Expensive tyres or cheap tyres?

Kotek Besar · 03-02-2010 10:20AM #1

I've a 2008 1.2 Corsa. Just noticed yesterday a small bulge in the front passenger tyre. I realise the tyre wants replacing, but I'm confused.

I can get a Nankang for €65, or if I want the same as what's on the car at the moment, Goodyear Excellence, I'm looking at €100. I could have a Pirelli for about €80 too, iirc.

So, is it worth paying €100 for a Goodyear Excellence, which will keep all the tyres the same? Or should I save the money and spend €65 only on the Nankang?

Will I notice any difference in the two? Is a tyre a tyre?

Sorry to be so dense.

cantdecide · 03-02-2010 10:36AM

It would be more important to change both tyres on an axle unless the other one is very close to new- in which case make sure it's exactly the same brand and series of tyre.

When you're talking about tyres for a Corsa which will inherently be more affordable than a lot of other cars, just go with a middle-of-the-road brand.

mullingar · 03-02-2010 10:37AM

Always fit the same brand of tyre to the same axle, especially the front axle as you match the tyre 'characteristics'.

Spend the extra few € and get the Goodyear.

Never, ever, ever, buy cheap tyres. You get what you pay for and your life is worth a lot more than the savings of a cheap tyre

dizzydiesel · 03-02-2010 10:39AM

Tyres are very important. Cheap tyres are useless and will need replacing more frequently. If you spend more, the tyre will last longer and will perform better than something cheap.
Your tyres are the only thing between you and the road.

hobochris · 03-02-2010 10:48AM

Tyres are something you should always spend the extra money on.

A good set of Tyres could be the difference between a scare and a trip to the hospital.

Neilw · 03-02-2010 10:49AM

dizzydiesel wrote: »

Tyres are very important. Cheap tyres are useless and will need replacing more frequently. If you spend more, the tyre will last longer and will perform better than something cheap.
Your tyres are the only thing between you and the road.

That's not necessarily right, some cheap tyres are made of a harder rubber which will last longer but offer far less grip.

I had nankangs on a car once and will never fit them to anything again, spend the money, it could mean the difference between an accident and a near miss.

Kotek Besar · 03-02-2010 10:54AM

Really appreciate all of your input lads. Another Goodyear Excellence it is then!

Tea 1000 · 03-02-2010 11:00AM

€100 for Goodyears on a 1.2 Corsa? What size wheels? Sounds like a rip off. Even €68 for Nankangs is expensive. I recently put a set of Yokohamas with a size of 195 50 R15's for €70 per tyre, had the choice between those and Bridgestones for €75, or Pirelli P5000's for €65, all decent tyres on a kind of odd size rim, so the Corsa should be cheaper again.

Kotek Besar · 03-02-2010 11:06AM

This is the code on the current tyres: 195/55H16.

To be honest €100 is the best price I've got for a Goodyear Excellence. I've been ringing round all the local tyres centres - one of them wanted €165!

Tea 1000 · 03-02-2010 11:19AM

Ah, 16's are dear alright, that's a good price then so.

bazz26 · 03-02-2010 11:28AM

Check out prices on www.camskill.co.uk. They take about 2 to 3 days to deliver. Allow a further €60 for having them fitted and balanced.

Kotek Besar · 03-02-2010 11:39AM

Thanks Baz. They haven't got Goodyear Excellence on there though.

They have the 195/55H16 Goodyear Excellence on blackcircles.com though. £91.22 fitted. I'm going to Wales in a couple of weeks, but since £91.22 the same as €100 anyway, I might as well get it done here.

I just had no idea that it's be so expensive! What causes a tyre to bulge anyway? Someone said a pothole or something, but honestly, I can't recall driving over a pothole.

rubensni · 03-02-2010 11:46AM

Buy the Pirellis. They're as good a brand as Good Year.

langdang · 03-02-2010 11:47AM

Neilw wrote: »

had nankangs on a car once and will never fit them to anything again

Same here, every journey was like a 70's cop show (understeer rather than oversteer tho

) - tyre squeal on every sharp corner. Maybe they've improved in the 8 years since then, I think the tyres were jokingly referred to as the "Nankang Ditchfinders" at the time...

gears · 03-02-2010 11:54AM

Another recommendation fro spending a bit more on good tyres. Years ago with my first car I could barely afford petrol never mind tyres so I put some cheap ones on. Some time later, weeks/ months I can't remember, I had to do an emergency stop and chunks of rubber came away from the tyre with the force of braking, so never again will I scrimp on tyres it's just not worth it.

keithclancy · 03-02-2010 11:59AM

Kotek Besar wrote: »

This is the code on the current tyres: 195/55H16.

To be honest €100 is the best price I've got for a Goodyear Excellence. I've been ringing round all the local tyres centres - one of them wanted €165!

bahahahahahaha ... H rated tyres on a corsa .. you got a rocket strapped to the roof or something

L 75 mph 120 km/h Off-Road & Light Truck Tires
M 81 mph 130 km/h
N 87 mph 140km/h Temporary Spare Tires
P 93 mph 150 km/h
Q 99 mph 160 km/h Studless & Studdable Winter Tires
R 106 mph 170 km/h H.D. Light Truck Tires
S 112 mph 180 km/h Family Sedans & Vans
T 118 mph 190 km/h Family Sedans & Vans
U 124 mph 200 km/h
H 130 mph 210 km/h Sport Sedans & Coupes
V 149 mph 240 km/h Sport Sedans, Coupes & Sports Cars

You'd be better off looking at R or S rated, far cheaper.. Even for my Winter Tyres I only have S rated, will never go over that speed in the winter anyway.. and there was a 100 euro difference between the S and H for a set.

Kotek Besar · 03-02-2010 12:37PM

keithclancy wrote: »

bahahahahahaha ... H rated tyres on a corsa .. you got a rocket strapped to the roof or something

L 75 mph 120 km/h Off-Road & Light Truck Tires
M 81 mph 130 km/h
N 87 mph 140km/h Temporary Spare Tires
P 93 mph 150 km/h
Q 99 mph 160 km/h Studless & Studdable Winter Tires
R 106 mph 170 km/h H.D. Light Truck Tires
S 112 mph 180 km/h Family Sedans & Vans
T 118 mph 190 km/h Family Sedans & Vans
U 124 mph 200 km/h
H 130 mph 210 km/h Sport Sedans & Coupes
V 149 mph 240 km/h Sport Sedans, Coupes & Sports Cars

You'd be better off looking at R or S rated, far cheaper.. Even for my Winter Tyres I only have S rated, will never go over that speed in the winter anyway.. and there was a 100 euro difference between the S and H for a set.

Thanks, I'll look into this. Just one thing though, is it ok to have three tyres H rated, and just one R stated? Are they not meant to match, no?

biko · 03-02-2010 12:46PM

It's not likely you'll even reach R speeds so I wouldn't be concerned.

kc66 · 03-02-2010 12:57PM

I always see people in this forum recommend to spend extra money on good tyres. I have always bought cheap tyres for my Volvo S40, around €60 each. I do a lot of mileage to/from work, around 60 miles a day. Much of the journey is a bad, bendy road. I have never skidded in the wet. I had little or no problems driving in the ice and snow we had recently. Im not a slow driver either. I haven't had to change tyres too often.
Maybe what people are saying is correct in some circumstances but with my car cheap tyres are great. But sometimes I think people are too eager to throw away their money.

Tea 1000 · 03-02-2010 01:01PM

Kotek Besar wrote: »

Thanks, I'll look into this. Just one thing though, is it ok to have three tyres H rated, and just one R stated? Are they not meant to match, no?

Don't pay too much attention to speed rating, that's basically an indication on the thread pattern and what speed it's designed to perform to. In reality it means very little. Autocar had an article on tyres and showed a cheapo Chinese tyre that was a carbon copy of a good brand. Due to the thread design, it had the same speed rating. When it came to the tests however, the far superior rubber compound quality in the good tyre made all the difference.
Usually the top brands have high speed rating, but don't think it's overkill, you need good quality rubber to stick to the road when you're braking hard or steering hard to avoid a hazard.

Tea 1000 · 03-02-2010 01:06PM

kc66 wrote: »

I always see people in this forum recommend to spend extra money on good tyres. I have always bought cheap tyres for my Volvo S40, around €60 each. I do a lot of mileage to/from work, around 60 miles a day. Much of the journey is a bad, bendy road. I have never skidded in the wet. I had little or no problems driving in the ice and snow we had recently. Im not a slow driver either. I haven't had to change tyres often either.
Maybe what people are saying is correct in some circumstances but with my car cheap tyres are great. But sometimes I think people are too eager to throw away their money.

Depends on what you think throwing your money away is. Some people who drive around in ultra-reliable Almearas that cost them €200 would think you threw your money away on your Volvo. Others would think anyone with a TV bigger than 14" is a pure waste. Others still think Spam is just as good as a nice juicy bacon.
At the end of the day though, there is a real difference between cheap shyte tyres and good ones. The difference between anything I listed above would largely affect only personal pleasure. The difference between tyres could potentially affect lives, others and yours. Going for a night on the beer is throwing money away. Spending €60 extra for decent tyres that'll last at least a year, maybe two years (a grand total of €2.50 per month difference over 2 years) could save your life. Thats money well spend in my books.

keithclancy · 03-02-2010 01:11PM

Tea 1000 wrote: »

Don't pay too much attention to speed rating, that's basically an indication on the thread pattern and what speed it's designed to perform to. In reality it means very little. Autocar had an article on tyres and showed a cheapo Chinese tyre that was a carbon copy of a good brand. Due to the thread design, it had the same speed rating. When it came to the tests however, the far superior rubber compound quality in the good tyre made all the difference.
Usually the top brands have high speed rating, but don't think it's overkill, you need good quality rubber to stick to the road when you're braking hard or steering hard to avoid a hazard.

Rating of the tyre is the Maximum safe speed it can handle without failure. Don't know about Ireland but here in Germany a Cheapo Chinese tyre wouldn't be TUV certified and wouldn't pass a test to be a certain speed rating if that was the case.

Thread has nothing to do with it either, they are tested as follows:

Speed ratings are based on laboratory tests where the tire is pressed against a large diameter metal drum to reflect its appropriate load, and run at ever increasing speeds (in 6.2 mph steps in 10 minute increments) until the tire's required speed has been met.

A Speed rating is based on a test, not on the thread type.

Regardless you buy the right tyre for the job.

You'll find a big price difference though between the High speed and Low speed tyres.

Besides .. you'll never go over 180km/h in Ireland anyway right

?

cantdecide · 03-02-2010 01:12PM

kc66 wrote: »

Maybe what people are saying is correct in some circumstances

I think this idea exists that any old crowd can set up a tyre factory and start producing rubbish, dangerous tyres and exporting into Europe. Can you imagine the bureaucracy and testing that tyres have to go through? IMO, the compromise is usually in comfort/ road noise and not in safety. I had a set of cheap as chips tyres fitted to my car when I knew I would be selling it and they were grand. This was in the ice and snow before Christmas, btw. No additional lives will be endangered by fitting budget tyres. Having said that, I won't compromise on road noise and refinement so I'll usually go with a premium brand, especially with low profile tyres.

OP, I bet you a pound that if one of your front tyres is bulging, then the other is in less than perfect condition too. I bet your tyre fitter will mention it before you do. If you have any more than 10,000 KM on your car (assuming these are day-one tyres) I'd say a pair of nicely priced tyres and you'll be in great shape.

Zubeneschamali · 03-02-2010 01:24PM

cantdecide wrote: »

IMO, the compromise is usually in comfort/ road noise and not in safety.

And all those tests showing measurable differences in grip are just made up!

Autocar:

The results are shocking. To get the full test results you'll need to buy autocar this month, but the results from the wet braking speak for themselves:

Continental: 31.7 metres
Nankang: 33.8 metres
GT Radial: 35.8 metres
Wanli, Triangle and Linglongs: 40.2 metres

Tea 1000 · 03-02-2010 01:24PM

cantdecide wrote: »

This was in the ice and snow before Christmas, btw. No additional lives will be endangered by fitting budget tyres. Having said that, I won't compromise on road noise and refinement so I'll usually go with a premium brand, especially with low profile tyres.

Comparing tyres in ice and snow is pointless. Better brand tyres invariably offer more grip, more grip is safer, it's as simple as that. But some people are penny wise and pound foolish and always will be.
15 people dead this year already, chances are if you asked all those before Christmas about safety etc you'd have got the "sure I've never crashed in my life" from most.

Shania · 03-02-2010 01:29PM

Kotek Besar wrote: »

I've a 2008 1.2 Corsa. Just noticed yesterday a small bulge in the front passenger tyre. I realise the tyre wants replacing, but I'm confused.

I can get a Nankang for €65, or if I want the same as what's on the car at the moment, Goodyear Excellence, I'm looking at €100. I could have a Pirelli for about €80 too, iirc.

So, is it worth paying €100 for a Goodyear Excellence, which will keep all the tyres the same? Or should I save the money and spend €65 only on the Nankang?

Will I notice any difference in the two? Is a tyre a tyre?

Sorry to be so dense.

Why is there a bulge in the tyre?
Why spend extra money on so called "quality" tyres like Goodyear Excellence if they are going to develop bulges in their sidewalls. The quality brand name doesn't appear to be worth much.

Neilw · 03-02-2010 01:33PM

Shania wrote: »

Why is there a bulge in the tyre?
Why spend extra money on so called "quality" tyres like Goodyear Excellence if they are going to develop bulges in their sidewalls. The quality brand name doesn't appear to be worth much.

The bulge is cause by the internal casing of the tyre being damaged by an impact. This will happen to any tyre regardless of price.
You are paying extra for more grip not a tyre that will withstand pothole/kerb impacts.

Learn to drive around potholes or go slower on rough roads

celticbest · 03-02-2010 01:55PM

Why not buy a part worn tyre?

I know they are a lot cheaper and you can get a top brand name, yes they might have lost one or two mm's in wear already but they will still give you the grip as a top brand type at a fraction of the price.

dizzydiesel · 03-02-2010 02:12PM

celticbest wrote: »

Why not buy a part worn tyre?

I know they are a lot cheaper and you can get a top brand name, yes they might have lost one or two mm's in wear already but they will still give you the grip as a top brand type at a fraction of the price.

I'd steer clear of 2nd hand tyres and remoulds. You don't know their history. They could have been in a car crash, uneven wear or weak.

logistic · 03-02-2010 03:55PM

Kotek Besar where you get quote for the Goodyear Excellence tyres?

Im in the same boat as yourself right now. Looking for 4 new tyres, same size 195-55-R16 currently have continental premium contact 2 on my 07 Corsa, have been quoted €110 per tyre.

peking97 · 03-02-2010 03:56PM

cantdecide wrote: »

If you have any more than 10,000 KM on your car (assuming these are day-one tyres) I'd say a pair of nicely priced tyres and you'll be in great shape.

Slightly off-topic I know but would 10,000Kms+ be considered as normal wear from a set of tyres?

Expensive tyres or cheap tyres?

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