The Boring age old 'What tyre' question.......

[GTImike]

My tyres need replacing soon on my stage 2 Eddy (probably within the next two months) and I was all set to go for Michelin PS3's which I know a lot of you guys rate highly but then I read Evo magazine the other month and they were raving about the new Pirelli P Zero's tested on a not disimilar car to ours, the Audi A3 TFSI and I'm in a bit of a quandry. 

I bought my car with a nearly new set of Dunlop SP Sport Maxx's on last year and I've never really felt that they were overly sure footed, especially in the rain or damp conditions, I just want to make sure I have the best available tyre on the car without going to the extremes of trackday type tyres. I know that the PS3's are a great tyre but anyone had the comparison against the P Zero's.

The main reason I am asking this question, I used to ride a lot of powerful motorbikes and to be fair this is where my tyre fetish developed. Pirelli rewrote the bike tyre rule books about 5 years ago with the Diablo Corsa's and the confidence they gave on my GSXR 750 K7 was immense. I just want to make sure I make the right choice this time around.....

Mike

[GTI-Pirelli]

I have not had much experience of different tyres but I do rate the Pirelli P-Zero.

From the factory the Pirelli Edition was fitted with them as standard.
When I bought the car with 7900 miles on it there were 2 brand new P-Zero Rosso's on the front. They were OK but as they started to wear down the grip tailed off massively (next to no grip in the wet at 3.5mm when pulling off)

I decided to get the "Proper" P-Zero's fitted at change time, and that is what I have had fitted ever since. I am now at nearly 62000 miles so thats a few sets of tyres.

The grip in the wet is great. Got me out of a few sticky situations on country lanes. I have even found myself driving through deep puddles on purpose because I still can't beleive that the don't aquaplane easily!

The only thing I would say is that they are a very soft compound so they will wear out quickly (hence the new ones when I bought the car) if you are not careful when putting the power down but you can make them last. Also if you leave them on the rear too long the heavy camber wears the inside edge like a 50p peice (common problem on MK5 golf - just rotate front to back them evry 10k or so). Doesn't seem to affect the performance, just hums at speed.

Hope this helps

[GTImike]

Thanks for the reply Pirelli, but with a user name like that and a car of the same name you are bound to be biased 

Haha joking aside I do value your comments, the wet weather handling is of upmost interest seeing as I live in a particularly damp part of the country. Mileage wise I'm not overly fussed if they wear quicker, I've managed to eek more than 15,000 miles out the Dunlops on mine by swapping ends etc but I do feel their longevity may well come at the expense of grip. To be fair the Dunlops have been woeful in moist conditions since the beginning of summer when I went to stage two, for example the traction control light comes on in excess of the national speed limit when accelerating up damp 'up' ramps onto the motorway which un-nerves me at times. (Not that I can't handle the golf  )

Cheers Mike 

[Hurdy]

I've just changed to Goodyear Eagle F1 asymmetric 2's from Dunlop Sportmaxx and the difference was quite marked. The Goodyears have more grip in all weather conditions and they are confidence inspiring in the wet.

Before this I've had several types and makes of tyre and the Goodyears are probably the best all rounder.

[zerolag]

Love the F1 AS2's... but I really need to have a go at the Michie's come the summer, as the goodyears don't last very long for me.

[Polo6n1600i]

Ive been through loads of tyres over the tyres and ive always liked the Toyo T1-R's, but as the cars get bigger and I dont push the car quite so hard. I've been using Falkens for the last 3 years, last about 18000 miles and pretty good in all conditions, but absolutely useless in snow!  

[Hurdy]

Love the F1 AS2's... but I really need to have a go at the Michie's come the summer, as the goodyears don't last very long for me.

Don't say that to me!

I've only just bought them and am shoving 4 WD grip power through them. 

[zerolag]

18000 miles

Holy cr@p... I'm lucky to get 8k before they look like they need changing (~3mm)

No summer tyre is good in the snow... simply the wrong compound.

[zerolag]

Love the F1 AS2's... but I really need to have a go at the Michie's come the summer, as the goodyears don't last very long for me.

Don't say that to me!

I've only just bought them and am shoving 4 WD grip power through them. 

Might just be me being too heavy into the corners; I've never had tyres last very long.

[Polo6n1600i]

18000 miles

Holy cr@p... I'm lucky to get 8k before they look like they need changing (~3mm)

No summer tyre is good in the snow... simply the wrong compound.

Yeah that was the mileage I did on the front pair on my Touran - and it still had about 3mm when I put them onto the Jetta (just putting a new pair on next month. By then they should be well over 20k!

[E30Dom]

Come the spring I will be looking at Michelin PS3', Pirelli P Zero or Goodyear Asy 2... I reckon they'll all be same same... The goodyear has best rolling resistance, which will help with fuel economy, Michelins in the dry but p-zeros have just got top awards in that tyre test... so...

It'll be down to the cheapest at the time out of those three...

[GTImike]

I know the Goodyear Eagle F1's are a decent tyre too, I had them (or the variant at the time) on a Fiat coupe 20v turbo some years ago and they were fantastic.

Not too fussed about running different compound winter tyres really where I live, the snow never gets too bad here (I don't recall even getting any last year), just a constant rain drizzle from the Pennines.

I suppose its a case of tossing a coin then..... a three sided one at that..... Michelin's, Pirelli's or Goodyear's.... suppose I can't go wrong....

as long as the coin doesn't show Dunlops as option though!!

p.s. sorry to drag up the boring tyre thread again, I know it has countless hits

p.p.s. how many mpg does your car return .... only joking

Right I'm off to wear these Dunlops down to the wear bars so I can get rid.

[homesqueeze]

Goodyear Eagle F1 assys 

[Andy]

for me i would put either Mich.s or the good years on your car.,

[simonp]

PS3s aren't great in my opinion. I got around 16000 miles out of my set, but I was willing them to die so I could change them after about a quarter of that distance. By all accounts the PS2 is a better tyre for performance use and runs alongside the PS3 in the range, not superseded by it. I've got winter tyres on at the mo', but had replaced the Michelins with Asymmetric 2s before they went on. They're light years ahead in grip with better bite in the corners and much less vague on turn in than the understeer-prone PS3s. Wearing out rather more rapidly, though!