fitting centers were a bit hit and miss, I had some trouble with rim leaks and damage etc, one refused to fit 19" 235/30s to the sons VXR.

[john2107]

Another vote for Vredestein Sessantas. As I said previously, I have had them on two other Audis. Far quieter than Pirellis, long lasting and sensibly priced.

[neilos100]

Where do people see brands such as the Hankook I posted in a link before?

Unimpressed with the standard offering of Pirelli on the A6 we have, pull away grip and noise being my primary gripes but don't really want to end up in a worse situation just to have saved a couple of quid.

I was impressed with the Hankooks....excellent grip in all weathers and quieter than the Michelins on previously. They lasted well also .....I would definitely use them again.
Neil

Sent from my phone...

[MarkTM]

There's no harm in also looking on places like Ebay if you want top tier tyres at a lower price.

I bought 4 x Michelin Pilot Super Sports in 245/45/18 XL for £480 from a guy that bought them for his Renault 6 months earlier, when it came time to fit he found they were the wrong size. Still had the stickers on and he gave me the receipt he'd paid £800

Michelin Pilot Super Sport | the Michelin Pilot Super Sport reviewed and rated | the online tyre guide

4 x audi reviews one of them mine.

[Kar Krazy]

Cheap tyres take longer to stop your car, making you more likely to have a collision if someone pulls out in front of you.

They also make your car less likely to follow your inputs to the steering wheel, again making you more likely to have a collision if someone pulls out in front of you.

It's not about having a high-performance car, it's about the weight of the car and the ability of those four tiny patches of tread to apply enough force to stop that weight or change its direction.

You have to work out what price you put on the safety of yourself and your loved ones. And if keeping your car undamaged is worth the difference in price between rubbish tyres and good ones.

I had Vredestein Ultrac Sessantas and swore by them because they are great in wet or dry, but they lost grip in the snow in stop-go traffic up a steep hill.

Now I run Goodyear Assymetric 2 and they are brilliant. I had one slight slide on slush on top of ice trying to stop downhill, but any summer tyre is going to do that.

[CeeTee]

I've just replaced two p zero's with another two after much deliberation and comparison between different brands. I was also trying to weigh up all of the different factors and decided to stick with what was originally fitted after 36,000 kms on the fronts I think that the life was good enough so that was that box ticked. Yes I got some wheel spin in wet or loose conditions but only near the end of their life but when I switched the fronts and the rears around when they were really low it was like driving a new car again which is where I put the new ones. They have never let me down under hard braking which is when you find out the real value of your tyres and is not something that is rated for some strange reason? Everybody seems to be only interested in economy, noise, which I can live with as the differences are minimal, and wet weather grip, what is the point of driving fast in the wet anyway. Do not penny pinch on probably the most important pieces of safety equipment on your car as even a low speed collision can cost you thousands in repair bills in body shops and paint shops.

[Needmorepower]

I'm sure I'm naive but why are the budget tyres dismissed as rubbish? If you have a higher specced engine and are thus interested in performance, handling, cornering characteristics then maybe it makes sense to have a better tyre?

I drive the humble 2.0 and drive it for carefully for fuel economy so what would I gain by buying a better specced tyre ?

I too drive the humble 2.0 and definitely go for economy (Christmas short trips saw that drop to 40 from 46 combined... boo!!) but I would always stress getting the best tyres you can. Always.
Our near 2 tonne beasts only have four contact patches with the road and total area they touch tarmac is equivalent to circa 1 sheet of A4. You entrust your life to this one sheet of paper being able to stop and turn when needed. Only sensible thing is to go for the best you can!


For what it's worth I started on OEM Bridgestones and moved to Michelin Pilot Cups Sport 2s (19" wheels). MPCS been much grippier, slightly quieter and slighty more economical. However, they haven't been quite as surefooted in the recent rain which does put me off more than a tad. Might try a third option when these run down in the near future

[michaelsanderso]

I had P Zero's on an Insignia VXR which was packing 350bhp, 435nm of torque, 1.7 tonne, and 20" wheels. They were good, if a little noisy, but I could still slide it round corners without much effort. I swapped onto Dunlop Sport Maxx RT after I couldn't get hold of anything else in time to stay legal, and never looked back. Quieter, and stuck like glue.