Tyres

[VW GTI]

I just paid my deposit on a Polo GTI today. I'm getting a black one with leather and 17" Exor STP wheels.

They are fitting the wheels between now and delivery (early next week) and the tyres is the only thing they need. I've technically paid $310/tyre and have 4 brands to choose from. Continental, Goodyear, Michelin and something else (I think it's Bridgestone). They 'should' be 205/40 ZR 17... I think.

Has anyone got any good/bad stories about these tyres, I've had Federal and Continental on a previous car, but they were lowered so I'm not sure which ones were better cos that was a while ago and it was glued to the road even with the re-treads I put on when I sold it.

Also, does anyone know what the Polo GTI Cup Edition comes with?

Thanks for the help.

[NickZ]

It would probably be best to find out what model of tyre you are picking. For example, are the Contis Sport Contact 2s or 3s?

[mitch_gti]

Michelin Preceda PP2 is what you want :)

http://www.michelin.com.au/tyres/passengerCar_pilotPreceda.asp

[Timbo]

I'd go for 215/40 if you can; either the Precedas or Bridgestone Adrenalins

[VW GTI]

Nickz: He said it's basically my choice for that price (depending on if the supplier has them).

I should be getting a list of choices tomorrow.

Can you give reasons as to why you would choose those tyres?

[mitch_gti]

Conti's would be ruled out for me, even when i was due to pick up my GTI i had spoken to my local bob jane, i was going to drive straight from the dealer to bob jane and get tyres swapped with Michelin Pilot exalto's.

In hind sight i really should have. They are amazing tyres.

But since mine came with dunlops i thought i would give them a go. They have turned out to be really good.

I watched a review in which they tested tyres and the effect they have on a standard cars performance.

The car the tyres were being tested on was a renault clio sport cup 182.
Which has exalto michelins on it.
One of my friends has a 182 and says that its an amazing handler but has no doubt whatsoever that the exaltos have alot to do with the level of handling.

Anyway in this test, they did a lap with michelins, and then a lap with direct size replacement tyres of another good quality brand from memory. The car was understeering all over the place.

Ive always heard fantastic reports about michelin's, soo ill be trying them next time around

[NickZ]

I would pick the Michelin's too..... no personal experience but have always heard rave things about their tyres, especially the top end stuff. Contis arent bad, but there is better tyres for your money.

[DaveMack]

What sort of money / corner are we talking with the Michelins (both: Preceda & Exalto)?

Dave

[VW GTI]

Yeah I wanted the Michelin because of the brand name to start with :)

I've heard a couple bad things about their wet weather handling, but I live in Brisbane so that shouldn't bother me too much.

I think I will be going for the Precedas or the Eagle F1 (friend has them on a clio and it handles really nicely).

Thanks for ya help.

[mitch_gti]

Dave,

Michelin dont even list Exalto on their webpage. They have to be specially ordered through a tyre shop, soo apparently not many people know them.

I could be incredibly wrong but from what i read on a renault forum i think the Exalto was specially made for the 182.

Plus they come in 16'' only (another reason i think they were made for 182 clio)

Probably between about 290-320 a corner in 16inch. Depends how nice the tyre man is lol.

Think pilot sports only come in wider sizes than we can actually use. So we have to stick to Preceda pp2. From all reports the michelins are amazing in both dry and wet.

Im going to be making a few calls about the RS4 replica wheels, if i can get them ill definately be going PP2's.

Off topic. Whats the GTI stud spacing (5x100? right..?) and offset? i need to make a phone call.

[DaveMack]

I think you're right (5 x 100) with the stud spacing, Mitch. But truth to tell ... nowhere in the car manual does it actually say. :?

Dave

[FL00DY]

I've just ordered my second set of Preceda 2's. Great tyre in wet and dry so I figured why ruin a good thing by picking another tyre.

Also a Q for the OP, have you thought bout buying the car with the original wheels and then selling them later for the bigger 17"s you want? Reason I ask is because I too wanted to get 17"s ordered with my car but when I found out the extra cost for wheels and rubber and the fact that I wouldn't get the originals to sell later on I decided against it. Just a thought.

[VW GTI]

I had thought about that, and I could have kept the originals for an extra 1k including tyres. I've seen an exact copy of my car with the wheels I want and like the look. I also thought it would be too hard to sell stock VW wheels for more than $1k for a while considering they can only go on the Polo GTI (other Polos are 4 stud) and not many people would have scratched up their rims yet.

I paid $1960 after trade in on the stock wheels for the 17s with good tyres. Insurance loves factory mags as opposed to buying aftermarket ones. Also, the Exor wheels look awesome on Black. Obviously that's a lot more than aftermarket ones though...

[Eddy]

Hoyhoy.
Has anyone tried the Sime Astar-300 tyre, they have been taken over by Continental about 18 months ago & this Astar-300, I was told is better than Conti contact 2's, so I'm curious.
Plus not too many $$$$'s.

[Blitzen]

Go the super stick option...Falken Azinis RT 615 or Toyo R888's...I love semi slicks, and when conti's come up to get changed, I'm getting the Toyo's. Had the RT 615's on my last car(Barina SRI), and they were friggen awesome!!

[DaveMack]

Hoyhoy.
Has anyone tried the Sime Astar-300 tyre, they have been taken over by Continental about 18 months ago & this Astar-300, I was told is better than Conti contact 2's, so I'm curious.
Plus not too many $$$$'s.


Yeah, Eddy ... your wee blue baby needs slicks. :D

Dave

[Timbo]

Please, please don't touch RT 615's on the Pog! Falkens? I call them Farkens j: Hard, noisy and gripless...and not even cheap! :(

[Eddy]

Hoyhoy.
I believe in a good tyre for the road & semi's for the track.
Was just hoping someone here had already tried these Sime Astar-300's.

[Blitzen]

There was nothing wrong with the Faulken RT 615...They were a bit harder(I got 25,000km out of them), but the grip they had for a small car was amazing, and they were easy on the pocket too($250 each, compared to the $330 Dunlop SP Sport 9000's the car came with).
You could always look at the Toyo Proxas T1R... They are very grippy, and a bit softer compound, but they do tend to wear a bit quicker.