Any recommendations people?

The Pilots are due for a change soon.

Kumho KU31's are a great choice if you're on a budget.

I ahve them and they're really quite good for a "budget" bradn

as goochie says it depends on what you want to spend. last time round when I was changing one due to it being dead and using the new spare. talking to the tyre man he advised that if you want the best for life and grip that the pilots were about as good as they get but they are not cheap.

my thoughts on tyres is that it is something not to scrimp on as they have so little in contact with the road that you should go for the best that you can afford

goochie

Im sure I have read a post where you were not so happy with the Kumho's. Overall, what do you reckon as these are probably where I was thinking.

Well me feelings on the tyres are generally quite good. I've been running on them for the best part of a year now and that, for me, is about 10k miles.

I wrote the slightly negative review when I had the 350Z - the grip in that is phenominal and I now think it was a little unfair to critisise the Kuhmos.

Initially I found them to be awful in the wet and cold conditions, however, with a few hundred miles under their belt they settle in nicely.

Prior to the Kuhmos I had a set of Dunlop SP Sport 01 tyres that were a little quieter but wore quite quickly, I've also had continentals on the car.

The Kumhos are good and grippy in the dry, with the 4x4 I'm sure you'll struggle to loose grip with them in a big way but with my FWD they can be a little unhelpful when trying to make a quick getaway - I think this is more a result of a custome remap and standard elegance wheels though.

When the Kuhmos do break traction is is nice and progressive. However, in good conditions you really can feel them holding on for dear life as they try and keep the car going round the corner.

I'm pleased with them, for what they are. They're a cheap tyre that is, in my opinion, just as good in the dry as a Dunlop or Continental and only marginally worse in the wet - however I'd expect that from any tyre with a similar tread pattern to these.

Under braking they grip very well indeed - ever under heavy braking it is near inpossible to trigger the ABS in the dry.

In the snow they were OK too.

I was looking at the fronts yesterday and they really need moving to the rear as they're probably only 1.8-2mm from the wear markers. I was a little disapointed by this because I'd read somewher eon here that they were quite hard wearing - having said that I do corner very hard.

They've not once picked up a stone by the way - my parents have ahosue in cornwall with a gravel drive - previous tyres always used to pick it up and you'd here tick tick tick tick as you drove along - not once with these.

Would I buy them again? Probably, because the Octavia is our donkey. The're good tyres for the price, good in the dry good in the wet, nice progressive break-away and they look good too

Only let-down is traction off the line but thats not their fault - its mine.

See also here: http://www.briskoda.net/forums/octavia/kumho-ecsta-spt-ku31-anyone-want-put-me-off-these/50554/

then my original review:

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/octavia/kumho-ecsta-spt-ku31-tyre-review/51189/

Goochie

Thanks mate. Top reply.

Ask mbames what he thinks of his new tyres as I know he has just had Falken 452 fitted to his elegance TDI.

Not quite the same car, but pretty similar and would give you a good idea for what is again a good budget tyre according to the reviews.

Toyo Proxes T1-R would be another good choice, again they're on the TDi110.

Had this same choice, and after doing lots of reading of reviews and talking to people I plumped for the Falken 452's. Can't give a fair comparison yet as they're still scrubbing in, but from initial testing, they have a lovely stiff sidewall and plenty of grip in the wet

Got mine fitted by Event Mobile Tyres - Your Local Mobile Tyre Fitting Service who came and did it in the works car park and managed to do a better job than other tyre fitters I've used, including perfectly balancing the wheels

Chris