Tyres - Any advice please (for Polo GTI)

[JCM308]

The KU31's are aparently not a bad tyre. Mate of mine had them on his Liberty. The only problem with tyres is that tyres are suited for specific applications, some work well on AWD but don't work well on FWD.

Also as with most things you get what you pay for.

Double check when the tyres were made, Tempe were selling some Kumho's not too long ago that were made in 2006

[Manaz]

The only problem with tyres is that tyres are suited for specific applications, some work well on AWD but don't work well on FWD.

I find that hard to believe. A tyre has one thing to do - provide sufficient friction where it meets the ground to provide the required grip. I realise that some tyres are built to OEM specifications (and the chassis then tuned to match that particular tyre in a "partnership"), but the KU31 isn't an OEM tyre.

Also as with most things you get what you pay for.

Double check when the tyres were made, Tempe were selling some Kumho's not too long ago that were made in 2006

Unfortunately, you can often pay a lot and not get much good out of it. The Kumhos have a good reputation at the moment, they've come into the market with what seems to be a good product at a price designed to gain market share and build brand awareness. It's worth getting onto them while the price is low IMHO.

You're absolutely right on the age of the tyres - I would be refusing to fit anything that wasn't made this year - the age of the tyre can be determined by reading the codes on the side - check the sticky thread in this forum for the wheel and tyre bible for instructions on reading the tyre codes.

[noone]

Thanks for the feedback gents.

Agree about the age of the Tyre, makes sense they'd have a stockpile of something they got cheap, but its not going on my car...

Agree with the pricing mismatch, the Conti's are expensive here, but then again so are the VW's... If I liked a Daihatsu, it would have been a cheap car and part of the reason is its not expensive to import. I'd like to buy Ausie owned, but don't see the price stacking up in my favor...

[rickra177]

For what it's worth, I wouldn't go past Goodyear F1 GS-D3. They have consistently done well in Wheels tests - topped in 2007, I think. The price is pretty good, they perform really well and they give very good wear.

I've had three sets on two different Passats and have been very impressed.

[brad]

For what it's worth, I wouldn't go past Goodyear F1 GS-D3. They have consistently done well in Wheels tests - topped in 2007, I think. The price is pretty good, they perform really well and they give very good wear.

I've had three sets on two different Passats and have been very impressed.

German made are good.

Thai made are shockers.

[JCM308]

I find that hard to believe. A tyre has one thing to do - provide sufficient friction where it meets the ground to provide the required grip. I realise that some tyres are built to OEM specifications (and the chassis then tuned to match that particular tyre in a "partnership"), but the KU31 isn't an OEM tyre.

Not talking about OEM spec tyres. As I said, you can't always take someone's word for it if they don't have a similarly setup car. But each to their own, I know this from experience (as well as experience from alot of good friends). Feel free to find this out the hard way.

I'm not saying the grip will be garbage, all I'm saying is you may not get the performance that other people have had.

RT615's are a classic example of this. I asked the question recently i the Polo thread, 1 guy said on his old car (non VW) they were awesome but another said on the Polo they were crap.

[noone]

FYI, went for the Kuhmo KU31's

$120 a corner (practically a budget tyre for a 205/40/17). Tyre manufacture date was just under a year ago (think this discussion helped with the price slightly).

I was concerned when changing from 16 to 17 (45 to 40 profile) that it would make the ride harsh like it did in my Impreza. Happy to say the results so far have been good, if anything the ride is more comfortable.

Think there is more grip, I get less traction control kicking in when I'm powering out of a corner.

Are they a great tyre? I have no idea. I can only say I prefer them to the stock Conti's (which would be over 3 years old by now), but there are so many variables (like new wheels which I think are lighter). I don't doubt that a more expensive tyre could yield better results.

[MissVuks]

Hmmm i will be needing new tyres soon and I'm struggling to decide on what to buy. Ideally I would like something better than the conti's, but I haven't really had much experience when it comes to tyre selection..

[DubSteve]

I have heard nothing but praise from the Kuhmo KU31 range!

[noone]

Hmmm i will be needing new tyres soon and I'm struggling to decide on what to buy. Ideally I would like something better than the conti's, but I haven't really had much experience when it comes to tyre selection..

I have found it really hard to decide.

It depends on your criteria, as per the start of this thread, my priorities were:
Comfort
Handling
Noise
Wear
Looks

The one thing I didn't discuss was price.

As a quick overview, if you want good tyres and are happy to pay more than 200 a corner, the Marangoli's (spelling is likely off) have recieved great reviews from POG owners.

For a cheaper alternative, the 31's are cheap for what they are.