#253941 - 11/04/2005 18:42
Time for Tires/Tyres
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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It's time for new tires, as my old ones have started to self destruct on the wheel. A few days ago I noticed a whacking sound when I drove above 40mph that seemed to happen every tire rotation. It of course went away shortly before I took it into the mechanic. I couldn't figure out what would only do that at high speeds until I checked the treads of the tires and found a long strip from the inside corner was missing exposing the steel belt. It seems like the tread is ready to seperate the rest of the way, so the car isn't going anywhere besides a tire shop at this point.
It's a '01 Honda Prelude, with 53k miles on the orginal Bridgestone Potenza RE92's. They've been good tires, lasted though some heavy driving and never let me down even now while on their death bed. The size is 205/50-16 if that makes any difference.
What should I look at replacing these tires with? Cost isn't a big concern, though value is. The car never sees snow, but it does see a good amount of rain in the winter. Do I need all season, or does no snow mean summer tires are fine? Any specific reccomendations? I'll probably spend this evening reading tirerack reviews and order tomorrow.
Matthew
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#253942 - 11/04/2005 19:19
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: matthew_k]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Tire Rack has a good selection mechanism with professional and customer reviews. If you were happy with those tires, though, why change?
_________________________
Bitt Faulk
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#253943 - 11/04/2005 19:31
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: wfaulk]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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Well, I read somewhere that the original equipment tires are marked up because people want to replace their tires with "the same ones". Given that honda was in the position of buying a couple hundred thousand tires that would be "good enough" for everyone in the US, I figured there's probably something that would fit my exact needs better than the one size fits all choice. Howerver, if it turns out that there isn't, I'll be happy buying the same ones.
Matthew
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#253944 - 11/04/2005 19:54
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: matthew_k]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
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What you want to do is write down the numbers on the side of the tire. They'll be something like P215/60R16. This is the magic number you'll want to talk to tire dealers quickly. That number tells them a) the tire diameter b)the rim width and c)the aspect ratio (sidewall height to rim width). A more detailed explanation is here.What more money buys you in tires is usually better traction, better tread life or a quieter ride (not usually all three in one tire, you have to make tradeoffs). The two most important thing you can do to make sure your tires last are: check your tire pressure frequently and keep your car well aligned. That and don't hit a nail.  Of course you'll have to take into account whether you want a dedicated summer/rain tire or if you want an all-season radial. -Zeke
_________________________
WWFSMD?
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#253945 - 11/04/2005 20:06
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: matthew_k]
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new poster
Registered: 11/04/2005
Posts: 3
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I'd recommend yokohama ES100's. Unless you plan on taking this car to a track, they'll be a good combination of performance/tread life.
plus, they're relatively cheap.
I just ordered another pair because my civic had bad toe up front, and i never got an alignment. ate the inside of the front tires.
edit: i ordered two 195/50/15 ES100's. ended up to 132 dollars including shipping. They should be here tomorrow 
Edited by amgine (11/04/2005 20:07)
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#253946 - 11/04/2005 20:43
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: amgine]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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My concern with those would be tread life, the tire rack reviews seem to center around the magic number of 15k miles, which seems awfully short. I suspect most people posting reviews drive harder than I do, so I'd probably get something more than that, but I'm not sure how much more.
Matthew
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#253947 - 11/04/2005 20:53
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: matthew_k]
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addict
Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 510
Loc: NY
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Quote:
What should I look at replacing these tires with? Cost isn't a big concern, though value is. The car never sees snow, but it does see a good amount of rain in the winter. Do I need all season, or does no snow mean summer tires are fine? Any specific reccomendations? I'll probably spend this evening reading tirerack reviews and order tomorrow.
It depends on the summer tire. The stock tires on my R32 are Goodyear Eagle F1's. They're great in the rain (a cruel joke in the snow) but are a bit prone to blowouts due to potholes, throught to be a combination of soft sidewall and low profile.
I do have to put in a good word for the Kumho Ecsta's I put on my cabrio 2 years ago, I bought them becaue they met the requirements of "not bald like the tires currently on my car" cheap all season tire, since the car only ever goes to the beach and on road trips. I'm pretty impressed with them, especially since they were like $40. I haven't had a blowout yet, and they're good in wet weather and snow.
_________________________
Heather
"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." -Susan B Anthony
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#253948 - 11/04/2005 21:02
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: matthew_k]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Your RE92s get a pretty poor rating on TireRack, including tread wear. If you really drove 52,000 miles on them, you must drive pretty easy. The Yokohamas he suggested have a (slightly) better wear rating. Your RE92s are listed as High Perf. All-Season tires. You can compare all HPAS tires, as well as the other categories. Summer tires are usually slightly worse at dealing with rain than All-Seasons, but not generally by a lot. Of course, there can be wide variances there. Make sure to look at the Tire Rack averages. They include wet traction and hydroplane resistance.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk
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#253949 - 11/04/2005 22:14
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: Heather]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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It looks like the top contender is the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3's. They get good numbers and good reviews at tirerack and have all the right specs. They're supposed to be good in the rain, which was my main concern with a high performance tire.
Seccond choice is the Pontezza S-03 Pole Position. More expensive with a flippin' rebate that evens it out, better waranty, worse tread wear spec, worse ride/noise reviews.
Anything I'm missing?
Matthe
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#253950 - 11/04/2005 23:48
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: matthew_k]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Eagle F1s tend to be considered top-of-the-line performance tires. As such, I'd take the reviews with a grain of salt. They're probably coming from people expecting poor life, loudness, etc.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk
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#253951 - 12/04/2005 00:08
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: matthew_k]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
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Quote:
Bridgestone Potenza RE92's
The WRX comes with those tires and everyone bitches about them!  The tread life is bad and they don't have good grib. Ride comfort isn't bad nor is road noise however.
Regarding TireRack, they are a great company, but be careful of the customer reviews. Most people tend to do great reviews of tires they just bought because it helps them feel better about spending $1500 on new wheels and tires! I'm not saying don't trust them, just take them with a grain of salt. And the offficial TireRack reviews are great. They can have pretty knowledable and honest sales people too.
I'd like to give you a "non" recommendation: The Yokohama AVS-ES100. I have the 245-45-R17's and really don't like them. They have a killer performance vs. price and tirewear vs. price value, but they "hummmmm" down the road. The noise is unbearable. And during Auto-X, they squeel so much that you can't really tell when they are being just "noisy" or when you're actually about to lose grip. But what really stinks is that I can't justify replacing tires that havn't worn out yet and the tread life on these things is insane! (Oh, and they are great in the rain).
I don't think you need an all season tire. Just remember a "summer tire" is worthless in the snow which is very dangerous. And their grip level is lower in the cold as well, but anything above freezing is fine. I've heard great things about the Kuhmo Escta (sp??).
EDIT: amgine, I didn't read your post before making mine. I didn't mean to knock your favorite tire!  Like has been said, no tire does EVERYTHING well, and the AVS-ES100s are good at tread life, price and grib (both dry and wet). I just don't like the road noise when I have someone else in the car and the empeg isn't playing as loud. Too bad we don't use the same size or I'd sell them to you!
Quote:
Pontezza S-03 Pole Position.
I know some Subaru people that drool over these tires.
Edited by SE_Sport_Driver (12/04/2005 00:15)
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Brad B.
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#253952 - 12/04/2005 03:08
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: matthew_k]
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new poster
Registered: 11/04/2005
Posts: 3
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Quote:
My concern with those would be tread life, the tire rack reviews seem to center around the magic number of 15k miles, which seems awfully short. I suspect most people posting reviews drive harder than I do, so I'd probably get something more than that, but I'm not sure how much more.
Matthew
I order my tires from TireRack, they're rated for 30k on there. Haven't gotten to that point yet though.
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#253953 - 12/04/2005 03:56
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: amgine]
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Pooh-Bah
Registered: 13/04/2001
Posts: 1742
Loc: The land of the pale blue peop...
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try driving a caterham i get 2k from my favorite tyres
but boy oh boy do they stick avon ACB-10
_________________________
P.Allison fixer of big engines
Mk2+Mk2a signed by God / Hacked by the Lord
Aberdeen Scotland
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#253954 - 12/04/2005 04:35
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 10/06/1999
Posts: 5916
Loc: Wivenhoe, Essex, UK
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I'd also highly recommend the Goodyear Eagle F1. I have them on all our cars (OK, the Impreza doesn't have them yet, but that is just because it came with a brand new set of tyres when I bought it). They are the best tyres I have ever used.
Their grip is great in the dry and the rain. They last as long as any other tyre I have used. In most popular sizes they aren't too expensive.
The only minus points are that they are slightly louder on the freeway than some other tyres and they are pretty hopeless in snow.
_________________________
Remind me to change my signature to something more interesting someday
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#253955 - 12/04/2005 08:12
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: andy]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
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I've got Conti Sport Contacts on the Clio, very nice, good stuff wall and excellent grip. Also reasonably cheap, just bought a pair for £110 from mytyres.co.uk with my 6% Cliosport membership discount!
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Cheers,
Andy M
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#253956 - 12/04/2005 09:39
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: andym]
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addict
Registered: 24/07/2002
Posts: 618
Loc: South London
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Quote:
I've got Conti Sport Contacts on the Clio, very nice, good stuff wall and excellent grip. Also reasonably cheap, just bought a pair for £110 from mytyres.co.uk with my 6% Cliosport membership discount!
Damn it! I didn't realise about that, I changed mine a month or so back and have currently got rainsports (michelin?) on the front, they cost a load more than that. I wanted conti's again as well!
It always scares me when I watch pimp-my-ride as to the state of some of the cars people drive about in (in the US), are there *no* laws regarding vehicle safety/upkeep/maintenance?
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#253957 - 12/04/2005 10:49
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: sn00p]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
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They vary a lot by state. In California they're pretty weak. In NH, you can't have any perforation in your bodywork bigger than a quarter (about 2cm diameter) or it won't pass inspection. In New York you don't have to have an engine (only brakes, lights, solid suspension and frame as well as no cracked glass).
On a national level there are no laws about car upkeep, it's all done at the state level.
-Zeke
_________________________
WWFSMD?
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#253958 - 12/04/2005 11:06
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: Ezekiel]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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And, largely, you only get an inspection once a year. Few if any cops will ticket you for any safety violation other than, maybe, a blown brake light or headlight, and even then, you've got a bored cop.
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Bitt Faulk
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#253959 - 12/04/2005 15:47
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: sn00p]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
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How many miles you got on your Clio now? Just had mine serviced, it's nearly done 12k and the guy at Renault Bury offered to do the service for £120 which isn't bad. These tyres will be replacing the original ones on the front, they were supposed to be fitting them at the same time as the service but the tyres didn't arrive in time.
As I pulled up they had an 04 plate 182 for 10 and it's only done 8000 miles. They'll do a brand new UK car for 12.3k too, if only I was buying it now! I was hoping to get about 9.5 when I sell mine soon. Hope whoever reads Autotrader doesn't drop by Renault Bury.
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Cheers,
Andy M
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#253960 - 12/04/2005 15:57
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: andym]
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addict
Registered: 24/07/2002
Posts: 618
Loc: South London
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Quote:
How many miles you got on your Clio now? Just had mine serviced, it's nearly done 12k and the guy at Renault Bury offered to do the service for £120 which isn't bad. These tyres will be replacing the original ones on the front, they were supposed to be fitting them at the same time as the service but the tyres didn't arrive in time.
As I pulled up they had an 04 plate 182 for 10 and it's only done 8000 miles. They'll do a brand new UK car for 12.3k too, if only I was buying it now! I was hoping to get about 9.5 when I sell mine soon. Hope whoever reads Autotrader doesn't drop by Renault Bury.
I think it's about 15k now, can't remember exactly. I had the 12k a couple of months back, cost about £160, which I was less than I was expecting! £120 is a bargain though!
I got 14k out of the front tyres which I thought was pretty respectible all things considered, they'd had some stick too!
So what's the next car going to be then?
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#253961 - 12/04/2005 16:06
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: sn00p]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
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To be honest I'm not sure. While I could afford an Impreza I really couldn't justify the insurance which exorbitant compared to other cars with similar performance/spec.
My bro (who's now a car salesman) has said I should go for a drive in a Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo which is insurance group 19 but is less to insure than the scooby at group 17. There's one at a dealer nearby so I might go and have a look. With the money I should be able to get for the Clio I should be able to get a pretty good one with change left over.
_________________________
Cheers,
Andy M
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#253962 - 13/04/2005 17:31
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: matthew_k]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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I ordered the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3's and now switch into anxiously awaiting their arrival. The amazing thing (and I think I've seen this mentioned here) is the shipping - $33 for FedEx 2 day shipping for 4 tires. That's less than dell charges to ship a laptop by ground. The tire shop that's installing them seemed nice on the phone, much nicer than the two others around town that I'd tried getting quotes at. I'll file another report once the tires are on and I've had a chance to run them through some twists and turns.
Matthew
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#253963 - 13/04/2005 19:07
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: matthew_k]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Let me know how loud you find those tires once you get them.
_________________________
Bitt Faulk
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#253964 - 13/04/2005 20:05
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: wfaulk]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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I will. My car's never been quiet, so I'm not sure how much of a difference it will be. The empeg is pretty much always on and drowning out any road noise quite thoroughly.
Matthew
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#253965 - 13/04/2005 22:30
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: matthew_k]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 24/01/2002
Posts: 3937
Loc: Providence, RI
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Quote:
It's a '01 Honda Prelude, with 53k miles on the orginal Bridgestone Potenza RE92's. They've been good tires, lasted though some heavy driving and never let me down even now while on their death bed. The size is 205/50-16 if that makes any difference.
So, something I feel compelled to point out, these are low rolling resistance tires, if you're not careful about what you buy, your gas mileage will go down.
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#253966 - 14/04/2005 03:30
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: andym]
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Pooh-Bah
Registered: 13/04/2001
Posts: 1742
Loc: The land of the pale blue peop...
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Quote:
My bro (who's now a car salesman) has said I should go for a drive in a Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo which is insurance group 19 but is less to insure than the scooby at group 17. There's one at a dealer nearby so I might go and have a look. With the money I should be able to get for the Clio I should be able to get a pretty good one with change left over.
very fast in a straight line, crappy round the corners but very libel to explode frequently.
Mk1 elises are starting to come to about ten grand but they are a wee bit rattly at that age and price.
There ain't much wrong with the clio quite quick too with the right driver.
_________________________
P.Allison fixer of big engines
Mk2+Mk2a signed by God / Hacked by the Lord
Aberdeen Scotland
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#253967 - 14/04/2005 14:12
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/04/2000
Posts: 3810
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I'm similarly interested in your Goodyear experiences, particularly as the tires get more miles on them. My car came from the factory with Michelin Pilot Sports, which wore out around 25K miles. They were getting relatively loud toward the end. I replaced them with with Yokohama ES100's, which were great at the beginning, but are now loud enough that my wife is convinced something must be terribly wrong with them. (I checked, and they've still got probably 4mm until they hit the wear bars, so they've still got some life left in them.) Next time, I'd happily pay more money up front to have tires that will be quieter down the line.
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#253968 - 13/07/2005 22:23
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: matthew_k]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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I figured now was a good time to write up my experiences with these. In short, they've been great, well worth the money in my book.
Getting them put on was easy. The drop shipped them and they were delivered that week, the shop called me and put them on the next day. The shop was great, perhaps it's a testament to the fact that the type of place that gets itself listed with tirerack, or perhaps it was just dumb luck. They mounted them for $125 or so, which seemed reasonable considering the savings compared to having a local shop order and install them.
Driving with the tires was great. However, I have to say that I feel like I'd virtually forgotten that my car was fun to drive after so much commuting. (I live in berkeley, my girlfriend lives an hour south down one of the worst freeways in the bay area.) The new tires gave me a reason to have fun, and they havn't disappointed. The things have amazing grip, and they just don't break loose.
I got to drive with them a few times in the rain, and I didn't have any complaints. I don't try pushing things in the rain, so I couldn't tell you how they corner on wet pavement, but my main concern was hydroplaning in puddles, but everything seemed fine.
All in all, I'm a devout beleiver in tirerack and the Goodyear Eagle F1's. Of course I'll research my next tire purchase, but at this point another set of the F1's would be the obvious choice.
Matthew
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#253969 - 13/07/2005 22:29
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: matthew_k]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/04/2000
Posts: 3810
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That's good to hear. What I'm really curious about is how well your tires are doing after 10K miles or so. Please post again! (Or, should I just encourage you to see your girlfriend more often?)
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#253970 - 13/07/2005 22:40
Re: Time for Tires/Tyres
[Re: matthew_k]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
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Quote:
They mounted them for $125 or so, which seemed reasonable considering the savings compared to having a local shop order and install them.
Walmart mounts and balances tires for $11 per tire. This includes free lifetime rotation and they will mount tires purchased from anywhere, even used tires. Just FYI.
I used them recenly when I was being cheap. They did a good enough job for a great price that I will go back.
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80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
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