In the next couple of weeks I will have to replace my front tyres. My existing tyres are Dunlop Sport 200 on 185/60H R14 which have lasted
24,000 miles, my shortlist of replacements are Goodyear, Pirelli or Dunlop.
If I didn't go for the Dunlop what would people recommend, i.e what ones would work best with the existing Dunlops on the rears, bearing in mind they must be capable of lasting for at least 24,000 miles.
I got about 25k out of a set of front tyres on my Mk5 Fiesta van, and they still had a bit left (probably another 5-10k on them) and I hooned about all over the place in that thing :-)
Yep, London mostly, which is fairly easy on the tyres as you're never going that fast, but I also did a couple of high-ish speed runs to Scotland, and coming off the M4 at Slough (Junction 6) it's so easy to scream around the roundabout (to the right, third exit) if you catch the lights at the right time :-)
Anything is better than Dunlop Sport 200's. They're the noisest tyre I've ever had, and they suddenly let go in the wet with no warning. Tyre wear was only average in my case, any other make I've had has done as well or better.
What? We are at 34k and still have 4mm left on Goodyear GT2's - mind you they do swap front for back at service as per manufacturers suggestion, but that's still 4mm on each wheel after 34k - I'm not sure when they will run out - but my money is somewhere around 50k :)
Uniroyals are nice on my car, give lots and lots of wet grip and progressive breakaway. My car is caned very hard up and down country lanes all the time, so a set of fronts lasts less than 10k I reckon. They'll probably last a decent amount of time on your car as they don't seem to wear any quicker than the other tyres I've had.
I have in the past found Goodyears to wear at least as well as Michelins, but usually at 2/3 the price.
These were 195/60 R14's.
According to my records - when I used the car for town commuting the fronts lasted 12 - 14 k miles (Michelin/Uniroyal/Goodyers). This was always on Goodyears, on Cavalier 1.8 or 2.0.
Switch to motorway commuting took this up to 45k miles give-or-take a bit. This was always on Goodyears, on Cavalier 1.8.
Currently using an Astra 1.6 estate, Firestones. 25k and plenty of meat left ( a little over half worn I think) on 15 inch wheels. My local tyre man always recommends that if you fit Michelins, they do behave differently from other makes, and recommends that the Michelins go on the back and the others on the front. never mix Michelin with another make on the same axle.
In practice I don't mix makes in any case on the same axle.
I currently have Goodyear F1 Performance 185/55/r15 on the frount of my clio and they grip much better than the continentals that were on, The factory fitted continentals only lasted £14K i would stay well clear of them again.
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