Indeed sharing tyre-experiences on the forum is essential.
I have always thought there ought to be some place where you could borrow a set of a specific tyres, and go for a short drive, just to try them out on THAT car. Preferably at a small track. I wouldn't mind to pay a little either - its just such a gamble to fork out 200-300£, and if the tyres happen to perform less than optimal, how many actually bin them, and buy another set?
One thing we must be very careful about is that our cars might be slightly different, - some even quite unoriginal. My car e.g. has a different power/weight ratio, but I still run with the standard suspension (springs/shocks)
SUMMER | | | |
Alloy | Tyre | FRONT | REAR |
15" Azev-A | Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 | 195-50-R15 | 205-50-R15 |
| | | |
| | | |
WINTER | (anything lower than +5C): | | |
Alloy | Tyre | FRONT | REAR |
14" Compomotive | Goodyear Ultragrip 5 | 185-60-R14 | 195-60-R14 |
Yes, steel rims would be better in the winter, but these Compomotives are worn anyway, and look better :-)
Both tyres are absolutely great, - but when it is 5C or lower, the change to the narrower, softer and slightly higher profile Goodyears is remarkable. Suddenly I have loads of grip again, - and on top of that, the roadnoise is MUCH reduced, and ride comfort is as nice as the Michelin's were in the summer. (which is brilliant).
As I remember from a skidpan curve-test with the Goodyear Ultragrip 5 tyres, I had problems getting the car sideways at all - they are fantastic in the wet. None of the tyres help me much when braking in a straight line on the skidpan - where you simply cannot feel if the tyres are blocked or still rotating. Slight movements of the steeringwheel does help a little bit, but should you need to brake (or even drive at all) in completely icy conditions, my advice is to gently pump the brake - that way there should be a chance of getting the tyres rotating, and retain friction to the ground/ice.
The only problem with the Goodyears is that they easily squeal (on dry surface), so it is a bit too easy to scare the old ladies, just by taking a corner *slightly* quicker than other cars.
Ambient temperature really makes a huge difference on the performance of tyres, and I would never try to save money by selecting a cheap tyre. Well, not if selected because of the price - however, I'm fully aware that some cheap tyres actually perform well. That would be an interesting experiment for my imaginative tyre-tryout arrangement. Actually the cheap-tyre manufacturers should be interested in sponsoring such a place .. hmmm
Using different tyres summer/winter isn't more expensive, as you obviously only wear them half a season each. Of course that could give problems with tyres becoming too old, if you don't do enough mileage. There is of course a great solution to that: DRIVE MORE! :-)
Such a set of tyres cost about 250£, and if you go 50kkm on them, it is actually a small price to pay for safety and enjoyment.
/Lennart