Made my choice then dealer says it's a bad one!

Alan_uk

Alan_uk

A2OC Donor
I know there has been many threads about tyres over the years, and reading them can cause even less clarity of thought with so many different opinions.

My 04 A2 came with Pilot Primacy Michelins 185/50/16 18V and now at 36,000 the front are at the end of their life. Having read the perennial problem of getting tyres of this size and reading various posts I decided to go for 195/50/16 and the Toyo Proxes T1-R with a V rating.

First rang the Insurance company and waited why the agent spoke to his supervisor: It's OK if you upgrade the tyres he said which wasn't a clear cut "it OK to fit bigger tyres". Incidently, this size tyre, according to various web sites, is about 1.75% bigger.

Today rang http://www.blackcircles.com Friendly and it seems knowledgeable guy says he wouldn't pick Toyo Proxes T1-R whilst they are excellent for road holding, the soft compound would mean they wouldn't last long and I'll be back complaining of their short life.

I mentioned the Continental Sport Contact 2 that had got good ratings but was pricy at £100 each. He said it was a good tyre and the best he could do was £5 off each one for 4.

Then he suggested the Kuma at £56 (can't recall which model). Though they wouldn't last as long as the Michelins they would be good value.

Later I rang back and spoke to another guy and I asked about Pirelli P6000 Powergy V which some A2s were fitted with. Apparently these had been on back order for months.

When I then suggested a 195 size he insisted I contact Audi first to ensure it would be OK re the ABS etc. etc. He definately thought it a risky move.

So, having thought I would bring this saga to a close today, I'm more than confused!

My latest thought is to take the risk and go for the 195/50/16 V Continental Sport Contact 2 and hope a) they work OK and b) the higher price is balanced by long life c) it will be some time before I have to go through this again <g>

Any thoughts anyone? Sorry for a long post.
 
Hi Alan,

I know exactly what you're going through - I've been toying with the idea of 215/45 17 tyres for a while now and come to no real conclusion!

In your case, it's a pretty easy choice though:

195/50 R 16 is a perfectly acceptable size and will not foul up the ABS or anything else (it will however throw the speedo out, but with the effect of making it more accurate!).

Go for a set of Nankang NS-2 tyres - they get good reviews and will give decent grip and wear. Better still, www.mytyres.com have them at £35.50 each including delivery at the moment.

The only possible downside to this tyre is that it is directional, so can't be used as a universal spare, as they can only be mounted on one side of the car.

Add on fitting and you're looking at a full set of new boots for less than £200, which can't be bad.

Cheers,

Mike
 
Khumo's on 185 are about £53 with mytyres and they are good value. The 2001 A2 has the original michelins on the back and have just done 72,000!!!

But how does a 195 tyre throw out the speedo if it is the same circumference only wider. Are we talking geometry in taking corners here?
 
Foghorn said:
Khumo's on 185 are about £53 with mytyres and they are good value. The 2001 A2 has the original michelins on the back and have just done 72,000!!!

But how does a 195 tyre throw out the speedo if it is the same circumference only wider. Are we talking geometry in taking corners here?
Click to expand...

A 195/50 has a different circumference to a 185/50, as the 50 refers to not a height of 50mm, but a percentage of 50%.

So, the sidewall height on a 195/50 is taller by 5mm, hence the diameter is bigger (601mm as opposed to 591mm) and so is the circumference, hence the change in speedo readings, as your wheels are turning less revs per mile.

Cheers,

Mike
 
When we had trouble getting 185/50s, we went for the 205/45 have about the same dia, only issue we had was `W` rated tyres don't last to long.

We have ordered 185/50 Khumo kh11 from tyre trader.
 
Skipton01 said:
Go for a set of Nankang NS-2 tyres - they get good reviews and will give decent grip and wear. Better still, www.mytyres.com have them at £35.50 each including delivery at the moment.

The only possible downside to this tyre is that it is directional, so can't be used as a universal spare, as they can only be mounted on one side of the car.
Click to expand...

Mike, many thanks for the suggestion. It's certainly a cheap option (relative to brand names). I do get the impression that the compound is soft which might mean the lower price is offset by a shorter life. But it could still be economic at half the life.

Last night I saw a main tyre dealer's web site offering 25% off a premium Pirrelli P6000 Powergy 185/50/16V which I believe came as standard on some A2s.

I rang them and they said we'll get them overnight and fit them tomorrow. When I suggested they might be difficult to get they agreed to ring me back when they had confirmed supply. I'm still waiting................
 
pay decent money get decent tyres, don't buy cheap TAT!

I have this is my 3rd set, 205 x 45 x 16, dunlop SP 9000's. "Z" rating.
I paid £85 each (x2) all in, tesco points, balancing and disposal.

I get between 40k to 50k per set.

hth?

bba
 
bye_bye_alfa said:
pay decent money get decent tyres, don't buy cheap TAT!

I have this is my 3rd set, 205 x 45 x 16, dunlop SP 9000's. "Z" rating.
I paid £85 each (x2) all in, tesco points, balancing and disposal.

I get between 40k to 50k per set.

hth?

bba
Click to expand...
I take your point, but Nankang and Kumho, whilst cheap, are not tat.

Another brand, which are well regarded are Wanli, which, once again are pretty much unheard of, but have done the Nurburgring on an A2!

Cheers,

Mike
 
I am a fan of the Dunlop Sport Tyres - used to use them on my A4 all the time. My A2 is currently running Yokohamma front tyres - only done a few miles, but initial thoughts after the michelins they have replaced are that they are noisey and dont seem to grip as well on the damp roudabouts.

My A4 came delivered with Conti 2s and I was glad to change them, they were not really excellent at anything, they were quite noisey, grip was average whereas the Avons, Dunlops and Michelins that came after the Contis were all quieter, the Avons at 50% wear were dreadful though and I wouldnt recommend as they felt like slicks.
 
Alan_uk said:
Last night I saw a main tyre dealer's web site offering 25% off a premium Pirrelli P6000 Powergy 185/50/16V which I believe came as standard on some A2s.

I rang them and they said we'll get them overnight and fit them tomorrow. When I suggested they might be difficult to get they agreed to ring me back when they had confirmed supply. I'm still waiting................
Click to expand...

Well they rang this morning and they can get them by today. So I'm going for these - literally gone round the circle and come back to 185s - I'm going to keep the best old tyre as a spare in case I get a puncture and there are supply difficulties.

The dealer is Kwik Fit and they cost for four £330 - £72 + £10 fitting each - the web says £75.50 and then the dealer said £10 for fitting and when I growled ;-) he rounded it to £330.

Offer is on to 1 December and I believe on all Pirrelli tyres.

Will be fitted on Sat. Hopefully it's an end to a saga, thank goodness.

Why have Audi gone for this size tyre or did they just set a trend for small superminis that few have followed. What do other cars in of this size use? I can accept the A2 1.2l has special tyres for low resistance and higher fuel economy but not the bog standard A2.
 
Skipton01 said:
I take your point, but Nankang and Kumho, whilst cheap, are not tat.

Another brand, which are well regarded are Wanli, which, once again are pretty much unheard of, but have done the Nurburgring on an A2!

Cheers,

Mike
Click to expand...

I've seen these Wanli tyres on a Q7 so they can't be that bad.
(obviously a different size before you lot pick me up on that wee point!)
Mike
 
shao_khan said:
I am a fan of the Dunlop Sport Tyres - used to use them on my A4 all the time. My A2 is currently running Yokohamma front tyres - only done a few miles, but initial thoughts after the michelins they have replaced are that they are noisey and dont seem to grip as well on the damp roudabouts.

I have the Pirelli P6000's fitted front and rear, but they do not have the grip and more importantly the feel that i got from the Dunlop SP Sports tyres.
I find that they just don't grip when cornering in the wet and they do not inspire confidence which the Dunlops did.
Ended up with the Pirelli's when the inside of the front tyres wore through, and not having a space saver, had to get Greenflag to tow my A2 to the tyre dealer that i always use.They only had the Pirelli's in, so hence ending up with these.
Can't wait for them to wear out so i can put Dunlops back on, but they unfortunately seem to be extremely hard wearing, so that means a long wait.:(
If you like to drive your A2 fairly hard, especialy on nice fast twisty roads or if you have lots of roundabouts on the roads near you the go for the Dunlops.If you just like to drive from A to B and want tyres that are extremely hard wearing, will last you ages and are not bothered about having grippy tyres then the Pirelli's will do the job fine.
Hope you find this useful, Brads.
Click to expand...
 
I have the Dunlop SP9000s as well. They've been great, better than the OE michelins. I'm either sticking with Dunlops (but on 195/50/16) or spend a lot of cash on Eagle F1s ;-)

You might be able to find more suppliers for 195/50/16 than 185. Reason being, the Elise uses 195/50/16 at the front as well. Also as a result, you can buy the Toyo R888 Track Day (semi slick) for fun!
 
Boots now fitted

Went to Kwik-Fix last night hoping to have the Pirrelli P6000 Powergy 185/50/16V fitted then as I have a busy weekend ahead. First hurdle was the blank looks on the fitter's face when I said that the car was aluminium and they could only have the job if they knew where to jack the car up and took responsibility for any damage. So had to wait until the manager returned. He said he worked for Audi once and knew what to do. They would use the scissors jack but that was occupied with a vehicle that was minus brakes and the parts where being sourced. So I was asked to return at 8:30 this morning.

8:30 am: Car was put on the scissors jack which is 2 long flat platforms that raise up under each side of the body of the car. Before they raise it, 4 cube shaped blocks are place under the lifting points on the body. These are roughly in-line with the normal jacking points. Looking right under the car they have 4 rubber plugs in the centre (these are left in). I meant to check these cube shaped blocks but from a distance I guess they are made of rubber. They are about 4" x 4" x 2" high (10cm x 10cm x 5 cm).

Fitting took about an hour. There were some small marks on the alloys but I guess this is difficult to avoid. Will give the wheels a wash tomorrow and look again. [Edit: today gave them a wash and cleaned off the greasy marks and nearly all came off. Last year I gave them a proper clean and a good coat of lacquer that I guessed helped. Found two 15mm dents at the end of 2 spokes on one wheel - I guess these are due to the notorious potholes.]

I've driven at 50-60 mph today, less on bends, while the tyre beds in and the sealant hardens. First impressions are they are much quieter than the original Michelins. Now needs some faster driving, twisty roads and some rain.

I overheard the guy on reception say that Michelins were the best for long life, then the Pirrellis and Dunlop about the same, and then the rest. Maybe the Michelins have a harder compound and therefore make more noise. I'm happy to trade a bit shorter life for a quieter ride. Got 36,000 on the Michelins at the front. I kept the best rear as a spare.

BTW, paid £328 for 4 including fitting. Special offer on Pirrellis until 1 Dec.

Fitter said that as far as he knew there are only 2 cars that use 185/50/16V. The A2 and I think the other is a Mitsubishi - but this table of 100s of tyre pressures http://www.falkentyres-uk.com/getfile.aspx?id=12 only gives the A2 as using 185/50s
 
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Ive found the only brand of tyre to match michellin are avons. The avons are cheaper than the mickys but dont grip as well.
 
Very pleased with Pirrelli P6000 Powergy 185/50/16V

Time flies. Now had the Pirrelli P6000 Powergy 185/50/16V for almost 2 months and I like them. Much much quieter that the factory fitted Michelin and the handling in wet and dry seems exactly the same. Now have to wait awhile to see how they wear.
 
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