Tyre Brand Choice for Daily use...

Ok first an apology, I have read through all the searched posts on tyres but they really dont clear things up for me. Toyos Seem the choice of the masses as aa good value good tyre but i'm worried about the waer rate? Or is this a load of rubbish.

I'm looking for 195/45/14s for 6x14" wheels for my mk1, I do drive like a t**t, but I do use it as a daily driver to work and back and all year round... so I cant be doing with tyres that grip like hell but are slack in the wet and wear out real quick!

Suggestions please!
Options i've looked at include:
Uniroyal Rainsport 1
Toyo Proxy T1R
Conti Sport Contacts (but these are more pricey)

then theres the others which I have found very little info on:
Hankook Ventus Price K105 or Ventus K102
Fulda Caret Attiro
Dunlop SP Sport 9000
Yoko A539 (heard nothing but bad news, so ill ignore these)
amoungst others.

Ok those are taken off the mytyres site, but that represents the range pretty much.

The Rainsports, Fulda and Toyos I can get for around 46 a corner, whats the best option? It'll be summer soon hopefully so thats on my mind!

Thanks in advance guys, I know its a repeat post.

By the way, im based in Reading area, good places to get fitted/balanced?

Dave

 

Camskills apear to be doing 195/45/14 Toyo Proxy T1S for 40 a corner at the mo...a good price, but crap for wear?

 

no Eagle F1's made in that size?

 

doesnt appear so, but even so even 15" std sizes seem silly money for them!

 

I've been very impressed with the Uniroyal rainsports I've got on the back of my mk2 for road use 195/50x15

very cheap too!

 

kumho, nice tread pattern, cheap. quite grippy! dead good for daily drive

 

dont get the dunlop sports!!

crap in the wet

 

and they wear very well as well....even if you like the car to 'move around' beneath you

vr6will used to use toyo's on his mk2, and it always seemed to me like he was buying new tyres every month! when i eventually tried a set i was quite dissappointed, they didn't feel that amazing.

 

If you can't get eagle f1 gsd3's which would be my first recommendation, then i'd say the t1r's.


If you can be bothered to come to guildford i'll fit/balance them for a drink.
Edited by: jimmy8v

 

I run Bridgestone Potennza RE720's and they're brilliant both wet and dry and quite handy on the track, quite cheep too if you're after a standard size.

 

i have potenza RE01's on the mr2...seem pretty good, but i'd rather have uniroyals if only they made them in the size i need [:^(]

GVK - whats your opinion of uniroyal vs eagle f1's? the ratings say they're pretty damn close in dry and the uniroyals slightly better in the wet.

 

I had F1 GSD3 on the front and the T1S that were on the OZs when I bought them on the rear, *very* easy to get the rear end moving on a damp roundabout...

They were nearly worn out tho to be fair..

Since I've had these Uniroyals on the back the rear end pretty much stays where it is even in the wet, but now my fronts are getting low (3mm ish) and I've always found GSD3s to be rubbish until scrubbed in,great once scrubbed in until 3mm ish, then not much kop after then

(Used F1GSD3s on the road on and off for 3 years on my car,so I'm a pretty fair judge on them I'd say....)

I will more than likely fit the Uniroyals on the front when I replace them shortly.

I'm not that bothered about the outright dry grip of the Uniroyals as I have a set of Yoko A048s remember, should I want to do some dry road B road blats!

 

Goodyear don't make the f1 in that size.

I ordered Conticontact sports and i will be fitting them tonight to my rims for the mk1. they have a decent tred pattern and mine will only be driven in the dry - however they are 55 a corner - the problem is its the size - its not a common size due to new cars coming with mostly 15" alloys/steels or larger etc so you pay more..

bout five years ago I had a 3/4 worn set of 185/50/14 yokohama's (cant remember the number but its the one they dont make anymore) and they were awesome depsite being so worn so i imagine they would have been even better new - but they were really pricey new

imo nothing beats F1's in any conditons - but till they make em in that size your stuck with second rate stuff im afraid




Edited by: Carbs4ever

 

What are Falken's like now-adays as haven't heard much of them around lately. Anyone tried their ZE-512 tyre?

 

so fit some 15"s and F1s at the same timeyou know it makes sense

 

Carbs4ever - you talkin about yoko a520's? they weren't too bad at all if i remember.

G-Man - had a pair of 512's on my punto and they didn't grip very well at all and lasted all of 10 minutes! had 502's before them though and they weren't that bad for a budget tyre.

 

manic are these for your p-slots???

 

Nope, these are for some 14" 16S ATS Cups i've just had refurbed. 16S Spec so std fitment, same as P-Slots.

Jimmy 8V, legend, I may have to take you up on that, its not really that far.

Don't do Camber do you? I'm struggling to find anywhere vaguely close that will do it (apart from Micheldever but dont see point in traevling dif directions to get both done!).

It seems like rainsports or T1Rs are the sensible options for price/performance.fitment combo. From what your all saying I'm erring on the side of the rainsports, I do a lot of country lane driving and I dont mind sacrificing all out dry performance for them to be better in dodgy conditions.

As always, all advice and suggestions appreciated

Dave

 

I've been in a similar dilemma, badly want to use 14's for road use & everyday driving but the Eagle F1's don't come in that size !

Bought the Toyo's, they look good, but still yet to check the performance.

 

I had the Toyo T1-s in 195/45R14 on my G40 for absolutely ages, they must have lasted nearly 20k miles including a couple of days at the 1/4 mile, infact two of them were still in good shape when I sold the wheels, the fronts had been replaced with the Uniroyal rainsport, but I never got to try them as my engine went kaboom.

I think I am going to try some T1-R on my new wheels.

Alan