Longlasting tyre recommendation

kerten

A friend asked my opinion about tyre choice for his 2005 s class. 9 months ago we agreed on Continental premium contact 2s for a safety, comfort and good grip. He bought 4 for 800E and now rears are have 2k miles life on them after 10k miles. Fronts seems to last for another 5k.

Before buying contis I suggested him to go for cheaper options like Kumho ecsta KU31, Hankook ventus S1 or Uniroyal rainsports around 125-150 euro each with expectancy of similar life on a heavy car like that.

As he does motorway driving in speed limits, now he is into route of mid range longerlasting tyres without compromising safety too much. comfort is less important for him now

I am a grip and comfort guy when it comes to tyres so question is hard to answer for me.

Which brand/models do you suggest guys ?

mickdw

What size tyres does he have?

freestyla

I have very good experience with Kumho Ecsta SPT (KU31) -driven some 12k and still looks superb honestly even on rear wheels with occasional drift spin!

kerten

mickdw wrote: »

What size tyres does he have?

225/55/17 I guess they are.

tossy

mickdw wrote: »

What size tyres does he have?

Thank you! I don't think people realise the size of the tyre is probably one of the biggest factors in how long it will last.

It's an S class so i am going to guess it has at the very least 18" wheels? 10k done and around 2 k left ? 12k is a good yield from an 18" tyre (width/profile unknown)

kerten wrote: »

225/55/17 I guess they are.

On an S class?

mailforkev

I know my father put a set of 18 inch Kumhos of some sort on his barge a couple of years back and they are wearing very well, was a recommendation from the guy in the garage.
I'm knocking over to them later so I'll have a look for the model.

Edit: he has Kumho Ecsta SPT all round.

kerten

freestyla wrote: »

I have very good experience with Kumho Ecsta SPT (KU31) -driven some 12k and still looks superb honestly even on rear wheels with occasional drift spin!

Which car do you use them on ?

I have similar experience(grip and comfort) with them on a lighter car but I wouldn't nominate them as longlasting one due to soft rubber compound. I may be wrong though

kerten

tossy wrote: »

Thank you! I don't think people realise the size of the tyre is probably one of the biggest factors in how long it will last.

It's an S class so i am going to guess it has at the very least 18" wheels? 10k done and around 2 k left ? 12k is a good yield from an 18" tyre (width/profile unknown)




On an S class?

I am not into mercs too much but I am sure they are 17'' and 225 in width. not so sure about profile. I will check with him.

I agree that S class will eat tyres quickly. My questions is :

Can we get better mileage by compromising comfort but not safety on this car with a different tyre ?

freestyla

kerten wrote: »

Which car do you use them on ?

I have similar experience(grip and comfort) with them on a lighter car but I wouldn't nominate them as longlasting one due to soft rubber compound. I may be wrong though

Mine are 225/55/16 on a Skyline R34 (=1400 kg).. don't know how they wear our with lower profile tyres on a nearly 2 ton Merc..

kerten

freestyla wrote: »

Mine are 225/55/16 on a Skyline R34 (=1400 kg).. don't know how they wear our with lower profile tyres on a nearly 2 ton Merc..

I think yours can be classed a tyre eater easily

Two thumbs up for Kumhos so far, worth to check for sure.

creedp

kerten wrote: »

I think yours can be classed a tyre eater easily

Two thumbs up for Kumhos so far, worth to check for sure.

I have 225/50/17 Kumho Ecsta KU31 on the front of an S-Max for 19k miles and they are getting pretty close to min at this point. Now the S-Max is heavy on front tyres but a lot of the mileage 12k plus is motorway so Im not overly impressed by longevity. However, I'm not the easiest on the left or right pedals (or at least that's what I get told constantly) so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Previously I have Michelin Premacy tyres and got about 18k on them but with a lot more city/national road driving.

kerten

creedp wrote: »

I have 225/50/17 Kumho Ecsta KU31 on the front of an S-Max for 19k miles and they are getting pretty close to min at this point. Now the S-Max is heavy on front tyres but a lot of the mileage 12k plus is motorway so Im not overly impressed by longevity. However, I'm not the easiest on the left or right pedals (or at least that's what I get told constantly) so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Previously I have Michelin Premacy tyres and got about 18k on them but with a lot more city/national road driving.

Thanks for the feedback. Assuming Smax is diesel, I still think 19k miles with Kumhos is a good mileage when you factor in price. At the time we were buying tyres, prices were like below.

Kumhos :140E
Contis : 200 E
Michelin Primacy :210E

I was thinking Primacy is a long lasting tyre targeting motorway drivers but you just killed that thought

Mr.David

You need to get a tyre with a silica based compound.

Traditionally, softer = more grip and conversely harder = less grip.

Silica based compounds (expensive so generally found in the premium tyres only) negate this, so you can get the best of both worlds.

Check out Dunlop SP Sport Maxx perhaps.

b318isp

I have tried the Kumho Ecsta KU31 on the front of our Ford Galaxy and I have been very disappointed with their life - they are on exactly a year/10,000 miles, but have only about 2mm of thread left. I reckon I'll need new ones in the next 2-3 months (say 12,000 miles).

Before that, I had Conti Sport Copntact 2s which survived 25,000 miles with one rotation - so, I'd guess good for 18,000 miles.

The premium for the Contis would cover the extra durability. I'd also mark the Kumho as only average on grip. At this price range, I'd suggest the Toyo Proxes - slightly better grip and wear for similar money to the Ecstas.

To the OP: I'd also suggest that the Merc owner gets used to checking tyre pressures regularly. Low profile tyres mask low pressure easily and this can lead to premature wearing - this is free, but can massively affect how long tyres last under load. A four wheel suspension alignment every 2 years would be money well spent.

b318isp

Mr.David wrote: »

You need to get a tyre with a silica based compound.

Traditionally, softer = more grip and conversely harder = less grip.

Silica based compounds (expensive so generally found in the premium tyres only) negate this, so you can get the best of both worlds.

Check out Dunlop SP Sport Maxx perhaps.

Silica is the main rubber used in winter tyres as it remains pliable at lower temperatures. However, at higher temperatures, the rubber will wear faster as it becomes too soft.

kerten

b318isp wrote: »

I have tried the Kumho Ecsta KU31 on the front of our Ford Galaxy and I have been very disappointed with their life - they are on exactly a year/10,000 miles, but have only about 2mm of thread left. I reckon I'll need new ones in the next 2-3 months (say 12,000 miles).

Before that, I had Conti Sport Copntact 2s which survived 25,000 miles with one rotation - so, I'd guess good for 18,000 miles.

The premium for the Contis would cover the extra durability. I'd also mark the Kumho as only average on grip. At this price range, I'd suggest the Toyo Proxes - slightly better grip and wear for similar money to the Ecstas.

To the OP: I'd also suggest that the Merc owner gets used to checking tyre pressures regularly. Low profile tyres mask low pressure easily and this can lead to premature wearing - this is free, but can massively affect how long tyres last under load. A four wheel suspension alignment every 2 years would be money well spent.

That sounds opposite of creedp's experience. I think type of roads may cause difference like that.

Do you do motorway driving or national/backroads type of driving?

My friend checks pressures frequently and there is no uneven wear on tyres. I think it is not a low profile tyre from what I see.They are down around 3-3.5 mms evenly after 10k miles.

I am not sure if he will chance another more expensive tyre to test mileage like conti SC2 or dunlop Maxx.

I think he is looking for mid-range decent tyres like Kumho/Hankook/Firestone/Uniroyal.

b318isp

kerten wrote: »

That sounds opposite of creedp's experience. I think type of roads may cause difference like that.

For my comparison, that's nothing to do with it as my driving doesn't change. I've tried Kumho, Falken and Toyo at this mid price level and my experience is that Kumho are worst and Toyo best.

b318isp

kerten wrote: »

They are down around 3-3.5 mms evenly after 10k miles.

Do you mean that they have worn 3/3.5mm after 10k miles? That sounds fine to me. There could be another 10k in them.

creedp

kerten wrote: »

That sounds opposite of creedp's experience. I think type of roads may cause difference like that.

Do you do motorway driving or national/backroads type of driving?

My friend checks pressures frequently and there is no uneven wear on tyres. I think it is not a low profile tyre from what I see.They are down around 3-3.5 mms evenly after 10k miles.

I am not sure if he will chance another more expensive tyre to test mileage like conti SC2 or dunlop Maxx.

I think he is looking for mid-range decent tyres like Kumho/Hankook/Firestone/Uniroyal.

Most of my driving is now motorway, rest city/national road. I think that makes a big difference to tyre wear on the s-max because its difficult to keep the front from scrabbing on start/stop driving .. you need to very careful with the clutch .. you either take off like the clappers or it cuts out. The previous premacys were mostly used in city/national road driving and they didn't last as long as I expected.

In relation to grip Im not too enamoured with the Kuhmos .. they seem to lose traction very easily on take off in the wet .. the previous premacy's were much better in this regard. There is a difference of course .. the Kumho's were €150 a corner, whereas the Premacy's were €195.

kerten

b318isp wrote: »

Do you mean that they have worn 3/3.5mm after 10k miles? That sounds fine to me. There could be another 10k in them.

I am guessing tread depths numbers by looking at them. Local tyreplace told him the he will have max 2k miles off these tyres. Maybe he wants to sell some tyres quickly.

I remember I have read that some tyres have different wearing rates at different tread depths so you may be right.

kerten

kerten wrote: »

............. I think it is not a low profile tyre from what I see.They are down around 3-3.5 mms evenly after 10k miles. .............

If it's a 17" 225 wide tyre on an S class there's no way it's low profile

b318isp

kerten wrote: »

Local tyreplace told him the he will have max 2k miles off these tyres

:eek:

Find a new tyre place! With 3mm wear, the tyres are coming into their optimum state!

kerten

creedp wrote: »

Most of my driving is now motorway, rest city/national road. I think that makes a big difference to tyre wear on the s-max because its difficult to keep the front from scrabbing on start/stop driving .. you need to very careful with the clutch .. you either take off like the clappers or it cuts out. The previous premacys were mostly used in city/national road driving and they didn't last as long as I expected.

In relation to grip Im not too enamoured with the Kuhmos .. they seem to lose traction very easily on take off in the wet .. the previous premacy's were much better in this regard. There is a difference of course .. the Kumho's were €150 a corner, whereas the Premacy's were €195.

I agree with you about effect of different road surface on tyre life. Motorway should be easiest on the tyre. What I see so far Kumho and Toyos are good mid range options even they do similar mileage to Contis.

RoverJames wrote: »

If it's a 17" 225 wide tyre on an S class there's no way it's low profile

Agreed. They are 225/55/17.

b318isp wrote: »

:eek:

Find a new tyre place! With 3mm wear, the tyres are coming into their optimum state!

I was trying to understand your comment but I noticed it is my bad wording.:o

I tried to mean that tread depths are down to 3mm at the moment. I think it is better to change them around 2-2.5 mm tread depth depends on quality of tyre.

b318isp

kerten wrote: »

I tried to mean that tread depths are down to 3mm at the moment. I think it is better to change them around 2-2.5 mm tread depth depends on quality of tyre.

OK, that could have been my bad interpretation too. I tend to let my tyres run down towards the legal limit before changing them as there is good life still at 2.5mm of thread left. However, this is balanced by an increased risk of aquaplaning as the thread depth diminishes, but I've never experienced this in over 20 years of driving.