Tyres. In need of up to date information.

[Mr Lazy]

Yes I know, it's a tyres post (yawn, here we go again). Moderators, please feel free to move this if I have posted in the wrong area. I have read loads of old posts on here about tyres but I can't find much clear up to date information. I am an average driver with no ego (no traffic light racing for me). No track days or anything - I just like to enjoy the 2's handling in the twisty back roads a little. Essentially then, I probably represent the majority of people on here.

The trouble is that I can't seem to find any tyres that are suitable for Mr/Ms average. Yokohama AD08R seem to be popular here. However, I get the impression that while they handle well in the dry, they are stiff and unforgiving and don't grip well in the wet. They are also no longer available for all four corners, having been superseded by the AD08RS, which aren't well documented here. They are expensive too, although I would pay up if they really are worth the extra.

Toyo T1-R also seem popular and appear to be the opposite of the Yokomahas - soft and squidgy. So it seems that they are comfortable but don't bring out the best of the car's handling. They are also now unavailable (certainly not front and rear in the correct size anyway). Are the TR1 a direct replacement? The tread looks completely different and they aren't available in the correct size.

I'm sure I have exaggerated a little above in terms of the feel of the tyres, but I am just looking for a tyre for an average driver that has a good compromise between comfort and performance that is still available now and can be had for the front and rear in the correct size. Not a lot to expect I would have thought as most people probably want the same.

Can anyone help who KNOWS that their tyre of choice is still available? Mine is a 2003 model by the way, so I guess I am only talking to FL owners here.

[tricky1138]

I bought Nankang NS-20 last year on recommendation of @Carolyn and I think @shnazzle has too for Helen's car.

I had a first chance to try them on a spirited drive a couple of weekends ago and i was happy with their grip and composure on both wet/damp and dry conditions.

I bought them in 195/50/15 and 225/45/16 sizes although I know 215/45/16 is available as thats what Carolyn runs.

They are slightly softer than the Bridgstones I took off, but have upped the pressures slightly and I'm happy with them.

For the price, they are a good tyre even if they are a "cheap make i've never heard of" tyre.

I believe the new TR1 is better than the old T1-R but have no experience of it.

I know others run Uniroyal rainsports, Falkens, Michelin, Goodyear and others in Facelift sizes.

Yes it is a minefield!

[shnazzle]

I think I'll be switching off AD08Rs.
Unfortunately their compound, especially once well-worn, just isn't conducive to safe daily driving in the UK in the kind of weather we tend to see. 
Great fun in the summer, and I'd consider having a summer set, but all in all I don't think it's the go-to tyre it used to be anymore.

There are a number of alternatives being explored at the minute so much like you I'm on the lookout.
I will say that while the NS-20s that Tricky mentioned are not my cup of tea I have found them very good on Helen's car. Also, they;re probably not my cup of tea because of how big of a departure they are from AD08s. If I bought them and tried them I'd probably get on with them just fine.
They are great in the wet as well

[tets]

As a run of the mill daily with a bit of spirited driving I was really quite pleased with the Conti Premium contact 2's - standard PFL sizes mind but I think FL sizes are available
Fine in the dry and wet and i've driven it in some downpours
Although they won't set the world on fire in the dry compared to some, they are a good safe enjoyable tyre in all conditions

[Mr Lazy]

Thank you tricky1138, shnazzle and tets. Does anyone else have experience of the Nankang NS-20 or Conti Premium Contact 2? It would be great to hear some other opinions of them. I see the Contis are more expensive (predictably for a top brand) but they are at least available in the 'correct' size. @tricky1138, I see that the Nankangs aren't available in 185/55 R15 as recommended by Toyota. Did you opt for the 195/50 because that was all that was available? Have you experienced any problems with that size? What are people's views on non-standard sized tyres in general?

[Mr Lazy]

Oh wow, I see I'm now a full member! I now feel like I am totally part of the brotherhood/sisterhood!

[Joesson]

@Mr Lazy FM, while I have a PFL and thus 15's I believe that the Falkens I use are available also in FL sizes. I drive mainly in the sunshine, but my first experience with them in the wet was on the way to a past DingDay, unfamiliar road, raining and I hit standing water at around 60, no problems at all. When I bought them they appeared to be the nearest to the OE Bridgestone.
The reaction to standing water was likely equal to my experience with Continental contact 5 on my daily that also uses 15" wheels and I have now done around 90k on Continentals since I bought the car. They were the OE tyres and I have had no reason to change them.
As for tyre sizes, I am aware of the time and expense that Manufacturers go to when determining such things. For example, the MGF has different sizes front and rear, not the case in the prototypes, they were changed quite late on, for a reason.
Yes, ask three people about their experience with this or that and you will likely get three different answers, but Manufacturers use many test drivers, over many miles in differing conditions and I suggest they do that for a reason.
For a specific set of circumstances, such as a race track, then different principals apply.

[Ardent]

@Mr Lazy
I echo @Joesson, had falkens before current set as they were the closest to spec I could find in the correct size from the same manufacturer. Seems more choice now than then.
Would I have them again? Yes.
They really do shift the water.

Never had issue with the ad08r in the wet myself.
From memory and unless the spec has changed. The falkens were as Mr T on the rear size speed rating load rating everything.
The fronts were the correct size, but a higher load rating which we don't need.
But overall ad close ad you get at the time. Before ad08r came out.

[McMr2]

Thank you tricky1138, shnazzle and tets. Does anyone else have experience of the Nankang NS-20 or Conti Premium Contact 2? It would be great to hear some other opinions of them. I see the Contis are more expensive (predictably for a top brand) but they are at least available in the 'correct' size. @tricky1138, I see that the Nankangs aren't available in 185/55 R15 as recommended by Toyota. Did you opt for the 195/50 because that was all that was available? Have you experienced any problems with that size? What are people's views on tandard sized tyres in general?

I've been running ns-20's on the rears for a couple of years. I was sceptical at first as a lesser known brand but can't find much to fault for the price and general road use, albeit I don't push to the point of no return on the roads. Previously had t1rs in 225 which were great in the dry, but I really didn't get on with them in the wet.

Fronts are not the same as I had another set of toyos with plenty of life. Not ideal but I'll consider matching the fronts when the time comes.

Personal opinion but of the tyre/wheel sizes I've run the car was sweetest on stock sizes. Not necessarily faster or grippier, just felt right.

[Ardent]

Quote

Mcmr2
Personal opinion but of the tyre/wheel sizes I've run the car was sweetest on stock sizes. Not necessarily faster or grippier, just felt right.

Totally agree.

[Gaz mr-s]

In 2016 I bought a 2 that developed a fault at the rear & was proper scary in the wet. Before I got to find out what was wrong it put me into a field. I was given a lift from the scene by my partner in hers & was astounded by the level of grip her car had compared to mine.

So you can imagine I had a bit of trepidation when after buying another & putting new tyres 4 days previously on I had to drive over 100 miles through some standing water.  If I'd known it was to be so wet, I wouldn't have gone. The tyres were Falken 914 & the car never flinched.

I sold that car & bought another. I wanted the Falken again, but one size wasn't available at the time. So I did some research.  As someone says above, ask 3 folk & you may get 3 answers. I don't, I look at tyre tests.

https://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Hankook/Ventus-Prime-3-K125.htm    This was a no-brainer. Not the reviews by Joe-Public, but the tests.

You won't go wrong with the Falken, but according to tests, the Hankook are better. 

I'd be interested in reading a test on the new Toyo, but haven't seen one.....strange that....

In the last couple of years I've found the cheapest ways of getting tyres is when ebay has a 10 or 20% offer.

[Mr Lazy]

@Joesson and @Ardent, are the Falken tyres you mention the 914s that @Gaz mr-s has used? They sound good, but as with so many others, I can't find them in the standard sizes (I will look further though). @Gaz mr-s, thanks for the link, I'll definitely be referring to that for reviews and it's great that it includes links to where you can but them - just what I'm after. While I agree that it is good to read official tyre tests, I also want to hear from MR2 owners though because it is quite different from most other cars. Tyres that test well on a Ford Fiesta would probably work great on a Clio/Corsa/Micra etc, but I'd worry that they could feel very different on the rear wheel drive, mid-engined MR2.

So far then, the only tyres that seem to be available at the moment in standard sizes that anyone has recommended above are the Continental Premium Contact 2 and the Hankook Ventus Prime 3.

[JohnGee]

@Mr Lazy I managed to get a hold of Toyo Proxes CF2 185/55 R15 82H for the front and Toyo Proxes CF2 215/45 R16 86V for the rear. Not sure if these are in the performance class you're seeking.

[Ardent]

@Mr Lazy
Yes 914 just found old invoice.
You cannot view this attachment.

[Chilli Girl]

Got these exact tyres on Foxy, I've done 15k miles, driven through all sorts of conditions, in fact my very first trip to Dumfries was on the M6 in torrential rain and flooded roads, the Falkens behaved brilliantly.

[Mr Lazy]

@Mr Lazy I managed to get a hold of Toyo Proxes CF2 185/55 R15 82H for the front and Toyo Proxes CF2 215/45 R16 86V for the rear. Not sure if these are in the performance class you're seeking.

Thanks JohnGee. I've seen these in stock but wasn't sure how they stack up against the Toyo T1-R. How do you find them? I'm just looking for a good compromise that suits the nature of the car. So something that handles well that doesn't feel super stiff.

[Mr Lazy]

Got these exact tyres on Foxy, I've done 15k miles, driven through all sorts of conditions, in fact my very first trip to Dumfries was on the M6 in torrential rain and flooded roads, the Falkens behaved brilliantly.

Sounds promising. There are a few votes for the Falkens now. I just wish I could find them in the correct size.

[SV-3]

@ Mr Lazy
Avon ZV7?

[Mr Lazy]

@ Mr Lazy
Avon ZV7?

Well they are available in the correct sizes so that's a good start. Tyrereviews.co.uk doesn't rate them highly but that test wasn't on an MR2. What is your experience of them like @SV-3?

[Bossworld]

@ Mr Lazy
Avon ZV7?

That's what's on my 2004. Been superb.

Have the larger ZZ5s on my Cooper S, also fab

Not a track driver, I am somewhat cautious in the MR2 but the only time I've ever lost the rear end was in my mum's MR2 on a wet 90 degree turn at 20mph on mismatched tyres.

[JohnGee]

@Mr Lazy I managed to get a hold of Toyo Proxes CF2 185/55 R15 82H for the front and Toyo Proxes CF2 215/45 R16 86V for the rear. Not sure if these are in the performance class you're seeking.

Thanks JohnGee. I've seen these in stock but wasn't sure how they stack up against the Toyo T1-R. How do you find them? I'm just looking for a good compromise that suits the nature of the car. So something that handles well that doesn't feel super stiff.

They suit me, there were a collection of various budget tyre brands on the car when I bought it, so I've only ever really known the Toyos. I'm using it on relaxed trips out in the country, not a track car, not driving by the seat of my pants. You seem to be getting a lot of good recommendations from others with a lot more experience, I suggest you listen to them rather than me.

[Ardent]

@Mr Lazy

Is it one size or the other or both you are struggling to find?

And we are looking for the correct sizes?
Not you I doubt. But some Web sites do come back with some odd results.
Better to input yourself.

[SV-3]

@ Mr Lazy
Avon ZV7?

Well they are available in the correct sizes so that's a good start. Tyrereviews.co.uk doesn't rate them highly but that test wasn't on an MR2. What is your experience of them like @SV-3?

They were on the car when I bought it, I've found them to be great and I treat the car with due respect.
I have Avon ZZ5's on my Jag and I did choose them (prior to owning the Mk3).

[Ardent]

Camskill do both sizes in the zeix 310 ecorun
Which is what Thought I had despite the invoice.

[Gaz mr-s]

@ Mr Lazy
Avon ZV7?

Well they are available in the correct sizes so that's a good start. Tyrereviews.co.uk doesn't rate them highly but that test wasn't on an MR2. What is your experience of them like @SV-3?

Correct.... they are an old tyre.