Got my Toyo 205/40/17's fitted to my Fabia vRS today - 1st impressions are;

- the car feels very very different - the only way I can describe it is the car now feels like its on the tarmac, rather than hovering just above it :confused:

- the Toyos give much more confidence than the Michelins, the car just feels more sporty

- there is slightly less road noise from the Toyos

- the Toyos have much much more grip than the Michelins, they are in a different league

The car now feels more like a hot hatch should, these are the kind of tyres that should have been fitted from the factory

I would advise any Fabia vRS owner to change from the Michelins, they really let the car down IMO

The 205/40/17's cost

Yep, exactly what ive got and thought

Frankly, that's an unfair comparison. The Toyo Proxes is a performance tyre, the Premacy is a regular touring tyre.

But the Primacy's were fitted as an OEM part to the Fabia, so I think it is fair to compare

You wouldnt really say "Toyos or Primacy's - which ones should I buy" I admit - they are very different tyres

You wouldnt really say "Toyos or Primacy's - which ones should I buy" I admit - they are very different tyres

From past experience of Michelins they last for ages.

I suspect the Toyo's are a hell of a lot softer....

Yeah I dont expect them to last for 20,000 miles thats for sure :(

Yep, I have the other Michelin touring tyre - Pilot HX MXM - and they're the same. I can very much relate to your 'floating' experience, mobtob. Almost ruins the entire car, in fact. And they are so hard, they seem to last forever - which is why they are so bad in the first place! (Although the Primacies are even worse, I understand.)

Anyway, I will also swap to performance tyres soon, and will have them last longer by putting a set of winter tyres on the old alloys. The sports tyres will be awful (or even dangerous) in winter anyway - the Toyos too.

The Toyo might be a performance tyre but at

So now compare them with the Michelin Pilot Sport... Let's start with the price.

Mattijs

Just for your "employers" reference

Toyos on mine lasted 10000 on the front, rears I would estimate might just scrape to 20000 although they are starting to look a tadge ragged on the edges, I will add they do gety used fairly hard !!

I would agree with the comments on noise, thay are so much quieter than the Pirelli p6000 that were fitted as standard.

Price wise I'm paying

I generally prefer the Toyos... although I have to back up others comments re the v cold/damp performance... below 5deg C they seem to stop working... leading to my "off" at christmas...

when its warm they are very good... till you get up to P zero corse / dry weather tyres......

Have to add though that you cant really compare factory fitted tyres to after market replacements as the factory fitted are always a harder tyre designed to last longer and give a good impression to the driver so as to convince him to buy them again.

When have after market replacements lasted the same as factory fits?? Never.

Have to add though that you cant really compare factory fitted tyres to after market replacements as the factory fitted are always a harder tyre designed to last longer and give a good impression to the driver so as to convince him to buy them again.

When have after market replacements lasted the same as factory fits?? Never.

plus by the second set of tyres you have settled into the car and prob drive a fair bit harder........

Have to say that I had 205/50/16 Mich Pilot Premacys on the Focus and they were and excellent tyre. Not noisy, good levels of grip and with 50 profile, gave good levels of comfort ! I must have got 20k out of them before they were anywhere near minimum. Didn't replace them with the same due to the VERY high costs at the time of the Premacy. Went to new 17inch rims and tyres instead !

Andy

I think the ultimate comparison to Toyo's has to be the dreaded Marshalls I had on mine when I first went down the 17s route... :eek: Same price more or less, same level of wear almost, but somewhat different in the performance stakes.

I'm still living in the daydream I managed to sell the pair off the back of my car's wheels to someone local... [slaps face] No, I still can't believe it! ( You should have seen the face of Mr ATS man when I took the fooked two alloys in with the Marshalls on for him to split... )

plus by the second set of tyres you have settled into the car and prob drive a fair bit harder........

Maybe, but I have a friend who owned and ran a tyre garage type thingy, and when ever dealers asked him to put some new rubber on a new set of after market alloys they were fitting to a new car, he would if possible keep the original tyres for himself (if the right size of course) because they lasted longer.

Not my words..his.

Jason

I would have thought on the mud roads of Devon it wouldnt matter if they were Toyos or marshalls so dont feel guilty about selling them.

I guess you only feel the benefit of the Toyos when you cross the border

Stuart