Are ditch finders REALLY that bad. (Honest review)

[Martin306]

Bear in mind that good tyres tend to perform well once they are worn.

Cheap tyres can perform OK when new and drop off very quickly once worn. I've even heard stories of them being coated in an outer layer of very soft rubber that performs well in tests but wears away quickly to leave cheap, hard rubber underneath...

Good quality tyres also tend to last longer, so if you're keeping the car cheap tyres can be a false economy as well as a safety concern.

I had Goodyear Eagle F1 on my Volvo V70 T5, they got down to about 5mm of tread on the front, at which point the water can no longer escape from the centre bands. this resulted in the car understeering even at low speeds in the wet.

So there's a great example of a good performing tyre, when new, being absolutely terrible with hardly any wear on it.

[Midnightclub]

I'd like to know which Eagle F1's you had, my AS2's were fine even down to 1.9mm - i'm likely running a different size to that though.

[Martin306]

I'd like to know which Eagle F1's you had, my AS2's were fine even down to 1.9mm - i'm likely running a different size to that though.

They were AS2 in 225/45/17 Y with a load index of 91. Could have been a friday batch with shit rubber?

Absolutely fine braking and accelerating, just not cornering when it was wet. My tracking was spot on too as, at the time, I had recently replaced all of the suspension.

Of course I've not tried AS3's - which replaced all AS2's.

[welshpug]

sounds like fwd volvos in general

[Martin306]

sounds like fwd volvos in general

My 850 was absolutely fine, but it was 990Kg on just the front axle   think it was 515Kg on the back. It drove like a big heavy 106, lift off oversteer on demand.

Absolutely hosed tuned Mk2 Focus ST's down the 1/4 mile though with a shagged turbo.

Never got the chance to take it back down once I fitted the 550 injectors and the big turbo, used to spin 5th in the wet m9 innit bruv bare fast. Think it was 270hp at the wheels from memory.

My V70 was about 235ish.

Related to topic because I was using NS2R on the 850 (and that is a tyre) on 16x7" pro race 1.2 cos that's how I roll. 

[Midnightclub]

Interesting, mine were 255/35/18 and i think the load rating was the same? Never had anything like what you described though. I have the AS3's now and they're just as good/a bit better than the AS2's

[C2K]

For me it's simple, for a number of reasons. There are 4 black rubber circles that keep your car on the road. Nothing else has as big an influence as these, aside from the actions of your right foot. At any given time, no tyre can exceed 100% of it's available grip, and that grip capability is spread amongst several actions - especially on an FWD, such as braking, turning, reacting to road furniture or debris, accelerating etc and that available tread is circumstantial based on condition, weather, temperature etc. Wet grip rating is a snap-shot in time for a brand new tyre in test circumstances - and we all know how accurate the emissions test cycle for a new car is. Premium tyres will offer relatively more grip, and retain more of that grip in the changing circumstances due to extensive tyre compound, manufacturing method improvements and tread pattern research - budgets are often 'old' designs.

I will only buy good quality, or so-called 'premium' tyres. Why? One of the best decision making pieces of advice I was given is "Could your conscience live with the decisions you made?" Well, I carry my 8 month old daughter in the car, and as such I want to know that in the event something that I could not have predicted happen (e.g. spilled load, child runs out, accident happens in front of me) that I gave myself the best possible chance of doing something about it. I like to drive enthusiastically (when not carrying my family) and am known for being "last of the late brakers" by my best mate. These are the same reasons I run winter tyres, which happen to be Continentals.

Budgets have a place, I do not deny this, but they have no place with me. Some people do not drive spiritedly, only ever pootle around town and not drive in torrential rain on the motorway at 70mph, nip to the shops now and again like my wife's grandmother. People who do not do a lot of miles will generally, like my brother, find that tyres will reach the 5 year age lifespan (at which point they should ideally be replaced) and even suffer cracking of the sidewalls or tread, before getting anywhere near the tread blocks and feel they didn't "get their money's worth". These are the people who go into Kwik Fit or your local tyre shop and ask for "a tyre". My first car had Nankangs on the front axle, and they were utterly utterly useless in the wet even at 7mm tread.

There is no way that people cannot tell the difference between a budget and a premium when pushing on. Having said that, some tyre sizes just take the piss and that's also understood. A budget on my golf's 19s will set you back 1/4 of the cost of a Michelin PS4....