So driving to work going around a roundabout when woooaahh I’m facing the wrong way, didn’t hit anything not even the curb but 180ing can be left to topgear staff! I was doing around 27mph absolute tops and it was wet so unless there was diesel. . . 😕

Anyway currently the Ford Ka is fitted with Fulda Ditchfinders o the front and Euromaster Hedgerockets on the back!

I’m thinking of replacing the front tyres but with what??

Nokian.

Michelin.

Toyo’s or Falken’s for reasonable priced, decent quality tyres.

why are you replacing the front tyres? Surely it’s the back which are the problem? Or all 4!

Any of the big makes should be decent but I have been quite impressed with the Khumos that came on my new car. Got my Nokians ready for winter though and a set of Vredestein Spotrac 3 ready to go on in Spring.

edit: I find Toyos and Falkens wear out quick (seem to use soft compounds to get the grip) but they are cheap and will probably last okay on a Ka.

Michelin, Continental, Vredestein, Uniroyal etc. All should be safe bets.

My Kumhos were very cheap, and seem decent enough. Neither of them’s bloomin airtight, but that’s an irritation only, they just need inflated relatively often. But good wet grip, good snow grip too.

Fulda > Euromaster

I dont know if recommending “brands” is all that helpful. Most of the main manufacturers make at least the following models: long lasting (low grip). Hi grip (short lived). Fuel saver. Extra load. Summer. All weather. 4 season. And some that are compromises of all that.

The model names make this a mine field. So – the answer- there are lots of tyre review sites out there. Pick your priorities.

When you roll up to kwik fit I guess they sell you the ones with the highest margins and just quote you the brand – not the model.

Decide what you want – life, grip, compromise. Dont be a brand snob. Just like mtb tyres I guess?

Thanks for the help, I’ll ask the garage what they think, as I’m not risking it in the winter.

Look on mytyres – put your size in and see what comes up and post em up on here. Then see if your local place can match the price.

fitted with Fulda Ditchfinders on the front and Euromaster Hedgerockets on the back!

😀 hey I thought it funny…

Again, check mytyre and black circle prices, then find who there “local fitters to you” are and ring them for a price direct. I found they were cheaper than the websites..

So this is what mytyre comes up with, why so many sizes for one car? Apologies if it sounds stupid but I’ve only been driving 6 months

Make/Manufacturer: FORD

Model: KA

Derivative: 2

front rear
195/45R15 78H
165/65R13 77T
155/70R13 75T
165/60R14 79H

For a start you should have all tyres the same. Not mix matching them.

I’ve been impressed with Vredstein tyres for value/grip/life etc.

MM

The different size tyres are for the different sized wheels available on the Ka. If yours is standard wheels with wheel trims, it’s most probably they’re 13’s, so you’ll need either 165/65R13 or 155/70R13, these markings are on the tyres, so go and have a look at what is currently fitted and get the same fitted.

There are different sizes due to different versions – eg sporty ones and engine sizes.

Just go outside and check your tyre size on the car and put that into the mytyres site.

Matched across axles but front to rear makes no odds.

I’ve found Falken and Kumho to offer good, even wear, low noise and grip on our cars for half the price of the big brands. The Michelin Pilots on the wife’s zafira lasted a good bit longer, but not £80 a tyre better.

Bridgestones might aswell have been made of chocolate for the time they lasted and I noticed no better grip, so sometimes you don’t get what you pay for.

Cost differential on small tyres probably puts the big brands back in the game tho…

Different brands work differently on different cars.

Best option is to call 2-3 local fitters (indies and groups) and ask what they recommend. If the same tyre(s) come up with good feedback and VFM then get them.

Also, it’s sometimes cheaper to order from one of the online supplies and schedule fitting with the garage.

I’ve got prestivo on the C-max, only slided it on ice, when being stupid, or hitting a puddle at 70 on the motorway, can’t complain.

Energy savers seem to last twice as long as normal tyres btw. And they grip just as well now. They are not just a harder compound.

Energy savers seem to last twice as long as normal tyres btw. And they grip just as well now. They are not just a harder compound.

What’s the trade off?

Dunno. Initial cost is a bit more. They have scilica added to them, that’s all, which changes the properties. Most upmarket bike tyres also have this, usually called ‘black viper’ compound or some such marketing stuff. The Michelin Energys on the Prius have done 28k miles and are 50% worn.

People say that wet grip is worse, but they are usually referring to the original Michelin E3A which weren’t as good in the wet but those have been well superseded now.

I’ve certainly never lost grip in any situation, apart from driving on compacted snow 🙂

I’ve certainly never lost grip in any situation,

to be fair, if you’ve never lost grip with a given tyre, you’re probably not overly qualified to judge how much grip it has compared to it’s contemporaries.

I swear by Pirellis.

Expensive, yes. But even though I’ve not got much money I wouldn’t skimp on tyres for a car and these have been amazing.

I was running Maxxis ones before, difference was night and day but they weren’t exactly rubbish either.

Having said that my current car came with Michelin Energy Savers and my Garage can get them at a good price (something stupid like £40-50 a tyre). I am seriously considering putting Pirellis on though when they wear out.

(The Maxxis and Pirellis were on a ’95 Fiesta, the Michelins are on a Corsa of the same kind of age).

to be fair, if you’ve never lost grip with a given tyre, you’re probably not overly qualified to judge how much grip it has compared to it’s contemporaries

True, but people seem to have lots of scare stories about ‘oh I was just driving along normally and wham’. That has never happened to me and I do drive fairly quickly sometimes, so make of that what you will. I think Coffeeking reported sliding around all over the place on energy savers, which is not something I can report.

Note that Nokians are all energy savers, and they get pretty good write ups.

to be fair, if you’ve never lost grip with a given tyre, you’re probably not overly qualified to judge how much grip it has compared to it’s contemporaries.

To be fair most tyres on most cars will go round most corners at 60mph. Anything else is speeding and you shouldn’t be doing it :p

Kumhos are cheap/passable, but can’t match Conti & Michelin.

Ohhh and Firestone F-590’s on the midget, they’re “fun”.

Don’t skimp on tyres, as you have found their few square inches of rubber are all that’s keeping you attached to the road.

Personally I stick with the mainstream brands rightly or wrongly. They have been around a long time (in the case of Dunlop, inventing the things in the first place (I know some of these are sub-owned by other companies in the far east)) and have spent years/millions in R&D not just buying old moulds and processes and reproducing them cheaply with (possible) sub standard materials.

Find out what the OE fit options were and go from there, new patterns if the old ones have been discontinued.

vorlich – Member
Kumhos are cheap/passable, but can’t match Conti & Michelin.

They’ve beaten more mainstream brands in Auto Express tyre tests, I seem to remember.

I have used Kumho KU31s in the past and found them to be very good tyres. Not got them on at the moment, but will be going back to them shortly as my fronts are getting a bit low.

They’ve beaten more mainstream brands in Auto Express tyre tests, I seem to remember.

Regardless, I’m relating my own experience. My Contis are miles better than the Kumhos they replaced.

Nothing wrong with Fulda tyres. They’re part of the Goodyear group.

I have some Fulda winter tyres on a motorhome and they are amazing in the snow and ice.

27mph around a roundabout in a Ka is maybe pushing it a bit, depending on the radius of the roundabout and the load (or lack of) in the back of the Ka.

Used this website recently: http://www.blackcircles.com/

If you enter your required tyre size or vehicle details, it gives you a list of suitable tyres across different price ranges with reviews and ratings. Once you’d made your choice, you can choose a local garage to fit them at a time to suit you and pay for it all online. Job done. Simple idea, but really quite well done.

FWIW I’m liking Falkens at the moment

Nokian; Vredestein; Michelin

Haven’t liked the pirellis I have had (p6000, p7000, pzeronero) – thought the grip.wasn’t good in the wet/damp. Overrated.

Also thought the bridgestones weren’t great (potenza)

Liked some dunlop sports, and my Goodyear eagle asymetrics.

Got Bridgestone ER300 Turanza on car currently, happy with them so far (7000miles), much better than what the dealer put on prior to handing the car to me awful awful GT Champiro things oh how i laughed in the rain and snow…………not.

So on a fairly powerful front drive hatch – replacing 4 tyres (Falken FK452 – good grip but wear quickly)

Kumho KU39 for £92 a tyre
Uniroyal Rainsport 2 for £104 a tyre
Or
Goodyear Eagle Assy 2 for £113 a tyre

if in/near Surrey give these guys a call for a quote:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/place?hl=en&safe=off&gs_upl=998l2933l0l3229l21l7l0l0l0l0l484l1622l0.3.1.0.2l6l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1280&bih=862&wrapid=tlif132024804906810&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=knaphill+tyre+fitters&fb=1&gl=uk&hq=tyre+fitters&hnear=0x4875d635642d4af3:0x80e4c0bdca2e17be,Knaphill,+Woking&cid=15168198084178344096

my eagle asymetrics were £91 a corner fitted and balanced whereas the online cheapos were a little more for just the tyre.

TurnerGuy, Thanks thats good of you. Glasgow is a long way from Surrey though!

gives you an excuse to come down and sample the Surrey Hills 🙂

Bridgestone or any premium tyre that has been in the top 3 of tests and user reviews.

I’m only doing city driving from next week till Feb but if I was driving on country lanes or on the motorway through winter and drive hard, then I would buy winter tyres.

Get an all season tyre if you are on a budget and don’t have 4 spare rims or space for storage.