Do tyres matter that much

[thexav]

Do you think that tyres matter that much?

After all at road speeds and on congested roads there is not much chance for fast cornering.

Surely high performance directional or assymetric tread is overkill? I think it would be a bit like putting massive brakes on a 1.0 Mini.

I know remoulds can be a bit dodgy but surely you are better off getting cheap non brand tyres instead of really expensive branded tyres?

I guess that if you had a Porsche or something powerful it makes more of a difference.

 

[pgarner]

in short
YES they are one of the most important parts of the car
think about it theyre the only part of the whole car that is in contact with the ground. over a ton of metal held to the road by 4 small contact patches.

if youve got a bit of cash go and put cheap tyres on when its raining and go for a spin see how the car handles. then put premium tyres on and do the same. see what ones you feel better with.

cheap tyres might fell not bad in the dry but in the wet its a whole different story. and in the UK it rains more than half the years so go figure whats best

 

[turbonutter69]

Agree with PG they make a massive difference.

 

[HDi fun]

Is this a serious question?

 

[thexav]

I was just thinking what is the point of say Z rated tyres on a 1.0 car that will never really go that fast. Where is the point where it stops being overkill and becomes practical?

Do those performance tread patterns make a difference on lesser cars? Surely a good standard tyre would suffice? I know a lot of cheapies can be rubbish and wouldn't put them on my car but I'm talking about whether the really high performance tyres are worth it?

It looks like I'm probably wrong in thinking that then.

 

[pgarner]

depends on how much grip you want from them.
you dont need to go mental on the speed ratings for a low powered car but go for sensible.
it might only be a 1.0 but get it on a good country road and watch how much better they are.
remember the tread patterns also help shed water

 

[obi_waynne]

Grip is to do with speed, weight and cornering forces. Power of the engine has little to do with it. Therefore I would say you should always get the best tyres you can afford. Remember if the road is wet you need to disperse that water.

The big brands put more R&D into tyres which is why you pay a premium.

If you have to stop suddenly and can't you'll regret getting poor quality tyres.

 

[HDi fun]

OK, I agree that there's no point in fitting 255/35 R20 size Z rated rubber on a 1.6 Astra.

I have played around with mid priced tyres and some are very good indeed. One example is Viking's Protech II which is an assymetric performance tyre (see here: http://koszykopon.pl/galerie/v/viking-protech-ii-225-55_11822.jpg )

Viking tyres are made by Continental, so the pedigree is sound and they drove very well indeed.

Having said that, when I dumped the Vikings and went back to Conti the difference was noticeable.