Hello everyone I was thinking about tyre replacement on the Fiat 500 and i was looking around to see whats good and for what price. I have the Conti Premium Contact 2 185/55 R 15 tires and they seem fine. It seems that the Yokohama C Drive http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre-Size/15-Inch-Tyres/185-55-15-Tyres.htm which i checked on blackcircles.com is cheaper than the Conti Premium Contact 2 with better reviews! In Greece especially 4 new Contis come at 420 Euros and Dunlop SP Sport 01's are 380 Euros. Since I know that many Fiat 500's especially it the 1.2 have the Dunlops, may I ask how people's experience is with it? And the Yokohama? All in all it seems the Yokohama C Drive is the best combination of price, perforamnce and wear for the fiat 500 185/55 R 15 tires. The Contis apparently wear fast if i listen to this review and i may be inclined to listen to it.

Thank you for your feedback.

Not an answer to the tyre choice question but do make sure your chosen tyre fitter knows where the car can be safely lifted - and where it can't - there have been several posts from folks who've had their sills damaged when having their tyres changed.

If you're ultra paranoid, do as Maxi & I do; remove the wheels yourself & take 'em down separately!

Personally I would get the Yoko's, they aren't bad, but they generally get beaten in reviews I'd go for Conti's, Dunlop's, Goodyear's, Bridgestones, Michelin's and so on

I second that - the local tyre shed managed to damage my sill despite me pointing out the jacking points to them. And they broke a centre cap too.

Anyway, there's much more to tyres than brand. The EcoContacts are good tyres for sure but noisy in comparison to Goodyear Eagle F1's. On the flip side, the F1s has ZERO grip in snow.

306maxi said:

Personally I would get the Yoko's, they aren't bad, but they generally get beaten in reviews I'd go for Conti's, Dunlop's, Goodyear's, Bridgestones, Michelin's and so on

Click to expand...

Huh? Did you just recommend more different tyres than there are wheels on the car?

I'm confussled.

If nobody minds may I run these couple of query's in parallel to the OP?

Which tyre would be recommended as a "Quiet" tyre? [I was told Firestones for my old Zetec Fiesta - and they were very quiet].
And is there a tyre that bulges enough at the wall, or is moulded as such to act as a bit of a rim saver? - [Not you understand to accomodate mounting the kerb at speed but rather those inadvertant "brushes" one is sometimes guilty of]:

Ta!

ahmett said:

Hello everyone I was thinking about tyre replacement on the Fiat 500 and i was looking around to see whats good and for what price. I have the Conti Premium Contact 2 185/55 R 15 tires and they seem fine. It seems that the Yokohama C Drive http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre-Size/15-Inch-Tyres/185-55-15-Tyres.htm which i checked on blackcircles.com is cheaper than the Conti Premium Contact 2 with better reviews! In Greece especially 4 new Contis come at 420 Euros and Dunlop SP Sport 01's are 380 Euros. Since I know that many Fiat 500's especially it the 1.2 have the Dunlops, may I ask how people's experience is with it? And the Yokohama? All in all it seems the Yokohama C Drive is the best combination of price, perforamnce and wear for the fiat 500 185/55 R 15 tires. The Contis apparently wear fast if i listen to this review and i may be inclined to listen to it.

Thank you for your feedback.

Click to expand...

I cringed a bit when I saw the title but here goes...

For me in normal weather but has just recently got snowy in the last year Ireland my requirements are ones that have a bit of snow grip - but this heavily compromises the choice of tyre.

For the OP in Greece the no brainer type of type is a Summer tyre. In a bit of concentrated 'temper' research I understand that an open pattern or directional tyre will be noiser that a continental tyre.

The tyres on my current car are contis and I find them brillant. Another member on the FF recently mentioned (I forget the thread) said that he researched his choice of tyre and said that Pirelli was the best and bought a set (he will probably come on at some stage).

This URL (I have posted it before) it's a german site and you'll have to find some way of changing the size from 185/65 15 to 185/55 lists the Pirelli & conti in the top 3.
http://www.adac.de/infotestrat/tests/reifen/sommerreifen/2010_Sommerreifen_Test_185_65_R15.aspx?ComponentId=29770&SourcePageId=31821

For me the tyre has to have
a bead to give a little protection to the alloy rim.
I pay a little extra (maybe 20%) over a 'standard replacement issue'.
I like a brand name that jumps out at you.
The OP has a 1.4 so he's not striving for Eco type tyre.
I would want a quiet type.
Being 15inchs they should be 'cheap' so mileage is not important.
In Ireland because it rains a lot it MUST stop fast - not important for the OP in mostly dry Greece.

I'm happy with my contis and I would buy them again. I would have to go to Northern Ireland (different country !) to buy them cheaper or make several phonecalls and name drop to get the price down. At least yours are 15s and not 16s. Your price seems too high.

Here is a picture of a big tyre ! that was supposedly developed for economy and is designed as a Eco tyre (off a Nissan Leaf). It just goes to show you that you don't have to put a 14 inch steelie on the car for eco driving

RobinPJ said:

Huh? Did you just recommend more different tyres than there are wheels on the car?

I'm confussled.

Click to expand...

You know what I mean

BRU5IIS said:

Which tyre would be recommended as a "Quiet" tyre? [I was told Firestones for my old Zetec Fiesta - and they were very quiet].
And is there a tyre that bulges enough at the wall, or is moulded as such to act as a bit of a rim saver?

Click to expand...

Brand alone is not enough - you need to look at specific tyres. I chose Goodyear Eagle F1s for precisely these two reasons. I believe what you're refering to is a 'scrub bead' btw.

pearce_jj said:

Brand alone is not enough - you need to look at specific tyres. I chose Goodyear Eagle F1s for precisely these two reasons. I believe what you're refering to is a 'scrub bead' btw.

Click to expand...

THANKS - Yes, that would be the term [Scrub bead]..... And I'll bear the Goodyears in mind - used to be my brand of choice for many years, although I'm not so "up" on the current trends.

Would appreciate a choice though, so if anyone else feels they can make a recommendation I would appreciate it ............. Cheers.

ahmett said:

... It seems that the Yokohama C Drive ... is cheaper than the Conti Premium Contact 2 with better reviews! ...

Click to expand...

????
What is the source of these "reviews"? Anybody can write a review. Any Dick Tyrekicker can replace their worn-out tyres for new on Saturday - & by Monday come-up with a glowing review of what a great informed decision they made.

Conti PC2 & Dunlop Sport 01 are premier league tyres. Yoko Cdrive are mid-range tyres. Unsurprisingly - they perform accordingly. Surprisingly Yokohama (certainly in some sizes) still seem to think they’re entitled to a premier league price.

The Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3? `Quiet’ – perhaps quietly being dumped as obsolete? Is it because they only marginally escape a red label for rolling resistance (i.e. – not meeting the minimum standard)? As well as recording the lowest wet-grip index from 26 Goodyear-Dunlop Group tyres (inc the budget Sava).

Source: http://translate.google.co.uk/trans...ieuweband.nl/bandenlijst.php?season=1&act=url

Caravadossi said:

????
What is the source of these "reviews"? Anybody can write a review. Any Dick Tyrekicker can replace their worn-out tyres for new on Saturday - & by Monday come-up with a glowing review of what a great informed decision they made.

Click to expand...

Tend to agree.

Michelin's which are barely legal or below the limit are always going to be outperformed by whatever replaced them, especially in the wet.

BRU5IIS said:

And is there a tyre that bulges enough at the wall, or is moulded as such to act as a bit of a rim saver? - [Not you understand to accomodate mounting the kerb at speed but rather those inadvertant "brushes" one is sometimes guilty of]:

Ta!

Click to expand...

My Avons (ZV5s, I think?) have a bit of a lip on them, and they perform very well from my experiences in both the wet and the dry.

ahmett said:

Hello everyone I was thinking about tyre replacement on the Fiat 500 and i was looking around to see whats good and for what price. I have the Conti Premium Contact 2 185/55 R 15 tires and they seem fine. It seems that the Yokohama C Drive http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre-Size/15-Inch-Tyres/185-55-15-Tyres.htm which i checked on blackcircles.com is cheaper than the Conti Premium Contact 2 with better reviews! In Greece especially 4 new Contis come at 420 Euros and Dunlop SP Sport 01's are 380 Euros. Since I know that many Fiat 500's especially it the 1.2 have the Dunlops, may I ask how people's experience is with it? And the Yokohama? All in all it seems the Yokohama C Drive is the best combination of price, perforamnce and wear for the fiat 500 185/55 R 15 tires. The Contis apparently wear fast if i listen to this review and i may be inclined to listen to it.

Thank you for your feedback.

Click to expand...

Hi Ahmeet.

I've done a bit of 'digging' on the best tyre in 2011 and I have come across conflicting test results. The tyre above your Yokohama - Uniroyal (2nd) was the subject of a thread on the FF !
https://www.fiatforum.com/500/257143-uniroyal-rainsport-2s.html

The Toyo T1R came up as 'hot favourite'. It's priced nicely but seems optimised for wet weather.

If I was looking for wet performance Vredestein was always high on my list
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2010-Autocar-Tyre-Test-FWD.htm
but tyres sizes seem to impact was is best.

Of the big brands the Continental Premium Contact 2 and the Eagle F1 are criticised for poor rolling resistance which can affect economy by 2-3 mpg . Bridgestone - a tyre fitted on the 500 is rated highly but is expensive.

Another tyre that go a 'mention' is the Hankook Ventus...
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Hankook/Ventus-V12-evo-k110.htm


Price seems to be a consideration for you so I would suggest looking at tyres optimised for Dry weather, low rolling resistance (price of petrol in Greece !) and Comfort (500 needs this although you're on the comfy 15s). I get the impression that a stiff side wall will give better performance but affects comfort. Noise comes in under Thread pattern.

A scrub bead - is this a 'must have' ?

What criteria is important for you ?

loveshandbags said:

Hi Ahmeet.

I've done a bit of 'digging' on the best tyre in 2011 and I have come across conflicting test results. The tyre above your Yokohama - Uniroyal (2nd) was the subject of a thread on the FF !
https://www.fiatforum.com/500/257143-uniroyal-rainsport-2s.html

The Toyo T1R came up as 'hot favourite'. It's priced nicely but seems optimised for wet weather.

If I was looking for wet performance Vredestein was always high on my list
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2010-Autocar-Tyre-Test-FWD.htm
but tyres sizes seem to impact was is best.

Of the big brands the Continental Premium Contact 2 and the Eagle F1 are criticised for poor rolling resistance which can affect economy by 2-3 mpg . Bridgestone - a tyre fitted on the 500 is rated highly but is expensive.

Another tyre that go a 'mention' is the Hankook Ventus...
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Hankook/Ventus-V12-evo-k110.htm


Price seems to be a consideration for you so I would suggest looking at tyres optimised for Dry weather, low rolling resistance (price of petrol in Greece !) and Comfort (500 needs this although you're on the comfy 15s). I get the impression that a stiff side wall will give better performance but affects comfort. Noise comes in under Thread pattern.

A scrub bead - is this a 'must have' ?

What criteria is important for you ?

Click to expand...

Tbh I would tend to disregard anything from tyre reviews that are based on users being surveyed, like Caravadossi says, anyone can go on there and give a tyre good or bad marks without for instance having another tyre to compare it with in the same circumstances.

I've only had my Bridgestone Potenza RE050A's on the 500 as summer tyres and in the winter they were pretty rubbish and in the summer they seem very grippy and resist aquaplaning rather well in stright lines at least, but when it gets cold and damp I get lots of wheelspin moving from a stop. Now how do I know that there are summer tyres which are better in the winter? How do I know if there aren't tyres which are even better in terms of dry grip and which resist aquaplaning even better? The fact is that I don't.

Even then if the experiences I put across are objective and i've had other tyres to compare with, that's only in 195/45 R16 size and if you move up or down in terms of width or profile by only one size, you can have a totally different set of results as the compound or construction of the tyre will be different.

The best thing to do IMHO is to find someone who has the EXACT same size of tyre as you and find out what their experience has been, rather than going on a site and seeing how someone went with a model of tyre on something completely different like a Merc S class or something......

BRU5IIS, what size wheels do you have on your 500?

306maxi said:

BRU5IIS, what size wheels do you have on your 500?

Click to expand...

Standard 15" Bridgestone TURANZA er300's



I've always been very wary of "kerbing" alloys and get quite upset about it. When I had my old Zetec Fiesta, and despite my utmost care there were a couple of occasions when that "Scrub bead-[Firestone]" saved me from myself.
I drive like a MARY so performance isn't an issue - a little bit of hush is appreciated though and naturally being a UK resident means a wet weather ability would be welcome.

Thoughts?

BRU5IIS said:

Standard 15" Bridgestone TURANZA er300's

I've always been very wary of "kerbing" alloys and get quite upset about it. When I had my old Zetec Fiesta, and despite my utmost care there were a couple of occasions when that "Scrub bead-[Firestone]" saved me from myself.
I drive like a MARY so performance isn't an issue - a little bit of hush is appreciated though and naturally being a UK resident means a wet weather ability would be welcome.

Thoughts?

Click to expand...

Do you feel that the Turanza's are not good? Better the devil you know and all that

306maxi said:

Tbh I would tend to disregard anything from tyrereviews that's based on users being surveyed, like Caravadossi says, anyone can go on there and give a tyre good or bad marks without for instance having another tyre to compare it with in the same circumstances.

BRU5IIS, what size wheels do you have on your 500?

Click to expand...

I've had a lot of performance tyres in my 'ha day' Pirelli, Michelin Pilots, Eagle NCTs, Dunlops, etc. and I found some of them were prone to aqua-planning and I stuggled on one car to beat the dreaded wheel wobble - this was resolved by doing the round on finding a good guy who could balance wheels. I don't for a moment pretend to really know anything about tyres but I did make a very concentrated effort.

I did look at caravadossi's very useful chart and the contis were OK on rolling resistance but not on other reviews. On my 16s which have the contis my current 1.4 is down from 38 to 35mpg average on the same engine but I was careful not to draw a conclusion that my tyres drag more.

I was cross referenced some of my 'views' on other sites and on this link I selected only the 'premium' tyres in the 185/55 x 15 size
http://www.tyretraders.com/tyresearchresults.aspx?width=185&ratio=55&rim=15&man=All&flat=False&filter=Price&ftype=Ascending&pricing=1&cat=Car%20Tyres&speed=All&Loading=All&tyreType=All
I was also focusing my energies on the OP on his particular 15 inch wheels for his Greek weather to simply the optium choice. Your original manufacture fit Bridgestones would definitely suit but they're expensive. In trying to get a 'handle' on his requirements I thought I would ask him to state clearly what his was looking for. Got the impression that price and wear came high on the list.
http://www.tyresearcher.com/Cheapest_273_185-55-15-_Hankook-Ventus-V12-evo-k110.html
This isn't easy ! and I reckon you could be right on the wheel size. For me I would stick with the 'devil you know is better than you don't know' which in my case with the 16s is the conti primarily because of its wet weather performance and surprisingly comfort (which wasn't mentioned on the reviews!).

oops, I've edited my post a little.

Nope, the Turanza's are very good. And there's the rub! - They're almost too good for my style of driving - which is more sedate than spirited.
Coupled with the eventual replacement expense I was just wondering if there was a tyre out there that would suit me and my needs better?