Quote from: "steve b"Had the fronts rotated again and just did another day on them. Illegal now, still gripping and being brilliant though. Ordered a full set of AD08R's from demon tweaks £411 to replace them. Hope they are as good as the old AD08's.
These are actually available for £100.49 each fitted and balanced at m http://www.blackcircles.com (http://www.blackcircles.com) m In adition Black Circles will give you Triple club card points if you provide your Clubcard number when buying online (this is theoretically worth up to another 9% off if you redeem your Clubcard points on ferries to Ireland, meals out or various other Clubcard Deals). On top of all that you can also earn 2.52% cashback per tyre if you start your visit to Black Circles website from an account with m http://www.topcashback.co.uk (http://www.topcashback.co.uk) m
Quote from: "Joesson"I replaced the no name tyres on my 2 in July of this year. The old tyres were legal regarding tread depth but the side walls were cracking due to age of tyres.
I decided on Fallen ZE914 as these were available in requirred pfl stock sizes and seemed to offer overall performance, longevity and good pricing.I checked Black Circle and other fitted prices on the web and then asked my Mr T who supplied, fitted, balanced for £271.66 and included a 4 wheel alignment FOC.
This does seem to be the best tyre of its kind currently available in the right sizes for pre facelift cars if you are seeking a trade off between fuel economy and good wear rather than prioritising absolute grip. Although I personally used to be an absolute performance and absolute grip kind of driver these days my budget is smaller and fuel is so expensive that it is a significant consideration for me in making a long trip. So when replacing two Toyo T-1Rs lately I was very taken with the reviews for the Dunlop Sport Blu Response, which is an even newer and slightly better rated (A rather than B in the wet on the compulsory test figures) tyre than the Falken ZE914. Unfortunately I had to discount it in the end as although it is currently available in 185/55v15 for pre facelift models it has not yet been released in 205/50v15 size.
So in the end I went for the Hankook 12 Evos (K110) to replace my two worn out front Toyo T-1Rs and I have to say I already seem to feel that the car is now handling much better even though still have two T-1Rs on the back and will be replacing these in another month or two (they had another 5,000 miles left on them when the fronts were replaced).
Quote from: "Capvermell"Quote from: "steve b"Had the fronts rotated again and just did another day on them. Illegal now, still gripping and being brilliant though. Ordered a full set of AD08R's from demon tweaks £411 to replace them. Hope they are as good as the old AD08's.
These are actually available for £100.49 each fitted and balanced at m http://www.blackcircles.com (http://www.blackcircles.com) m In adition Black Circles will give you Triple club card points if you provide your Clubcard number when buying online (this is theoretically worth up to another 9% off if you redeem your Clubcard points on ferries to Ireland, meals out or various other Clubcard Deals). On top of all that you can also earn 2.52% cashback per tyre if you start your visit to Black Circles website from an account with m http://www.topcashback.co.uk (http://www.topcashback.co.uk) m
Quote from: "Joesson"I replaced the no name tyres on my 2 in July of this year. The old tyres were legal regarding tread depth but the side walls were cracking due to age of tyres.
I decided on Fallen ZE914 as these were available in requirred pfl stock sizes and seemed to offer overall performance, longevity and good pricing.I checked Black Circle and other fitted prices on the web and then asked my Mr T who supplied, fitted, balanced for £271.66 and included a 4 wheel alignment FOC.
This does seem to be the best tyre of its kind currently available in the right sizes for pre facelift cars if you are seeking a trade off between fuel economy and good wear rather than prioritising absolute grip. Although I personally used to be an absolute performance and absolute grip kind of driver these days my budget is smaller and fuel is so expensive that it is a significant consideration for me in making a long trip. So when replacing two Toyo T-1Rs lately I was very taken with the reviews for the Dunlop Sport Blu Response, which is an even newer and slightly better rated (A rather than B in the wet on the compulsory test figures) tyre than the Falken ZE914. Unfortunately I had to discount it in the end as although it is currently available in 185/55v15 for pre facelift models it has not yet been released in 205/50v15 size.
So in the end I went for the Hankook 12 Evos (K110) to replace my two worn out front Toyo T-1Rs and I have to say I already seem to feel that the car is now handling much better even though still have two T-1Rs on the back and will be replacing these in another month or two (they had another 5,000 miles left on them when the fronts were replaced).
I looked at black circles and they didn't have the correct size rears for facelift listed. They price break down was ~ £80 fronts 195/50/15 and £120 a rear 225/45/16 from DT.
Quote from: "steve b"I looked at black circles and they didn't have the correct size rears for facelift listed. They price break down was ~ £80 fronts 195/50/15 and £120 a rear 225/45/16 from DT.
OK but they definitely seem to be cheapest for it in pre facelift model standard tyres sizes. Its also very strange that the new (and so far massively well reviewed and rated in virtually all areas apart from rate of wear) Dunlop Blu Response series is available in 185/55v15 for pre facelifts but not in 205/50v15. Normally one would expect it to be the other way round and for the larger tyre size to be available and the smaller one not to be.
In any event I think that the Toyo T1-R has more or less had its day (it is now becoming ever harder to get hold of and its scheduled replacement from Toyo will also not be available in the 185/55x15v tyre size used upfront by pre-facleift cars) and that the closest proxy for it with both better handling and aquaplaning resistance (I was very nearly killed by sudden unexpected aquaplaning by the T1-R on the motorway, albeit in the middle of a very heavy but sudden downpour) and fuel economy is the Hankook V12 Evo (K110)
Re my earlier post referring to Fallen tyres that was not spun and thanks for being aware that I meant Falken but Having come back now put it down to my nexus tablet which "corrected" the k to l !
Back on thread.
Dunlop who are mentioned above have a ℅ share in Falken!
Maybe there is some sharing of r&d and production know how.
Quote from: "Joesson"Re my earlier post referring to Fallen tyres that was not spun and thanks for being aware that I meant Falken but Having come back now put it down to my nexus tablet which "corrected" the k to l !
Back on thread.
Dunlop who are mentioned above have a ℅ share in Falken!
Maybe there is some sharing of r&d and production know how.
Certainly the Falken and the Dunlop tyres are being marketed on the basis of very similar positive attributes to similar types of driver and similar models of car and also have very similar scores in the A-G letter rating tests with the Falken just being one grade lower on wet weather performance than the new Dunlop tyre.
I suspect the Hankook V12 Evo actually has better absolute grip than either of these tyres when cornering in the dry but this comes both at the penalty of less good cornering performance in the wet (which is distinct from aquaplaning resistance on which the Hankook V12 Evo excels due to its high water dispersal tread pattern) and significantly worse fuel consumption (E rated instead of C rated) than the Dunlop and the Falken tyres. All of them are probably a considerable improvement over the Toyo T-1R, even though this was at the cutting edge at the time it was first released on to the market. The Toyo T-1R was a massive improvement on the factory fitted Yokohama A043s which were only any good for use in the dry, were poor in the wet and near to lethal in snow and ice conditions.
Quote from: "Capvermell"In any event I think that the Toyo T1-R has more or less had its day ()
Not soon enough in my opinion alway thought them rubbish, tried once on an MR2 GTS, horrid flexi sidewalks removing all chassis feedback.
But then that is a very different and much heavier car and not really relevant!
For info Toyo will be discontinuing some sizes of T1-R as they are replaced by the T1-Sport. Currently only the large 18 and 19 inch sizes are affected.
This section is for reviews of tyres on the Roadster, please keep it that way or it becomes useless.
I look forward to a manufacturer providing a a tyre that's better quality than the T1-R that will cost less than £240 for a full set fitted. Would be keen to try out any recommendations, not a lot of brands have the sizes that we need on both front and back! For me it's 195/50/15 (very common size) and 225/45/16 or 225/40/16 if reasonable cost.
Quote from: "Sonner34"I look forward to a manufacturer providing a a tyre that's better quality than the T1-R that will cost less than £240 for a full set fitted. Would be keen to try out any recommendations, not a lot of brands have the sizes that we need on both front and back! For me it's 195/50/15 (very common size) and 225/45/16 or 225/40/16 if reasonable cost.
Yoko AD08's improve chassis feed back, grip brilliantly, progressive when sliding, work in all weathers, wear really well - why skimp on pretty much the most important part of the car that has the biggest impact on it? No point doing any chassis mods then sticking cheap tyres on that have to be messed about with various odd high pressures to get over the flexi sidewalls and driven on for an age until they work 'acceptably' (I've read threads in this forum with people saying as much, having the same experience I had on the mk2)? £160 extra for amazing tyres that bring the absolute best out of the car, less than a tax disc. I bet the Elise specific m http://www.eliseparts.com/products/show ... van-neova/ (http://www.eliseparts.com/products/show/78/481/yokohama-advan-neova/) m Advan Neovas will be brilliant as well if wanting a more road bias tyre, was going to try them if I couldn't get AD08's.
Quote from: "steve b"Yoko AD08's improve chassis feed back, grip brilliantly, progressive when sliding, work in all weathers, wear really well - why skimp on pretty much the most important part of the car that has the biggest impact on it?
I wonder what the Yoko Advans are like in snow and ice? I was pretty much put off Yokohamas for life by the appalling performance of the original factory fitted Yoko A043s on my car in an inch or so of lieing and recently heavily fallen but non frozen snow. The car just behaved like it was on a skating ring and kept trying to throw itself randomly sideways at the rear in to oncoming traffic. After I switched to Toyo T1-S's (bizarrely the predecessor model to the T1-R) the handling of the car was perfectly safe and predictable on snow covered roads if driven slowly and carefully.
Your main apparent use of the car in heavily tracking it or otherwise driving on the limit on country roads or around roundabouts is I suspect not actually typical of how the majority of MR2 Roadster owners use their cars. Most do a lot of quite dull straight line driving in towns or on motorways and only push the car's handling to its limits now and again. Many people here own the car as much for its appearance and top down capabilities as true on the limit driving.
I would be interested to know what real world mileage at front and back the Advans get if not tracked by an average MR2 Roadster driver. My main concern would really be about their wet weather performance having nearly had very serious or even fatal aquaplaning incident on the M25 last year caused by standing water in the outside lane after about half an hour of torrential rain. If you check the review at m http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/20 ... e-Test.htm (http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2013-Auto-Review-Performance-Summer-Tyre-Test.htm) m you will see that out of the high performance summer tyres tested the Hankook V12 Evos got about the most favourable review on aquaplaning resistance and overall scored well bearing in mind that it is actually the only one (apart from the useless and bottom rated Kumo Ecsta LE Sports) of these high performance tyres currently available in OEM sizes for the pre facelift MR2 Roadster.
Currently have some god awful wanli and tirangles on that came with the car (pfl sizes) everything bad you could think of are epitomisied in these tyres tram lining, jumping over ruts, rubbish all round.
Will probably be going Kuhmo or Falken as can get them in 195 50 15 for the fronts and 205 50 15 for the rears for 180 fitted unsure of what other brands I should be looking at wanted something that is good in damp, greasy conditions to as it seems most weather is like that right now
Quote from: "Capvermell"Quote from: "steve b"Yoko AD08's improve chassis feed back, grip brilliantly, progressive when sliding, work in all weathers, wear really well - why skimp on pretty much the most important part of the car that has the biggest impact on it?
I wonder what the Yoko Advans are like in snow and ice? I was pretty much put off Yokohamas for life by the appalling performance of the original factory fitted Yoko A043s on my car in an inch or so of lieing and recently heavily fallen but non frozen snow. The car just behaved like it was on a skating ring and kept trying to throw itself randomly sideways at the rear in to oncoming traffic. After I switched to Toyo T1-S's (bizarrely the predecessor model to the T1-R) the handling of the car was perfectly safe and predictable on snow covered roads if driven slowly and carefully.
Your main apparent use of the car in heavily tracking it or otherwise driving on the limit on country roads or around roundabouts is I suspect not actually typical of how the majority of MR2 Roadster owners use their cars. Most do a lot of quite dull straight line driving in towns or on motorways and only push the car's handling to its limits now and again. Many people here own the car as much for its appearance and top down capabilities as true on the limit driving.
I would be interested to know what real world mileage at front and back the Advans get if not tracked by an average MR2 Roadster driver. My main concern would really be about their wet weather performance having nearly had very serious or even fatal aquaplaning incident on the M25 last year caused by standing water in the outside lane after about half an hour of torrential rain. If you check the review at m http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/20 ... e-Test.htm (http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2013-Auto-Review-Performance-Summer-Tyre-Test.htm) m you will see that out of the high performance summer tyres tested the Hankook V12 Evos got about the most favourable review on aquaplaning resistance and overall scored well bearing in mind that it is actually the only one (apart from the useless and bottom rated Kumo Ecsta LE Sports) of these high performance tyres currently available in OEM sizes for the pre facelift MR2 Roadster.
They are good in standing water, 1st track day I did on them it was torrential rain, with half inch deep 20ft wide puddles.
I used them in the snow ok with a bit of care.
(http://www.steve-bowen.com/mk3%20mr2/190113%20MR2%20OZ%20ultraleggeras.jpg)
The AD08R's are supposed to better in rain / cold.
Really you should stick winter tyres on for the winter though.
Quote from: "steve b"Really you should stick winter tyres on for the winter though.
For someone living in Scotland, North Wales, or from Yorks and Lancs northwards this is undoubtedly true.
However for most of South East England (a few exposed parts of Kent or high areas in the Cotswolds perhaps excepted) it simply does not make practical or economic sense to use winter tyres (and an expensive extra set of wheels not to mention finding the space to store them) for what on average over the last 20 years is 1 to 2 days per year of snow on the ground. Especially when many MR2 Roadster owners keep the car mainly in the garage over the winter months and have access to alternate transport in inclement weather.
Mainly the winter in southern england is simply more wet and damp and for that a summer performance tyre also highly rated for wet grip is perfectly adequate. From your comments I can only presume that your home must be in part of Oxfordshire that is near to the boundary with the Cotswolds. Or perhaps it is simply a reflection of what appears to be your generally purist approach to driving where the quest for perfection usually comes ahead of either economics or practicality.
All the discussion from the Tyre Review thread moved to here.
The same old question really, it is always a balancing act between performance and cost with tyres. They range from no grip, last ages, handle like cack, cost next to nothing to huge grip, lovely progressive handling wear out in no time and cost a shed load of money. What you rarely find is a tyre that has both good handling and grip and low cost. I know a lot of people slate the T1R, but it is a decent tyre for the money and quite progressive at the limit. I have not tried the Falken 914 yet, may put a set on the training car next time round, just out of curiosity.
As for winter tyres, they are more than just for snow, and offer serious improvements in wet grip over summer tyres. Money is not as much of an issue as you may initially think because while they are on, your summer tyres are not wearing out.
Personally, I reckon the two best all round road tyres out there for the MR2 at the moment are AD08 and R1R. Neither are cheap, but it is a sports car and to enjoy it at it's best it needs good rubber. I like R888, but they are noisy, marginal in standing water and absolutely shocking in snow.
Chris
Quote from: "ChrisGB"Personally, I reckon the two best all round road tyres out there for the MR2 at the moment are AD08 and R1R. Neither are cheap, but it is a sports car and to enjoy it at it's best it needs good rubber. I like R888, but they are noisy, marginal in standing water and absolutely shocking in snow.
Chris,
I see that you don't mention the Hankook V12 Evo. Is this because you have no experience of these tyres as yet or because you have tried them on our favourite vehicle and don't like it? I only have my V12 Evos on the front for the time being (however this is clearly the end where the type of tyres fitted makes most difference to cornering ability) and seem to be experiencing what I would call substantial and major improvements in handling over the T-1R. Fuel consumption also seems to have gone up another 1mpg to 2mpg without even as yet completing the change to V12 Evos at the back.
Most of the V12 Evo's characteristics with soft sidewalls that need slightly over inflating are similar to the T-1R but the tread pattern is substantially superior IMHO and in that of most independent reviewers. As to the R-1R I believe this is not available in the correct sizes for pre facelift model (see m http://www.toyo.co.uk/tire/pattern/proxes-r1r (http://www.toyo.co.uk/tire/pattern/proxes-r1r) m ) and that Toyo sadly have no current plans to remedy this situation. Although a 195/50r15 82v is available and ought to be a legitimate substitution in technical terms I would not trust many current mainstream UK insurers with the cheapest prices to be prepared to agree to that without a substantial add on premium (and if you didn't agree it with them and just ticked the "no modifications" box there are plenty of insurers these days who would try to walk away after a particuarly expensive pile up caused by the MR2 Roadster losing control due to a combination of excess speed and loss of grip and/or on a very wet road). Also I see the 195/50r15 size in the R1R is G rated for fuel consumption compared to E for the V12 Evo and C on the latest Falken and Dunlop offerings. Might have gone for the new Dunlop Blu Response (C rated for fuel and very highly rated on everything else other than longevity) had it mysteriously not yet been manufactured in the 205/50xr15 size needed at the rear on a pre facelift car even though the 185/55xr15 size is available.
With regard to the R888's being lethal in snow it seems that Yokohama have not moved on from their previous no compromise summer driving conditions only approach in that regard since the A043. Surprising really as there are higher parts of Japan that get a lot of snow in winter but I suppose this is not true of either Tokyo or for that matter Yokohama!
Quote from: "Capvermell"Quote from: "steve b"Really you should stick winter tyres on for the winter though.
For someone living in Scotland, North Wales, or from Yorks and Lancs northwards this is undoubtedly true.
However for most of South East England (a few exposed parts of Kent or high areas in the Cotswolds perhaps excepted) it simply does not make practical or economic sense to use winter tyres (and an expensive extra set of wheels not to mention finding the space to store them) for what on average over the last 20 years is 1 to 2 days per year of snow on the ground. Especially when many MR2 Roadster owners keep the car mainly in the garage over the winter months and have access to alternate transport in inclement weather.
Mainly the winter in southern england is simply more wet and damp and for that a summer performance tyre also highly rated for wet grip is perfectly adequate. From your comments I can only presume that your home must be in part of Oxfordshire that is near to the boundary with the Cotswolds. Or perhaps it is simply a reflection of what appears to be your generally purist approach to driving where the quest for perfection usually comes ahead of either economics or practicality.
While cost always plays a part in any decision, I think some of the reasoning given here is a little flawed. I also think you may find yourself in the minority. Winter tyres are now very popular.
Winter Tyres aren't just for snow use they are safer for the whole winter period, specifically they out perform all summer tyres (including performance tyres) in temperatures below 7 degrees and in damp conditions. This is due to their increased use of silica and the addition of "sipes" in the tread.
I run a set of cheap winter wheels on my main car and will be investing in a cheap (sub £100) set of MR2 rear wheels and part worn winter tyres. The whole lot should be £250 no more, which is the same as my insurance excess.
I store mine in the garden and I live in Essex, this last two winters we have easily had more than two days of heavy snow. The council are useless and the place grinds to a halt. For me they improve the cars grip and braking all the way from November to Feb.
Quote from: "Capvermell"Quote from: "ChrisGB"Personally, I reckon the two best all round road tyres out there for the MR2 at the moment are AD08 and R1R. Neither are cheap, but it is a sports car and to enjoy it at it's best it needs good rubber. I like R888, but they are noisy, marginal in standing water and absolutely shocking in snow.
Chris,
I see that you don't mention the Hankook V12 Evo. Is this because you have no experience of these tyres as yet or because you have tried them on our favourite vehicle and don't like it? I only have my V12 Evos on the front for the time being (however this is clearly the end where the type of tyres fitted makes most difference to cornering ability) and seem to be experiencing what I would call substantial and major improvements in handling over the T-1R. Fuel consumption also seems to have gone up another 1mpg to 2mpg without even as yet completing the change to V12 Evos at the back.
Most of the V12 Evo's characteristics with soft sidewalls that need slightly over inflating are similar to the T-1R but the tread pattern is substantially superior IMHO and in that of most independent reviewers. As to the R-1R I believe this is not available in the correct sizes for pre facelift model (see m http://www.toyo.co.uk/tire/pattern/proxes-r1r (http://www.toyo.co.uk/tire/pattern/proxes-r1r) m ) and that Toyo sadly have no current plans to remedy this situation. Although a 195/50r15 82v is available and ought to be a legitimate substitution in technical terms I would not trust many current mainstream UK insurers with the cheapest prices to be prepared to agree to that without a substantial add on premium (and if you didn't agree it with them and just ticked the "no modifications" box there are plenty of insurers these days who would try to walk away after a particuarly expensive pile up caused by the MR2 Roadster losing control due to a combination of excess speed and loss of grip and/or on a very wet road). Also I see the 195/50r15 size in the R1R is G rated for fuel consumption compared to E for the V12 Evo and C on the latest Falken and Dunlop offerings. Might have gone for the new Dunlop Blu Response (C rated for fuel and very highly rated on everything else other than longevity) had it mysteriously not yet been manufactured in the 205/50xr15 size needed at the rear on a pre facelift car even though the 185/55xr15 size is available.
With regard to the R888's being lethal in snow it seems that Yokohama have not moved on from their previous no compromise summer driving conditions only approach in that regard since the A043. Surprising really as there are higher parts of Japan that get a lot of snow in winter but I suppose this is not true of either Tokyo or for that matter Yokohama!
I have only ever driven a Merc Coupe with the V12 Evos on. Seemed an OK road tyre but never pushed it hard enough to know if they are a viable sports car tyre. Over inflating to change a tyres characteristics seems an odd choice for someone budget concious. Over inflation, while making the tyre more responsive, reduces contact patch size and causes accelerated wear to the middle area of the tread.
Re the R1R, going 195 in the front will reduce the stagger to an extent, but I very much doubt it would be an issue with insurers as the tyre mounted is still a legitimate size for the rim. I would be much more worried about mixing front / rear than losing 10mm of stagger (effectively less if you consider the effect of pinch on the rim). I reckon the Falken 914 could be a decent option for those looking for stock size matching sets as it is available in the stock sizes for pre and post facelift cars.
Chris
Quote from: "ChrisGB"Re the R1R, going 195 in the front will reduce the stagger to an extent, but I very much doubt it would be an issue with insurers as the tyre mounted is still a legitimate size for the rim. I would be much more worried about mixing front / rear than losing 10mm of stagger (effectively less if you consider the effect of pinch on the rim). I reckon the Falken 914 could be a decent option for those looking for stock size matching sets as it is available in the stock sizes for pre and post facelift cars.
Now insured with Admiral so I could at least have the discussion (unlike Quote Me Happy where it was impossible to have such individualisation of the cover). I expect they will cover them but the increase in premium could be significant over my current 175GBP per annum for 7,000 miles per year with this kind of mass volume and no non standard risks type of insurer. Regarding the Falken ZE914s they are clearly an advanced and recent tyre but seem to be aimed more at the high performance saloon market rather than at sports cars.
Regarding your concern re mixing front and back tread patterns I think you are being perfectionist and it will only make a difference if pushing on very heavily in a corner at the limit. Mixing tyre patterns on an axle is however widely recommended against. In any event the backs are about to change to V12 Evos as one of them only has 3mm left in certain parts. However the basic concept of the V12 Evos and T-1R on grip and type of rubber etc seems to be much the same.
Regarding your comments on over inflation I thought that in general over inflation reduced wear but at the penalty of loss of grip when cornering or also even when needing to do an emergency stop in a straight line?
In any event may try the R1Rs some time but it looks like it will have to be on the next full set of tyres after giving the V12 Evos a try. V12 Evos are definitely better than the T1-R by some margin in my opinion and the price per tyre is much the same.
Regarding your comments re being a budget driver I'm sure you didn't intend it but it sounded slightly patronising. I used to have a salary equivalent to £60k at today's rates but currently am living on savings. If you ever find yourself in this position you will find it changes your perspective re money no object on most matters in life.
Thumbs up on the v12's, however never tried the toyos. But the v12's are better than the Dunlop sp9000. So far the v12's just grip and that's with a turbo humping power into them.
Also recently had Dunlop blu responce fitted to my van (I know different type of motor). However the dry to wet responce is amazing to the point you don't even notice you have gone through a wet bit of road.
I can't speak highly enough of ad08s, have had them a year and done 20k commuting miles and also driving as hard as I can at times. They are not particularity bad in the snow or wet or more than most summer tyres I've had. In terms of feedback they are the best I've had and I've had no nasty surprises at the limit in wet or dry... As they come to an end I will definitely be getting ad08r especially as I can get 185s on the front s:) :) s:)
Hi folks, just had MR2 fitted out with Hankook ventus prime 2. So far I have noticed a big reduction on road noise. Although my car came with 3 different budget tyres and 1 Bridgestone. I was advised to take the Hankooks over the Toyo T1-R from my mate and mechanic. My mate is also the lead mechanic for a rally team, so I trust his judgement. I will keep you up to date, through the winter. So far I am very happy s:bounce: :bounce: s:bounce:
Hello all,
I am trying to find standard size replacement tyres for a face lift Roadster, not after a track day type Tyre just something that is good quality for Summer use.
So far I have found Kumho ECSTA HS51 and Goodyear Efficient Grip that supply the correct sizes front and back.
Can see that there is a lot on the forum about tyres but just wondered if anyone had used these or could suggest an alternative.
Thanks,
Pete
I found Bridgestone RE002 to be excellent value for money, great dry grip (a little soft though), with a nice stiff sidewall which suits the MR2 very well.
Thanks Alex,
What sizes are you using?
195/50/R15 front
205/50/R15 rear
Quote from: "MR Roadie 2"Hi folks, just had MR2 fitted out with Hankook ventus prime 2. So far I have noticed a big reduction on road noise. Although my car came with 3 different budget tyres and 1 Bridgestone. I was advised to take the Hankooks over the Toyo T1-R from my mate and mechanic. My mate is also the lead mechanic for a rally team, so I trust his judgement. I will keep you up to date, through the winter. So far I am very happy s:bounce: :bounce: s:bounce:
Had my tyres fitted for the past 4 months (1500 miles) and I have had no problems during the winter months. The first thing I noticed was how much less road noise I had. I have not had any issues with grip and had my car out in down pours with no aqua planning and still good grip.
A big thumbs up for the Hankook Ventus prime2 in my opinion and at £220 for all corners fitted, I would have to say value for money. s:D :D s:D
Cant believe I'm starting up another tyre discusssion! s:oops: :oops: s:oops:
Looking for standard Facelift sizes and really struggling for a matching set!
Always had Bridgestone RE040 on and perfectly happy with them. Only technically need new rears but fronts are a little warn so might change them too.
Can get RE040 for the rear but an unable to find them in front sizes - EP150 seams to be the only Bridgestone being available! s:( :( s:(
Really fancy trying some Rainsport 3 and I've heard great things about them but cant get them in rear sizes!
Currently looking at Vredestein Sportrac 5 all round as I've had them on previous cars and have been a good tyre, but never tried them on the 2.
Don't want Toyo or Advans.
May just have to get the set of Bridgestone rears and look again when I need all 4!
Any other suggestions?
Quote from: "tricky1138"Don't want Toyo or Advans.
Translates as i think T1R are rubbish and i am too tight to pay for AD08R.
What about the falkens some people are going on about.
I'll put my 2p in for what it's worth.
When considering tyres, unless you're wanting to deliberately give the car less grip for more fun then bringing cost into the equation is a false economy.
You say you're on a budget so costs of tyres need to be considered. What happens when you're on budget tyres, need to do an emergency stop in the rain and can't stop in time, thus having a collision. Now you've completely wiped out all savings you've ever made in tyres.
Sure this scenario might not happen, but what if it does... Wouldn't you rather have had the best tyres you could? It's certainly the way I see it, plus having the best grip possible is a nice bonus.
I hit a large dog in my last car, it was a pretty shakey scenario, it jumped out from behind a bush being chased by another dog. Luckily the combination of my reaction (my GF described it as instant s;) ;) s;) ) and tyres meant that I only knocked it down- it got a punctured lung which the vet was able to repair and the dog was fine.
If I'd had even slightly worse tyres, I could have had an impact speed of 10mph instead of 5mph and the dog might have gone under the car and it would have been a very different story. For an extra £50-100 on tyres I don't think it's worth considering budgets for a car you use on the road a lot.
Another example, this time in the MR2, I was driving up to the north for a NYE wedding. It rained like it was monsoon season and there were streams running across the motorway. If I was on the odd tyres my MR2 came with I would have probably done 40-50mph all the way there and been seriously annoyed, as it happens I know that Pilot Sports are good for it in the wet so I was happy doing my normal motorway speeds.
Sadly I don't have a dash cam, but we were the car behind a Vauxhall Zafira that went into a spin on the M40. It literally went from driving in a straight line, to rotating 3 or 4 times. Luckily it didn't hit anything and I could brake hard enough to make a big gap just in case. Bless the woman inside, she just kept on driving. Hero IMO.
But again, I doubt that would have happened with premium tyres.
LESSON: DON'T BUY CHEAP TYRES KIDS!!
Have you tried altering the size a bit for the rears on the rain sports? They are quite good.
They're quite soft. Even with TTE springs on 17s it's still a significantly softer ride than my Sable.
You could try going up to 225 maybe?
Maybe Hankook v12 evo?
Quote from: "shnazzle"Have you tried altering the size a bit for the rears on the rain sports? They are quite good.
They're quite soft. Even with TTE springs on 17s it's still a significantly softer ride than my Sable.
You could try going up to 225 maybe?
Maybe Hankook v12 evo?
205/45/16
205/50/16
205/55/16
215/55/16
225/55/16
225/50/16
Are only sizes for Rainsports and none of them are any good!
Quote from: "1979scotte"Quote from: "tricky1138"Don't want Toyo or Advans.
Translates as i think T1R are rubbish and i am too tight to pay for AD08R.
What about the falkens some people are going on about.
Translates as I think T1R are rubbish and I dont think AD08R are the right tyre for a daily driver!
Oh and Jeff, no plans on buying cheap tyres!
Saying that my current thoughts are:
Just buy the Bridgestones for the back,
Vredestein Sportrac 5
Falken ZE914
Hankook Ventus Prime 2
PilotSport 3?
Spot on come wet or dry, £300 for a set fitted on a face lift MR2
I'd have to opt for the falkens. The 914s are the new versions of the 452,which in general were rated decently
I'm rather delighted with the Falkens. I looked at the Bridgestone RE040s for the rear but couldn't find a size suitable for the fronts to match.
I've driven Falken 914s on other cars and they are a decent tyre. Not the last word in grip, but predictable, progressive and good in the wet.
+1
Drove them in some proper full on wet conditions. Very good indeed. Really shifted the water. Rooster tails out the back.
And all at a very reasonable price.
Best price for AD08R anyone?
225 45 r16 £96.49 from tyre leader.
Anyone seen a better deal?
Best price I got was off a place called Ears
Quote from: "shnazzle"Best price I got was off a place called Ears
£99 atm not sure about delivery but tyrleader is free.
I can vouch for ears got mine from them very good service and the cheapest at the time
Quote from: "1979scotte"Quote from: "shnazzle"Best price I got was off a place called Ears
£99 atm not sure about delivery but tyrleader is free.
Ah OK. Delivery was free but if they're the same as tyre leader, makes no diff
Ears charge 7 for delivery.
Anyone used tyreleader before?
m http://my-cheap-tyres.co.uk/search/1--2 ... --0-0.html (http://my-cheap-tyres.co.uk/search/1--225-45-R16-__--62-yokohama--Summer--Car--0-0.html) m
£95.65 free delivery [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH AND SMILING EYES]
Quote from: "Treboeth"http://my-cheap-tyres.co.uk/search/1--225-45-R16-__--62-yokohama--Summer--Car--0-0.html
£95.65 free delivery [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH AND SMILING EYES]
Have you bought from here previously?
No not purchased from them myself Scott.
It's one of the many bookmarks I have for tyre places.
Someone has to be first i suppose.
They are £91.87 at Blackcircles.com, not including fitting. I don't think they charged delivery either and they arrived in 48 hours.
Yokohama Advan Neova AD08R
225/45 R16 W (89)
Car Tyre
£91.87
Quote from: "JoeCool"They are £91.87 at Blackcircles.com, not including fitting. I don't think they charged delivery either and they arrived in 48 hours.
Yokohama Advan Neova AD08R
225/45 R16 W (89)
Car Tyre
£91.87
£11.50 delivery for two tyres Or four tyres. Fitted states £105.07 each so a good option.
Cheers, couldn't find my invoice to split out costs, but got 4 tyres delivered for £387
Quote from: "JoeCool"They are £91.87 at Blackcircles.com, not including fitting. I don't think they charged delivery either and they arrived in 48 hours.
Yokohama Advan Neova AD08R
225/45 R16 W (89)
Car Tyre
£91.87
Probably goes hand in hand with increasing the tyre size over stock. But we only require an 86 load tyre rather than an 89.
May or may not affect the ride. 89 =designed to carry an extra 50kg over 86.
I am a heavy guy ( i could way 50kg more than you jason) and my car isnt as light as others plus i want the 225.
I have 205 going on the front so need the extra width.
Will look again at blackcircles swear it was more expensive.
Quote from: "1979scotte"Ears charge 7 for delivery.
Anyone used tyreleader before?
Just ordered my Bridgestones from Tyreleaders.
Will update when I get them!
From a " Scientific" view point:
As
Input = Output ( minus losses due to inefficiency)
and
Force = mass x acceleration
And since Scotte has a large Mass and likes acceleration( and cake)
the Force factor must necessarily be increased,
aternatively if the Input ( of cake) were reduced the mass should reduce proportionately.
As the latter is unlikely the former should be considered.
I suggest a V6 may better resolve the formulaic problem.
Quote from: "Joesson"From a " Scientific" view point:
As
Input = Output ( minus losses due to inefficiency)
and
Force = mass x acceleration
And since Scotte has a large Mass and likes acceleration( and cake)
the Force factor must necessarily be increased,
aternatively if the Input ( of cake) were reduced the mass should reduce proportionately.
As the latter is unlikely the former should be considered.
I suggest a V6 may better resolve the formulaic problem.
s:bowdown: :bowdown: s:bowdown: s:bowdown: :bowdown: s:bowdown: s:bowdown: :bowdown: s:bowdown: s:bowdown: :bowdown: s:bowdown: s:bowdown: :bowdown: s:bowdown:
I am sure Tony is being rude.
Me? Never.
Maybe you are touchy because you' re overtyred!
Quote from: "1979scotte"I am sure Tony is being rude.
He does it in such a gentlemanly manner though, so is forgivable. s;-) ;-) s;-)
Quote from: "1979scotte"I am a heavy guy ( i could way 50kg more than you jason) and my car isnt as light as others plus i want the 225.
I have 205 going on the front so need the extra width.
Will look again at blackcircles swear it was more expensive.
That 50kg is per tyre. MR T can only design what is best for the car. He cannot possibly know who will be driving it.
Jess enis - gemma steel vs chris hoy - vinopla
edit.
agree
having gone 205 fnt 225 rear becomes natural choice
So what tyres should i buy for my Mk3 facelift, not concerned about the price, Toyos seem to mentioned a lot but they dont come in 215 45 16??
I have just brought a facelift MR2 Mk3 and am planning on changing the tyres as the fronts have seen better days and the rears look pretty cheap so best to get a complete new set. The book states 185/55R15 on the front and 215/45R16 on the rear. Looking through the thread on here there are all sorts of different sizes being used, so what can I use. The rears that are on are 215/40R16 ???
The hard part comes trying to find a manufacturer that makes both front and rear tyres in the right sizes.
Common makes are toyos, falkens and yokohamas, the original bridgestones are getting hard to find. Depends on your budget and intended use which ones will be best for you. Lots, I mean lots, of discussion about merits of each on various threads so have a look at some of the other ones.
You can play around slightly with profile and check the impact on speedo etc on some of the internet sites but lower profile makes the ride harder and less forgiving although may lower gearing slightly.
I have yoko AD08rs (good price from Chris Mullins tyres) and absolutely love them.
The Bridgestone 215/45/R16s are still very much available.
The Fronts, however aren't.
Toyo no longer do T1-Rs for the rear. You have to get the 225s (If I remember right)
In fact, the only branded ones I can find that meet the Toyota criteria and are regularly used by MR2 drivers are the Uniroyal Rainsport 3s. I was wondering why people were moving to them.
Thanks for the info I couldnt find the Uniroyal Rainsport 3 in the right size 215/45R16?? So there does not seem to be much choice if i stick with the toyota spec.What sizes can i fit that wont make the ride firmer?
Hi Steve, I couldnt get Bridgestones to replace mine so opted for Falkens, slightly heavier tyre but grip is very good and drove up the M6 in torrential rain and they behaved very well. I paid about £270 for 4.
The profile 45 on the rear is the height of the sidewall as a percentage of the width of the tyre (215 std) so if you drop to a 40 profile there is less give in the sidewall as it is less and less comfort (although may corner better if the tyre isnt leaning over!).
You can check the differences here;
m http://www.willtheyfit.com/index.php?wi ... t&isPage=1 (http://www.willtheyfit.com/index.php?width=215&aspect=45&diameter=16&wheelwidth=&offset=&width2=225&aspect2=45&diameter2=16&wheelwidth2=&offset2=#content&isPage=1) m
There are a few internet suppliers of tyres to search all the size options
m http://www.blackcircles.com/order/tyres ... wintertyre (http://www.blackcircles.com/order/tyres?&width=185&profile=55&rim=R15&speed=Any&wintertyre=wintertyre) m
m https://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres-215-45-16/ (https://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres-215-45-16/) m
Don't underestimate the big difference between 40 and 45 profile. Totally changes the handling. It's a fair bit more rubber on the side
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
Broadly speaking it's an additional 10mm from one profile to the other. (5% of 200)
How about Avon ZV7's or Toyo Proxes CF2's? 215/45/16 and 185/55/15 commonly available as far as I can see. Two relatively new tyres from both manufacturers and both allege to be an improvement over their previous alternatives. The Avons have excellent wet grip.
Cheers,
Gary
Thanks for all the advice, I will have a look at the Toyos and avons.
I managed to find Vredestein Sportrac 5 in the correct sizes all round, any feedback on these at all?
What about falken 914 thought they were available and popular.
Quote from: "stevej62"I managed to find Vredestein Sportrac 5 in the correct sizes all round, any feedback on these at all?
I really thought about them, but managed to get some Bridgestones, which I like.
Next time I may go for them as they do get good reviews but no one has tried them on the MR2.
I just got rid of some Cooper tyres off the front of my 2 and replaced them with Toyos. Wow, what a difference! The car was tramlining horribly with the Coopers and now it feels so much more sure footed. I must admit that I still have Prima Tigar on the back but I'm reluctant to change them as they still have loads of tread. I'm really happy with how the car feels anyway and I'm not the kind of person to drive on the limits.
i have a facelift mr2 with a few mods here and there including sp240, BC coilovers and bracing...here's my thoughts on tyres.
Some time ago I decided based on the very limited annual mileage I do that I would go for road / track tyres and so far I have had tried 3 types. well, I say I decided, the second set of wheels in the garage didn't go down too well with the gruppenfuhrer and she got her way.
Kumho V70a 195/50 15 and 225/ 40 16s - unbelievable dry road grip. super pointy. picked up every stone on the road so that the car sounded like you were on a gravel track as you were driving along. only got circa 3000 miles out them before they were close to their legal wear limits and the tramlining became unbearable.. expensive.
Toyo 888s same size. Incredibly noisy...sounded from day one that all of wheel bearings were humped. Great grip - I don't think the grip was as high as the V70s but they felt more progressive than the kumhos. app 5000 miles before they were close to their legal wear limits and the tramlining became unbearable.
Yokohama AD08R same size again - brilliant tyre that I can tell so far. Not as stiff sidewalls so the ride isn't quite as harsh. no wheel bearing noises. turn in not quite as sharp as the other two but still way better than 'normal' tyres. pretty cheap at £350 fitted for four. grip really, really good in the dry. had a couple of moments in the wet but I will put that down to hamfisted-ness.
if memory serve the first two were north of £500 fitted and balanced so, in my mind, I prefer the ad08r over the other two. One other point to add, is that I easily found buyers wanting to take the old kumhos off my hands as a track day tyre (I think I got £150) so that helped towards the newer purchase.
my thoughts.
Peter
i have the kumho tyres on mine with the 16 inch rear and 15 inch front, only road use but done 4k now and no real sign of wear, certainly hold the road well