All Season Tyres for 2011 Superb 3.6 4x4 DSG

[Daytona900]

Hello folks,

 

I’ve been lurking around here for the last few weeks, since I got my 3.6 Superb, collecting information from previous posts. My car has normal / summer tyres, a pair of BF Goodrich g-Grips on the back but the front driver side is an Avon ZZ5 while the front passenger side is a Giti Sportactive…

Prior to me buying it, the car failed the last mot for damage to the sidewall of the front passenger side tyre. So I’m assuming there was a matching Avon ZZ5 there and it was replaced by the Giti.

I prefer to have four matching tyres on my cars but at the very least I like to have a matched pair of tyres on each axle. So the Giti and the Avon are in the “departure lounge”.

After reading various posts on Briskoda I’ve decided to go for “All Season” tyres for the front axle. Then when the rears wear out I’ll replace them as well so all four match. (I’ve done the Winter / Summer tyre thing in the past and the tyres that aren’t being used just take up room in my garage that could be filled by another motorbike!)

So ignoring any fitting costs and in my order of preference here is my shortlist to be fitted to the front axle before the bad weather arrives:

 

(Prices are from the internet for 225/ 40 R18 92Y Extra Load.)

 

BF Goodrich All Season 2 (£97.80) This gives me a “partial match” to the tyres on the back axle.

Michelin Cross Climate+ (£97.00)

Continental All Season (£94.69)

Goodyear Vector 4 Season (£98.95)

Vredestein Quatrac5 (£92.95)

Nokian Weatherproof (£97.75)

 

Any opinions or experiences of these tyres would be much appreciated.

 

Cheers,

 

Graham

[AGFalco]

I have run the Vredestein Quatrac 5's on a car for several years and they have been good.

But this is on a different car with a different size tyre.

 

One reason I like them is because they are asymmetrical.

They worked very well in the 'beast from the east' we had earlier this year.

 

I had a 4x4 Range Rover that tried to keep up with me on the way home one night.

He learned the hard way at one corner. 

 

Thanks AG Falco

Edited 15 September, 2018 by AGFalco
capital R added.

[Daytona900]

I know it's a totally different application but my wife's 2006 MX5 is running on Vredestein Sportrac3's and they seem pretty good. She gives them a good test every now and then!

 

I'm still erring towards the BF Goodrich option to give me a "partial match" to the tyres on the back axle.

 

I must admit I hadn't thought about whether the tyres are asymmetrical or directional...

 

Cheers,

 

Graham

 

 

[Jeeves]

Call me old fashioned, but I'd never replace just 2 tyres on a 4WD system, even using the same brand. The charcteristics will be completely different beacuse of the compound and tread pattern.

 

Decide on whether you want a summer or winter (snow) biased all-season then pick accordingly.  OK, it snowed this year, but more than in recent years and my Michelins were OK after the worst was passed.  Bridgestone and Conti also do similar patterns (Conti beat Mich in a recent test I saw with a weighting for snow use).

 

If you're concerned at the cost of 4 I'd suggest saving 25% per tyre and picking Maxxis AP2 so you can get consistency across your axles.  Swap front to rear if/when you eventually need to.  Most all-seasons and winters are directional.

[penguin17]

On 15/09/2018 at 14:18, AGFalco said:

I have run the Vredestein Quatrac 5's on a car for several years and they have been good.

But this is on a different car with a different size tyre.

 

One reason I like them is because they are asymmetrical.

They worked very well in the 'beast from the east' we had earlier this year.

 

I had a 4x4 Range Rover that tried to keep up with me on the way home one night.

He learned the hard way at one corner. 

 

Thanks AG Falco

+1.  I fitted Quatrac 5's just before last Winters snowfall and icy spell.  Even on a 2wd heavy front ended car like the Superb 3 they proved to be excellent.  I never got stuck once, and they didn't seem to give up traction.   They've also stood up really well in the other extreme of a hot, dry Summer too. 

 

I kept the tyres when I switched to the 280 so with 4WD I'm hoping they'll be even more sure footed this coming Winter.   I've done 11k miles on mine now and they're still over 5mm all round; not bad for softer compound. 

Would I buy them again? Yes and not just because Vredestein are one of only two 'mainstream' manufacturers who offer R19 all-season tyres.  

Edited 18 September, 2018 by penguin17

[KenONeill]

@Jeeves - At which percentage worn to you swap the tyres front to back and vice versa then?

[Jeeves]

2 hours ago, KenONeill said:

@Jeeves - At which percentage worn to you swap the tyres front to back and vice versa then?

Theoretically at half the usable tread depth, i.e when the front and back tread depths combined measure the same as that on the tyre when new + 1.6mm.  How long this takes to happen depends on the car though.  Many of mine have shown a negligible difference in wear (except at the shoulders) front vs rear so it's not been worth doing.  That said, some of my all-seasons have been used as higher profile "winters"  as insurance for my low profile performance summers.  Since they're getting swapped I just reverse the arrangement used previously.  You'll appreciate that's more appropriate for winter-biased all-seasons whereas I've got some CrossClimates on a 2WD car which will show a more obvious difference and have not been removed yet.  As it's a low mileage one I haven't yet reached that crossover pint, but would still favour more tread on the front for wet winter roads.

 

Tyres are all about compromise.  I've just focussed the performance element on the hottest months and lengthened the "winter" window by using all-seasons.  Not everyone has the time or space for 2 sets or wants the faff of fitting (which I do myself).  I wouldn't use a 300bhp car in the worst winter when a much cheaper car might get through with more ground clearance but also a little more effort on tyres that give it a fighting chance.

Edited 18 September, 2018 by Jeeves

[AGFalco]

You tend to find that the nearside tyres wear quicker than the offside tyres.

More turns to the right ( in the UK ) roundabouts, one way systems, three point turns etc.

 

So having Asymmetrical tyres allow you to swap them diagonally as well as just front to back.

This is without having to take them off the wheels and getting the tyres turned - unlike directional tyres.

I live in the south and use the Vredestein Quatrac5 as my winter tyres and swap to summers during the summer.

 

Thanks AG Falco

[Daytona900]

Hello Jeeves,

 

I'm with you 100% about having four matched tyres. However at the moment I have three different brands of tyres!

 

I'll end up with four identical tyres eventually but my intermediate position of "all season tyres" for the front and replace the rears with matching tyres at a later date is much better than my current situation. I know it's not ideal but at least I'll have matched tyres on each axle.

 

Cheers,

 

Graham