What tyres do shiters recommend (budget-mid-range) ?

[clayts450]

Looking at the tyres on my Streetshite, it appears am driving on lo-budget ditchfinders, although they have reasonable tread.

 

For my reasonably new front tyres (Infinity 05) the reviews range from downright scary to barely passable, particularly in wet weather. The rears have no brand name but reassuringly state they are 'made in Germany'. These probably need replacing sooner rather than later tho' do have passable tread.

 

Which budget to mid range brands do folks tend to go for on here ?

 

My tyres are 205/50/R16 87V

 

 

[Junkman]

Round and black ones, because whitewalls look shit.

[dave21478]

Falken Zeix.  Grip almost as well as Uniroyal rainsports, but last longer.

[Dave_Q]

I have found Toyo, Kumho and some Falkens to be reasonable mid-price tyres, also the Uniroyal RainExpert - although they wear a bit fast.

[dave21478]

[John F]

If you're on a budget I've used Nankang NS-2 tyres on my V6 Calibra for years, they're impressively grippy in the dry & have a decent rain profile for wet motorway miles. They last well, too.

[DodgeRover]

Whatever decent part worns are available.

[Bobthebeard]

Bravuris . Barum 2.

Not let me down yet and not too expensive.

[Fat_Pirate]

Another Falken fan here, cheap yet grippy.  Kumho good too, but seem a bit soft.  

[Cleon-Fonte]

Kumho Ecowings. Cheap but long-lasting, quiet and grippy.

[Stanky]

Yokohama BluEarth AE01's are good, quieter than Kumho Soluses but less long-lived. I wrung 28k out of mine, swapping front to back at about 18k.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

When I buy a car it's often got fancy big brand tyres on it and I say I'm going to keep it up.

Guess what? I never do, the Volvo had Uniroyals all round, until a couple of weeks ago when I went into my favourite the place and said ' What's the best you can do me a pair of 225 50 17s?' £50 each all in. 'Good enough, chuck em on'

From memory they say P609 or something on them , I haven't crashed and died once and any difference it makes to my V70 diesel's wet Nurburgring time, is frankly of little consequence.

 

The only time I've noticed that tyres were shit was when I bought some eBay wheels with almost new tyres for an S-Type Jag. All was well until early one wet morning going from the M25 to the M1, not much traffic around so left cruise on( in the dry it's a 100+ slip road) Shiiiiiiittttttt!

Possibly anyone observing would have thought it a bit cocky to drift at 80 on a motorway and I was rather glad not to be alongside a NorbertStobart or whatever.

Needless to say they came off the same day and are still at the bottom of the garden 8 years later.

Just went to check - Barums.

[Tamworthbay]

Avons are a favourite, Kumhos and yokos also good for the money usually.

[Supernaut]

Kumho Ecowings. Cheap but long-lasting, quiet and grippy.

Another vote for them. Got them on the Xantia and they're lovely. Admittedly in 185/65/15 flavour.

 

Had a full set of them on there for a year now, and would use them again. Quiet and grippy, even in the pissing wet.

 

 

 

EDIT: I can also add another vote for Barum tyres too. I got a set of them to replace the mis-matched ditchfinders that were fitted to the MX-5 I had a few years back and they transformed the car. I still remember exiting a roundabout in the wet and spinning the rear wheels all the way up to 45mph in 3rd due to the shitty ditchfinders that were on it.

[beko1987]

I always see if Avon are available in my size. But the gooner has some brand I've never heard of all round and their fine, throwing it around wet corners, hard braking in the wet and dry. I got it to spin the front wheels once or twice booting it out of a junction in the wet but I could do the same with the rain experts in the zx if I really tried. The Zafira has budget-ish brands all round and it seems fine too, again I've hurled it around roundabouts on nearly 2 wheels before, and nothing!

[Partridge]

I put Kumho Ecstas on my Accord. From memory they were about 50 quid a corner. A perfectly reasonable tyre for a normal, daily driver. They don't have much in the way of feel, they're not amazing in the rain but they're much better than a Nexen etc when the heavens open, and certainly better than a Pirelli in the wet. They grip well, they've not broken traction once, and I drive the Accord like Tom Kristensen in the year 2000 BTCC finale at times.

[UltraWomble]

I have Falkens F&R on the wifes C8 and can honestly say the grip is surprisingly good - I can scare the shit out of her going round the M65 interchange roundabout at 55 in her car and it utterly wont lose grip.

[Eddie Honda]

Vredestein Sportrac 5

[clayts450]

Some great replies everyone, thanks.

 

I do love to hear opinions on stuff like this, so do please keep em coming

 

Probably gonna have to be a 'replace over two months' scenario, starting with the rears next week (after payday). With the alleged *heatwave heading our way, the fronts can wait until next month, probably.

[Partridge]

Vredestein Sportrac 5

I've heard many good things about Vredesteins. FATHER_PARTRIDGE has some on his 5 series and raves about them, and he's hyper critical about everything. Now EVERYTHING must have Vredesteins. I'm pretty sure the caravan does now. He'd wear Vredestein shoes if he could.

 

Maybe look into them?

[clayts450]

Good reviews 

 

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Vredestein/Sportrac-5.htm

 

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/88489/vredestein-sportrac-5-tyre-review

 

Good prices too

 

Hmm, this one may just have taken top spot....

[5speedracer]

Falken Zeix. Grip almost as well as Uniroyal rainsports, but last longer.

Quite quiet too.

[Hendry]

The tyres to get, IF they don them in your size are Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3s.

 

Failing that ive just had Yokohama C-Drive AC02s put on the front of my car and im happy with them so far.

 

then theres that old favourite the Uniroyal Rainsport 3s.

[tooSavvy]

Landsails.... I post = therefore = I'm not dead [OK.. Yet!]

 

 

TS

[bunglebus]

I do NOT recommend these. Tyres should always be round if possible.

 

[twosmoke300]

Fulda , nexxen , uniroyal and Hankook would be my choices in the midrange .

Uniroyals don't last well but do grip like hell .

Avons are a twat to balance which always makes me think the aren't a good quality tyre .

[twosmoke300]

Triangle tyres are indeed terrible

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Just stuck a set of new Falken ZE4s on the daily. Worked out around £50 a corner, fitted and balanced. They had really good reviews in wet, dry and for longevity. They seem ok so far.

[Hendry]

Fulda , nexxen , uniroyal and Hankook would be my choices in the midrange .

Uniroyals don't last well but do grip like hell .

Avons are a twat to balance which always makes me think the aren't a good quality tyre .

 

Not Nexens, I thought they were a decent rated midrange tyre, so i got them cheap from ATS when they had the contract for my old works cars, they fitted N-Blue Ecos or something, and they were horrific, lethal in the wet, noisy, not brilliant in the dry and cracked and perished with a year and a bit and less than 10,000 miles.

 

Speaking of these Eco tyres and the wisecracks about round black tyres, not triangular etc., The National Tyres mobile fitter who used to come in and do our tyre replacements onsite after we changed from ATS came in once moaning about his call centre and his customers, got chatting and he said some muppet had ordered 4 Dunlop Blueresponse to be fitted to his car, Alan went out and fitted them, went to get the customer to sign his job sheet and the punter went loopy saying he wasnt happy etc, he said having bought the Blueresponse tyres, the punter had thought they would literally be blue in colour and was raging when they werent, this is backed up by his callcentre calling him saying the punter was complaining, whilst he was standing talking to us and he simply went "hes made a complaint, well it cant be about me, or the fitting of the tyres, i fitted what was on the job sheet, and asked him to confirm thats what he had ordered, but look hes at it, this is the same guy who wasnt happy because his tyres werent blue" the person on the other end said something and he went "I swear down, go and call him back and he'll tell you himself, he was fuming because his blueresponse tyres were black.............aye Louise im a tyre fitter i know you dont get blue tyres, try telling him that" My god our sides were literally splitting from laughing. 

[FakeConcern]

I have had Michelin PS3s on the C4 VTS for about 4 years, but previously I tried Hankooks and they were really good in both wet and dry conditions. I'm not sure about how well they wear as I didn't have them long enough.