# Are some people mad



## M4hood (Sep 21, 2010)

We have a R32 golf in at the minute to have suspension repaired (hit a kerb in the wet), wrecked an alloy and generally just messed up their suspension. I was checking the tyres on the car (so I could order the same tyre for the alloy) and was amazed to find that it was running on 4 Nankang tyres :doublesho:doublesho
I just don't understand why / how anybody would spend £32000 on a car with 270 BHP, pay £435 per year road tax and be running it on £47 each tyres!! Now I know that this may sound like im a brand snob but in the safety rating these tyres scored overall 2 out of 5 for performance and they were tested on a standard ford focus not a high powered "super" car.
Just bogles the mind!!
Rant over


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## andy-mcq (Sep 26, 2008)

is a bit wierd like isnt it, like buying a nissan GTR and sticking tyres rated to 100mph on it.
not that you could prob buy tyres for a gtr rated that low


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## mick2010 (Dec 18, 2010)

M4hood said:


> We have a R32 golf in at the minute to have suspension repaired (hit a kerb in the wet), wrecked an alloy and generally just messed up their suspension. I was checking the tyres on the car (so I could order the same tyre for the alloy) and was amazed to find that it was running on 4 Nankang tyres :doublesho:doublesho
> I just don't understand why / how anybody would spend £32000 on a car with 270 BHP, pay £435 per year road tax and be running it on £47 each tyres!! Now I know that this may sound like im a brand snob but in the safety rating these tyres scored overall 2 out of 5 for performance and they were tested on a standard ford focus not a high powered "super" car.
> Just bogles the mind!!
> Rant over


Tax price is unavoidable, as is the cost of the car. In all honesty, the tyres are one of the only things you can skimp out on, you COULD put performance tyres on it or you could just put cheap ones on, maybe the way they look at it is - "If I can get away with cheap tyres, why wouldn't I?".

Just my view on it anyway :thumb:


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## zedcor (Jan 9, 2011)

Tyres might have been put on prior to him buying the car by a garage that he bought it from.


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## Mozza (Nov 28, 2010)

devils advocate here, but if the guy bought it on a silly finance deal maybe he does not have the money for good tyres in the first place.

Worse than all of that is the SCENE,strech and poke wars, Nankangs look great when using streched tyres ( silly look and idea if you ask me) so looks over function again, 

But they dont call them ditch finders for nothing!!!


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## brightspark (Aug 21, 2010)

were the tires rated for the cars performance, just wonder where they would stand insurance wise in the event of a accident


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## Beemer 330 (Oct 8, 2010)

or because he has wasted 32k on a golf he has no money left for descent tyres :lol:

dont get me wrong that is a lovely model of golf but you could get so much more car for that much money.


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## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

brightspark said:


> were the tires rated for the cars performance,


V rated then probably yes.

I dont know why people skimp on tires either a tad silly IMO i know a lot of the Korean brands are slowly showing what they can do (Kuhmo, Hankook) but These Chinese efforts really need to be banned.


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## justina3 (Jan 11, 2008)

my gran used to have many saying which covered lots of life one springs to mind, 

big fridge with no food inside 

fur coat and no knickers ( a favorite of mine )


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## voon (Apr 28, 2010)

That's silly with ANY car. It doesn't really matter, if lives end in an R32 or Nissan Micra. People tend to forget, that ALL that keeps them on the road are a few little squares of a few square centimeters....


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## Griff.. (Dec 18, 2010)

Lesson learned there smashed car, running on **** Tyres!
On another forum a while back someone put falkens inna z4 binned it in the wet a few weeks lates.

Mate in work has BMW 318 sport, 18" alloys, was running bridgestone needed Tyres for MOT put £50 ones on instead of £110 and he said they as really bad in the wet and already hit a kerb.


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## Red_Cloverleaf (Jul 26, 2009)

Mozza said:


> devils advocate here, but if the guy bought it on a silly finance deal maybe he does not have the money for good tyres in the first place.
> 
> Worse than all of that is the SCENE,strech and poke wars, Nankangs look great when using streched tyres ( silly look and idea if you ask me) so looks over function again,
> 
> But they dont call them ditch finders for nothing!!!


Well said!


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## Turkleton (Apr 18, 2010)

voon said:


> That's silly with ANY car. It doesn't really matter, if lives end in an R32 or Nissan Micra. People tend to forget, that ALL that keeps them on the road are a few little squares of a few square centimeters....


Fully agree, It's getting beyond a joke how I have to explain this to people


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## Chillz (Jan 22, 2011)

And the price of repair or insurance premium going up is far going to outweigh what it would of cost to put branded tyres on.
Let's just hope that as said before it's a lesson learned..
Btw, hello all! Great forum but i'm not sure my wallet agrees..


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

To be fair, I was 'forced' to put some £50 tyres on the rear of my car, usually mine would wear conti sportcontact2 , and to be honest the overall performance have been impressive, so much so I tempted to put some on the front when time comes.
I certainly have not noticed any of the negative features that were reported, I have not had any 'moments of madness' one thing with branded products is that some of the costs (a lot) goes on advertising and marketing .


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## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

Griff.. said:


> On another forum a while back someone put falkens inna z4 binned it in the wet a few weeks lates.


Depends on the model of Falkens though.


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## RandomlySet (Jul 10, 2007)

as said, he probably got a daft finance deal, and cant afford maintenance! This was one of the main things I looked into before buying the cupra! I know people who have bought scoobies/evos etc etc to impress their mates, less than 6 months later they're replacing due to running costs or let it go down the pan!

A lot of it is to do with being vein/keeping up with the Jones's


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

-Mat- said:


> as said, he probably got a daft finance deal, *and cant afford maintenance! *This was one of the main things I looked into before buying the cupra! I know people who have bought scoobies/evos etc etc to impress their mates, less than 6 months later they're replacing due to running costs or let it go down the pan!
> 
> A lot of it is to do with being vein/keeping up with the Jones's


Some PCP packages include servicing and maintainance, from bulbs to tyres, could be what the maintainance people replaced the originals with.


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## Bungleaio (Jul 18, 2010)

A colleague of mine has just bought an alfa GT. It's a diesel so not going to break any speed records, anyway it's running the same size tyres as mine 225/40/18 so he was asking me about how much tyres are likely to cost.

I thought I'd done pretty well when I bought some vredestein ultrac sessanta from camskill for £85 each last year, they are now at £112. He was horrified at this cost though and said when he needs to get some new tyres he won't be spending any more than £50 on them.

Even after I said about stopping distances, grip etc he still wasn't having it, his reason being if they are no good then surely they'll be illegal.

To be fair I'm not that shocked at his attitude, when he was looking for a car he didn't know what he wanted the only two criteria were that it was diesel and it looked good. When I suggested getting out and test driving things to see what he liked he just said he didn't care what it was like to drive as long as it made him look good.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

I have budgets on the jeep...never caused me any issues....

:thumb:

All tyres sold in the UK have to reach a certain grade, considered good enough to be used on the road....you have to be driving like a real kn0b to reach and breach traction with any tyre....

Still :lol: at the golf high powered "super" car comment mind you...........:lol::lol::lol::lol:

:devil:


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## voon (Apr 28, 2010)

112£ ... To quote the Four Yorkshiremen from Monty Python: 112£? We used to DREAM about 112£!


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## M4hood (Sep 21, 2010)

I work very closely with our tyre supplier and when I explained to him what car these tyres were going on he was amazed and tried to talk me out of it. These guys don't stock anything like these however he was able to order them in for me. He tried to tell me that the performance rating on the tyre defenately wasnt high enough for the car, but ultimately if this is what i wanted this is what he'd get me. Don't get me wrong I know that there are good budget tyres out there and I am by no way trying to suggest all budget tyres are crap (I know hankook made advents are a really good budget tyre) I just think that people should think about the bigger picture when putting tyres on a car. I mean you wouldn't drive a car with poor brakes in it so why comprimise on the performance of the tyres.


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## beginner101 (Jan 19, 2010)

sometimes cheaper tyres are better than more expensive...


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## Skeet (Jan 7, 2010)

Since the whole thing with Firestone some years back, you can't really buy a "bad" tyre any more. All tyres will allow you to drive within the speed limit, corner at sensible speeds and provide sufficient grip and stopping power...Nankang or Toyo.

However...when I was but a wee youngster, my 16V Calibra (Supercharged) was my pride and joy (2 year old car, me 19/20!), running "mahoosive" 7x17's. 
When it needed a pair for the front, I didn't go out for a month, so I could afford to put another pair of F1 Eagles on it.

It is fine for your R32 to be shod with Nankangs, if you are a "mid life crisis-Sunday driver", but a young guy should know he probably isn't going to keep to the limits of the tyres and should choose something a little more appropriate.

Besides...bit embarrassing really, to be kitted out in Armani, with Gola on your feet...no?


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## Aero (Feb 13, 2007)




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## The_Bouncer (Nov 24, 2010)

I've worked with big fleets over the last 15 years - circa 40,000 cars a year - I can tell you that asset vehicles waiting to be disposed of, will have budget tyres fitted if they require new tyres. When you work this out on a rotational fleet cycle you are looking at a £3million additional asset cost on tyre replacement alone....

As said before, I would assume this R32 has had the tyres fitted as some sort of finance/maintenance deal. All the back office bods sitting in the comfy chairs can see is that they have paid £47 for a tyre instead of £100 +

Place that cost model alongside even a fleet size of say 5000 cars and it indeed does have a huge impact to the P/L lines. - Additional savings and coming in against BP equal top level bonus payments and all the top cheeses can run around in the daisy fields patting themselves on the back.... I digress..

Shame really. Maybe the driver could be advised the wrong speed ratings have been fitted ? I for one would not drive the car in this circumstance


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## keano (Aug 11, 2008)

£32000 R32?

270bhp? Modified?


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## dalecyt (Nov 16, 2010)

I run runflats on mine and they are expensive and crap,
cant wait till i get new tyres they are that bad.

mk4 r32 is one of my dream car's  cant believe someone would skimp on the only thing touching the ground


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## voon (Apr 28, 2010)

> Since the whole thing with Firestone some years back, you can't really buy a "bad" tyre any more. All tyres will allow you to drive within the speed limit, corner at sensible speeds and provide sufficient grip and stopping power...Nankang or Toyo.


Ew, I'm not going to sign this. It's not just about driving fast. This is probably true for an everyday VW Polo in sunny conditions, driven by Mr. Average, but certainly not for sportscars with their power delivery to the (rear in my case) wheels and large tires ... a 255 on the back is normal and not very large for such cars and it goes up to over 300 in width. This is so much rubber, you really start to need clever designs to try to get rid of the water buildup during rain or a nasty little snow melt creek crossing your otherwise perfectly dry mountain pass road in summer. And I'm not talking a rude idiot with too much power under his behind, misbehaving on the road ... just everyday driving in such a car within speed regulations, just driving these cars as they should be ... not too fast on top, but solidly accelerating in summer and cornerning at higher speeds - which they allow due to their low centre of gravity ... there you need good tires. Wobbly rubber just won't do.

Plus, there's all the other attributes: How fast does it wear down? How loud is it when driving in a (less noise insulated) sports car etc.

All these things can only be found in a decent tire, cheapo rubber won't do (you mentioned toyo, though, they have some acceptable stuff ... that's not like all the noname chinese things).

That said: Yep, we pay too much for the larger tires and brands, of course. It's not like the makers don't know where to harvest money....


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## SNAKEBITE (Feb 22, 2010)

I know this is going to sound silly but if the Golf is being driven safely and in a sensible manner then those tyres are going to be just fine.
If he is going to be driving like a **** then he might need something else!

Of course this is coming from Mr. Family car, 1.8 Mondeo! So I cannot comment about fast.

The mileage I cover means my tyres perish long before they wear out.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Skeet said:


> Besides...bit embarrassing really, to be kitted out in Armani, with Gola on your feet...no?


Made in the same sweatshop, so why not?!?!

One is a down to earth make, the other has a gimps names on it....

:lol:



The_Bouncer said:


> Shame really. Maybe the driver could be advised the wrong speed ratings have been fitted ? I for one would not drive the car in this circumstance


So, do you honestly believe that if you were put in the car without knowing what tyres are on it, and asked to drive around, you would know and feel that they are budget tyres?!?!

I guess it would depend on how much town/country driving you are doing, but stuck in traffic in a large city for example, I really fail to see how budget tyres are any worse than top named ones....

Tyres, to me, are one of the things you have to match with your driving....

As I said, the Jeep has budgets, it trundles about town, goes off road and through the snow...job done

My XKR has better ones, but still not the most expensive out there...

And my bike has sticky, sticky ones that last only about 1500 miles! :wall:

:thumb:


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## voon (Apr 28, 2010)

> the Golf is being driven safely and in a sensible manner


That's the point, a car with power is driven differently. That said, I'm not talking about stop and go in a city at 17:00 rush hour. I'm talking mountain pass roads etc.

That's like telling the parachuter a bit of newspaper held over his head is enough, the parachute is totally unnecessary, if you just safely jump off a 1-Meter spring board and only twats jump out of a plane (well, since I'm afraid of heights, I'm might even agree there  )

You don't necessarily need to buy the 250£ tire though ... there are good ones at 180 as well. But not at 85, not for this kind of car and driving. And yes, you'll notice immediatly, the car feels wobbly and starts to swim.


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## The_Bouncer (Nov 24, 2010)

The Cueball said:


> So, do you honestly believe that if you were put in the car without knowing what tyres are on it, and asked to drive around, you would know and feel that they are budget tyres?!?!


The way I drive a car - Yes :thumb: - Before driving anycar I do have a habit of checking for any damage - inc tyres - just a little thing I have going on - Been in the car business far too long :doublesho


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

The_Bouncer said:


> The way I drive a car - Yes :thumb: - Before driving anycar I do have a habit of checking for any damage - inc tyres - just a little thing I have going on - Been in the car business far too long :doublesho


So you drive like a tw*t then... 

:lol:

Only kidding!

Any car should only be going, at it's fastest 70mph on the road...and budgets are very capable of doing that....and even better when you are stuck in traffic! :lol:

I check the tyres too... and lights, then check the whole car for any marks, bumps, scrapes, bird s**t... I'm actually surprised I manage to drive anywhere on time!!!!

:lol:


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## The_Bouncer (Nov 24, 2010)

The Cueball said:


> So you drive like a tw*t then...
> 
> :lol:
> 
> Only kidding!


:thumb: Moi ? Sir how could you state such things..... 

> Every now and then circumstances dictate one must place increased pressure through the drivetrain whilst driving within safety parameters not withstanding control of the situation :driver:


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

The_Bouncer said:


> :thumb: Moi ? Sir how could you state such things.....
> 
> > Every now and then circumstances dictate one must place increased pressure through the drivetrain whilst driving within safety parameters not withstanding control of the situation :driver:


I do agree with Sir.... One sometimes doth need excessive forward propulsion (or in a sideway method too) in order to maintain distance from ones subjects...

:driver::driver::driver::driver:


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## voon (Apr 28, 2010)

That reminds me of german Rallydriver Walter Röhrl and his quotes ... 

"The really good drivers have the remains of flies on their side windows"
"While accelerating, the tears of emotion have to flow off horiziontally towards the ears"
"A car is fast enough only if you're in front of it in the morning and scared of unlocking it"

And many more


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## 335dAND110XS (Dec 17, 2010)

I ran my R32 on Michelin PS2s - the tyres it was fitted with. It was a very grippy car and needed decent rubber.

I am now a die hard Conti fan - Sport Contact 3s on the BM (as with our last car) - ditched the hateful run flats within months of buying it.

A LOT of people buy cars on the never never - they can just about afford the monthly repayments and insurance but any extra costs are very hard to meet. These people buy every type of insurance going (spending more "just in case") and never add up how much they are paying in interests/extra costs.

So they can "afford" an R32/M3 whatever unless something unexpected happens - then it all goes wrong.

IMO if you can't afford to buy and maintain a car for cash then you can't afford it full stop.

Controversial but I've done and learnt from the car on finance/the never never thing and am now older and wiser.

Cars depreciate A LOT. Paying interest on a rapidly depreciating asset is very very silly, however much finance companies dress up their products.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

^^ I agree...

Way too many people buy a car 'cause they can afford the monthly payment/loan whatever - when it's going good...

As soon as things start to need replaced, they go for the cheapest option, or just leave it....

You can get a XKR for £5k..... really cheap for what it is... but it still have running costs of a £60k no matter what it's age is...

Same for all the big BMs, Audis etc....

However, I love people that do it, as it means I pick up big daft cars for silly money, and spend my time fixing them up! 

:thumb:


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## Dixondmn (Oct 12, 2007)

The Cueball said:


> So you drive like a tw*t then...
> 
> :lol:
> 
> ...


but not as good at suddenly dropping from 70mph to 0mph.

This thread is full of comments about a tyres performance at speed, and lets face it a tyre of any brand with 1.6mm of tread will get you up to 70mph and maintain it, but I've not noticed anyone talking about stopping distances. This is a major factor in my choice of tyre.


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## The_Bouncer (Nov 24, 2010)

^^ correct - simply put - tyre choice can save you or kill you.

Most brands at 1.6mm will have trouble and elongated distances at such sudden braking.


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## 335dAND110XS (Dec 17, 2010)

I am 99% sure the CSC3s on our last car saved our lives.

Hammering rain on an uphill and waterlogged section of the M5, a Ford Ka passed us, we saw it slide, it lost it and slammed into then bounced off the central reservation into our path. Our new Contis maintained full grip and the car steered out of trouble. I reckon almost all "inferior" tyres would have aquaplaned and that would have been it.

To me, braking and wet weather performance are key, not ultimate grip which, unless you are nuts or use a track a lot, most of us shouldn't be reaching.


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## john2garden (Nov 16, 2006)

When I bought my bmw last year it had 'Durun' tyres fitted. They were ok in the dry but christ they were bad in the wet. Changed them asap for F1's and feels a lot safer. Even if it did get stuck in a car park during winter.


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

Ive only ever had Dunlops on my 406 and my new car has Pirelli on it.Just need to find out how much theyre going to cost in 17's..


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## shycho (Sep 7, 2010)

Why do I need super tires if i'm doing 30mph to and from the shops? Tires in the UK have to reach a legal limit, if you drive like a *** then better tires will probably help keep you alive a bit longer. But i've driven budget tires 30 miles through snow, and 180 miles through torrential rain before without any problems. I don't need tires that are safe up to 200mph because I have no plans on ever going that fast, and my stopping distance is always safe. 

The way some people talk, i'm surprised they don't have a roll cage installed. You know...just in case... and people who don't drive around with a roll cage installed are just mental and a ticking time bomb.


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

I have budgets on mine. They reach the standards and are safe enough at my commuter speeds.

Having used them in the snow and the wet and the dry, I'm fairly confident in saying...No, in fact i am definitely confidant in saying that they perform better than the balding ones i had taken off the car.

Expensive tyres may perform better but for how long? They are usually softer compound and wear faster. So at what point does their performance degrade to meet or fall below that of budget tyres?


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## SNAKEBITE (Feb 22, 2010)

I buy budget, I spent £240 for four tyres at the end of last year and it made all the difference in the snow. I got a good price after a bit of haggling etc from a bloke I know!
Anymore than that and I could buy a new car.......


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## stealthwolf (Sep 24, 2008)

zedcor said:


> Tyres might have been put on prior to him buying the car by a garage that he bought it from.


+1. This can happen, especially if the tyres needed replacing for it to pass MOT.



voon said:


> People tend to forget, that ALL that keeps them on the road are a few little squares of a few square centimeters....


Completely agree - which is why I upgraded my tyres when I bought the car (still had the original factory-fitted Pilot Exaltos).



Bungleaio said:


> he won't be spending any more than £50 on them.


Even on my crappy fiesta, I spent £120 on all four tyres. As above, in an emergency, you want the best tyres.



SNAKEBITE said:


> I know this is going to sound silly but if the Golf is being driven safely and in a sensible manner then those tyres are going to be just fine.


He wouldn't have bought an R32 to drive to/from the shops! It's a bit like buying a Ferrari but only driving it around the block. I would agree if it was a little old granny driving it, but it's not.

On one of the Golf forums that I'm a member of, new members frequently complain of poor grip/rough or bumpy rides. These are generally attributed entirely to budget tyres and when replaced, every member is suddenly surprised at the difference. Being able to put the power down is a matter of grip.


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## Turkleton (Apr 18, 2010)

stealthwolf said:


> On one of the Golf forums that I'm a member of, new members frequently complain of poor grip/rough or bumpy rides. These are generally attributed entirely to budget tyres and when replaced, every member is suddenly surprised at the difference. Being able to put the power down is a matter of grip.


Agree, People who complain about the handling/ride generally don't make the connection between a good set of tyres, they think it's instantly the suspension or chassis etc.


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## 335dAND110XS (Dec 17, 2010)

Gruffs said:


> I have budgets on mine. They reach the standards and are safe enough at my commuter speeds.
> 
> Having used them in the snow and the wet and the dry, I'm fairly confident in saying...No, in fact i am definitely confidant in saying that they perform better than the balding ones i had taken off the car.
> 
> *Expensive tyres may perform better but for how long? They are usually softer compound and wear faster. So at what point does their performance degrade to meet or fall below that of budget tyres?*


My Contis last waaay longer than any cheapish tyre I've had.

Depends on the brand - Michelins tend to wear quite quickly, Toyos last no time. Pirellis and Contis tend to wear very well.


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

My Nankang snow tyres are awesome!


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## Serious (Mar 19, 2008)

just replaced the frount tyres on the mondeo. 136 quid each for the same bridgestones. the tyres are very good in the wet and lasted 30k miles. buying cheap imo is false economy.


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## Magic Detail (Jul 25, 2010)

If you run a prestige or performance car, you should really run good quality tyres. Seems pointless buying something like an M3 or RS4 etc and then running it on budget tyres. The tyres are the only thing connecting you and your ultimate driving machine to the road. Whilst the budgets are good for ten times the mileage and cost half the price of decent tyres, they'll soon sniff out a ditch when you start pushing your car. Lets face it, you don't buy a performance car to potter around town in, you will be tempted to push on from time to time. 

Your average city car will be fine on budget tyres, you don't need performance tyres on a 1.2 Punto or just your commuter car. My point is about performance cars - they come with performance tyres as standard to begin with. Always difficult to justify that extra expenditure when they are due for renewal and you're a bit skint, but you should have thought about that when you signed the finance agreement :thumb:


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## VW Golf-Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

It could just be down to what the person can afford. But yes wou'd think that if they can afford a car of that figure they'd at least stick some decent make of tyres on it.

After all why would they sell tyres that are a pile of poo even after being 'legally' approved?

Surely tyres (brand new) have to be 'fit for purpose' so if they are selling tyres that are getting ratings of 2 out of 5 - what is the point?


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Paragon said:


> Lets face it, you don't buy a performance car to potter around town in, you will be tempted to push on from time to time.


Not to start (another) massive fight, but I can't remember the last time I actually saw a 'performance car' being pushed....

Most are bought for posing IMO...and never even try to drive it the way it was designed for...you get some people that want to drive at 90 on a stright motorway, but that is hardly pushing it....

There are very, very few cars that are really used on the roads these days...and quite right...you want to race, head to a track and get track tyres...

:thumb:


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## 335dAND110XS (Dec 17, 2010)

Come down to Cornwall out of season.

100s of miles of "proper" roads that you can genuinely "push" a car on.

I bought the most invisible version of my model you can get (SE in 17s but with M Sport suspension and non RFT tyres) as I couldn't give two hoots about posing - it's all about driving it and grinning a lot. And scaring chavs who don't realise what it is ;-)


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## Magic Detail (Jul 25, 2010)

I gave up my DC2 in favour of an Abarth 500 in part due to the fact I could no longer push on safely anymore - too many idiots on the road nowadays, and if it's not the idiots halting your progress it's the volume of traffic. I did however, always keep on top of the tyres and always had those with good reviews or the factory standards (RE01's). That said, I took it on track, so it was all part and parcel of the package for me. I know of people who have run "ditch finders" on DC2's, and for the life of me couldn't think why you'd do that when the car is so capable...

Motorway driving is easy to hit 100mph or more for long periods (I don't, just for reference!!) on the m/way, and commuting doesn't warrant the extra expenditure, for me anyways. :thumb:


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

335dAND110XS said:


> Come down to Cornwall out of season.
> 
> 100s of miles of "proper" roads that you can genuinely "push" a car on.
> 
> I bought the most invisible version of my model you can get (SE in 17s but with M Sport suspension and non RFT tyres) as I couldn't give two hoots about posing - it's all about driving it and grinning a lot. And scaring chavs who don't realise what it is ;-)


Well I knew you would be different  

plus your diesel is hardly a performance car now is it.... 

:lol::lol::lol:

There are lovely bits of road down your way, just like up here in Scotland... we just need the sun!

Chav scaring is a fun pastime mind you 

:thumb:


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## GR33N (Apr 5, 2009)

Crap tyres are fine until the second you really need them the most, in an emergency. an extra £200 or whatever it costs for better tyres in a damn loan cheaper than when you right your car off.

I had a set of Nankang tyres they were awful, im not saying you need to buy Conti Sport Contacts but there are plenty or mid range tyres for any size Uniroyal RainSports, Toyo T1Rs all seem to be reasonably priced on a number of sizes from what ive seen :thumb:

:car: :car:


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## voon (Apr 28, 2010)

> Not to start (another) massive fight, but I can't remember the last time I actually saw a 'performance car' being pushed....


Eh? You obviously haven't ever driven a mountain pass in the alps  (no offence meant here) I could always wish for more power going upwards on our roads here.

But yes, not racing style ... just speedy straights and slight curves ... it's way to dangerous to go fast around corners, without knowing what's behind them up there. Met a lot of wanderers, bikers, moutnainbikers, cows, rocks, sudden snow melt creeks across the road etc. I do like to keep things safe.

But steeply upwards on a straight, the car's doing what it can


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

voon said:


> Eh? You obviously haven't ever driven a mountain pass in the alps  (no offence meant here) I could always wish for more power going upwards on our roads here.
> 
> But yes, not racing style ... just speedy straights and slight curves ... it's way to dangerous to go fast around corners, without knowing what's behind them up there. Met a lot of wanderers, bikers, moutnainbikers, cows, rocks, sudden snow melt creeks across the road etc. I do like to keep things safe.
> 
> But steeply upwards on a straight, the car's doing what it can


I have actually..... 

But I think very few performance cars that I see in the cities in the UK have done moutain passes either, or get pushed on the roads in the UK (with the exception of cornwall - as mentioned)...

Is that better for you??????????

And, btw, the last time I checked, tyres gave you grip, not power.... 

If you want more power to get up hills, speak to Hartge or Alpine! :driver:

:thumb:


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## Dixondmn (Oct 12, 2007)

To quote Pirelli - "Power is nothing without control"

Its about putting the power down effectively, controlled, and reigning it back in again.


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## voon (Apr 28, 2010)

@cueball

Grin ... yes. Okay, you have, so you must know how little the engine suddenly feels in the face of something steep 

Oh, and ...Sure, I live in the country with probably one of the highest horsepower densities on earth and some of the nastiest fines possible and speed limits nowhere near germany (or those channel islands without any? ) There's a lot of Porsches and other higher end germans, Aston Martins and whatnot rolling around. That's the status bit ... right. But shrug ... it's not always posing, it's just "I have it, why should i not spend it" attitude. Posing to me is the guy driving past downtownstreets with cinemas and whatnot to show off. Even guys who just like 20" chrome on their axles aren't necessarily posers, they just like the look ... that's fine with me. It can get ridiculous at some point, though.

Yes, tires give grip ... but what for? I agree with an earlier comment on braking emergencies. There's a difference between 38 Meters safe breaking and 41 Meters, that hit the wall. Every Meter counts there, really every. But it is also the other direction. At some point with horse power, you do need as much grip forwards as possible, too.

There's bound to be a Hartge model or something for the new Z4 .. but I doubt my gearbox can handle much more, it's already handling 550 Nm, I doubt the specs are much higher. And if that, too, needs changing then .. ah well .. nah ... I like my standard issue car 

(PS: Not a native english speaker, so some wording might come across a little wrong  )


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## MattDuffy88 (Apr 6, 2009)

It's odd that Pirelli say "Power is nothing without control", being as my P7's are utter s***e!


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## 335dAND110XS (Dec 17, 2010)

The Cueball said:


> Well I knew you would be different
> 
> *plus your diesel is hardly a performance car now is it.... *
> 
> ...


1/4 in 13.9, 0-100 in 13.3, 60 in 5.7 and over 160 delimited. It's no XKR but it's nippy enough and beats a Lexus ISF around Brunters (and is almost the same as a VXR8) :thumb:

Explain this foreign word "sun" please...

Not trying to be different - just live somewhere where you can still enjoy driving.

And surfing.

And boating.

Etc.


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## keano (Aug 11, 2008)

Just to deviate from tyres for a minute, and relate to the OP's first post....

..Who paid £32,000 (thirty two thousand pounds :doublesho ) for an R32 :speechles


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

keano said:


> Just to deviate from tyres for a minute, and relate to the OP's first post....
> 
> ..Who paid £32,000 (thirty two thousand pounds :doublesho ) for an R32 :speechles


Probably nobody :speechles
Probably the owner paid £15k for it over 3 years 
Sometimes people will buy things they don't want with money they don't have to impress people they don't like


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## nickfrog (Nov 29, 2010)

The Cueball said:


> Not to start (another) massive fight, but I can't remember the last time I actually saw a 'performance car' being pushed....


Same here.

I can't even remember the last time I saw a performance car driver hold the steering wheel properly and with both hands.

Most performance car drivers actually don't know what their car is capable of doing, particularly in terms of lateral grip. When they think they're pushing, they are rarely over 6/10th and if they do lose grip/traction and get the electronics to kick in, that's usually because of poor control and/or lack of smoothness in their steering or throttle inputs.


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## voon (Apr 28, 2010)

I think I'm happy most people don't try .... at least not on the streets


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

voon said:


> I think I'm happy most people don't try .... at least not on the streets


Hear here :thumb: 
Some people get items to please themselves not others, and as the thread is semi about the cost of tyres, do people wanna eat through £400+ more every couple of months?


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

335dAND110XS said:


> 1/4 in 13.9, 0-100 in 13.3, 60 in 5.7 and over 160 delimited. It's no XKR but it's nippy enough and beats a Lexus ISF around Brunters (and is almost the same as a VXR8) :thumb:
> 
> Explain this foreign word "sun" please...


ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!

I put a  at the end of my comment as well as some :lol::lol: to show it was a tongue in cheek remark!!! i.e. a little joke... a playful bit of banter.... 

Stop getting all upset with me!!!!  :argie::argie::argie:

I am very well aware of how good BMW diesels are, I have a company 535d that I get to use from time to time!!! :lol:

Mind you I also use the bl00ming golf bluemotion... which isn't quite as good! 

As for the sun...well I think I saw it once in Scotland when I was a lad... but I'm not so sure now..... I get to see it all the time when I am working away, but never have my bike with me! 

:thumb:


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## Griff.. (Dec 18, 2010)

shycho said:


> Why do I need super tires if i'm doing 30mph to and from the shops? Tires in the UK have to reach a legal limit, if you drive like a *** then better tires will probably help keep you alive a bit longer. But i've driven budget tires 30 miles through snow, and 180 miles through torrential rain before without any problems. I don't need tires that are safe up to 200mph because I have no plans on ever going that fast, and my stopping distance is always safe.
> 
> The way some people talk, i'm surprised they don't have a roll cage installed. You know...just in case... and people who don't drive around with a roll cage installed are just mental and a ticking time bomb.


Have you ever had good tyres to compare?

My GF's last car 53 plate 1.4 fiesta, Falkens on the front original conti's on the back. car would wheel spin very without trying, eg trying pulling out of a busy junction, at the time Costco Michelin deal set of Michelin 195/50 15's worked our £35 each so i put a set on.

The car was transformed, she noticed the difference straight away: its got more grip could pull out of junctions and it doesnt wheel spin and alot quieter.


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## 335dAND110XS (Dec 17, 2010)

Cue - upset? Me? Nope. Just making sure I fit in with the BMW stereotype :thumb:

It's sunny here today - most odd.


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## SNAKEBITE (Feb 22, 2010)

Can I just add that I might have budget tyres, but they are the cleanest and glossiest black tyres you will ever see!

My tyres are cleaner than yours................


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