Landsail LS988 and LS388 review - score 1/10

[Nathanio]

I picked up my 'new' Superb last month from a Skoda Dealer as an approved used car. When I looked at the car I was disappointed to see Landsail tyres fitted to it as they looked like they are made of plastic and have the type of tread pattern that is noisy. The dealer took umbrage to my comments about the tyres (especially as one of them still had the sticker on, LS388 front offside corner). He pulled out the old ‘they’re as good as premium tyres’ line.

I thought I’d give them a 1000 miles to see how I got on with them and then consider changing them.

Well the drone on the drive home really took the shine off the car and left me disappointed with the fact someone would fit something like this to the car. The directional open tread of the LS988 seems to cause an awful racket inside the car and at 70MPH had this drilling type sound. Move the speed up to beyond 70MPH and it did reduce in frequency and in pitch.

LS388 Label

Economy / Wet / Noise

C / C / 70dB

LS988 Label

Economy / Wet / Noise

B / B / 72dB

Here are my scores:

Wet Weather – 1/10

Downright scary is the first description. The TC and ABS can tripped in with consummate ease. It doesn’t take much to light the tyres up from a standstill.

There is a particular tiny rise near work at a set of traffic lights. If there is raining or damp, I have to let the throttle out so slowly to the point of rolling back or it spins up the wheels. Even on flat surfaces, grab a small amount of throttle to gain speed and you can hear them begin to fizz up.

Braking distances are much longer than the GY F1A2 shod twindoor or Bridgestone S001 shod comb I had before. I now leave double distance to the car in front as I’m just not confident that the car will stop in time. This morning braking from 15MPH to stationary induced the ABS to kick in. Felt that once or twice in my twindoor in 3years of ownership when emergency braking. Not just pulling up to a stop.

Third gear, damp road, 1300RPM on the dial; increase pressure on the throttle gently to get up to speed and you guessed it…. Wheelspin in a straight line!

This sounds very dramatic but I honestly have never felt a car feel so nervous in wet weather. They are significantly worse with full tread than the F1A2 at 1.6MM. Having a car feel like its transitioning between under and oversteer on the same roundabout at 15MPH is not fun and ruins the capabilities of the car.

Dry Weather – 4/10

In the dry, with a warm road to run on they aren’t too bad. The nervous feeling isn’t there but they still don’t inspire much confidence. Turn in is sloppy, mid corner feels non-committal and the exit is pushing wide.

However; now the road surface has cooled down, so has the already tame performance. Wheelspin is possible when pulling out from junctions, ABS can be kicked in with relative ease. A glassy feeling under the front wheels has appeared and the lack of confidence in them has increased.

Once again the car has been ruined through the fitting of cheap, badly performing tyres.

Price (fitted)

LS988 225/40/18 92W XL £52 ea @ Halfords Auto Centre

LS388 – Can’t find a price fitted at a tyre place! Camskill don’t sell either. Maybe an eBay special?

Conclusions

Overall a shocking tyre that doesn’t come anywhere near its ratings. It make a mockery of the system as people will look for those as guidance. They need to be tested by an independent body and then rated rather than self-certified.

I’m lucky that the dealer has actually fitted non-conforming tyres to the car and Skoda are changing them out for the correct ratings. They only come in 92W fitment and the car as many will know the fitment in 18in is 92Y. So I only have another week of having to suffer them.

Do yourself a favour and buy something better; Falken ZE914 is much better and not much more expensive.

Possibly the worse tyre I have ever had the displeasure of using.

[ColinD]

Excellent notes. It's very important to remember that tyres are our connection to the black stuff and all the laws of physics have to be communicated through effectively four hand-sized points.

 

The superb for her size is great when on good rubber. When the tyres are changed, enjoy your 2nd new car this quarter

[Phil-E]

Just got rid of some cheapo tyres. Arrowspeed N1000 and Kenda Kaiser (yeah... your guess is as good as mine!)

 

People who say "budget tyres are as good as premium" clearly have never had decent tyres before!

 

It's funny your comments on the droning. Mine had a similar tread pattern to what you describe and they also droned like mad (like you say it's like a drilling and made me think I had a wheel bearing starting to fail!)

 

I also nearly spun the car driving at less than 25mph through the centre of town the other week. Awful!

[Jeeves]

It's fair to say that the premium brands get it right most of the time whereas the budget brands don't; but you also have to factor in cost. Each driver makes that compromise in some way, but the more savvy know what they're looking for.  In either camp there can be exceptional (good or bad relative to their budget/mid/premium competitors) and Landsail actually beat Michelin in one European test about 18 months ago.  VW in China have also decided to fit Landsail as OE over there (for the Chinese market).

 

Within each tyre it's also possible to get a substandard batch, although I'd suggest this is more likely at the cheaper end of the market.

 

Just because I speak Arabic (I don't) doesn't make me...  You get the picture...

[cheezemonkhai]

I'd stick some cross climate or nokian weatherproof on there to see you through the colder months and summer too.

[Nathanio]

To add to this; I had a bit of a moment today. Driving down the road at less than 30mph on dry tarmac, idiot on bike rides across the road between moving cars and into my side. As I hit the brakes the ABS kicked in and the car came to a screeching halt...on dry tarmac!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVHjbeV5Bpg&feature=youtu.be

 

Video of the incident and how loud the screech is. 

 

He couldn't be seen until I was almost on him due to the Sportage blocking him.

 

 

Excellent notes. It's very important to remember that tyres are our connection to the black stuff and all the laws of physics have to be communicated through effectively four hand-sized points.

 

The superb for her size is great when on good rubber. When the tyres are changed, enjoy your 2nd new car this quarter

 

Thanks Colin. GY F1A3 will be fitted and no doubt make the car more akin to what I was used to with my twindoor.

 

Just got rid of some cheapo tyres. Arrowspeed N1000 and Kenda Kaiser (yeah... your guess is as good as mine!)

 

People who say "budget tyres are as good as premium" clearly have never had decent tyres before!

 

It's funny your comments on the droning. Mine had a similar tread pattern to what you describe and they also droned like mad (like you say it's like a drilling and made me think I had a wheel bearing starting to fail!)

 

I also nearly spun the car driving at less than 25mph through the centre of town the other week. Awful!

 

I have had 4 sets of budgets on several cars we have bought over the years. Federal something which were noisy but actually pretty good performing. Jinyu and Evergreen on the Fabia II and they were reasonable in the dry but shocking in the wet! Over and understeer in the same corner! Now these. None of them have been anywhere near even mid-range tyres (Vredestein SporTrac3, Falken ZE912/914, Kumhos) let alone decent tyres from a big brand. 

 

It's fair to say that the premium brands get it right most of the time whereas the budget brands don't; but you also have to factor in cost. Each driver makes that compromise in some way, but the more savvy know what they're looking for.  In either camp there can be exceptional (good or bad relative to their budget/mid/premium competitors) and Landsail actually beat Michelin in one European test about 18 months ago.  VW in China have also decided to fit Landsail as OE over there (for the Chinese market).

 

Within each tyre it's also possible to get a substandard batch, although I'd suggest this is more likely at the cheaper end of the market.

 

Just because I speak Arabic (I don't) doesn't make me...  You get the picture...

 

I have had some poor premium brand tyres. Dunlop SportMaxx (original not the later RT or GT) Pirelli P6000 and Bridgestone S001. They were either noisy, uncomfortable, poor grip or in the wet weather. I also really liked the Michelin PS3 when I first got them, by 3mm they had changed and weren't as good. IIRC the original Eagle F1 was not well received and had damning reviews; however the F1A2 is amazing and had top reviews from nearly everything.

 

I did find the test you were referring to and I think its more damning of the Michelin than praising the Landsails. Several other 'reviews' I've looked at on line for Landsail come across as nothing more than paid for adverts and don't come across well. They also still came low in the rankings. I can't find anything about VW fitting Landsail to their cars in China, but wouldn't surprise me it is more political. 

 

Some of the budget brands have come up over the years. Hankook is the first that springs to mind. Nexen appear to be heading that way with some OEs now fitting as out of factory tyres. Good on them as long as they keep it up.

 

I'd stick some cross climate or nokian weatherproof on there to see you through the colder months and summer too.

 

Goodyear F1A3 for me as I live on the south coast still and its so mild here! I was impressed with the F1A2 in low temperature on cold tarmac. I do have a set of those hessian sack wheel cover things for emergencies and they worked incredibly well when I had to use them. 

 

I am going to fit All Seasons to our Fabia as the wife is going to be driving on the downs in cold temps.

[Jeeves]

My mistake, it was Linglong not Landsail.

I've had acceptable results with some budgets when picked wisely for an end-of-life application (the car's, not mine), but equally I once bought a set of wheels where the mounted tyres were only fit for protecting the rims in transit.