Which Tyres are the best?

[Elliott123]

I have a bit of a dilemma here...
My tyres are on the last bit of tread and im about to go out and buy new ones.
There are many tyres out there but i have now narrowed it down to 3 that i might invest into:
Toyo R888
Michelin Pilot Sport 3
Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08

Toyo R888 are a track racing tyre I have read up about them and there are mixed reviews about them being bad in the rain/wet conditions. this is the same case for the Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08.

On the other hand the Michelin Pilot Sport 3 are a very good all rounder but have a ugly tread pattern imo.

Im looking for the best looking, best performing tyre in all conditions mostly dry but will hold just as well or better than stock (Dunlop sport 01's) tyres in the wet

Please get back with any other tyres wich might be better or which of these to buy!
Many Thanks
Elliott

[Cuprabob]

Unfortunately, there is no right answer as tyre perfomance is subjective. There are tyres such as Contis and Pirelli Pzeros hat people have raved about and in my experience they were cr@p. Different tyres suit different cars and driving styles.

I like Michelin PS3 and Goodyear F1 Assymetrics

Do be perfectly honest an "ugly" tread pattern is not really an issue if it does the job IMO

[fun meter]

Check out Evo's front wheel drive tyre test. Continental Sport Contact 5P's have come out on top recently.

R888 are track day tires, not something suitable for every day use really. Cost a fair bit too.

[Chungster]

what made u decide on thsoe 3 tyres...2 of which are track day specials? Do you do a lot of track days? Is your car powerful? Do you drive hard every day as they need to warm up to work best.

If not...stick to Performance Road based tyres...such as Conti SC 3's, GY F1 Asymmetrics, PS2's (PS3 seems inferior) Vred Sessanta's, P Zero's.

I will be switching to Conti SC 3's once my OEM Dunlops Sport Maxx GT's have had it.

[Jane]

I will be switching to Conti SC 3's once my OEM Dunlops Sport Maxx GT's have had it.

Once they have had it ?? You are running on slicks already !

[Chungster]

I will be switching to Conti SC 3's once my OEM Dunlops Sport Maxx GT's have had it.

Once they have had it ?? You are running on slicks already !

Well the ESP is having a hard time of late...but it's giving me the DSG esque exhaust pop at least!!

[Elliott123]

Thanks for the replys guys. I chose the track tyres on the list cos I thought they would have the best grip. Stop wheel spin and stick to the road in the corners. I found that the dunlop sport 01 don't have a lot of grip in the corners and wheel spin alot when u put ur foot down a bit.
Price is not a big issue they're all around £180 per tyre.
The track tyres hat up quickley when u drive on the road. The only thing I'm afraid about is in the winter they won't warm up enough and they won't stop when I do round a corner!

I think I'll check out the Michelin pilot sport 2 or 3.

If there is anyone who has experience with driving track tyres everyday pls let me know if it's safe in the winter/rain to drive and won't skid!

[b0rk]

I've tried R88 on the road once after a trackday when I had my golf, what can I say but never again. Unless your road route is like a track e.g. heavy braking every few minutes and hard acceleration you will not get enough temperature to get the tyres anywhere near "warm". I wouldn't even consider venturing out in wet on them you will not stop.

If your after something hardcore but everyday what about pilot super sports which are supposed to be out in 235/40r18 and 235/35r19 versions by the summer... expensive tho

[wigit]

worth noting you'll get a lot less mileage out of a set of R888 compared to normal road tyres and you'll defiantely have fun in the wet or cold

[Trickytree]

I've had a new set Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta. Nice looking tyre chaps!!

[mike-p]

I like Mich PS3 because they last a hell of a long time and they give pretty good all weather performance, that's why they are expensive. I normally expect to get 30k+ out of a set of Michelins, against 15k from a set of Goodyear F1s. So the Michelins were actually cheaper per mile than the cheaper F1s.

I use Bridgestone S02s for track tyres on my Boxster because they have excellent dry and wet grip and good wear charateristics, not as expensive

I have Contis on my Roc at the mo and will replace them with PS3s as soon as they hit the wear markers

Check the Autocar tyre tests out, they are very good for identifying good tyres and crap ones

What the tyre looks like is largely irrelevant, it's how it performs which is most important. That's why a lot of Chinese and cheapo tyres have really flash tread patterns, to divert you from how they actually perform i.e. badly.

Hope this helps

[rickj]

why would you buy a tyre just because it looks good,surely grip especially in the wet must be no1 consideration,unless you want a good looking tyre wrapped around a tree!

[mike-p]

my point exactly, I've seen lots of car with impressive looking tyres and no idea who made them or what they perform like.

[Trickytree]

So very quick to jump to the assumption. I did a fair bit of research and found that these tyres are made by Continental and the reviews were very good. My experience is that they are quieter and provide far superior handling in both wet and dry compared to the Dunlop Sports. Check out the reviews... http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Vrede ... ssanta.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[b0rk]

Vredestein certainly have nothing what so ever to do with continental. Vred's are made in the netherlands to their own design in their own factory very decent boots they are too, even better considering the price. IIRC after a bout of bankruptcy they are now own by Apollo tyre of India.

If you ever need winter tyres vred wintrac extreme's are IMHO the pick of the bunch.

[Trickytree]

Sorry b0ork, mea culpa! I was quoting the chap from Formula 1 who fitted them.

[marriedblonde]

I had a set of mich sports fitted. Not that impressed. Great in the dry awful in the cold and wet (they are a summer tyre...) They didn't last long either....

[Sam63]

Not intending to hijack thread but has any one fitted the new continental 5P tyres to their Roc ? Thinking of getting them once new boots are needed, they get excellent reviews on http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. I also noticed someone with a Roc had posted a review of them.

[marriedblonde]

So very quick to jump to the assumption. I did a fair bit of research and found that these tyres are made by Continental and the reviews were very good. My experience is that they are quieter and provide far superior handling in both wet and dry compared to the Dunlop Sports. Check out the reviews... http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Vrede ... ssanta.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I ran Vred's on my last 2 Beemrs brilliant tyres. Good grip, good wear rate, nice looking tread (apperently that is important when buying tyres according to the experts!) But OMG they have no grip when brand new. They need a few heat cycles in them to get the best out of them. Until that point it is liking drving on bars of soap.

[Elliott123]

I got myself a set of Michelin pilot sport 3. They are amazing!! No loss of traction when putting your foot down. And the car stays stuck to the road in corners. Would reccomend. The only problem I have now is that my car goes to the left when the wheel is straight? I had my car 4 wheel aligned so I don't know what It could be?