How you decide whats the best amount to spend on tyres?

Simple question really: Need some new tyres for the mk4 as the Dunlop SP1's which have astounded me with grip and wear rate need replacing. However I want to try other tyres as for the price of replacing the Dunlop's I think there is better out there at the price of 80 a corner. This had made me thought that the extra pennies on the bigger main brands are worth it as they are known to last longer than Japanese high performance tyres.

Here's what money currently gets me:

200 for 'Linglong/Wanli' tyres that look like Yoko AVS Sport tyres

250-260 for Falkens (both FK452 and their ZE912)/Toyo's T1-R

300 for Goodyear Eagle F1's/Bridgestones ER300/Continental contact 2

350 for Michelin Pilots Primacy HP

Everyone goes on about 'tyres are the one area not to save money' etc... but when do you decide when to say i'll spend xxx without comprimising tyre quality?

 

I’d go for F1’s every time, well worth the extra

 

I agree with the pieman

 

The way I see it, aside for some minor differences between brands in level of grip you've got:

Budget tyres that last forever, but offer shocking levels of grip, consult your nearest mini-cab for popular brands.

Budget tyres that have really very good grip, Kumo's and the like, which will last about 6k miles if you're lucky, but as that's a year for me....

Expensive main brand stuff that should really do both, but cost the earth. Mate of mine will only enterain the idea of Continentals on his A4 Quattro and, fair-play they last him ages and grip like **** to a rug. But a full set cost him 600.

And there's the mega-grip, high friction, semi-slick stuff which is a total liability in anything but bone dry, warm conditions.

 

eagles or kumho ku31 (if its a nice saving)

 

Never really based my Tyres on cost....

BF Goodrich Profilers every time on a car.... Been nothing but impressed with them just had 4 put on the Vectra converted to these from Michelin Pilots Primacys on the Mercedes I had...

And Insa Turbos on a 4x4 Remould copies of many bigname 4x4 tyres... Cost me 77 a corner in 265/75/16 size......Read many reviews and others opinions.. and they suit me for the use the Trooper gets...

 

At work are service dept are doing buy 3 uniroyal tyres and the 4th is free. There well priced tyres but unsure of the grip and how long they last. Going to try some on the mk2 next. Sure someone will have opinion on uniroyal...

 

the rainsports are good according to GVK.

personally i'd go for the f1's. if not them then i'd take toyo proxes t1s/r.

the falken fk452's have been getting very good reviews from the 200sx lot, so they can't be bad

 

We recently bought some Eagle's for the gf's a3, would definately recommend them even if they do cost a bit more.

 

im in the same situation im after two 215/35/18s i think i might try them fulkens

 

if i had a mk4 i would get the best tyre's going!!!!! got to get round the corners some how

 

aka velco (or an act of god)

 

hang on... are these the same tyres you tried to sell me on saturday? who's mk2 were you planning on testing them on again???? cheeky sod!

.... dont remember you mentioning the 4th free though....

 

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/total_tyre_guide/213186/tyre_guide.html

This may help, if you are more interested in fact than fashion.

Has been discussed before, but unfortunately an independant, factual test didn't count for much when compared to opinion

http://www.clubgti.com/forum/showthread.php?t=149010&highlight=vredestein

 

i've got falken 452's on my BM and they are miles better than the pilot2's that were on there

 

do you beleive everything you read in which magazine too? take what you read in mags with nice pile of salt nearby

 

Gaz is still Mr bitter and twisted of the budget tyre thread will he ever le it drop?

Youre wrong, you just dont know it yet​

 

whenever i buy i always seem to buy, Toyo T1R's

 

how many miles do your sets last?

 

I always end up buying Toyo's aswell.

There not the longest lasting tire in the world, but when it comes to sticking to the road, theres not alot better IMO.

I normally get about 16,000 miles out of a set, or on a FWD car, i get 16k on the front and roughly half as long again on the back.

I've had some Falkens, didnt rate them much TBH, Eagle F1's are a good tire for grip but road noise and comfort are shocking.

I've had some Wanli's too on my mk2 16v... Excellent dry weather grip (as good as a toyo i'd say) but downright dangerous in the wet! lol

The new Toyo Proxy 4S's seem like a good buy, i've got a couple up front on my Pulsar at the minute, excellent grip in both wet and dry conditions and they doesn't seem to be wearing too fast either