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Ofcourse its impossible to test many tyres yourself. So what you do is find respected organisations who have tested them for you.
Personal recommendations from "some bloke" (including me!) are completely useless, because you've no idea what that persons background is. If someones driven around on Event tyres or some other utter shtie, and then fits something halfway decent, they will think they're the best tyre in the universe, because in their experience, its the best tyre they've ever driven on. Similarly if someone has only ever driven on top brand UHP tyres, EVERYTHING else will seem utter crap.
I've spent the last few months driving around on pretty good (Dunlop Wintersport 3D, and Nokian WRG2) winter tyres, and the whole time your noticing just how much less grip there is than the Goodyears. This winter was so mild i probably should have just left the goodyears on in hindsight, but i like to be prepared and having to change tyres in the snow is not appealing!
When i'm making a recommendation, i will back it up with evidence from trusted sources
For instance the goodyears get the following results in group tests:
Which is unarguably "pretty **** hot"
Yes, they didnt come first every time, but if you look up the tests where they didnt, you find they're inveriably in the top 3, and the same few tyres appear over and over in the top 3 in all these tests. I favour the goodyears because not only are they ****** good tyres, they're also very keenly priced, almost always cheaper than the contis and michelins and whatnot. The Conti SC5 is another strong contender, and i'd happily use those myself too if the price was right.
If you flick thru the tests yourself, you can read what the reviewers say about each tyre, and you quickly build a picture of how they sit in the range. Some tyres are a bit better in the dry, but then they end up markedly worse in the wet. You also find that the final tyre position often depends on what portions of the test they're weighting the score against.
I have, as most people have, at various points driven cars with all manner of tyres. The cheap shtiey no-brand tyres are almost invariably seriously flawed, and IMO any tyre that doesnt get A rated wet grip score shouldnt be allowed on the road. There are manufacturers who dont even produce a single tyre that manages A rated wet grip. IMO thats ****ing shocking. As a safety consideration, tyres are THE most important part of the car, and yet we're testing tyres, acknowledging "these are **** in the wet" by giving them a C or D rating or whatever, then putting them up for sale anyway?! As such, i wont hesitate to "shoot down" anyone recommending their use, its no different to driving around on bald tyres IMO.
Personal recommendations from "some bloke" (including me!) are completely useless, because you've no idea what that persons background is. If someones driven around on Event tyres or some other utter shtie, and then fits something halfway decent, they will think they're the best tyre in the universe, because in their experience, its the best tyre they've ever driven on. Similarly if someone has only ever driven on top brand UHP tyres, EVERYTHING else will seem utter crap.
I've spent the last few months driving around on pretty good (Dunlop Wintersport 3D, and Nokian WRG2) winter tyres, and the whole time your noticing just how much less grip there is than the Goodyears. This winter was so mild i probably should have just left the goodyears on in hindsight, but i like to be prepared and having to change tyres in the snow is not appealing!
When i'm making a recommendation, i will back it up with evidence from trusted sources
For instance the goodyears get the following results in group tests:
Which is unarguably "pretty **** hot"
Yes, they didnt come first every time, but if you look up the tests where they didnt, you find they're inveriably in the top 3, and the same few tyres appear over and over in the top 3 in all these tests. I favour the goodyears because not only are they ****** good tyres, they're also very keenly priced, almost always cheaper than the contis and michelins and whatnot. The Conti SC5 is another strong contender, and i'd happily use those myself too if the price was right.
If you flick thru the tests yourself, you can read what the reviewers say about each tyre, and you quickly build a picture of how they sit in the range. Some tyres are a bit better in the dry, but then they end up markedly worse in the wet. You also find that the final tyre position often depends on what portions of the test they're weighting the score against.
I have, as most people have, at various points driven cars with all manner of tyres. The cheap shtiey no-brand tyres are almost invariably seriously flawed, and IMO any tyre that doesnt get A rated wet grip score shouldnt be allowed on the road. There are manufacturers who dont even produce a single tyre that manages A rated wet grip. IMO thats ****ing shocking. As a safety consideration, tyres are THE most important part of the car, and yet we're testing tyres, acknowledging "these are **** in the wet" by giving them a C or D rating or whatever, then putting them up for sale anyway?! As such, i wont hesitate to "shoot down" anyone recommending their use, its no different to driving around on bald tyres IMO.
