(T) New Boots!

Got meself some new boots this morning:

4x Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 XL (215/45 R17 Z)

I haven't had chance to test them properly yet but boy, can I tell a difference over my (admittedly knackered) P7000s. The car feels like it has 'spidey senses'!

In case anyone else was considering these tyres, I'll report back with some more info as soon as I've had chance to play!

Hope you don't mind me asking but how much did you pay for them?

I got a set in the 215/45/17 Flavor - Mmmmmm Tasty

They were £116 a corner inc. valves, balancing and fitting from BlackCircles. I went with these guys because they delivered them to a dealer near me - so the convenience was worth any extra coinage.

As a comparision, a quote from Hi-Q was £122 a corner. So, not too bad, eh?

Sounds about right, think those were slightly cheaper at the place I got my new Bridgestones from but we are only talking a few quid. I've noticed about a 2mpg drop since fitting my new tyres, guess that is the price you pay for a slight more sports orientated tyre.

http://213.61.145.242/cgi-bin/reifen...=10&sowigan=So

it says they are a summer tyre

Eh?

This is the text from BlackCircles:

The Goodyear GSD3 tyre has been voted number one tyre in the market by Auto Express magazine. We agree that this tyre is one of the best all round tyres on the market. With its V shape tread this tyre is built for performance first and everything else second! This tyre is leading the way in technology with its OneTRED design combines three distinct patterns in the tread design to enhance dry and wet performance. Our customers report that the life they get out of this tyre is above anything they had previously expected. Alternatives for the Goodyear Eagle GSD3 F1 would be the Toyo Proxes T1-R or the Michelin Pilot Sport.

Oh thats alright then I can get them for £78 each inc fitting & balancing.

Wow, that's a good price!

I did find Eagle F1s for around that price but they were the GSD2 model. Not sure what the difference is between these and the GSD3 (apart from about £40! )

One of the advantages of working in the motor industry!

I have these on now as well, gotta say that while they look good they dont perform as well as expected. They dont tutn in as well as my old michelins and tend to squirm as well.

They are very quiet though.

They have done 1000 miles so far.

Indeed they are. It is a reference for Continental owners.

On the Continent they have winter tyres and summer tyres (the summer ones being the same as we use all-year round), the Winter tyres are a legal requirement in some countries (or districts) for domestic cars (not for tourists yet, but that might happen). It has nothing to do with grip in the wet or anything like that, Winter tyres tend to be a harder compund with larger treads to make driving on snow and ice easier because of increased traction and grip.

That is why an old dear in a 2wd 20-year old Panda can get up a snow-ridden Austrian hillside better than a British hack in a summer-tyre shod SUV (it was in one of the mags a while back).

At the first sign of snow the UK roads come to a halt. They don't on the Continent and that is why

Often owners whose cars have large (drug dealer) wheels with summer tyres on will have a set of narrower (therefore better in the snow, because the weight of the car is concentrated on less tyre so the force of the cars weight pushes the car down through the snow and onto tarmac below) steelies with winter tyres on.

Damn you! ...

That explains it. I wondered what they were on about.

Now you've mentioned it, I bet the Eagle F1's will be crap in the snow... they have a smooth tread pattern - probably why they are quiet.

First bit of feedback for those that are interested...

On my way home tonight there is an off-camber left hander right on a little dip so not only does the car roll away from the corner but it goes light. It's a weird little corner that you don't need to hit very fast for it to throw the car off balance.

On the old tyres, hitting this corner any higher than 30 and the car would feel really numb and disconnected, almost like you were waiting for all the feeling to come back through the steering wheel - sort of a no-mans land.

Tonight, hit it slightly faster, possibly 35, in the wet, and it felt like I was superglued to the road.

I know this may sound lame but it really made me wanna turn around and see how fast I 'could' hit it!

So...so far, so good!