Having completed 46.000 miles from new, the Continental Eco Contacts on the front wheels of my 03 Fabia saloon are now down to the 1.6mm limit (Backs are at 3.5mm).

If I replace just the fronts, will they (or the backs) wear quicker than if I replace back and fronts together ?

Also, as far as replacement brands are concerned, I'm looking for something which don't give such a hard ride as the Continentals but which are just as long-lifed.

Any ideas ? I've been looking at Pirellis and Michelins in this respect (More expensive) - I've assumed that Bridgestone's will be just as hard as the Contis and that Avons will be too soft.

Obviously, I won't be contemplating mixing brands as between front and back axles, but wonder whether, having run the same brand on the same vehicle for so long, whether its preferable to stay with that brand in order to minimise the changes in wear patterns on other components i.e wheel bearings and suspension bushes and the like.

Nick

replacing the fronts only wont have any effect on the wearing of the tyres...or will it effect bearing/bush wear....imo if you got 46k out the tyres i'd replace with them if you can still get them...i never understand why the average motorist buy expensive tyres as most would'nt know the difference between a £60 tyre and a £100 tyre...

yes if your driving hard constantly or doing high speeds but for day to day commuting cheaper tyres do the job..

The only way mixing brand 1 and brand 2 as axle sets will cause different wear rates (other than compound and/or construction) is if one pair has better grip and you make a habit of exploiting same, which doesn't seem to be the case.

Warwick, on your "why buy expensive tyres" point, have you ever mixed very different grip levels front and rear? I have, and would be worried about the competence of anyone who couldn't feel the grip imbalance (Toyo CF-1 vs Barum Brilliantis, so about £60 vs £50 a tyre, hardly a 2 to 1 cost ratio).

Price range I've been looking at is £50-£70 fully fiited.

Car gets used mainly for commuting - 6 miles each way, 5 days a week over london suburban roads, with very occasional outings onto motorways for journeys up to 200 miles + once a year thrash of 700 mile each way to Europe for annual hols.

Have also taken a look at Barums. They are supposedly Continental's budget brand and come in about £10 cheaper than Eco contacs. Probably just as hard/stiff though.

Nick

Edited 8 June, 201016 yr by Clunkclick

I tend to drive quickly, on fairly quiet country roads, and would take nothing to do with Barums, because they're made of concrete! I didn't really manage to evalute relative wear rates due to the car dying about a year after I got the Toyos (and I was comparing H-rated tyres on a Citroen Xantia, so this is potentially relevant if you don't have a vRS).

all im saying is you could take an average 100 daily commuters and put £100+ tyres on one day and £60 another and 99% couldnt tell the difference..

why do some men wear armani jeans and other levi's? twice the price but look the same....

as i said ..different if you track day/drive hard or car is high performance.....

If you can stretch your budget get bridgestones ER300 they give plenty of mileage, and are good in both dry and wet. They came out top in a recent autoexpress survey for dry braking and cornering. I find them to be verygood in wet also and i've never aquaplaned with these, whereas i did so with kumho ku31 and toyo t1-r's on another car.

They give very good rolling resistance also so you will find better mpg compared to the conti's which are probably one of the worst for economy and comfort.

On the subject of ER 300's.. is there a close replacement (but cheaper) option? I was thinking T1r's or KU31's.. But Im only replacing 2..

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyres_For/Skoda/Fabia-vRS.htm

'Clunkclick' 08 June 2010

Having completed 46.000 miles from new, the Continental Eco Contacts on the front wheels of my 03 Fabia saloon are now down to the 1.6mm limit (Backs are at 3.5mm).

What is your secret in long life Continentals, as I have had two sets on the front and at 15,000 miles and down to 2/3 m/m tread were replaced ???

Thanks.

Edited 8 June, 201016 yr by giandougl

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyres_For/Skoda/Fabia-vRS.htm

Woo.. very useful! thanks!

These are well thought of in most reviews I have read.

I'm just about to order 4 of 'em

http://www.camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m62b0s344p12904

'Clunkclick' 08 June 2010

Having completed 46.000 miles from new, the Continental Eco Contacts on the front wheels of my 03 Fabia saloon are now down to the 1.6mm limit (Backs are at 3.5mm).

What is your secret in long life Continentals, as I have had two sets on the front and at 15,000 miles and down to 2/3 m/m tread were replaced ???

Thanks.

I don't know, are you driving a diesel VRS ? If so, for starters that's a minimum of an extra 30 HP , 3 times the NM of torque, more powerful brakes and a little more weight than my petrol saloon.

I suppose I don't tend to do the things which would give rise to high wear - .Most of the mileage has been done one-up, unladen on the straight and level well maintained roads of suburban North-West London (Few sections over a 30 limit). I don't regularly floor it in low gear for traffic light starts and tend to short-shift to get up to 4th and a normal tootling around speed of 30-40 MPH. I don't tend to do high speed braking on motorways or much high speed cornering ( ) .

The Conti's are generally customer assessed as a low wear tyre.

These tyres have lasted better than the starting set I had on my last car, a VW Golf Mk 1. I think they were Michelins and they only went to 27,000. Both cars driven in more or less the same environment and fashion.

Afterthought: My car's equipped with the Electronic diff - default position "On". I wonder if this plays a part in easing the burden on tyres ?

Seriously, if your driving the VRS, I would expect the life-span of tyres to be down on mine.

Nick

Edited 8 June, 201016 yr by Clunkclick

'Clunkclick' date='08 June 2010

I don't know, are you driving a diesel VRS ?

The Conti's are generally customer assessed as a low wear tyre.

Seriously, if your driving the VRS, I would expect the life-span of tyres to be down on mine.

Hello Clunkclick,

Yes ! I am driving a Fabia VRS, and reading your initial statement realise your model you were referring too.

Continental Sport Contact 2 were originally fitted from car being new with a further set fitted on the front at 15,000 miles, with them needing replacing at 30,000 miles.

However the rear Continental tyres were changed at 40,000 miles with 3m/m tread and started to perish in walls of tyres.