Hi all

I need to replace the rear tyres on my VRS hatchback as they are getting worn.

The tyres I have currently are Michelin Pilot Sport 4 in 225/40r18

They seem to grip well. It's just there's quite a bit of road noise, especially at speed.

(a video on the motorway - you might need headphones to hear the drone https://photos.app.goo.gl/UB8uacQwMpXQGnwt8)

Is there a better tyre for noise, or should I replace with the same tyres?

I found that my current PS5 are much better in terms of wear, and perhaps a little better for NVH? I wouldn't bother with PS4 - they're the same price, and a softer compound that wears faster. I'm on 10k currently, and the front shoulders are just starting to show wear.

It depends if you're interested in performance, or all round. I wouldn't run anything other than a UHP summer tyre, but I also drive quite enthusiastically and take to the track - the PS5 seem to have coped well with some tracks days.

In this segment, your main options are PS5, Conti PC/SC7 and Eagle F1 Asy 6. Don't bother with Pirelli, although Bridgestone are maybe worth a look.

I run vredestein ultrac pro on my 19’s on an 4x4 superb and they Are really quiet. The noise could also be to do with your geometry/wheel alignment on the back. Worth getting it checked and you might be surprised. Knock a bit of negative camber off and a bit of toe adjustment:

Did you notice the inside edges worn on your old set like a serrated wear pattern ?

I also noticed drone running with Michelin PS4.

I recently replaced the fronts with Goodyear Asy 6 as I had a slow puncture.

I will be doing the same with the rears when the time comes as thats where the drone appears to be coming from. They currently have too much tread left to justify the change now.

18 hours ago, Esseesse200 said:

I run vredestein ultrac pro on my 19’s on an 4x4 superb and they Are really quiet. The noise could also be to do with your geometry/wheel alignment on the back. Worth getting it checked and you might be surprised. Knock a bit of negative camber off and a bit of toe adjustment:

Did you notice the inside edges worn on your old set like a serrated wear pattern ?

Here's the tyres as they are at the moment. I can't see any obvious serrated edges- unless I'm looking in the wrong place?

The car drives really straight to be fair, and to my untrained eye, the wear looks pretty even?

I know my local kwik fit has a hunter 4 wheel alignment machine. They do free alignment checks, I'm not sure how much they charge for a 4 wheel alignment?

30 minutes ago, CookieMonster87 said:

I also noticed drone running with Michelin PS4.

I recently replaced the fronts with Goodyear Asy 6 as I had a slow puncture.

I will be doing the same with the rears when the time comes as thats where the drone appears to be coming from. They currently have too much tread left to justify the change now.

I'm definitely tempted to try the Goodyear. They've got a slightly lower noise rating than the Michelin. Plus they are a little cheaper?

21 hours ago, OccyVRS said:

I found that my current PS5 are much better in terms of wear, and perhaps a little better for NVH? I wouldn't bother with PS4 - they're the same price, and a softer compound that wears faster. I'm on 10k currently, and the front shoulders are just starting to show wear.

It depends if you're interested in performance, or all round. I wouldn't run anything other than a UHP summer tyre, but I also drive quite enthusiastically and take to the track - the PS5 seem to have coped well with some tracks days.

In this segment, your main options are PS5, Conti PC/SC7 and Eagle F1 Asy 6. Don't bother with Pirelli, although Bridgestone are maybe worth a look.

I'd love to try it on a track, but I think the Mrs would kill me if I broke something. It's the diesel, so it's mainly crusing up and down a motorway.

@N-C I can see from your pics that the inner edges of the rear tyres are quite worn and the drivers side rear is out of shape which would be causing your droning sound. If you look at the bottom of the tyre in your pic, on the left hand side of it, you can see a "straight" bit.

A wheel alignment reset should help with the wear, I had mine done last year.

A good four wheel alignment should be circa £75ish - that's what I pay my local specialist (I.E. alignments are all he does). +1 for @HeavyMetalRich, taking a bit of camber off the back should even out the wear. It's also maybe worth looking at the tyre pressure?

If you're not fussed about performance, there are plenty of tyres out there that are better suited to daily use. Yes, the PS4/5 offer great grip, handling, water dissipation etc, but you pay for it - both in terms of purchase price and wear per mile. Not to mention that, when it's cold and the roads are greasy, you can have quite a fun time in softer compound UHP summer tyres.

Rather interestingly, most tyres will be very similar in dry performance (indeed, a worn tyre will handle better in the dry than a new one!), the differences are mainly in the wet.

TLDR - like everything, you give and you get. I run PS5 (and even some SS Yoko's on track once) because for me, handling and braking is a priority over NVH and tyre wear. My car is also not standard, and I do like to have some fun with it. That said, be aware that the PC/SC7, Asy 6, etc, are all in the same category of UHP summer tyres. AKA, they will all have a higher wear and impact on NVH than other more 'all rounder' tyres.

FYI Michelin PS4S (often fitted to Golf R and M140i) are the standard tyre from factory on the Ferrari 296 GTB. It is way overkill for anything with less than 450bhp that isn't taken on track. Thus, the PS4/5 is the realistic tyre for anything with a bit of power (M cars, RS, S, etc) - if you don't meet that criteria and don't care about the nth degree of turn in precision and performance, there are far better tyres for your use.

19 hours ago, OccyVRS said:

A good four wheel alignment should be circa £75ish - that's what I pay my local specialist (I.E. alignments are all he does). +1 for @HeavyMetalRich, taking a bit of camber off the back should even out the wear. It's also maybe worth looking at the tyre pressure?

I agree - a wheel alignment should be a first port of call. The thing is with Octavia's; they do have the habit of throwing out their wheel alignment (its also a Golf/Leon issue too); try to avoid the potholes if possible, but IMHO - this will need to be done as an annual thing. The other thing you should consider is using some sound deadening material in the boot area. This is lacking in the Octavia (one of the reasons why its cheaper than a Golf), but for a small role of the stuff, line the metal base and spare wheel well with this and it will make a massive difference.

Thank you for the advice everyone. I'll get a 4-wheel alignment done and the rear tyres replaced at the same time.

I'm a bit surprised the Skoda dealer didn't pick up on this. As I reported it as a "niggle" shortly after buying the car, as I was concerned a wheel bearing was out. But hey-ho, it's an easy fix.

Once the warranty runs out, I'll definitely put some sound deadening in the boot. There's a lot of bare metal

I'm in the South Manchester area if anyone can recommend a decent tyre shop?

(I recently had a frustrating experience trying to get my Mk2 polo tracked. About 4 tyre shops didn't know how to do it! Which doesn't give you confidence on their skill level!).

I went for the Yokohama v701

@N-C I think you'll be able to put some sound deadening in now! It's only some sticky back insulated foil, really.

I do agree though - I'm a bit surprised I didn't think about it! Common things people do on the Leon/Octavia is to put sound proofing in the spare wheel well and under the rear bench. Many go farther and do the door cards, under the carpet, and the "cheeks" of the boot. It reduces NVH and also helps the sound system be a bit less, well, crap. The petrol vRS also doesn't have any sound proofing on the bonnet - probably a similar thing to the faulty engine covers on the Mk8 Golf/Mk4 Octavia/Leon - VW's solution was to just put them in the bin!

You'll never get a car perfectly aligned - I'll get mine done, wheels balanced and perfected before a track day, only to find that everything is out the day after. It's worse on the roads, especially in the UK - every pothole you hit will throw the car off. You should, really, be getting an alignment done every year.