Tyre Options

[GTR27]

There is a noticeable difference between the khumo ku31 and Michelin ps3. They are both brand names and sports tyres. I find it easy to tell the difference, but I do enjoy driving and cornering in the car. In the dry you have to be going faster to tell difference in outright grip levels, but the wet is normally quite obvious. Feel is another factor that various greatly between tyres, often due to how stiff sidewalls are. Khumos have crazy soft sidewalls, so are compliant. Bridgestones have hard sidewalls so you notice sharper turn in. I'm amazed you think you can't tell the difference. The more expensive you go, the less difference, but there is still noticeable characteristics between brands.

Edit: of course, that's IMO..... Obviously others don't all feel that way

[Antiplastix]

I don't rate "Khumos" or "Hankooks" as a brand name tyres.

[GTR27]

Obviously not all of them are, but khumo do make some excellent value for money tyres. Pirelli are overpriced garbage, I would take khumo over them any day. On a motorbike, they make excellent tyres, but not for cars.

[brad]

I still think your all playing with your "Willys" put you in a car on a trackday and you wouldn t be able to tell one brand name tyre from the next, let alone driving around the suburbs.

I disagree.
Even driving at 5/10ths around the suburbs I knew when the wife had changed from Bridgestone S001 to "whatever they suggested at the workshop" (her employers workshop). Turn-in was sloppier & the ride was different.

I've had 4 brands of tyre on the Octy & they've all had their characteristics that made them unique.

Drive an MX5 with Toyo T1R and then try Federal 595 RS-R. Like 2 different cars. (Federal wins)

OTOH drive an E46 M3 with Federal 595 then try it with Michelin PSS - Michelin wins by a country mile.

Maybe you can't feel it but I can. I can even tell if the tyre pressure is changed 4psi.

[Martin]

I don't rate "Khumos" or "Hankooks" as a brand name tyres.

Hankook are most certainly a "brand name" tyre - no question about it

The four top R rated motorsport semi slick tyres are Dunlop (Direzza), Bridgestone, Yokohama and Hankook (Z221)

Hankook are the OEM tyres on Merc S and E class (2013 on wards)

Hankook supply tires for the various "Le mans" international racing series

Since 2011, Hankook is the official tire supplier for the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, one of the world’s most popular touring car series

BMW’s 2013 5-series was equipped with the Ventus S1 evo2 in size 225/55R17W. That was the fourth BMW model that Hankook supplies with tires

Toyota, Nissan and Honda have all delivered cars with Hankook as OEM rubber

[Martin]

Pirelli are overpriced garbage

Yeah, they've really lost their way
When I was a kid the P6 and the later P6000 were awesome
These days I would not touch a Pirelli for both performance and cost reasons

[brad]

Yeah, they've really lost their way
When I was a kid the P6 and the later P6000 were awesome
These days I would not touch a Pirelli for both performance and cost reasons

I think Yokohama have gone backwards too - on a bang-4-buck basis.

I remember in the early/mid 80s that Yokohama & Toyo weren't considered to be "brand" tyres either. The Yokohamas at the time were awesome but it took some selling to get people to buy them instead of B.F.Goodrich Comp T/As (there's a brand name!). The Toyos a bit weird but cheap. I had Toyos on the Mk2 Capri (which was a gutless piece of crap) - grip, grip, grip, brown undies. No feedback at all.

[Martin]

I think Yokohama have gone backwards too - on a bang-4-buck basis.

Yeah - the street Yokohama offering is not enthusing compared to many years ago
Out of the four brands in the semi slick category, Bridgestone would be the one lagging behind

B.F.Goodrich Comp T/As (there's a brand name!)

Wow - that brings back lost memories - they lasted well and had great grip

The Toyos a bit weird but cheap.

I've only had one Toyo experience (a long time ago) and it did not please me

[Skoda Matt]

Hi All,

Recently have put some Toyo NanoEnergy3 on my 2010 Skoda Octavia Sedan. Standard 16 inch rims. The drop in road noise is very noticeable. These tyres have fantastic grip as well. I have tuned the engine and am putting out 128kw at the wheels from a 1.8t. I can stamp the throttle and have no wheel spin in the dry, and only minor wheel spin in the wet.

I highly recommend these tyres to anyone wanting to try something different

[brad]

What tune are you running to get 128kW (that would be around 145kw at the flywheel)? Did you dyno it or is that the tuners claimed output?

What tyres did you have before?

New tyres will almost always be significantly quieter - even when replacing like-for like but I can see those Toyos would be very quiet.

Let us know if the fuel efficiency claims have any credence.

I recently fitted Toyo Teo in 205/55r16 to Dad's Honda Accord and he's much happier with them than the Khumho KU31 that he had - not that he drives in any manner that would tax a tyres performance.