Hi Guys

I got Rovelo tyres fitted to the front of my Octavia last week as the garage selling them provided a lifetime guarantee. The garage stated they are their mid range level of tyres. I have only driven them in dry conditions and they seem fine so far. However I cannot find much online about them and all I can find out is that they are chinese and seem to be sold in the USA. Anyone got any experience of them? Was this a bad decision?

Thanks

Fred.

Google Rovelo tires with an I

Chinese and made by Sailun. Almost all chinese tyres are made from a hard plasticky material that offers very poor wet group, hence they are known as ditchfinders. Given its the only part of the car thats in contact with the road, I never gamble and don't skimp on tyres.

Surely they cannot be that bad if a national chain is selling them and classing them as mid range and offering a lifetime guarantee on them?

When people only look at price, they will sell anything that qualifies as legal.

 

Even the EU ABC ratings are self-certified by the manufacturers, not an independent body. There are also NO tests for things like aquaplaning resistance, which are very important.

 

You can get decent tyres for not much more than cheap ones if you shop around.

 

EG: Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance, one of the best regarded tyres for £42/corner in what I'm guessing your car could use.

 

http://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres/goodyear/efficientgrip-performance/195-65-r15-91h-238935

Thanks Huskoda. They look perfect for my car. However I doubt I will be able to take my Rovelo tyres back to the garage now that they are on the car will I?  

You may struggle with that, sadly.

 

Worth bearing in mind for next time, though. However, due to the hard properties that make chinese tyres rubbish in the wet, they take ages to wear out too.

I'd second everything that Huskoda just said.

 

One make of Chinese tyres that a mate of mine had one of rapidly became known as the "Woosung Dark Spin" due to its comedy low damp and wet grip level!

Thanks Huskoda and Ken. 

I have been out at my car today and noticed I appear to have chinese branded rear tyres. Not bad tread left in them. My spare tyre is a Bridgestone but it's 10 years old and passed its best. Following the information received in my post I have had an idea. What if I put 2 premium tyres on the front eg Bridgestone or Yokohama's and moved my new Rovelo's to the rear? Would that help do you think in overall performance and grip in the wet? If I do this should I go for a tyre that has very good wet braking performance due to the Rovelo's weakness there?

Thanks

Fred.

I would put the better ones on the rear, for more stability under braking (and cornering) If the fronts grab and the rears don't, you can spin easily.

 

I also wouldn't trust a 10 year old tyre. It will likely have degraded inside. I've had exactly that happen, using a 9 year old spare. The tread delaminated and it wasn't a no-brand, just the original tyre the car came with.

 

What size tyres do you need?

Hi again

Tyres required for my skoda octavia 1.6 are 195/65/15

I'd get those Goodyears I linked above then. Can't do better for the money.

Thanks again Huskoda.

I will have a word with the garage I bought my tyres from and see what they say first about exchanging them first.

You're welcome.

Just to update you all. I spoke to the garage I bought the tyres from and they stated they cannot exchange the tyres as they are now on the vehicle. However they did assure me that these tyres are good quality and have never received any complaints. I will withhold judgement until I have to drive in the wet with them but if they perform poorly I will take previous advice on here and get some Goodyear tyres for the rears. 

Thanks Guys for your help.

Fred.

It's actually the ice that the Chinese tyres do not like most, I once helped an elderly couple to get out of a supermarket car park by pushing their car out, everyone else managed to drive out themselves. But the car was RWD and the tyres looked like they were made out of plastic.

Just to update you all. I spoke to the garage I bought the tyres from and they stated they cannot exchange the tyres as they are now on the vehicle. However they did assure me that these tyres are good quality and have never received any complaints. I will withhold judgement until I have to drive in the wet with them but if they perform poorly I will take previous advice on here and get some Goodyear tyres for the rears. 

Thanks Guys for your help.

Fred.

You're welcome, and here's something I've been told about tyres by multiple sources. 

 

Pick up a gents shoe (style unimportant as long as it has separate sole and heel). Look at the area of the sole. That is about the size of a tyre contact patch. 4 of those are what you are relying on to keep 1.5 tons of metal, you, and your nearest and dearest from slamming into a wall at 70mph. You see why cheap tyres aren't worth buying now?

Incidentally, the situation is worse for motorcyclists since their contact patch is about the size of a credit card!

Hi Ken

I actually had no intention of buying Chinese tyres when I went to Farmer Autocare as I had looked tyres up online before my visit. However they didn't have the exact type I wanted (Bridgestone) and persuaded me to get their own premier classic brand with full guarantee. Suffice to say I will never be swayed again!

Edited 22 August, 201411 yr by fred1982

Well guys I have quite a big update for you. After driving in heavy rain last weekend I was shocked at how slippy the Rovelo tyres performed so I went back to the garage I bought them from for advice and checking of the tyres. Before anyone even looked at the tyres with me they put the car up on their wheel alignment machine and came back to me stating the wheel alignment was significantly out. This seemed very odd as they had previously adjusted the wheel alignment a few months previously. They then stated they had adjusted the alignment and that the car was good to go. However on leaving the garage I noticed the car was significantly pulling to the right! I took the car back within 2 days and asked them why this had happened. They could not explain why and again checked the alignment stating it was a fraction out. Yet again on leaving the garage the car was still pulling to the right significantly. I drove straight back to them and expressed my alarm. They offered for me to come back another day to have it fully checked which I accepted. This got me thinking that this was pretty poor customer service so I contacted their head office. To cut a long story short I was advised to take my car to one of their branches that has the Hunter system and I was even offered the Bridgestone tyres I had originally wanted with no extra charges! Result!!

Well guys I have quite a big update for you. After driving in heavy rain last weekend I was shocked at how slippy the Rovelo tyres performed so I went back to the garage I bought them from for advice and checking of the tyres. Before anyone even looked at the tyres with me they put the car up on their wheel alignment machine and came back to me stating the wheel alignment was significantly out. This seemed very odd as they had previously adjusted the wheel alignment a few months previously. They then stated they had adjusted the alignment and that the car was good to go. However on leaving the garage I noticed the car was significantly pulling to the right! I took the car back within 2 days and asked them why this had happened. They could not explain why and again checked the alignment stating it was a fraction out. Yet again on leaving the garage the car was still pulling to the right significantly. I drove straight back to them and expressed my alarm. They offered for me to come back another day to have it fully checked which I accepted. This got me thinking that this was pretty poor customer service so I contacted their head office. To cut a long story short I was advised to take my car to one of their branches that has the Hunter system and I was even offered the Bridgestone tyres I had originally wanted with no extra charges! Result!!

Good outcome!  I'm curious though, what is the "full guarantee" on the own brand tyres if you cant take them back if you think they are sh**e once they are on the car?

 

Would also second the comment about having the better tyres on the rear, or at least not significantly worse than the fronts.  Made that mistake a few years with a set of poor yokos on the rear and grippy toyos on the front.  That said it improved my car control as I got a better feel for when the rear was going to try and overtake the front and could correct, but not what everyone would want.

 

The other way round (yoko on front) was ok as the lack of front grip was much more progressive and easier for most drivers to correct. 

Hi laff82

I agree with you regarding the " full guarantee" being a bit rubbish as you should be able to reject the tyres if you are unhappy with their performance. 

I have a Rovelo and a  Solus tyre on the rear and they are in good condition with good tread but I will wait and see how the car performs in the wet before making any decisions on possible changing them. I do not know much about Solus to be honest though. That tyre was on the car when I bought it.

If they are true ditchfinders the lifetime guarantee may not be that long.

 

 

Who's lifetime?

The Guarantee may be for manufacturing faults and/or punctures. I'm sure kwik fit do or used to do it on their budget tyres. However they will replace for the same tyre.

The Guarantee may be for manufacturing faults and/or punctures. I'm sure kwik fit do or used to do it on their budget tyres. However they will replace for the same tyre.

Could be I guess, sounds sensible.

But imagine the scene, your tyres has had a manufacturing fault and letgo or delaminated on the motorway. What would your response be when the Kwikfit guy says, sorry about that sir, but its ok were going to replace that tyre with the exact same type. Free of charge of course.

A bit dramatic maybe, but the 'lifetime guarantee' does seem like another case of clever empty marketing seen all to often these days.

I've not long had a Superb Estate S (140bhp diesel) 63 reg that came with Dunlop's on the back & Rovelos on the front. To be honest I'm not the greatest lover of Dunlop's, despite my late father having worked for them all his life at the now long gone Walton factory on Merseyside, as a set I had on my previous Octavia Estate didn't seem to last that long & all four were changed to Nexen's a few months before changing cars. Anyway on to the Rovelos. "Not impressed" could be the description.

O.K. I find that the suspension on the Superb is softer than the Octavia, as does my wife who likes the smoother, more limo-like, ride compared with the Octavia, but something is not inspiring confidence on damp, twisty roads here in S.W. France & due to the feeling of distinct understeer when pressing on, as much as one can in such a large & heavy vehicle, I'm pretty confident that it's the Rovelo RHP778s on the front axle. Yes I know that the Superb is a bigger & much heavier car than the Octavia & perhaps I should not expect as taut a driving experience from what is essentially a lengthened Passat for the Chinese market but if the tyres didn't have so much tread left on them, they look almost new, I ditch them before they ditch me! I was more than happy with the grip, noise level & fuel economy of the Nexens for the short time I had them with the Octavia, at a friend in the motor trade's recommendation, but these Rovelos? Sorry but no! In a couple of years when the rubber is due for renewal I may check out Michelin's new all season tyre, the "Crossclimate" - assuming that there's a good deal on at the likes of A.T.S. or a local independant tyre fitter. Failing that it'll be another set of Nexens, but definitely not Rovelos - based upon current experience.