Hi All!

 

I know this has probs been asked a million times and I did attempt to use the search function before asking this but seen so many mixed reviews for all different Octavias.

 

I am now at the point where I'm needing two new front tyres. What would you recommend going for on the 19 inch wheels? Don't want hideously expensive but also don't want anything budget. Need good longevity, got 15k miles out my two fronts so don't know whether to just stick with the P Zeros?

 

I had PS3s on my Fiesta and also tried Rainsport 3s and quite liked both but as it's a completely different car so wanted some experienced opinions if possible 

 

Thanks in advance x

I got the car with the p zeros which I hated. They had no grip whatsoever really did not have confidence in them when I first drove down to cornwall in the rain as well. 

Eventually one got a bulge so changed it for two Michelin PS4 S tyres. These are brilliant, plenty of grip they make you more confident with the grip. Yes slightly more £££ 

cant tell you a mileage wise at the moment as don’t do crazy mileage in the car. 

If it's standard/stock performance, try the Goodyear Eagle F1A3 but, you will find whichever 19" tyre you go for they are cheaper in 235 width rather than the 225 you have from the factory.

 

It's just because that are a more common size.

3 minutes ago, Madmax889 said:

. Yes slightly more £££ 

 

About 50% more & I know, I have them all round on my car 

I have the Goodyears all round and find them a nice balance between price/performance for an all-year tyre.

 

Always hated them in snow though, so might be a bad time of year to fit them and get an accurate feel of what they're like.

Edited 2 January, 20197 yr by Mort

52 minutes ago, Madmax889 said:

I got the car with the p zeros which I hated. They had no grip whatsoever really did not have confidence in them when I first drove down to cornwall in the rain as well. 

 

 

I have a different opinion on the Stock Pirelli P Zero's. They were/are an excellent tyre in both the dry and wet but they must be warmed up first.  This last summer they were great as the tyres and the roads were warm, I now have Goodyear F1 AS3 's in 235/35/19 size. They are also an excellent in both wet and dry but they don't need to get as warm as the Pirelli P Zero's for them to work. I think the rubber must be a bit softer.

 

 

Edited 2 January, 20197 yr by Auric Goldfinger

Another vote for Goodyear F1 AS3. They are cheaper than almost all other "premium" brand tyres, but perform very well and are quiet. Dropping to mid range saves a negligible amount and you get a noticeably inferior tyre.

 

If you're feeling flush then the Michelin PS4S is probably *the* best, but noticeably more expensive 

Also recommended Goodyear’s previously had them on Golf GTI and Porsche Boxter. Would definitely pick them for anything VAG and front wheel drive.

I have the GY assy 3's and they are second to none for comfort and ultra quiet. Grip seems as good as any including Michelin PS4's which I have on my ST. The Pzero's were very good and I got over 25K rotating them. The new Pzero is supposed to be  brilliant, the one which is 68 db, thats as quiet as the GY assy 3. The Mich PS4 is same rating for grip but not as quiet, 3 db up, that is TWICE as noisy! 

12 minutes ago, teescom09 said:

, 3 db up, that is TWICE as noisy! 

This a common misconception with the dB scale. 

 

3dB is indeed a doubling in sound intensity in energy terms but to actually perceive something as being 'twice as loud' or 'twice the volume' you're looking at a 10dB increase. 

Just now, Kenai said:

This a common misconception with the dB scale. 

 

3dB is indeed a doubling in sound intensity in energy terms but to actually perceive something as being 'twice as loud' or 'twice the volume' you're looking at a 10dB increase. 

3 db is double the Sound Pressure Level ! And takes twice as much power in an audio scenario to produce like for like. But taking your hearing response into consideration and everyone is different it is not always perceived by your hearing as being twice as loud and varies with initial SPL level and frequency. Impossible to measure though. 10db is massive difference = double, double again and over double again! 

4 minutes ago, teescom09 said:

3 db is double the Sound Pressure Level ! And takes twice as much power in an audio scenario to produce like for like. But taking your hearing response into consideration and everyone is different it is not always perceived by your hearing as being twice as loud and varies with initial SPL level and frequency. Impossible to measure though. 10db is massive difference = double, double again and over double again! 

Like I said a doubling in SPL is not perceived by human hearing as a doubling in volume, so it's disingenuous to say a 3dB increase is 'twice as noisy'. 

 

It's generally accepted in acoustics that you need a 10dB increase for something to actually sound twice as loud. 3dB will obviously sound louder but nowhere near twice as loud. 

4 minutes ago, Kenai said:

Like I said a doubling in SPL is not perceived by human hearing as a doubling in volume, so it's disingenuous to say a 3dB increase is 'twice as noisy'. 

 

It's generally accepted in acoustics that you need a 10dB increase for something to actually sound twice as loud. 3dB will obviously sound louder but nowhere near twice as loud. 

I am mainly agreeing with you, but not the 10db bit, some say 6 others different. 

Edited 2 January, 20197 yr by teescom09

If you look up examples for industrial noise control (as they're freely available as easy reference) you'll see they often pick 70dB as a reference and then describe 80dB as being twice as loud and 60dB as being half as loud. 

 

Perceived noise is very very different to direct energy levels, the 10dB is a widely accepted industry figure for a doubling of 'loudness'. 

4 minutes ago, Kenai said:

If you look up examples for industrial noise control (as they're freely available as easy reference) you'll see they often pick 70dB as a reference and then describe 80dB as being twice as loud and 60dB as being half as loud. 

 

Perceived noise is very very different to direct energy levels, the 10dB is a widely accepted industry figure for a doubling of 'loudness'. 

I agree but here is a note from an acoustic theory text book:

 

Avoid using the psychoacoustical terms loudness perception and volume.
This subjective sound-sensation is not clearly measurable without ambiguity.
The term "loudness" or "volume" is a problem because it belongs to psycho- acoustics and this personal feeling is not correct definable.
Loudness as a psychological correlate of physical strength (amplitude) is also affected by parameters other than sound pressure, including frequency, bandwidth, spectral composition, information content, time structure, and the duration of exposure of the sound signal. The same sound will not create the same loudness perception by all individuals (people).
 

Completely agree it's not ideal as it's not measurable directly. Either way though, I stand by the idea that telling people a 3dB increase in measured sound pressure will cause a tyre to be 'twice as noisy' is misleading, as it simply won't sound that much louder.

 

Edit - all of this also ignores the fact these measurements are drive by, not transmitted interior noise which will be different again based on suspension setups, insulation etc. 

Edited 2 January, 20197 yr by Kenai

9 minutes ago, Kenai said:

Completely agree it's not ideal as it's not measurable directly. Either way though, I stand by the idea that telling people a 3dB increase in measured sound pressure will cause a tyre to be 'twice as noisy' is misleading, as it simply won't sound that much louder.

 

Edit - all of this also ignores the fact these measurements are drive by, not transmitted interior noise which will be different again based on suspension setups, insulation etc. 

Or the noise will be even louder in the car as it is amplified by all the hardware/media as vibration/harshness, I suspect it is more noticeable in the car than outside. My car is a lot quieter with the GY assy3's by a very noticeable amount. More than increasing the volume on a audio system by 3 db. I run 3 cars and change tyres regularly, 3 db on the tyre makes a BIG difference to the perceived noise in the car. My first A6 had GY Assy 3 standard, it was like riding on silk compared to my last A6 with Bridgestone, it was horrendous, had me very close to taking the brand new tyres straight off. I got out of the old one and into the new one, it may have well have been a completely different car and it was all from the tyres transmitting through the chassis, 68 db to 72 db.  It ruined that the car. I stopped within a couple of miles of the dealers to check the tyres and wasn't happy when I saw it had Bridgstones on, well not that particular version anyway. 

But guys WTF has this got to do with OP's question.

 

I'm no scientist but, I've changed from P zero to PS4S & I can't detect any increase in noise let alone TWICE AS LOUD

 

So I'd question your no doubt correct science in the real world

This is a very strange thing; I just don't get why you wouldn't go for the best tyre available on the market. Why go for a lesser tyre unless budget is a big issue ands then you probably should be driving a different car. You have four very small contact points between you and the road. Lesser tyres do not perform as well and when you consider the cost of four tyres as a percentage of the value of the vehicle, its not a lot.....

 

P-Zeros are great....when brand new. Get them a bit worn and they are truly awful tyre, warm or not. Oh and you shouldn't have to warm your tyres up to gt them to grip adequately on a road vehicle IMHO.

 

Having had P-Zero and now PS4S, that measurement of +3db is simply unnoticeable in the real world and as others have pointed out, loudness is a logarithmic scale and +3db is NOT twice as loud. Please don't confuse matters by posting wildly incorrect statements :-)

 

To the OP - don't economise. If you really have the budget to change wheels, then I would suggest you have the budget for the best tyres available.......... 

20 hours ago, themanwithnoaim said:

But guys WTF has this got to do with OP's question.

 

I'm no scientist but, I've changed from P zero to PS4S & I can't detect any increase in noise let alone TWICE AS LOUD

 

So I'd question your no doubt correct science in the real world

You wouldn't, the noise rating of the PS4 and Pzero's are almost exactly the same. You just humanly  proved the theory, well done 

20 hours ago, wardth said:

This is a very strange thing; I just don't get why you wouldn't go for the best tyre available on the market. Why go for a lesser tyre unless budget is a big issue ands then you probably should be driving a different car. You have four very small contact points between you and the road. Lesser tyres do not perform as well and when you consider the cost of four tyres as a percentage of the value of the vehicle, its not a lot.....

 

P-Zeros are great....when brand new. Get them a bit worn and they are truly awful tyre, warm or not. Oh and you shouldn't have to warm your tyres up to gt them to grip adequately on a road vehicle IMHO.

 

Having had P-Zero and now PS4S, that measurement of +3db is simply unnoticeable in the real world and as others have pointed out, loudness is a logarithmic scale and +3db is NOT twice as loud. Please don't confuse matters by posting wildly incorrect statements :-)

 

To the OP - don't economise. If you really have the budget to change wheels, then I would suggest you have the budget for the best tyres available.......... 

Again, you just confirmed the tyre ratings are accurate, Pzero (type on Skoda) = 71 db PS4 = 71 db = The Same ? You found them the same.

 

If you had done what I was comparing, Pzero (old version) to GoodYear Fi assy 3's you would have noticed a big difference in comfort and noise like everyone else has said, rating is 68db?  3db is scientifically twice the sound energy = twice the sound pressure. To the human ear it is not perceived as twice as loud but also not provable. However in a car with resonance all over the place and amplified harshness caused by those sound pressure waves etc, it can be anything and variable between cars. I know that any odf my cars are much worse with a 71 db tyre compared to a 68db tyre. The EU is forcing manufacturers to reduce their tyre noise, hence the new quiet 66-68 db tyres including the new Pzero. 

 

How good a tyre is is subjective and mostly a personal choice. ie your or my choice will never be everyone else's choice, doesn't make anyone right or wrong, the Op asked for opinions. In the last 44 years and millions of miles I  have used, remoulds, used, budget, mid range and premium, never had a problem with any of them as far as safety was concerned.  Just some lasted longer and some were bloody rough and noisy, everything else in day to day driving was much the same. Remoulds were often used in rallying. Pushing on,  some had slightly better grip in specific conditions but none felt dangerous. I ran my Pzeros down to 1.6mm and they were still working very well including in normal wet conditions.

 

 

Edited 3 January, 20197 yr by teescom09

You really must be on a different planet mate. It’s not subjective; every tyre test rates the PS4S as the best tyre with non-subjective, industry recognised tests. 

 

As for your magic P-Zeros; I wouldn’t normally call somebody out but quite frankly, if you ran them down to 1.6mm and found them “still working very well even in wet conditions”, I would suggest you have limited knowledge of how atyre behaves. Also 1.6mm is the recommended minimum and at that point, you are actually obliged by law to replace the tyres...because they have reached the point where they are at the end of their life and therefore not performing optimally.....that’s what those little things called “wear markers” are for..... If you still believed they were “still working well”.........

 

oh and “millions of miles”.....really? 1million, 2million, 3db, 6db?!!

 

to the OP; read recent tyre tests. Check your bank balance. Simple. 

Edited 4 January, 20197 yr by wardth

12 hours ago, teescom09 said:

 

If you had done what I was comparing, Pzero (old version) to GoodYear Fi assy 3's

I wouldn't run Goodyear F1A3, I've tried them on 2 different performance modified cars & they aren't good enough, I wouldn't buy Pzero's either, they just arrived on the car from the factory.

 

I drive fast therefore, I only want the best performance tyres available, wear & noise levels don't bother me in slightest.

7 hours ago, wardth said:

 

As for your magic P-Zeros; I wouldn’t normally call somebody out but quite frankly, if you ran them down to 1.6mm and found them “still working very well even in wet conditions”, I would suggest you have limited knowledge of how atyre behaves. Also 1.6mm is the recommended minimum and at that point, you are actually obliged by law to replace the tyres...because they have reached the point where they are at the end of their life and therefore not performing optimally.....that’s what those little things called “wear markers” are for..... If you still believed they were “still working well”.........

Yeah, I inadvertently ran the very last few mm outta my last Pzeros, they (JKM Portsmouth) wouldn't even let it be strapped down on a rolling road, said they were too dangerous, they were at 1.6mm

On 02/01/2019 at 22:36, wardth said:

This is a very strange thing; I just don't get why you wouldn't go for the best tyre available on the market. Why go for a lesser tyre unless budget is a big issue ands then you probably should be driving a different car. You have four very small contact points between you and the road. Lesser tyres do not perform as well and when you consider the cost of four tyres as a percentage of the value of the vehicle, its not a lot.....

 

To the OP - don't economise. If you really have the budget to change wheels, then I would suggest you have the budget for the best tyres available.......... 

 

12 hours ago, wardth said:

to the OP; read recent tyre tests. Check your bank balance. Simple. 

To be honest, I find your manner a bit arsey and there's absolutely no need for it. People like you are why many folk don't like to use forums anymore...

 

First of all, these are the wheels that came on the car... the Extreme 19s... I didn't change them  

 

I have never had to change tyres on the Octavia so purely asking for the *best* tyre option that is recommended by those who have already tried and tested tyres. Because I don't have a crystal ball and don't actually know what the best tried and tested tyre is for this specific Octavia. I said I don't want budget tyres, cost is not an issue. But as any normal human being I also don't want to pay more than I have to and will always try and get a decent deal... 

 

I am well aware of the purpose of tyres and that if you buy budget you'll get budget performance  

 

Every other person was able to be helpful and I thank the rest of you for your input. In future @wardth , don't bother commenting on my threads please.

 

All the best