Tyres... which and which?

[I-S]

Two which questions about tyres for my new GDI...

1) Which size?

The service manual lists two appropriate sizes for the 15" wheels: 195/60 r15 and 205/60 R15. Not enormously different... My thinking is that the 195 will have slightly lower rolling resistance while the 205 will have slightly better ride (taller sidewalls). Grip will be pretty similar, but the 205 will have a slightly wider contact patch while the 195's will be narrower but longer - what difference this makes I do not know. The available choices vary slightly between the two sizes, although all the ones I'm looking into are available in both.

2) Which tyre?

I've been doing research, reading reviews, etc, etc, etc and have come down to 4 choices:

Kumho KH11 - pretty good tyres at excellent price - £45 each
Dunlop SP01 - Good rep for quiet comfort
Goodyear Excellence - Rave reviews, same price as SP01, seems slightly better across the board - £60 each
Yokohama AVS dB V550 - Reviews put it even better performance than the excellence, although they don't seem so well known here. Downside is the price - £65 each

So... to summarise: Does anyone have experience with the yokohamas in particular, or any of the other tyres I've mentioned? Which size would you go for (given that the 205s add £3-£5 per corner)?

[bradc]

If it helps you make your decision, 205/60/15 is closer to the stock VR-4 205/55/16 rolling radius, and you get wider tyres as well :)

all of them apart from the Yoko's look to be directional and asymmetrical which could make things a bit difficult for you! The Yoko's are directional only, so they will be easy to rotate.

[I-S]

The kumho, goodyear and dunlop are asymmetric (not directional), the yokos are directional but not asymmetric. Wider isn't necessarily better - worse for aquaplaning, but the extra bit of ride comfort is appealing.

[Nick Mann]

I had a V6-24 years ago with the same options. I replaced 195 Pirelli P6000s with 205 Firestone somethings. The firestones were more comfortable, quieter and had more grip in the wet. They were also substantially cheaper! How much was the size and how much was the rubber I couldn't say.

[I-S]

Right, I've ordered the Goodyears, all 4 for £260 inc VAT, fit, valve, balance and tracking (got them to throw that last bit in for free :D). It's basically the same as the best price I could have got them for plus getting the tracking done separately, but all in one whack. In the end decided the yokohamas were a little rich for me.

[I-S]

Holy CRAP, these things are quiet!!!

[Kieran]

Holy CRAP, these things are quiet!!!

Good news - If they're anywhere near as quiet as the SP Sport 01s, then you've got a cracking tyre!:afro:

[I-S]

Everything I've read says they're even quieter! I think the galant you really notice it compared to other cars because they are a bit noisy from tyre roar really.

[Nick Mann]

Which size did you go for in the end?

[Wodjno]

Which size did you go for in the end?
Goodyear Excellence ???

[Nick Mann]

Goodyear Excellence ???

Errr.... I wasn't aware that Goodyear Excellence was a measurement. I thought it was a make and model. :inquisiti

[I-S]

I got the 205s. A little more expensive, but I made that decision by walking toward the car in the work car park and thinking "Those tyres really do look a bit narrow on that car". Not that 205s will look much different, but I made the decision anyway.

[Nick Mann]

Cool! I personally think that is the best option, but I have only got limited experience. Glad you are happy with them so far!

[I-S]

Ok, so here's a little update...

Noise - as I alluded to before, there isn't a lot of it. It's not like the road noise suddenly disappears, but it's much less intrusive. The design of the excellence spreads the noise energy over a wider bandwidth (kind of like spread-spectrum) and the effect is that any specific frequency is lower in magnitude and it seems much quieter.

Dry Grip - not really pushed it, and we've not had much dry weather. However, dry grip is usually not a problem...

Wet grip - Oh my word... no wheelspin out of a slippery junction near work (where I was constantly unhooking the GLS), total confidence on absolutely sodden roads of late. Fantastic

Aquaplaning - last night I drove home in a very heavy shower, along the A62 (supposedly 4th most dangerous road in the UK) with over an inch of water on the road in places. Hitting patches where the water runs across the road, and the tyres cut through it, not suffering that pant-ruining lifting sensation that P6000s are terrible for.

Comfort - they are comfier than what was on the GDI before (two uber-cheaps, one SP200, one Turanza) - not as squidgy as the 65 profile 14"s on the GLS, but they don't feel horribly firm.

So, now I guess the question is just how long do they last and consequently make a value judgement.

[WildCards]

Nice one Isaac, I bought four Hydragrip's at the weekend for Apollo 18. What you've said above would describe how I feel about them so far too.

[Rambaud]

Useful info - thanks, Isaac.

I have been doing the same exercise.

As a short term solution I bought 4 wheels & tyres (BF Goodrich) from Ebay for £60.00 (and £35 for delivery) - to replace 2yr old Maxxis. Tread is legal - passed MOT yesterday, and I thought I would be OK until the winter before going for something better (16" wheels and 205 x 55 x 16 tyres?). But I did not anticpate such a wet June and July. :(

Camskill have the Falken 452s at £52.90 at the moment. The Yoko V550s were tempting me too.

I will need to check the insurance position for non standard wheels & tyres

[WildCards]

I shouldn't think the insurance company will give a monkeys about non standard tyres, wheels they will though, even if it's just to let them know.

[Rambaud]

I shouldn't think the insurance company will give a monkeys about non standard tyres, wheels they will though, even if it's just to let them know.

True - except most insurance forms have a specific question about fitting non standard items.

You don't want to give them any opportunity to reject a claim.

[I-S]

I didn't tell them about changing to the 205s because it's in the service manual as an acceptable choice, thus if mitsubishi have specced it that way, it's not a modification from manufacturer spec. 16" wheels, however, would be.

£52.90 isn't that good a price on the falkens. The tyres I REALLY wanted were the yoko AVS dB S2 - they look awesome and build on where the V550s left off, but I couldn't get them anywhere (plus the V550s were expensive).

[Rambaud]

Yes, the 205 x 60 x 15 does seem to be a standard fitment (it's on the inside of my driver's door jam - although I have never seen it as an option to 195 x 60 x 15 for any other manufacturer.

[Rambaud]

Looks like I shall be changing tyres sooner than I thought.

Rear off-side tyre imploded at 70+ m.p.h. whilst changing lanes on the A30 this afternoon. :(

New trousers required too! :)

[I-S]

Well, I really recommend the excellence - fantastic wet grip and the quietness overcomes one of the galant's weaknesses.

[Kieran]

Rear off-side tyre imploded at 70+ m.p.h. whilst changing lanes on the A30 this afternoon. :(

New trousers required too! :)

:speechles :toilet: :toilet:

[Rambaud]

Well, I really recommend the excellence - fantastic wet grip and the quietness overcomes one of the galant's weaknesses.

Just had 4 of them (Goodyear Excellence) fitted this afternoon - like you I went for the 205 x 60 x 15 size.

Too early to comment, but they seem quieter than the Goodrichs - especially over uneven raod surfacing.

[I-S]

Excellent choice sir. Mine were £258.50 all in. Perhaps I'm just getting used to them, but the ride seems to have softened a fraction (it's not pressure, I've checked) since first getting them on. I'm certainly still impressed with their performance and noise (or lack thereof). I just hope they wear reasonably.

[Rambaud]

Mine came to £277.64 (including tracking). I was a bit limited for choice being a long way from home and no spare tyre.

Tyres are at their maximum recommended pressure for a full load (although the car has only been driven today with 2 up) so the ride was a bit on the hard side.

[I-S]

I wouldn't worry, that's a pretty fair price, especially with the tracking. I have always tended to run 2.25 front and 2.1 rear for normal loading (1, occasionally 2 people).