Best value tyres for "normal" driving?

Christopher72 · Post by **Christopher72** » Fri Sep 08, 2023 4:35 pm

tiglon wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 4:17 pm How much do your odds of having an accident actually decrease by using Michelin over Kumho? I'm guessing somewhere between not at all and very, very small fractions of a percent, if you're a normal driver in a normal car.

Matching your tires with your driving style and conditions/environment is the correct path. I won't put anything but summer non-RFT on mine, but I don't take it out of the garage unless I can put the top down and enjoy it. A poor pairing is unsafe. What is priced to sell and meets my requirements... is probably a reasonable model.

weegeoff · Post by **weegeoff** » Fri Sep 08, 2023 4:56 pm

I used Falken on my e85 and drove in snow. Never had any problems

plenty · Post by **plenty** » Fri Sep 08, 2023 5:10 pm

tiglon wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 4:17 pm How much do your odds of having an accident actually decrease by using Michelin over Kumho? I'm guessing somewhere between not at all and very, very small fractions of a percent, if you're a normal driver in a normal car.

Nicely put. Most drivers will never get close to the limits of UHP tyres. And thanks to progress today's mid-range tyres perform comparably to the UHP offerings 10-15 years ago, or when these cars were new.

Avon, Falken, Hankook, Kumho, Toyo, Uniroyal, Vredestein all typically safe choices for most drivers who aren't pushing the envelope. Although if you shop around and buy during one of the frequent promotional periods you can find Bridgestone, Goodyear and Michelin for not much more. Stick to 18s and your tyres will be considerably cheaper not to mention your ride and handling will be better

2k35is · Post by **2k35is** » Fri Sep 08, 2023 5:14 pm

Here you go if want to spend some time looking at direct comparisons from 2020 18"
https://www.tyrereviews.com/Article/202 ... e-Test.htm

or 2022 here 19"
https://www.tyrereviews.com/Article/202 ... e-Test.htm

or 2023 18"

https://www.tyrereviews.com/Article/202 ... e-Test.htm
No doubt B21 will be along soon to say what have I been telling you!!!

Mr Tidy · Post by **Mr Tidy** » Fri Sep 08, 2023 7:22 pm

I fitted a set of Kumho Ectas 3 years ago and I've been very pleased with them. They only cost about £400 too.

Pondrew · Post by **Pondrew** » Fri Sep 08, 2023 7:43 pm

Gotta love a 'tyre debate'.

Probably THE most common thread on EVERY car forum on the planet with just as many differing views.

As for the phrase 'ditch finders', that is ridiculous. No such thing sold in the UK.

I have probably said this before but I would really love to know how many accidents each year in the UK can 100% be attributed to cheap tyres. Not under-inflated or over inflated, or low tread level, etc. Just from being fitted with 'poor quality' tyres. I am betting it will be zero!

BTW Nexen (owned by Continental IIRC) make very good tyres too at very good prices!

warmasice · Post by **warmasice** » Fri Sep 08, 2023 7:57 pm

tiglon wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 4:17 pm
coldel wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 2:43 pm To be honest, over the years, I have found out lots of things about cars, and that one thing I don't scrape a few quid off of is tyres. Tyres and brakes should always take your hard earned over engine mods, aesthetics etc. It is what keeps you on the road and stops you.

So when I look at tyres and see a set of four costing 600 or 800 pounds I take the 800 every time. Assuming there is a difference to be had in terms of how they perform. Owning a car worth thousands if not tens of thousands, why scrimp on a couple hundred quid.

There are always deals to be had out there, I bought and got fitted x4 Michelin PS4's for £440 in a deal on Blackcirlces doing money off Michelins when I had my E86 a couple years back.

Ultimately safety is generally all our priorities, and by paying a couple hundred quid more I can increase my odds of not hitting something should the need arise, then I pay that.
You could also improve your odds by spending £5k on brake upgrades, or by never exceeding 30mph, but you have to draw a line somewhere. Just by buying a Z4, you've already compromised safety in the pursuit of having something fun to drive. If safety was the number one priority we'd all be driving an Ora Funky Cat.

How much do your odds of having an accident actually decrease by using Michelin over Kumho? I'm guessing somewhere between not at all and very, very small fractions of a percent, if you're a normal driver in a normal car.

Absolutely this. The op said 'normal driving', not driving at 110%.

tiglon · Post by **tiglon** » Fri Sep 08, 2023 10:16 pm

Pondrew wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 7:43 pm Gotta love a 'tyre debate'.
Probably THE most common thread on EVERY car forum on the planet with just as many differing views.

As for the phrase 'ditch finders', that is ridiculous. No such thing sold in the UK.

I have probably said this before but I would really love to know how many accidents each year in the UK can 100% be attributed to cheap tyres. Not under-inflated or over inflated, or low tread level, etc. Just from being fitted with 'poor quality' tyres. I am betting it will be zero!

BTW Nexen (owned by Continental IIRC) make very good tyres too at very good prices!

You love a tyre debate

For me a "ditch finder" is the 10 year old budget tyre that's cracked to hell, but left on because the thread is still 2mm. 4 different makes, with varying levels of inflation on each corner. I've bought a few cars like that, and it is pretty scary - but that is a few years ago now.

I cant find a link, but I saw a tyre review very recently comparing a budget tyre with UHP. The budget tyre was obviously not as good, but it was a lot closer than you'd think. The theory was that they use a much softer compound to get good grip from cheaper materials, and therefore the trade off is that they will wear really quickly.

Argyll Andy · Post by **Argyll Andy** » Fri Sep 08, 2023 11:14 pm

The M40i came with Michelin Pilot Super Sports, great tyre but took quite a while to heat up so first 10/15 minutes were arse clenching!

Replaced with Conti 7’s even better tyre but started life with 6.8mm and very quick wearing.

Replaced with Falken 520 UHP’s, half the price of the Michelin’s and £80 a rear cheaper than the Conti’s,

Wouldn’t put the Falkens back on the M40i, squirrelly as f**k would be the best way to describe them compared to the other two, chirping away when driving spiritedly, but I suppose the question in the thread was was normal driving……….., all of these tyres have been given a reasonable work out

But would put the Falkens on my other cars

Not sure what will replace the Falkens, if I still have it by then

MikeyH · Post by **MikeyH** » Fri Sep 08, 2023 11:43 pm

Call me a boring old f*rt but this is the first sensible tyre thread I have read for normal drivers like me, thank you all. I have written this in my note pad for future reference when I need it.

MikeyH · Post by **MikeyH** » Fri Sep 08, 2023 11:59 pm

Just realised I’m in the E89 area, would this tyre selection be suitable for an E85? As tram lining is a known problem with these cars

Pondrew · Post by **Pondrew** » Sat Sep 09, 2023 9:10 am

Argyll Andy wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 11:14 pm The M40i came with Michelin Pilot Super Sports, great tyre but took quite a while to heat up so first 10/15 minutes were arse clenching!

Replaced with Conti 7’s even better tyre but started life with 6.8mm and very quick wearing.

Replaced with Falken 520 UHP’s, half the price of the Michelin’s and £80 a rear cheaper than the Conti’s,

Wouldn’t put the Falkens back on the M40i, squirrelly as f**k would be the best way to describe them compared to the other two, chirping away when driving spiritedly, but I suppose the question in the thread was was normal driving……….., all of these tyres have been given a reasonable work out

But would put the Falkens on my other cars

Not sure what will replace the Falkens, if I still have it by then

Just when I thought you had gone for good! Nice to see (read

) you again Andrew

Pondrew · Post by **Pondrew** » Sat Sep 09, 2023 9:15 am

tiglon wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 10:16 pm I cant find a link, but I saw a tyre review very recently comparing a budget tyre with UHP.

That's another nonsense IMO. Tyre reviews. The kind of tests they do to try and differentiate between tyres should never be relevant on normal roads unless you are stupid. "The 'Landyacht' took 3.5cm further than the Michelin MPS6SSSR to brake to a standstill at 350mph" type of rubbish!

matsmith749 · Post by **matsmith749** » Sat Sep 09, 2023 9:37 am

Disagree - the tyre review sites have value so long as you interpret with your own values in mind.

Comparisons need to be considered based on whatever it is you care about - if you think your current tyres are shite in the wet, you can see how they stack up against others / similar good for noise & comfort.

So not a complete waste of time.

If you don't care about the top 1% of anything, I've found that most of the top 5 in any given category are pretty much interchangeable & the differences tiny.

But - standard fit bridgestone runflats tested bottom of all tryres ever tested.... if nothing else, it's a bit of fun!

Nictrix · Post by **Nictrix** » Sat Sep 09, 2023 10:53 am

Ditchfinders are definitely real.
I had a set of really cheap tyres on an old car just to have something legal to run around locally and they were terrible.
With a small stab of the accelerator peddle the front could be made to slide on demand going around roundabouts, spun far too easily on damp roads and gave you absolutely no confidence in bends particularly if the roads were wet.
They also didnt seem to wear out.
I never actually put the car in a ditch but it would have been easily done if not driven carefully.

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