tyres for cabrio

[petepete]

further update..

been on snow and ice now with no drama what so ever and someone has finally bothered to write a review ! (not me)

https://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Autogrip/P308.htm

They show very little signs of wear even on the edges...

bloomin bargain for the savy folk !

https://screencast.com/t/LPymVjuZf

[smilergrogan]

My car had a (mismatched!) pair of ditchfinders on the front when I bought it. I swapped them out immediately and went for Continental SportContact 5s, at £110 each, for 205/50 R17 XL. Continental are usually top of any reviews from reliable independent sources, such as Which or ADAC, whether summer tyres or winter tyres and the SportContact 5 is currently top of the pile.

Re the tyre ratings stickers, the premium brands apparently take it seriously, as they are hammered if they lie and get caught. However, the cheapo Chinese brands a) don't have any name to tarnish in the first place and b) in reality, won't be fined anyway (as we've seen with all this blatant design copyright infringement, which results in 'strong words' but nothing else).

[Dynamiquetwo]

further update..

been on snow and ice now with no drama what so ever and someone has finally bothered to write a review ! (not me)

https://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Autogrip/P308.htm

They show very little signs of wear even on the edges...

bloomin bargain for the savy folk !

https://screencast.com/t/LPymVjuZf

It might be worth a trip to specksavers

I have not had any snow or ice to test them on, but dry and wet performance is perfectly adequate for road use

[petepete]

further update..

been on snow and ice now with no drama what so ever and someone has finally bothered to write a review ! (not me)

https://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Autogrip/P308.htm

They show very little signs of wear even on the edges...

bloomin bargain for the savy folk !

https://screencast.com/t/LPymVjuZf

It might be worth a trip to specksavers

I have not had any snow or ice to test them on, but dry and wet performance is perfectly adequate for road use

not sure why you are banging your head and suggesting spec savers...

had plenty of snow and ice at highest point in peak !!!

[Dynamiquetwo]

So what is the biggest size tyre that will fit on 17" and what winter tyre is best

[smilergrogan]

So what is the biggest size tyre that will fit on 17" and what winter tyre is best

I'm using Continental WinterContact tyres, size 225x45 R18. However, smaller and narrower is generally thought to be the way to go for winter wheels, as performance is better in snow. The reason mine are larger is that they are from my previous car and this wheel model happens to have exactly the same PCD, Offset etc. as the one fitted to the Megane CC 2.0dCi.



The last time I checked ADAC, Continental were on top for both summer and winter tyres. I don't know how good Auto Express' testing methods are but they put the most recent Continental model (WinterContact TS850) top ("Good all-round performance with few compromises make this a winter tyre winner").

[MacsMegane]

I can't comment on these particular tyres however I have budgets on mine, they came on the car. I've always used premium tyres. It's not just safety, although as the tyres are your only contact with the road should you scrimp on them? I don't think so. This car has been ruined by budgets tyres, it has little feedback from the road now. When we owned the car previously (when it was new) we always used Michelin or Continental and it drove a lot better without even talking about grip!

[AlexB]

Never budgets! Yes, one can drive slowly and carefully, but once in a while you will find yourself in a situation after which you say "never ever"...

Conti Sport 5 (P) are quite good for British roads in summer due to strong carcass and soft multi-layer tread compound. They make people's life happier and longer. For winter look at Pirelli, Conti, Michelin and Nokian. Pirellis are the least aggressive and most suitable for British winters; we don't have much snow as on the continent. Another option is to not drive during a couple of snowy days.

[petepete]

Never budgets! Yes, one can drive slowly and carefully, but once in a while you will find yourself in a situation after which you say "never ever"...

Conti Sport 5 (P) are quite good for British roads in summer due to strong carcass and soft multi-layer tread compound. They make people's life happier and longer. For winter look at Pirelli, Conti, Michelin and Nokian. Pirellis are the least aggressive and most suitable for British winters; we don't have much snow as on the continent. Another option is to not drive during a couple of snowy days.

Lord, give me strength...

People obviously havnt grasped that a tyre rated at euro C C has passed that tyre rating and is in the identical bracket as any other tyre rated at that as far as performance goes.....

obviously there are people around who think a C C euro tested and rated tyre that costs twice/ 3 times the price of anther C C tested and rated tyre is a better tyre and more safe on high price alone....

For gods sake how silly is that considering the euro tests were brought in as a performance measure for nupties to stop assuming they got a better tyre because they paid more !!!!!

price is now irrelevant and you can pay what you want - the only way you will get a better tyre is to buy a higher euro rated tyre whatever its price !!!

[smilergrogan]

People obviously havnt grasped that a tyre rated at euro C C has passed that tyre rating and is in the identical bracket as any other tyre rated at that as far as performance goes....

Actually, that's not correct. The tyre labelling system only provides a reference for the fuel economy, wet grip and noise level of a tyre. There are many other factors to consider, including resistance to aquaplaning, driving stability, handling performance on wet & dry roads, braking performance on dry roads and its capabilities in winter weather, not to mention the durability of the tyre. None of those factors are covered by the labelling system. You are therefore wrong to assume that one C/C rated tyre is the same as every other C/C rated tyre.

You need to check reliable, independent tests by people like ADAC, Which? etc., for definitive data on all aspects. The latest Which? report on 17" summer tyres has Continental top, followed by Goodyear, Pirelli, Dunlop and Michelin, all of which are premiuim brands.

I never scrimp on tyres - or any aspect of servicing. The saving is actually quite small, often less than a few tanks of fuel. If money is really that tight then, quite honestly, you shouldn't be running a car in the first place.

[BobbyBlueBoots]

My CC had a full set of Marangoni Verso tyres fitted to it when I got it from the dealer. They cost about £70 and considering they are an Italian company, the tyres are terrible. Wheel-spin and drifting out on even gentle cornering (worse in the damp). So I checked some of the reviews and wasn't surprised to see them rated 49th out of 50 in a euro tyre test. See this review( I've had below legal limit tyres on my car that had more grip than these have in the wet. I'm absolutely amazed that they've passed British safety standards. Absolute death traps.) I to live in the Derbyshire Peak District and when we have Britain's most dangerous roads to drive we do like to have something safe as the only contact with the road.
Like everything in life. price is not always the best guide, it's finding that good item at a fair price.
As an aside, I fitted Goodyear tyres on the front and it has made the ride far more comfortable, and the steering more positive and progressive, I now find the back end "kicks out" if I hit a mid corner bump, so as soon as funds allow I will change these to.

Rob

[petepete]

as a final comment to cut through negative attitudes and disbelief that a budget cc rated tyre can be a safe proposition....

I too live in the peak district and travel britains most dangerous roads every day and have done through an entire winter be it fog , sidewards rain, snow or ice...

No wheel spin, no aquaplaning , no extended braking distances and nothing untoward to report other than the fact the tread ware is unbelievably minimal knowing a set of khumo tyres would be half worn at this stage on my civic.

[BobbyBlueBoots]

I think the thing we can all take from this thread, is that tyres are a subjective matter.

[petepete]

I think the thing we can all take from this thread, is that tyres are a subjective matter.

nope...

tyres are either good or sh1t...

My lotus was shod with advan rubber at £250 on the rear every 3000 miles driving the peak and they were well ready despite never having spun the wheels just negotiated lots of hard corners... Any serious lotus driver will know a 1lb pressure drop/increase can be felt in the handling well before the cars limits and it certainly taught me the value of the right tyre for the job and that has nothing to do with price but performance...

[BobbyBlueBoots]

But surely that concept of performance is subjective? Well on the road anyway and the art is finding the right tyre that suits both your car and your driving style!