peoples that are running with 275 on the rears, what brand have you got, because im torn again with the fact that there are some brands out there that say they are cat b and c and run this noise then i look at another with the same spec but only 70 plus pounds diff in price per corner.

I'm not running 275s - just lowly 265s - but I could not care a jot for many of the rating categories.

 

Noise? Hell, it's a Zed, it's not going to be quiet, even if it ran on fluffy clouds....

Economy? Again, it's a Zed, not a Prius.....

 

However I do look for grip, grip and grip; in the wet or dry, it has to be good, both for cornering and braking - it's a performance car. And safety/quality - which is why I stick with the premium brands. Goodyear Eagles or Conti Sport Contacts are pretty much all I will buy - my life may depend on that one day:wink:

whitch is my point you say you buy premium tyre and dont look at the grades well this is what im saying.who says that the premium payout makes that the better choice. what im asking is . why pay 150 180 quid for a tre when a tyre that has the same wet and noise and speed and wear rating for a lesser 80 pound tyre. dont get me wrong im all out for safety i norm run toyo t1 sport, but there is a diff now of nearly400 quid for my norm ones, and the other tyres claimming the same thing

What tyres are you torn between spin doctor?

Do your homework. Ask someone who knows the tyre trade, somone in a busy independent tyre shop (not a kwikfit employee). They will tell you- all this latest tyre grading info is not worth label its printed on in many cases. There has been plenty written about it on the web recently. If low cost tyres were as good as premium brands they'd be fitted to new cars.

You just need to keep asking who drives on what brand and how good or not are they. If you stick to premium brands you take a lot of the guesswork around quality/grip etc out of the buying process. Good luck.

Michelin ps2 is a very good tyre. eagle f1 alos toyo t1r and toyo r888.

I've always found Eagle F1s to be so much better than T1Rs with regards to grip and everyday fast road use.

whitch is my point you say you buy premium tyre and dont look at the grades well this is what im saying.who says that the premium payout makes that the better choice. what im asking is . why pay 150 180 quid for a tre when a tyre that has the same wet and noise and speed and wear rating for a lesser 80 pound tyre. dont get me wrong im all out for safety i norm run toyo t1 sport, but there is a diff now of nearly400 quid for my norm ones, and the other tyres claimming the same thing

 

Not the tyre A-E grading for sure...:wink:

 

But in actual tests carried out my leading motoring magazines etc - tests including high speed wet and dry laps of a track, braking hard in wet and dry conditions, aquaplaning, cornering etc., the top two performers always seem to be the Goodyear Eagle F1 (whatever the latest version is) and the Conti Sport Contact (was 3, now 5). They vie for 1st and 2nd place, depending on who is actually hosting the test. The others like Mich Pilot Sport, Pirelli P-zero etc are usually behind them.....

 

 

Do your homework. Ask someone who knows the tyre trade, somone in a busy independent tyre shop (not a kwikfit employee). They will tell you- all this latest tyre grading info is not worth label its printed on in many cases. There has been plenty written about it on the web recently. If low cost tyres were as good as premium brands they'd be fitted to new cars.

You just need to keep asking who drives on what brand and how good or not are they. If you stick to premium brands you take a lot of the guesswork around quality/grip etc out of the buying process. Good luck.

 

Bang on mate! Whilst Ford now seems to be flirting with Hankook nowadays, the likes of Audi/BMW/Merc/Porsche generally specify Continental - not just because they're German too - but because they are among the very best! In fact the premium tyre makers actually target the German big-4 car brands - with Conti, Mich and Pirelli making tyres specifically in individual Audi/BMW/Merc/Porsche fitments.

 

I've always found Eagle F1s to be so much better than T1Rs with regards to grip and everyday fast road use.

 

There's no contest there Noel - Toyo tyres are very good, like Falkens (especially for Japanese cars); and perform well considering their price. But in the harsh reality of professional testing, they just cannot compete with the F1s, but to be fair, neither can much else!

 

You pays your money, you takes your choice. If you can afford it, then IMO fit the very best (the F1s, the Contis, the Michelins); if not, or you don't think it's worth it, then go for the best of the rest (the Falkens, Toyos or Hankooks - all of which perform reasonably against some premium brands considering their cost). If they are coming in a bit more than you are comfortable with, then fit what you like. And maybe you don't drive much, so they won't ever be properly put to the test; or keep your fingers crossed, or your lucky rabbit's foot handy.....

 

Richard:clover:

Running Kuhmo Ecsta KU39's at the moment, they get very good reviews, http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Kumho/Ecsta-KU39.htm

I work all day with tyres at work, I got Bridgestone SO2, they grip so well wet or dry, you can corner as fast as your internal organs will let you and they just dig in and push you round corners. :yes:

Very close to the Ku39's for wet and dry grip, http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Bridgestone/Potenza-s02.htm

Do your homework. Ask someone who knows the tyre trade, somone in a busy independent tyre shop (not a kwikfit employee). They will tell you- all this latest tyre grading info is not worth label its printed on in many cases. There has been plenty written about it on the web recently. If low cost tyres were as good as premium brands they'd be fitted to new cars.

You just need to keep asking who drives on what brand and how good or not are they. If you stick to premium brands you take a lot of the guesswork around quality/grip etc out of the buying process. Good luck.

 

Agree tyre labelling is pointless, stick to real world testing, people's own opinions and findings much more helpful

I'm running Avon ZZ3 tyres all round seem to work fine for me with no issues.

I couldn't say I agree about big brands and new cars. Big money co-operations and sponsorship deals have a part to play, say your racing car for the brand is heavily and openly supported by a tire manufactuer, putting a different brand on the road cars won't sit to well with that sponsor for example.

I've had three different brands on the van this year, Hancook, Goodyear and Continental. The Contis were a bit pants tbh, they wore very quickly and I didn't feel very confident with them, Goodyears are nice a grippy and lots if feedback and seem to be lasting. The Hancooks were ok and lasted well.

The zed doesn't get through many tyres, the current cheap tyres on the back are better than the pzeros with 3mm left, I brought them at 5mm and don't ever remember them being amazing esp in the wet. I've got falkens up front which once bedded in are pretty nice.

Toyos are really good but soft, yokohama parada 2s are also good, really strong dry grip, less so in the wet but again soft. Budget tyres on a zed gave me wheelspin in 5th in the wet. I ran maxxis v specs for a while which are perfectly alright tyres. 7/10 all round perfectly good tyres. But they did crack and lost the corners. So I have kuhmo bmw 325i sort of tyres on the back for predictable medium grip levels and vredestein ultrac sessantas on the front, they are the best tyres of those I have listed.

i use the T1r's on my daily clio sport and im impressed. Got friends who brag about the pilot sport 2s.

 

On my zed i have federal 595 RSR's which im yet to test.

because of the tyre size im limitted me thinks the vreestein sessanta are good to go

Becoming a popular tyre are the Vredestein Sessantas, i wanted them all round but had to just settle for the rears as they didn't have fronts in my size, a very attractive tyre on as well :cool3:.

Toyo Proxes on mine for over a year now they are still in very good shape for hard driving but I have not put many miles on them.

 

Pics when new

 

 

A few months ago

 

Im running pirelli pzeros all round

Becoming a popular tyre are the Vredestein Sessantas, i wanted them all round but had to just settle for the rears as they didn't have fronts in my size, a very attractive tyre on as well :cool3:.

 

if you type in my size of tyre on the tinternet then unfoetunatly you dont have a vast choice , most do only give you one to three choices at best so i went for these what you said, i have seen them on a skyline the other day and they did look nice. he the bloke worked in a tyre place and he swore buy them ,so thats good enough for me.

a tyre man who razes around in a skyline , given all that there on route 275 an all, cheers all

http://Www.tyreleader.co.uk is the best place to shop.

I've found T1r and michelin pilot sports are very good

Toyo Proxes on mine for over a year now they are still in very good shape for hard driving but I have not put many miles on them.

 

Pics when new

 

 

A few months ago

 

 

Any excuse to show off those lovely shiny wheels matey....:biggrin:

I couldn't say I agree about big brands and new cars. Big money co-operations and sponsorship deals have a part to play, say your racing car for the brand is heavily and openly supported by a tire manufactuer, putting a different brand on the road cars won't sit to well with that sponsor for example.

I've had three different brands on the van this year, Hancook, Goodyear and Continental. The Contis were a bit pants tbh, they wore very quickly and I didn't feel very confident with them, Goodyears are nice a grippy and lots if feedback and seem to be lasting. The Hancooks were ok and lasted well.

The zed doesn't get through many tyres, the current cheap tyres on the back are better than the pzeros with 3mm left, I brought them at 5mm and don't ever remember them being amazing esp in the wet. I've got falkens up front which once bedded in are pretty nice.

 

I am surprised at that Steve!! I am running Conti Sport Contact 3 on my Zed - same set for over 10k miles now and they are wearing well. Grip is also damn good as well; easily as good as the Goodyear Eagles I had on before and I have never had any issues with my confidence in them.... (265/35/18Y & 235/40/18Y)

 

.....I have the Sport Contact 5s on my SLK350, in the proper OEM fitment, and in all honesty I would not have anything else on it..... (245/35/18Y & 225/40/18Y). Plus in past experience with them on my previous SLKs, I found them still gripping on, even in the wet, just prior to replacing at 2mm!!

 

I agree 100% with you on the Pirelli Pzero though. Even when I got my first SLK350 with them almost newly fitted, I didn't think much of them, wet or dry!!

Becoming a popular tyre are the Vredestein Sessantas, i wanted them all round but had to just settle for the rears as they didn't have fronts in my size, a very attractive tyre on as well :cool3:.

 

Thats what ive now ordered.happy days. Funny though even a tyre chose took me two days of research to make my mind up.sorted now.be intresting to see howthey preform.

I see your problem, there really isn't much choice available in 275/40-17. I'd say from what is availabile, the Vreds are the best value for money assuming you didn't pay over the top for them! (£152 per tyre + fitting)