Technical Wet weather tyre suggestions

[Tessia]

Hi all,

I'm lookimg for some tyre suggestions for my 2008 1.2 sport. Tyres are 185/55r15.

I bought this car used and every tyre is a different brand. Currently on the front there is a Yokohama BluEarth-ES though on the tyre is it spelt BlnEarth, maybe a sign of a knockoff? The other front tyre is a Westlake Zupereco.

The wet weather handling is appalling!! Even in the dry, the wheel spin like crazy if I take off in a hurry. Not sure how normal that is, always thought it was just due to how light the car is.

Anyway, British weather being what it is I want some new tyres on the front with GOOD wet weather grip. This is really my one and only requirement. Preferably in the £70/£80 range. Any suggestions would be grand.

Edit: £70/£80 per tyre

 

[jrkitching]

A car on a mismatched set of cheap boots will head for the ditch at the first opportunity.

Tyres aren't cheap; since distribution & fitting costs are a significant and fixed part of the price, you'll get better value for your money by paying a little extra for quality.

Any matched set of decent premium tyres will be a vast improvement in what you've currently got. A 500 in good order on quality rubber doesn't have any handling vices.

Continental premium contact 6 is one option with good wet weather performance; expect to pay around £100 each, fitted & balanced. If you're buying a full set, you might be able to negotiate that down a little.

Do check that the suspension & tracking are in good order; at that sort of money, you don't want them to wear out prematurely.

 

[steveras57]

Dunlop s p sports! would be my choice.
A bit more expensive! but grip like s**t to a shovel! at around £110 each which is about the range for a premium tyre .
Budgets are around £50/60 theres not much in the price range you asked for at £70.
Its worth paying more to go up the scale rather than getting the cheep ones bit of a false economy I.M.O
They have only have to save you once in a tricky situation and they have paid for themselves many times over! dont forget its not just about grip in the corners and under acceleration! its braking distance where the difference between cheep and quality really shows up!.

 

[Tessia]

A car on a mismatched set of cheap boots will head for the ditch at the first opportunity.

Tyres aren't cheap; since distribution & fitting costs are a significant and fixed part of the price, you'll get better value for your money by paying a little extra for quality.

Any matched set of decent premium tyres will be a vast improvement in what you've currently got. A 500 in good order on quality rubber doesn't have any handling vices.

Continental premium contact 6 is one option with good wet weather performance; expect to pay around £100 each, fitted & balanced. If you're buying a full set, you might be able to negotiate that down a little.

Do check that the suspension & tracking are in good order; at that sort of money, you don't want them to wear out prematurely.

Thank you for the reply.

I did having the tracking done recently due to a shock being replaced so that should be in good order.

I will get the rears done in a few months but im on a but if a tight budget so just getting the fronts for now.

I'll check out your suggestion.

Edit: I can only find eco contact or ultra contact in my tyre size, no premium.

 

[Tessia]

Dunlop s p sports! would be my choice.
A bit more expensive! but grip like s**t to a shovel! at around £110 each which is about the range for a premium tyre .
Budgets are around £50/60 theres not much in the price range you asked for at £70.
Its worth paying more to go up the scale rather than getting the cheep ones bit of a false economy I.M.O
They have only have to save you once in a tricky situation and they have paid for themselves many times over! dont forget its not just about grip in the corners and under acceleration! its braking distance where the difference between cheep and quality really shows up!.

Oh I'm definitely noticing that the braking distance is not where I believe it should be on this car, especially not in the wet. The front pads and disks where all changed a few months ago and I had the rear shoes checked last month and was told they're like new so tyres are definitely the next culprit.

I'll have a look at those Dunlops and compare them to the other suggestion I received. Thank you. If I don't have any decent options at the 70/80 mark, I am willing to go up. With the way it handles at the moment, I don't want to cheap out.

Edit: I've found the Dunlop SP Sport for £92 fitted at Asda!!

 

[jrkitching]

I will get the rears done in a few months but im on a but if a tight budget so just getting the fronts for now.

If you can only afford to do the fronts, then the new tyres must go on the rear, and the existing rears must be swapped to the front.

With worn no name tyres on the rear, and new premium tyres on the front, it'll be a deathtrap.

Just google "where to fit new tyres".

And by the way, if you have, or know someone with, a Costco warehouse membership, they sometimes do keen deals on quality tyres.

 

[Tessia]

If you can only afford to do the fronts, then the new tyres must go on the rear, and the existing rears must be swapped to the front.

With worn no name tyres on the rear, and new premium tyres on the front, it'll be a deathtrap.

If you have, or know someone with, a Costco warehouse membership, they sometimes do keen deals on quality tyres.

Aaaah, that's going to be a problem then. I wanted to get through fronts dine first becayse they're the ones loosing grip and spinning. Looks like I'll have to save up, wait and get them all done together at a later date.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but why is it bad to put the new tyres on the front? I thought this would be the best thing as it's fwd and therfore that's where both the power and steering is.

 

[jrkitching]

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but why is it bad to put the new tyres on the front?

Because you don't want the rear of the car to let go before the front when cornering.

A couple of videos to watch

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Kumho Solus all seasons are 81 quid fully fitted in your size from Blackcircles. That's the route I'd go as a fit and forget solution, but you'd have to do all 4.

 

[jrkitching]

Kumho Solus all seasons are 81 quid fully fitted in your size from Blackcircles. That's the route I'd go as a fit and forget solution, but you'd have to do all 4.

I don't know if the HA32 is an improvement on the HA31, but this review of the Kumho Solus HA31 showed it to have the worst wet weather performance of anything in the group of tyres they'd tested. Wet weather performance was the one thing the OP said they'd prioritise.

This is admittedly an old review on the previous version of this tyre, but personally speaking, I'd sooner pay the extra for one of the better known brands.

That said, they're going to be way, way better than what's on the OP's car now.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I don't know if the HA32 is an improvement on the HA31, but this review of the Kumho Solus HA31 showed it to have the worst wet weather performance of anything in the group of tyres they'd tested. Wet weather performance was the one thing the OP said they'd prioritise.

This is admittedly an old review on the previous version of this tyre, but personally speaking, I'd sooner pay the extra for one of the better known brands.

That said, they're going to be way, way better than what's on the OP's car now.

They are much better than the old model, yes. B rated in the wet.

 

[Tessia]

Because you don't want the rear of the car to let go before the front when cornering.

A couple of videos to watch

This is interesting and I can see the logic.

 

[Tessia]

They are much better than the old model, yes. B rated in the wet.

I had actually looked at the Kumho and was thinking of going that route before coming here. After seeing the comment about putting the new ones on the back, I'm thinking I may go for something a bit cheaper like the Kumho just so that I can afford to get all 4 done sooner.

My problem is that at the moment, the front tyres are constantly loosing traction in the wet and even in the dry it's not hard to get them to spin so the front definitely are my priority. That said, if getting the front without the rear is dangerous, I'm better off getting 4 budget tyres then only 2 premium ones but on the front.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

If you can find a friendly fitter who does a good deal, Camskill's price is attractive:

https://www.camskill.co.uk/m138b0s7988p203882/Kumho_Tyres_All_Season_Car_Kumho_Solus_HA32_185_55_R15_86H_XL_TL_Fuel_Eff_%3A_D_Wet_Grip%3A_B_NoiseClass%3A_B_Noise%3A_71dB

Remember to add postage though.

 

[John202020]

I've used all the well known makes, Khumo no issues bar tyre life, Yoko, no issues as all the other branded ones currently have Dunlop on our 500, as they are very quiet Goodyear on the Mazda, there is one cheap "event/kwik fit brand" tyre on the rear of the Fiat, again no issues re grip/cornering
So go for any good rated branded tyre and filter buy price not compromising on rating though

 

[Tessia]

If you can find a friendly fitter who does a good deal, Camskill's price is attractive:

https://www.camskill.co.uk/m138b0s7988p203882/Kumho_Tyres_All_Season_Car_Kumho_Solus_HA32_185_55_R15_86H_XL_TL_Fuel_Eff_%3A_D_Wet_Grip%3A_B_NoiseClass%3A_B_Noise%3A_71dB

Remember to add postage though.

£240 for 4 including shipping, that's looking very attractive!! Thank you. Never bought tyres before so didn't know which websites are reliable.

 

[jrkitching]

That's a good price.

Just need to find somewhere to have them fitted & balanced.

 

[Tessia]

That's a good price.

Just need to find somewhere to have them fitted & balanced.

I've been looking around and most places supply and fit Kumho Ecsta HS52, guessing it's a newer model. The HA32 has a B rating for wet, the Ecsta HS52 have an A rating and I can get 4 fitted for £280. So by the time you add on fitting for the HA32 it would end up around the same price but with a slightly better wet rating. I think I may go for this as long as no one here has any red flags on the 52's.

 

[John202020]

Those tyres are XL rated, IE rock hard found similar fully fitted non xl @ £68

Who knew Asda did tyres?

Full range of car tyres including top brands at Asda prices

www.asdatyres.co.uk

 

[Tessia]

Those tyres are XL rated, IE rock hard found similar fully fitted non xl @ £68

Who knew Asda did tyres?

Full range of car tyres including top brands at Asda prices

www.asdatyres.co.uk

Funnily enough I was looking at Asda too.

Who knew Asda did tyres?

Full range of car tyres including top brands at Asda prices

www.asdatyres.co.uk

I saw the Kumho Ecsta HS52 has 2 none XL and one XL. The two non XL are a £68 B rated wet and an £80 A rated wet. I was thinking for an extra £12 per tyre, is the higher rating worth it? I know know much about these ratings. Would I notice a difference in A over B?