Okies, it's come that time again where I need some rubber. Last time I decided to get all four corners decked out with Goodyear F1's over the Proxies. Now I'm looking for just two, so do I go for the F1's and keep everything the same (I'm a bit OCD with that sort of thing) or do people think that the Proxies are a better tyre?

If I get two proxies I'll likely change the other two at some point soon (as I said, OCD). I'm not really looking at any other tyre, I'm shamelessly shallow with my idea of 'good looking' tyres.

So anyone who has had either, or preferably both, I'd be very thankful if you'd give me some opinions on which you'd consider the better tyre for the Furby (or any car I guess?)

Cheers!

never had the toyo's so can't comment, I have had the F1's though, great tyre, good in wet, stunning on a hot dry smooth road, but bloody terrible when the temp gets below 3 celcius, and God forbid if you have to drive on snow!!

I had these on my C2 GT though, some pople reccon the sidewalls are a bit soft for the vRS (heavy engine and all that) they used to fit them to our local police scooby, so thats an endorsment though!

on here, I don't think anyone has said a bad word about the toyos though...

OCD eh?! lol... you don't wanna think about my car then.... I hit a pothole, and now have two different makes of tyre on the front

Kumho ECSTA KU31's are good, and a cheaper alternative.

I have had the F1's though, great tyre, good in wet, stunning on a hot dry smooth road, but bloody terrible when the temp gets below 3 celcius, and God forbid if you have to drive on snow!!

Totally agree. Usless in the snow/ice, in fact I would go as far as saying they are just plain dangerous.

What are people's opinions on Uniroyal Rainsports?

It's either them, the Proxes or back to standard Michelins next time for me.

I've had both, and I'd gladly have either again. Which is of absolutely no use to you in this instance! :P

The Toyo would probably just edge in front actually, and often because the F1s can be pricey. If F1, I'd look out for the XL rated ones, which have slightly stiffer sidewalls. Although I can honestly say I didn't have a problem with the standard ones. Both are said to wear pretty quickly, but saw the F1s on the Ibiza stand up well. If I had to pick, I'd say the T1-R was the softer compound. But again, they seem to stand up well, considering the level of grip they can generate. Actually amazing in some circumstances, for a 'road' tyre.

Rainsports - a good all-rounder. I've used them on other cars. But the Toyo and F1 will perform better in dry conditions.

And if I couldn't stretch to either of those three, I'd have the KU31s. Great value for money and I was genuinely impressed overall with them. I've had a pair of these too!! In fact that would be my shortlist:

• Toyo T1-R (although due to be replaced by the Proxes 4 pretty soon, so watch out for stock level issues)
  
• Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD-3
  
• Uniroyal Rainsport1
  
• Kumho Ecsta KU-31
  

Steve

Have the F1's on the back and the uniroyals on the front. have to say the uniroyals are untouchable in the wet! they feel so confident sometimes i even forget the road is wet. The F1's and the toyos i have had in past are better in the dry than the unroyal but are just too expensive. I get the uniroyals pretty cheap, they seem to be lasting quite well and i have a VERY heavy right foot!

BIG for the Rainsports!

_____

john

and i have a VERY heavy right foot!

Agreed. :D

Yep, that's the usual comment you'll get from people who've run Rainsports - you forget it's wet sometimes! I think that says it all really.

I'd probably still be running them TBH, but I also like to see what else is available out there...

Steve

Uniroyals - traditionally i.e. from years and years ago - are brilliant in the wet. I had some 38 years ago :eek: on my very 1st car. I managed to 'chirp' them just once - and considering the way I drove that was incredible.

The downside was the short life - pretty obvious really. I switched to Michelins soon after - scared myself silly in circumstances any normal tyre would have coped with - and very soon switched back.

But - if you value your life, your car, your premiums - the extra cost in replacing your tyres sooner pales by comparison.

An analogy of sorts - years ago I used to drive Private-Hire, years ago we used to have terrible winters in regions of the North West. So, I fitted snow tyres with studs. Everyone said I was crazy for the extra expense.

Who didn't crash their car, could carry on working in virtually any conditions

So, who was crazy ?

Yep, that's the usual comment you'll get from people who've run Rainsports - you forget it's wet sometimes! I think that says it all really.

I'd probably still be running them TBH, but I also like to see what else is available out there...

Steve

I know what you mean about seeing what else is out there but i need a hybrid tyre, that is as cheap as the wanlii ditchfinders, grips in the wet like the rainsports, has the milage of a mitchelin, looks like a maragoni zeta linear and grips like a parada 11 in the dry.........tyre heaven

if have just put a set of yoko parada 2's on the golf and they do look so nice. I am just hoping they grip as good as they look:D.

But - if you value your life, your car, your premiums - the extra cost in replacing your tyres sooner pales by comparison.

So very true buddy

Cheers guys. The F1's are about 9 quid over the Proxies on MyTyres at the mo, so I'm not desperately worried about the price difference. And seeing as they're all F1's on the Furby now, for the sake of 20 quid I'd not get fidgity when I see them not match.

If there's little or nothing in it I'll probably go F1's again. They do look prettier too :P

For anyone else's benefit, I'd agree the F1's are stainworthy in the cold/snow. Over the course of owning the car (since the brake upgrade anyway) the only times I've worried about dying have been due to the cold F1's. And it's not like you have to push them either. If it's been a frosty night I have to drive like a kitten for the first ten minutes, pulling out of junctions is heartstopping stuff!

But I do love them for the rest of the year!

It came as no surprise to me that the F1s would be a bit rubbish in icy/snowy conditions, and they were last winter when I had the Ibiza (F1s fitted all round). I don't believe it's really possible to create a tyre with abilities that wide ranging.

Winter tyres, or perhaps more accurately 'cold weather tyres' contain more silica and larger amounts of natural rubber. So they then require less temperature for them to begin performing properly.

While I have no doubt that this could be incorporated into a tyre such as the F1, it would degrade its performance significantly for the rest of the year - the tyre would then get too warm, and wear rates would also suffer dramatically.

An interesting article I came across: Tyres-Online: Technical Information: Upstepping

Steve

I've got T1-Rs at the moment and I'm going back to Rainsports next time

I'don't think t1-Rs are particularly outstanding in the dry? I think they are just two soft. Got less than 10,000 miles out of them on the front with some pretty sensible driving. rears look as though they will give just over twice that

Hmmm. I found the T1-r's to be perfect, predicatble and grippy in dry and wet. Got 18k and three trackdays out of a set of four and two of them are still legal

I'm a little surprised as well to be honest. Well that's a bit of an understatement actually :eek:

Not that good in the dry, for example?! Fair enough if that is the case - perhaps you got unlucky with an 'off' batch? Either that, or I'd be interested to witness your driving style

Steve

A friend of mine always runs different summer and winter tyres.

From what I've read here why not have a set of Toyos for the summer and Rainsports for the winter. The cost of getting them changed and balanced is not alot - but u do need the space to store the other set when not in use.

Mark

That would probably be my ideal to be honest, but as you say - it's the storage really.

Steve

going on the comments of the rainsports, (and seeing as I live in the wettest town in the country) I may go for some rainsports next time round.... haven't tried them yet, but I do often drive through riverroads...

Could a car tyre not be constructed in the same way my bike tyres are? Ie on our moto morini the tyres have a hard compound in the center fading to really soft at the edge?

EDIT: just realised why they arnt constructed this way.... d'oh

The bike u can lean into the corner causing the soft part of the tyre to come in contact with the road but you obviously cant do this with a car...... might be possible with the flabby fabia, anyone want to try?

_____

john