Technical 08 Multijet - New Tire options
- Thread starter Fiat Lux
- Start date
Currently reading:
Technical 08 Multijet - New Tire options
I ran mine with Hankook Optimo 4S all-season tyres. They count as proper snowflake marked winter tyres but you can leave them on all year round.
They definitely felt squidgier than the factory Contis but obviously had a lot more grip in ice and rain. Despite last year's OMG its snowing natural disasters I never got to drive it in actual snow.
If you can put up with the squidge which feels like driving round with the city button on they're worth a look. Presumably dry grip is less than a regular tyre but I never had any problems. Wet grip was the big plus for me. Fuel economy didn't appear to suffer either.
They definitely felt squidgier than the factory Contis but obviously had a lot more grip in ice and rain. Despite last year's OMG its snowing natural disasters I never got to drive it in actual snow.
If you can put up with the squidge which feels like driving round with the city button on they're worth a look. Presumably dry grip is less than a regular tyre but I never had any problems. Wet grip was the big plus for me. Fuel economy didn't appear to suffer either.
KozmoNaut
Member
The Ecocontacts are good tyres for normal driving, decent amount of grip in non-winter conditions, relatively soft sidewall so the ride is OK and they last a while, too. Definitely not a sporty or even "enthusiastic driving" tyre by any means, though 
I've put 14" alloys and a set of 185/65 Michelin Energy Saver tyres on mine, I get roughly the same fuel mileage as I did on the Ecocontacts, but I have loads more grip, more than enough for the lightweight Panda's meagre power output. You honestly will not need anything with more grip than the Michelins, the car simply cannot make use of it.
And they cost less than the Ecocontacts, too
I've put 14" alloys and a set of 185/65 Michelin Energy Saver tyres on mine, I get roughly the same fuel mileage as I did on the Ecocontacts, but I have loads more grip, more than enough for the lightweight Panda's meagre power output. You honestly will not need anything with more grip than the Michelins, the car simply cannot make use of it.
And they cost less than the Ecocontacts, too
KozmoNaut
Member
Goodyear Vector 4S have received glowing reviews as well, it is both on par with a good midrange summer tyre and a good midrange winter tyre at the same time.
All-season tyres of yesteryear were a bit crap, but the newest ones are really really good. They don't do as well on sheet ice as dedicated winter tyres, but really, who drives more than absolutely necessary on ice with anything other than studded tyres?
Mine was came from the factory with the 14" wheels and 165 EcoContacts which lasted around 30,000 miles. I replaced them with Avons of 175 width which are of the "eco" type and although I thought I was buying British it turns out they were made in China. I don't think they were any worse than the original Contis and as they're almost time to be replaced at 65,000 I fancy something with a slightly racier tread pattern.
The benefit of the budget Avons was that I bought them on a BOGOF scheme from National Tyres and they cost £100 for four.
The benefit of the budget Avons was that I bought them on a BOGOF scheme from National Tyres and they cost £100 for four.
Why are you needing to change your tyres so soon? 15k miles is nothing.
I've put about 24k miles on my tyres (on a 500) and they're only down to about 4-5mm of tread. I'll probably get rid of them at 2.5mm or so.
Tbh I wouldn't go for all seaon tyres, jack of all trades, master of none as a friend who works for Continental would say. They're not fantastic in the summer and will have a less grip than a summer tyre, and they won't perform as well in snow and certainly not as well on ice as a proper winter tyre. If you're really that bothered about winter performance you'll buy proper winter tyres.
It's a DERV compared to your petrol
Perhaps. Then again I do rotate my tyres...... Sure I'll need all 4 tyres doing at the same time, but it's the best way of doing thing
Maybe they sell braille jazz mags now? Stevie Wonder must be a rich man with all these jobs that he does
I've got uneven wear on the front tires..possibly a combination of not being inflated often enough and a life of speed bumps...
Speed bumps tend to affect suspension not tyre wear tbh.
Speed bumps contribute to putting your tracking slightly out though. Had mine re-set when I had new front tyres.
It's a Panda MJ, not a sports car so I had a cheap brand (£70 for 2 'Hero' tyres). ANY new tyre is better than a knackered old one despite having legal tread depth. The old ones (Nexen) had almost no grip, wheelspin at the slightest dampness.
It's a Panda MJ, not a sports car so I had a cheap brand (£70 for 2 'Hero' tyres). ANY new tyre is better than a knackered old one despite having legal tread depth. The old ones (Nexen) had almost no grip, wheelspin at the slightest dampness.
Of course anything is better than a worn out one in the wet, but be it Hero or Nexen, they'll be ****e compared to a proper top or mid range tyre.
How
On that basis so do pot holes, or any slight imperfection in the road. I know clouting your wheels does set tracking off, and perhaps hitting humps at silly speeds, but going over them sensibly shouldn't.
It takes a lot to put the tracking out. It's not like the track rod ends just move themselves. Either something bends or some bush has to give somewhere or the ride height settles..
The missus hit a brick or something with her Punto hard enough to bust the tyre sidewall and push the wheel rim in by an inch. Had the tracking checked and it was still bang on.
I don't agree. I've been driving since 1983 in everything from Minis to Lotus and TVRs, and the overall quality of tyres has moved on immensely. They all have to be made to a certain standard of manufacture. Undoubtedly there is an advantage in the 'top brands' and of course they want you to believe that but, as I said, I doubt many people would notice when it's not on a sports car. the advent of ABS and traction control has led drivers to expect too much from their cars in my opinion.
You want a s***e tyre, try driving a 180 hp Lotus Excel SE on remoulds that a previous owner thought would be 'saving money.' Talk about understeer, my god.....
I'm sorry, but even though you've been driving for 18 more years than me, you've got it all wrong.
There have never really been issues with the standards of manufacture of tyres, sure there may be some REALLY bad tyres which delaminate, but the advantage of a good tyre of a bad one is the tread compound and the design of the tread. You only need to look at the ADAC tyre tests to see that most of your far eastern tyres are generally dangerous wastes of money which shouldn't legally be on sale in the EU.
I'm sorry, but I can recognise the difference between crap tyres and good ones. Easily.
I have mostly stuck with Contis though I did go for a pair of AVONs on the front for a while but after feeling very "american" whenever they got loaded up going round roundabouts due to the squeeling and lack of grip they did not inspire confidence.
Even contacted Avon but they just fobbed me off with the not the most up to date tyre excuse however since then I have had a pair of Goodyears & they seem as good gripwise & possibly a little quieter too. Got 87K on my MJ on 14" Fiat alloys 165s as I thought the car on standard wheels was a bit lacking in grip given the torque and weight of the unit over the petrol.
Even contacted Avon but they just fobbed me off with the not the most up to date tyre excuse however since then I have had a pair of Goodyears & they seem as good gripwise & possibly a little quieter too. Got 87K on my MJ on 14" Fiat alloys 165s as I thought the car on standard wheels was a bit lacking in grip given the torque and weight of the unit over the petrol.
I have the standard 155/80 R13s on my MJ Panda. Now I have a full set of Uniroyal RainExperts, and they're pretty much excellent. Compared to the standard Contis, they don't quite have as much grip on dry roads, but they are a lot better in the wet, don't suffer from terrible tyre roll noise and raised fuel economy by a tiny bit. The ADAC tyre tests are really useful!
Can I just say, I don't understand how can a set of tyres last only 15k miles. My original Contis lasted 31k miles (front) and 50k miles (rear). The Uniroyal front's are now 23k miles and have around half life left. I certainly don't rally all the time, but I love to corner fast...
Can I just say, I don't understand how can a set of tyres last only 15k miles. My original Contis lasted 31k miles (front) and 50k miles (rear). The Uniroyal front's are now 23k miles and have around half life left. I certainly don't rally all the time, but I love to corner fast...
