Hi guys,

Just had a service on my 2007 Diesel VRS octavia and was told i need 4 new tyres as they are down to their limits.

First off let me get this off my chest, I'm not a boy racer, I drive sensible, and do roughly 20,000 miles per year.

I've has a look around and it seems that most tyres start at around £90 per corner (Halfords AutoCentre are currently doing Firestone SZ90 for £90 fitted).

I've also phoned a smaller garage and was told that i can get 4 budget tyres for £260 total (£65 a corner).

What to do? Is it false economy to buy budget tyres for someone doing 20,000miles per year? Is it worth me spending a little extra to get economical tyres to improve mpg?

The reason this is a difficult decision for me is that i'm currently in the process of a house move and the full service plus tyres its creeping around £600-700, this is money i dont have right now! :-(

Many thanks

P.s. Currently there are Pilot Sport 3 tyres on all 4 corners and these are about £130 each

going from pilot sport 3's to budgets you WILL notice a difference! If your keeping the car a while then i would fork out for decent tyres.

Have you tried looking here for prices: www.blackcircles.com

Also check the tyres yourself first to see how bad they really are.

Also check the tyres yourself first to see how bad they really are.

When you say check the tyres how do i check them without paying for them, getting them fitted, and then throwing the car around a corner? Surely it's too late to take them back then?

When you say check the tyres how do i check them without paying for them, getting them fitted, and then throwing the car around a corner? Surely it's too late to take them back then?

Sorry, I meant check your existing tyres to see if they really need changing.

I had some budgets on an Alfa 147 when I bought it once. Changing the tyres to a good brand made a big difference to grip and road noise. On the Octavia I stick to Pirelli P6000's on all corners. Not the sportiest but better than budgets.

Sorry, I meant check your existing tyres to see if they really need changing.

Yeah have checked mine and all 4 are down to the wear indicators in the tread pattern. Whoops. (Guess this is a matter of urgency for both safety and law)

I had some budgets on an Alfa 147 when I bought it once. Changing the tyres to a good brand made a big difference to grip and road noise. On the Octavia I stick to Pirelli P6000's on all corners. Not the sportiest but better than budgets.

Okay just had a phone around and can get the P6000 for £106 per corner. Guess thats the way to go then?

Thanks guys

If you do 20k a year I'm presuming that includes all weathers and more longer/higher speed journeys?

What size tyres are they? At a minimum I'd be looking at Hankook/Falken.

I wouldn't go for budget tyres if you plan on keeping it.

Edit: I couldn't recommend the P6000s, they are an old design and I'm sure there are better tyres for the money now.

Edited 17 July, 201213 yr by vrsTom

Somthing from khumo, vredestein, even nexen is good (bad?) as the pirellis, but much cheaper.

Edit: I couldn't recommend the P6000s, they are an old design and I'm sure there are better tyres for the money now.

Agree. I had p6000's on a previous car and they were pretty poor for a "premium" brand.

Check out mytyres.co.uk good pricing useful for benchmarking the prices your local place is giving you.

Lots of choice at sub £110 a corner from the prestige brands, bridgestone re050a, pirelli pzero etc.

Don't scrimp on tyres, not worth it, they could be the difference between you staying alive or getting killed. You may not be a boy racer but even the best drivers are not immune from accidents so it's best to mitigate against it.

I always buy middle of the road. The super cheap stuff tends to be rock hard and teh dear stuff.. we'll I've never had the money for the dear stuff.

I've Maxxis MAZ1 all round, I was £86 a corner fitted. I think they're fine. TBH that doesn't sound like a bad deal for the Firestones. But I thought they were sold as Bridgestone in the UK?

Falken FK 452 are less than £100 a corner.

If you're buying 4 ask about a discount as you regularly can get it down to 4 tyres for the price of three.

That goes for all tyres, not just the above.

Edited 17 July, 201213 yr by cheezemonkhai

I refuse to skimp on tyres or brakes, I spend a lot of time on the motorway and I want to be sure that if something happens that when I hit the brakes, no matter what the weather is like, the car is going to stop. I refuse to buy budget tyres and change mine at 3mm rather than waiting for them to get to the wear marker... May be more expensive than budget tyres etc but I look on it as an insurance policy for my (and others) life

As suggested, shop around and see what offers are out there, tyreshopper often have some good deals (like the Goodyear Eagle F1s I had fitted last year for £128 a corner instead of over £160).

Avon ZZ3s are less than £110 a corner at the moment on there...

http://www.tyre-shopper.co.uk/ts/search/tyredetails.aspx?code=2254018AV3Y

I got 4 Michelin energy saver tyres fitted last week at my local F1 autocentre for £79.50 each (albeit 205/55 R16). I think you have to book and pay online to get them at that price.

I got the geometry checked while i was at it as they had a hunter 4 wheel alignment rig.

They replaced the Pirelli P6000 that were on there, which although fairly hard wearing (lasted 23,000 miles), are not great tyres considering how much they are.....in fact I found them borderline dangerous in the wet when pushing slightly.

Edited 17 July, 201213 yr by booke23

Falken FK 452 are less than £100 a corner.

If you're buying 4 ask about a discount as you regularly can get it down to 4 tyres for the price of three.

That goes for all tyres, not just the above.

Fitted 452's to my VRS last year , not as good as the Eagle F1's they replaced but pretty good allrounder and i paid £84 a corner iirc

Used them on my old Skyline and they gripped ok on trackdays so they can clearly cope with being pushed

Look at Falken,Hankook,Kumho and Avon. You do not have to pay premium price to get premium quality, you will get very good tyres for under £100 a corner.

I tried some Kumhos on my last vRS and they were dangerous in the wet. Not very premium quality.

Having used them before on my old Octy, I've got a set of Nankang NS-2s (£55 each delivered) in the garage ready for when mine goes in for it's first (19k) service in 3,000 miles - I'm not a boy racer but I don't dawdle and it'd be rude not to overtake people sat 10-15mph under the speed limit.

A lesson in how much torque the vRS puts through the front tyres (less than 3mm), back tyres still have 6mm (now swapped front and rear).

They're MUCH better than the price suggests!

I also do 20,000+ miles per year in my PD170 vRS TDi.

I've got budgets fitted (Evergreen) and they perform very well.

Do not assume that because a tyre is from a known brand or it is expensive that it is a better tyre.

I am a big fan of Uniroyal Rainsports but I have gone against the grain and fitted Toyo Proxe4 All round on my Octavia Vrs (225/40/18 92W )

Balanced, new Valves @ £480 inc Vat. So far So good.

Okay just had a phone around and can get the P6000 for £106 per corner. Guess thats the way to go then?

Thanks guys

I wouldn't personally. I had P6000s on the front of my TFSi and almost couldn't wait for them to wear out. I found them bordering on dangerous (odd since I'd used them before without issue).

Bridgestone potenzas can be bought for £100 each (in 17" flavour) and they are a much better option.......

Had the Rainsport 2's didn't think they were all that despite people raving about them on here, very soft sidewalls, pushing in the wet didn't inspire confidence at all to be honest I'm glad they are gone.

Now running Kumho KU37's and think they are great had them years ago on an old Hyundai coupe and loved them, Also found the FK452 a fantastic tyre when I had them on the BMW.