Superb-which tyres?!

[Tuigali]

Apologies if this is a silly question, my first post. On any forum, ever!

Anyway, the time has come (again) to replace the tyres on my Superb. It has been wearing Continental Sport Contacts ever since it left the factory (5s the last few times), and I'm wondering if there is anything 'better' out there, as it's a fair amount of money to shell out, and although the media reviews are great, user ratings aren't quite as complimentary across the web.

I'm not hugely knowledgeable, but from what I can see, experience with tyres could vary vastly from car to car, so what experience has everyone had with tyres on their Superbs, and what were they?!

Seems power/weight may be a consideration, so it's a 2.0TDI CR 170. 225/40 r18. Any thoughts on vredestein ultrac sessantas?! Car is driven around town regularly, and 50 mile round trips up the motorway three times a week, I don't hang about on the motorway, but at the same time I don't race!

Thanks in advance!

[Napier]

Welcome Tuigali. My Superb came with Continentals, which seemed noisy, but the fronts were nearing renewal.

Had to swap 2 fronts on the day we collected it thanks to potholes, and all I could get quickly were Firestones. These now on the back but have worn well, but not particularly quiet. Now have Goodyear Efficientgrips on the front and am impressed. Quieter than Firestones.

If you have the 18" wheels road noise will be more prevalent. My 16" winter wheels shod with Goodyears are significantly quieter and give a smoother ride.

[Matty70]

I had Conti's on my previous Superb's. The Hankook winter tyres I ran were a lot quiter. As a recommendation you cannot go far wrong with the sessanta's. Quite a few fellow Briskies rave about them.

[silver1011]

I've heard nothing but fantastic feedback on Goodyear Efficientgrips, so much so I'll be going in for a pair of these in a few weeks to replace the factory fitted Pirelli's.

[Matty70]

Forgot welcome to Briskoda Tuigali enjoy !!!!!!!

[JakeBlade]

Welcome Tuigali.

The above suggestions for the Good Years are missing a vital word: EfficientGrip "Performance" are the ones to have (since Good Year also make a tyre that is just called "EfficientGrip").

[Superb170]

Welcome to the forum Tuigali! I'm with you on the contis. Mine are going down fast and the Goodyear efficientgrip performance are top of my list based on what I've heard here and from others too.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Penpusher]

I changed the Continentals on the front after only 12,500 miles for Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetrics.  I'm pleased with them so far and they are quiet, but time will tell if they last longer (I hope they do as I've never had such short lived tyres as the Continentals before).

[tmg]

yup - like the vred ultrac sessantas, and also quite recently uniroyal rainsport 3's - very similar from my experience - quiet, great wet grip, and very reasonable.

 

I've had michelin Pilot Super sports (great in the dry, not so great in the wet), PS2 and PS3 on various fast audis, Goodyear Eagle F1 asymmetrics (quite good actually) and continentals of various varieties (including winter tyres, which by the way were rather good).

 

I'm putting rainsports on my skoda when the conti 5's wear out, they are already on SO's touran, and are on my audi, as they are quiet, seem to wear really well, are quite comfy, and half the price of other tyres i would consider.

 

if you are running 18's or bigger I would recommend an XL rated tyre in them though, as it has a harder sidewall, and wont wallow  

 

t.

Edited 20 August, 2014 by tmg

[Noddy90]

Apologies for dragging this one out again from January, 2013.

 

 

There are people out there who say, "always go with one of the big names" or "never buy a tyre made in China" or whatever... During the last ten years, I've had Michelin, Continental, Goodyear, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Dunlop, Fulda, Firestone, Kumho, Uniroyal, Maxxis, Altenzo... And do you know what? I could barely tell the difference between any of them in normal driving. The Goodyears had a step in one of the tyres so I noticed that the subsequent Michelins were a lot quieter; the Uniroyal Rainsports got me through some spectacular standing water once, but apart from that I couldn't have actually told you which tyres I had on.

Of course, I don't go round corners on two wheels, and I like to practise the arts of anticipation and observation, so maybe I've never subjected my tyres to the sort of stresses which would "sort out the men from the boys"; the fact that my last car but one was a spiritedly driven, lime green Peugeot 207GT (I was going through a phase), though, should indicate that I'm not necessarily Mr. Slow of Slowville, Slowshire. I just drive... normally.

Anyway, I had a blow-out recently, so decided to shop around for two new fronts. I found a tyre which has an economy rating of 'B', a wet-weather braking performance of 'B' and a noise rating of 72dB. Go away and check how comparatively rare that combination is. ValueTyres has them listed as a "premium" tyre, yet I had them fitted at a local Halfords autocentre for £127 the pair. The manager told me that they perform on a par with Michelins for just over half the price; the only downside is that they might last for only 80-90% of the life of a Michelin. A Michelin that doesn't suffer a mid-term puncture or blow-out, that is! He laughs at all the brand-snobs and the suckers who insist that they "always go with one of the big names", and is insistent that the Big 6 are ripping off their customers due to misplaced "received wisdom" on the part of the market. I should add that no sales pitch was involved: I had ordered online from www.tyresavings.com who merely use Halfords as the fitters.

I'm quite sure that there will be people on this site who know better than the manager of the tyre company and who will rubbish the new system of tyre ratings, including the wet weather performance; I'm sure they'll make their opinions known. For what it's worth, I've done c.500 snowy/rainy/dry miles on the tyres now and - you guessed it - I can't tell any difference from the Michelins, the Pirellis, the Continentals... 

 

Update from a month ago: Sailun Atrezzo Z4s every day.  I've been absolutely delighted with mine - great road-holding, comfort, noise; 20,000+ on the front with 3mm left (Contis were gone at 16,000) - I'll never buy another make of tyre; they're down to about £60 a corner fitted now from ValueTyres.  Got some new ones now to go on the rear, moving the Kumho KU37s to the front; they'll then wear quicker and I can have Sailuns all round.

 

I know I'll get some grief over this - "the only bit of your car which touches the road"; "only trust the Big 6"; "they're cheap for a reason"; "when a toddler walks out into the road", blah, blah, blah... But these tyres have felt every bit as safe and secure in all weathers and at all speeds as the premium brands I've owned many times in the past.  Besides, in an emergency stop, your suspension and brakes play such a significant part that you wouldn't know what was attributable to the tyres; I don't see many people fitting carbon/ceramic brakes or uprated shocks to improve their safety...

 

Anyway, rant over.  Peace and love.

 

Update from 2 weeks ago: I also want to (again) pay tribute to the tyres: a brand new set of Sailun Atrezzo Z4s, which have provided extreme comfort and unassailable composure through everything the trip has thrown at them, including much standing water. £240 for all 4; you know where to come.

[Sprightlybob]

Brevity is the sole of wit!  My superb came from the factory with Dunlop Sports Max - crap tyres - edges wear creating dreadful noise (sawtoothing).  Switched to Conti 3s. Brilliant and got close to 50000kms and now with Michelin Primacy (made in China incidentally) Michelins are very quite and give good grip although I drive within limits of speed signs and common sense.

[Noddy90]

Brevity is the sole of wit! 

 

I'll be "wittier", then: you're wasting your money on buying so-called "premium" brands.

 

Oh, and it's "soul", not sole.

[stevehg]

I changed the Continentals on the front after only 12,500 miles for Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetrics.  I'm pleased with them so far and they are quiet, but time will tell if they last longer (I hope they do as I've never had such short lived tyres as the Continentals before).

You should, I sold my superb with 23k miles on the F1 AS2's and the fronts still had 4.5mm and rear about 6mm iirc. I had a 4x4, so you'll get more wear on the fronts, but should still see a vast improvement over the previous Contis.

[Sparkly]

What is clear is that before asking this question you should establish what you want the tyres to do for you .  I am a big advocate of Vredesteins because they have premium tyre performance but not full whack pricing, they are generally some of the quieter tyres available regardless of size, cut water well and when I took my last car to a track day (Vredestein Ultrac Cento's) the compound held up very well, where cars with Uniroyal Rainsports found their compound was extremely soft and melted, RS' are fantastic wet weather tyres but the Vredesteins also perform admirably, the harder compound may aid steering response and possibly tyre wear.

 

I am welcome to have anyone shoot me down on this but I do personally believe in buying quality tyres and also running a separate set of specific winter tyres also when temperatures drop, but base all of this on your own requirements.  It is typical internet forum stuff to have the "I run Goodyears therefore they are the best/worst" and the "I run budgets and the rest of you are mugs" camps arguing it out.  Almost certainly the two will use their cars pretty differently. They will both probably read this and think that I am calling the spirited drivers yobs and the more sedate grandpa's, I am not.

 

As said above, for general sedate driving, noise, fuel efficiency and purchase cost may be bigger concerns than ultimate grip and sidewall stiffness for example - doesn't make it wrong.  Many performance tyres have huge amounts of additional dry grip over a budget yet may prove considerably worse in wet weather.

[dieselV6]

For me nowadays it's all weathers, either Vredestein Quatrac/Quatrac Lite, or Goodyear 4 Seasons, quiet, good in the wet and sensibly priced. Main reason is to stop using winter tyres while preserving most wet/winter capability, winters were excellent but my winter mileage dropped considerably now, and I do not want to drive on 8-10 year old rubber. For Mk2 Superb double check tyre loading, as it is higher than most other cars require for the same tyre size

Edited 21 August, 2014 by dieselV6

[Kestutis]

Had goodyear efficientgrip performance on my car. The tyres were superb. The ride became softer and the tyres are very very quiet, the fuel consumption improved too. You have to be accurate because they can be damaged easily on pothole due to soft sides. Will definitely by these again. 

[Sprightlybob]

I'll be "wittier", then: you're wasting your money on buying so-called "premium" brands.

 

Oh, and it's "soul", not sole.

I was being ironic....sorry if too subtle Old chap.

[Danny 57]

Welcome Tuigali.

The above suggestions for the Good Years are missing a vital word: EfficientGrip "Performance" are the ones to have (since Good Year also make a tyre that is just called "EfficientGrip").

+ one.

[Noddy90]

I was being ironic....sorry if too subtle Old chap.

 

Yeah, sorry for being tetchy; I was in a bad mood all round.  No hard feelings?

[numskull]

I have Vredestien Ultrac Centos on mine and they seem fine, albeit they don't get fantastic ratings.

[dieseldawg]

I am after some advice too

I have a Superb with the 18's on the first pair needed replacing at 10k (nothing new for me, my local 'B' road is far to fun and happens to make up over 30 miles of my 60+ mile commute  )

The backs normally (on my A4, and on my old octavia's) last twice the fronts so for every other front pair i need a rear pair. They are now down to 2.5mm, (at 14500 miles) but i wonder if this is because i now carry a heavy weight in the boot, and combined with the pendulum effect, the XLong wheel base, means that this extra weight on the back is scrubbing the tyres away I am lucky that money is no object (well its a company car so they can foot the bill)

 

I replaced the front pair with Goodyear Eagle F1 ASM-2 (which i used to run on my Audi A4 SLine) and they are the best tyre i have ever had (in the dry and wet etc and rim protection) but in the snow,sleet, slush etc, they have made me a little nervous.

I still have my winter tyres (Maxxis) in the garage from my A4, and they will go on the front before winter (a  less grip in the dry than the ASM-2 - havent tried in sleet snow etc but wet was pretty good), i would normally put the ASM-2's on the back without the blink of an eye, but when the ASM-2's wear, they are less 'blocky'. i am after a tyre which could be doubled as a 'all seasons' winter tyre, i was looking at the Good year Excellence, but cant find them in the speed rating i need..(and less rim potection  ).. does anyone know of anything similar??

 

Thanks,

Dan

[JakeBlade]

I am after some advice too

I have a Superb with the 18's on the first pair needed replacing at 10k (nothing new for me, my local 'B' road is far to fun and happens to make up over 30 miles of my 60+ mile commute  )

The backs normally (on my A4, and on my old octavia's) last twice the fronts so for every other front pair i need a rear pair. They are now down to 2.5mm, (at 14500 miles) but i wonder if this is because i now carry a heavy weight in the boot, and combined with the pendulum effect, the XLong wheel base, means that this extra weight on the back is scrubbing the tyres away I am lucky that money is no object (well its a company car so they can foot the bill)

 

I replaced the front pair with Goodyear Eagle F1 ASM-2 (which i used to run on my Audi A4 SLine) and they are the best tyre i have ever had (in the dry and wet etc and rim protection) but in the snow,sleet, slush etc, they have made me a little nervous.

I still have my winter tyres (Maxxis) in the garage from my A4, and they will go on the front before winter (a  less grip in the dry than the ASM-2 - havent tried in sleet snow etc but wet was pretty good), i would normally put the ASM-2's on the back without the blink of an eye, but when the ASM-2's wear, they are less 'blocky'. i am after a tyre which could be doubled as a 'all seasons' winter tyre, i was looking at the Good year Excellence, but cant find them in the speed rating i need..(and less rim potection  ).. does anyone know of anything similar??

 

Thanks,

Dan

Dan, a W speed rating (168mph) is more than adequate for your motor, unless you're expecting to get towed by a TGV at some point: http://www.camskill.co.uk/m61b0s134p105432/Goodyear_Tyres_Car_Goodyear_Excellence_-_225_40_R18_92W_XL_%28FO%29_FP_TL_Fuel_Eff_%3A_E_Wet_Grip%3A_B_NoiseClass%3A_1_Noise%3A_69dB

[dieseldawg]

Hi Jake, 

I appreciate that but does that have any impact on the warranty? I cant see why? the car isn't that old!

 

Cheers,

Dan

Edited 4 September, 2014 by dieseldawg

[JakeBlade]

Shouldn't impact the warranty.

They only leave the factory with Y rated tyres as the deal with the tyre manufacturers will be paying them to do so - oops, wash my mouth out with soap and water.

[NPR]

I've just purchased an Elegance and got the dealer to put on Michelin Primacy 3 ST. I've read lots of hyper-marketing on these, but the hook for me was the 'made for Australian/Asian roads'. The coarse chip roads here in Victoria are horrible for in-cabin noise and for someone who does 38K a year on highways, I'm willing to be swayed by the rhetoric.

I did a test run on a particular nasty section of road at 110k/hr and recorded the dBs with the demonstrator running on Continental Contact 2's. I got an average range of 80-82, which was better than my Octavia I was about to trade (81-84).

Now before I get into trouble with my methodology, please take these figures as amateur farting-about, not rigorous science. ;-)

With the new car in hand (PS, love it!) shod with the Michelins, dB was 79-81 on the coarse chip. Not a great difference but it was audible. I'm fairly confident though they did make a difference. Siri at least understands me now, as best as she can.

Furthermore, they are a reasonably comfortable tyre with softer sidewalks and I've yet to experience any grip issues.

Regardless, I'm a very happy member of the Superb owners group.

Cheers!