(The Right) New Tyres...

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ste.B

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Hi All,

Couldn't find a Tyre section on the forum so hopefully this is in the right place. Apologies to admin if it's not :blush:

Basically, the two front tyres on my pre-facelift S3 are in need of replacing. This will be the first time I've replaced them having bought the car last June. The previous owner has put budget tyres on it which read:

225/40ZR18 - 92W

I think given the money I have invested in the car I wouldn't be doing it justice by putting budget tyres on it so the hunt is on for a decent tyre.

I guess I really have two questions here.

Is the profile given above really what I need. A bit of research online suggested the speed rating was way higher than it needs to be and the load profile perhaps not enough?

What branded tyres would people out there with MK1 S3's go for?

Thanks in advance for any advice given

sB
 
If you have 18" alloys then yes 225/40/18 is the correct profile for an S3. I always buy the highest speed rating available (the tyres are all made the same, in the same factory to the same specs, but I prefer the higher ratings and so do insurance companies).

I am currently running Falken FK452s and have nothing bad to say about them, they are failry cheap too especially when compared with Pirelli PZeros, Conti Sportcontact 3 and the Vredenstein Sessanta's.
 
I'm gunna be sticking with 452's, had 3 sets now and can't fault them!
 
Iv recently had 4x Pirelli Pzero Rosso's fitted, and my only fault is road noise. Grip well in dry and reasonable in wet.

The falkens are getting a good name on the forum, but thats the way it usually goes with things like that on forums. One person gets a set, there apparently the best thing since sliced bread then everyone does. Not denying there good, they probably are but there are plenty of good tyres available. Fact is you can read reviews until the cows come home, but it doesnt help your choice, if you go for a decent branded tyre, your not going to go far wrong IMO
 
thing is Jimbo, the falkens are 95% as good as the top name brands like toyo, goodyear, and pirelli, but they are only 60% of the cost!

Falken 452's for me here too, after 3 years on toyos I decided to try something a little harder, and these have done me well.

my 215/40/18's are only £56 on camskill too :)
 
I had falkens on my S3 from day one and ran them on my Corrado G60 for years.
 
FK452's are a compromise imho. Why? -

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 when brought to market last year was tested independently in controled conditions by TUV and Dekra against Pirelli, Goodyear, Continental, Dunlop and Bridgestone. The size they used was 225/40R18. The tests we done partly on a MK5 GTI and partly on test benches. The test was conclusive in favor of the PS3.

The main areas where the PS3 was better was 21% longer lasting, 11% better wet braking and 11% less rolling resistance.

Facts: FK452's are half the price of PS3's but over the life of the tyre imho are worth the extra money. They will last longer. consume less fuel, be more comfortable to drive on, grip much better and most importantly if you have to stop in a hurry - stop sooner.
 
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Michelin Pilot Sport 3 all the way but they did cost me £600 for 4 225/40/18 the best
 
Differences between the diffetent top branded top model tires are going to be sooooo minimal, so you cant go to wrong in terms of make and model. What can decide them is price. Falkens can be up to 50% cheaper than other tires in the same league. Are the other tires 50% better? NO.
Who doesnt want to save money anyhow. It's a no brainer. Read reveiws, decide on a range of opinions. All the reviews will think different of differwnt tires anyway.
 
VeVeX said:
The main areas where the PS3 was better was 21% longer lasting,

Facts: FK452's are half the price of PS3's
Click to expand...

Says it all really! they'd have to last twice as long to justify being twice the price!

I know safety is hugely important, and it's not something I would ever want to compromise on, but I think paying 100% extra for a tyre which will give 10% improvement in stopping distance is beyond economic sense
 
I think given the overall poor condition of our roads is another valid reason especially if you're unfortunate enough to hit one of the many potholes the wrong way. I'd be gutted having to replace a nearly new Michelin as I know plenty people who have. I use Uniroyal Rainsport 2 all round, rears on for two+ years 15000 miles and plenty of life left, fronts 18 months. Only criticism is increasing road noise, at least I hope it's the tyres.
 
Yeh I've heard alot of good about the uniroyals, esp the price.
Everyone has their reasons for tire choice. But it shouldn't be 'because their michelin' etc. What a load of ****.
Not they are bad, at all! But that isnt a very good reason to buy tire really
 
Find it strange how amazing people think Falkens are. I have and run a set a 452's and 912's and they are an OK tire, nothing else. At the end of the day they are a budget tire but for the money they provide an OK tire. If you want a good tire then Falkens are a good option but if you looking for a true performance tire I wouldnt even look at them. You kind of get what you pay for when it comes to tire's IMO.

In terms of performance, 452's are ok in the dry but utter CRAP in the rain or even slightly damp roads and considering the climate we are in are they best suited for us. 912's are CRAP overall. I was so disappointed with the 912's that I offered to sell them a week or so later to a back street tire garage, rubbish.

I like my 452 because I dont bother pushing my car at all any more so to be able to get a new decent tire which is very cheap is the reason why I run them at the moment. They are just good for the money but IMO dont come close to a true performance tire even if it is half the price. Funny people will pay so much money on suspension and engine performance but skimp out on one of the most important aspect of a car.
 
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S3 Nattie said:
Find it strange how amazing people think Falkens are.
Click to expand...

I never said they were amazing :) I simply said I used them! I decided after doing 30k a year on toyos I couldn't justify the cost any longer when I'm just commuting, so went for the cheaper falkens, and for what they cost theyve been just fine.

You also must remember that handling is largely about enjoyment and feel, not simply about mechanical grip, there are plenty of cars out there with lots of grip that don't handle well, and plenty that handle amazingly, yet don't have that much overall grip, so a mid range tyre shouldnt really detract from someone's enjoyment of their suspension mods.

On the track car I use proper rubber, and the difference is mind blowing!
 
falken 452's ive used toyo t1r's and r888's the falken are far the best tyre ive used apart from the r888's only when its summer i use these or going on track. used the 452's over winter and i could not get the A3 tqs to slip or slide using these
 
Prawn said:
I never said they were amazing :) I simply said I used them! I decided after doing 30k a year on toyos I couldn't justify the cost any longer when I'm just commuting, so went for the cheaper falkens, and for what they cost theyve been just fine.

You also must remember that handling is largely about enjoyment and feel, not simply about mechanical grip, there are plenty of cars out there with lots of grip that don't handle well, and plenty that handle amazingly, yet don't have that much overall grip, so a mid range tyre shouldnt really detract from someone's enjoyment of their suspension mods.

On the track car I use proper rubber, and the difference is mind blowing!
Click to expand...

What he said.... :thumbsup:

The OP was not after a budget tyre and I wouldn't call a 452 a budget tyre... budget tyres are the ones made from wood for around 40 quid a corner and should be avoided like the plague... the 452 is a good all rounder at a decent price, I have used them for years with no issue and have never let me down for the way I drive... they may not be as grippy as PS3's but suit the way I drive and to be fair grip plenty well enough and I have sorted suspension and quite a lot of power... I have never had a lack of grip incident with these and generally I don't drive quick in the wet on public roads anyway as I can't see the point in the extra risk...

452's are a good value for money tyre at the end of the day which afford superior grip to a budget tyre... personally if I could justify the expense I would go for something like the Hancook S2's as they have had quite a lot of good reviews and are still cheaper than PS3's
HANKOOK TYRES / CAR / HANKOOK RS2 Z 212 HANKOOK R S2 Z212 HANKOOK RS 2 - 225/40R18 92Y XL TL :: �122.56 :: Car Tyres - MPV Tyres - People Carrier Tyres - 18" :: R18" - 225/40/18, 225/40 R 18 ::

Until I have an incident where I lose confidence in 452's I will keep using them but I suspect my bottle will go long before that happens lol...

<tuffty/>
 
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Prawn said:
I never said they were amazing :) I simply said I used them! I decided after doing 30k a year on toyos I couldn't justify the cost any longer when I'm just commuting, so went for the cheaper falkens, and for what they cost theyve been just fine.

You also must remember that handling is largely about enjoyment and feel, not simply about mechanical grip, there are plenty of cars out there with lots of grip that don't handle well, and plenty that handle amazingly, yet don't have that much overall grip, so a mid range tyre shouldnt really detract from someone's enjoyment of their suspension mods.

On the track car I use proper rubber, and the difference is mind blowing!
Click to expand...

I would agree with you on that prawn. Your needs for the car changes more mileage etc so changing to a cheaper longer lasting decent tire is understandable. But they are no where near 95% of a performance tire no way, 70-75% MAX.

They are a budget tire Paul, ye they are a good budget tire but a budget tire never the less. I see what your saying about they are fine for your driving etc. Suppose some people drive there car a lot harder than other but I dont see the point in having 4WD and not using it in the wet.
 
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I have ps3s on my 8P as thats what were on it when i bought it, after reading a few write ups on them and seeing peoples opinions on here i will probably stick with them as a was thinking a mid range tyre would be about £100 anyway so dint mind stumping out an extra £30 per tyre to get what looks like one of the best to have
 
My goodyear eagle f1 assys were good but lasted about 8k and in 18'' they are more expensive so I'm going to try the 452's this time and make up my own mind
 
That was exactly the same as me Dane. I had assys and LOVED them but didnt last long. The type of driving I do changed and didnt feel the need for a performance tire as I dont test my car any more. Im thinking now how good them tires were.

When you get your 452's compare them to the assys when they were in the prime if you can remember lol. So many people compare there new tires to how there old barely legal tires where like which any new tire will feel superior to.
 
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452s are good, probably on a par with Dunlop Sport Maxx which are at least double the cost.

I use Uniroyal Rainsport 2 all round, rears on for two+ years 15000 miles and plenty of life left, fronts 18 months. Only criticism is increasing road noise, at least I hope it's the tyres.
Click to expand...

Gold star for you sir!
Buy Uniroyal RainSport 2s for just a smidge more than the 452s and they'll last longer, be better (or at least as good) in the dry and make wet driving feel like dry driving. Wet roads are when you need good tyres the most IMO.
 
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Got quite a reaction on this one!

Thanks for all the opinions guys really appreciate you lot taking the effort to advise on this... Porblem is you've given me a headache now, saying the budget brands are just as good!!!

My mechanic (who I regularly take the car to) has told me I need to put good rubber on the car to get the most out of it - Handling / Performance / Economy and I'll be honest I am swaying towards a branded tyre. I just got quoted £230 all in for two Bridgestones / Pirelli Rosso's at one of the local tyre depots here in Leeds which i was pretty suprised about as this was over £40 cheaper than e-tyres quoted me...

I'll actually be taking the S3 on a bit of a Road Trip (to Croatia) in september so the promise of these being longer lasting than Falkens is also quite appealing :happy:

Ste
 
We can tell what we think is good/what were doing but that might not sit with your driving style - try them out. If the 452's aren't what they cracked up to be I'll be back on the eagle F1's for sure they've done me proud and even now on the wear marker they didn't spin up or anything when dragging at inters. Waay better than the P6000 the old owner had on at the beginning - yuck!

However as Tuffty likes them with all that power I'm inclined to try them out :)
 
Pirelli Pzero's seem to be quite well in my case and great in wet or dry weather, grip is quite good cant complain
 
Sevv said:
Pirelli Pzero's seem to be quite well in my case and great in wet or dry weather, grip is quite good cant complain
Click to expand...

+1 I have only used Pzero Nero's on my car since I have had it and cannot fault them. They have definitely saved me a few times and gives me confidence when I attend runs. However the prices have gone up quiet a bit since I last purchased them and £40 extra per tyre over a 452 is very noticeable in my wallet!
 
I want someone to define budget tires because if they class falken as budget they are quite frankly an idiot, the brand is massive, huge sponsorships in motorsport, it just isnt as known in the west.
 
Calling me an idiot now, cheers. Dont think you need someone to explain to you what budget is do you. Hankook sell budget tires which are very good but also supply/sponsor race cars and make a track tire for motorsport so dont understand your point ......

Just go an ask any local tyre place that sells Falkens 452's and ask for a good budget tire and thats what they will likely recommend. When I bought my 452's and was getting them fitted I asked the fitter what his thoughts on theses, his very words were "good budget tire, but I wouldnt use them" I have a small Falken dealer about 2 miles away from me and they even said there a budget tire but good. It may be classed as a "mid-top budget" tire in terms of cost but its a budget tire never the less.

LINK
Google
 
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I think Camskill list them as 'budget'... but budget is good! It means they're cheap! Doesn't say anything about their performance.
To me a 'budget' tyre is one that's not in the £120+ price bracket of the leading Michelins, Pirellis, Dunlops etc.
 
Ye I think they did before but think camskills changed there menus recently ish so searching is easier. They are a budget tire which punches above most budget tire, still running them now.
 
Didn't mean to personally call you an idiot.
To me, a budget tire is the tires that say, come with cheap alloy wheels and are likely called 'monster grip super 9000' or 'Titan warrior' or something similarly stupid. I'd never class hankook or falken, or maxxis too (no ones said anything about them) a budget tire brand. Esp when they are so big, established and widely recognised and prob invest a lot of dosh in r&d and testing, to be as good as more recognised brands, which as reviews show, they are.
 
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Here's my personal experiences with tyres and they're grip levels (top being best):

Advan A048 (medium - don't really count as a road tyre)
Michelin PS3
Michelin PS2
Conti Sport Contact 3
Goodyear EF1 Asymmetric
Goodyear EF1
Toyo T1-R
Yoko A539
Pirelli P-Zero Nero Rosso

I'm wanting to try the Conti Sport Contact 5's when they come out in 225/45/17, they're meant to be the PS3's biggest rival...

Ryan
 
I like something that I know will handle right if I push the car and at a price I don't feel I'm getting bent over by.
Used to run kuhmo ecsta, a very good tyre for the money but this time I fancy'd a change and ended up going with these VREDESTEIN_ULTRAC_SESSANTA_ so far all I can say is they'r very good in the wet and amazing in the dry. And I think a lot of improvement on the khumo's which are the same price. Can't compare against the 452's nor the PS3's and can't see there being that much advantage over the extra cost personally. Each to there own I guess.

Iv also had a set of sunny's on my current wheels as they came fitted. Them ditch finders went on eBay... Nuff said !!
 
audi upgrades
Try having different brands on all 4 corners lol! Makes your poo come out! But when payday hits me I'm getting 4 ps3's. Will defo try the 452's next time!
 
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