Can I use 205 width tyres to replace my 215s?

I would get them swapped, as depending what tyres you actualy have on your MK3, as Eco and Premium are diffreent, if they are the premium then in your new size they are about £115 each, compared to around £70 in 205 size, a big diffrence. The dealer has put rubbish tyres on your new car, so i would get them on to your old mondeo and put your decent tyres on the new car.
 
I would be careful as the load rating of your 205 tyres are less than the 215 ditchfinders.
Some insurance conpanies can be funny if u replace tyres with ones of a lower rating.
 
They're Eco Contact. I'm still unsure what to do, it won't damage my car in any way running the smaller tyres will it, or look hideously daft?
 
I seem to recall the Conti EcoContact tyres being fairly average, from having them on previous cars - they're harder compound eco tyres after all. I'd argue if it was worth the effort in all honesty.
 
Howard said:
I seem to recall the Conti EcoContact tyres being fairly average, from having them on previous cars - they're harder compound eco tyres after all. I'd argue if it was worth the effort in all honesty.
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Well in that case I could just let the auction run on my old car with the Conti's on. There's only 7 hours left with a £250 starting price and 12 watchers, the proceeds, if any, could be used towards getting some new tyres and I guess I could just drive like a Granny until then.
 
or change the tyres for ~£50
and use the auction money/profit for something else.

I would take them to local tyre place and get them swapped over personally.
 
Eco Contacts 5 are usually found on smaller city cars, Yaris, Fiesta etc, however they are very good against their competitors, and have won best tyres etc. They will be considerably better than Sunew YS112 thats for sure.
You will not notice any diffreence in apperance between swapping to the smaller tyres. If it bothers you, when the Eco contacts wear out, put 215s back on then.
 
Would there be any problems swapping the tyres over and running the Conti's on the Mk4's rims?
 
Just phoned the dealer knowing it'd be a waste of time anyway, was just curious to see what they'd say about them. As expected "well they conform to British standard, I don't see the point in premium tyres or spending hundreds of pounds on them I think they're the biggest rip off going"...

Proceeded to tell him about what car's test where the Sunew's took 86 metres to stop in the wet from 70mph whereas the Goodyear's took 56 metres.

*Silence*

So the dealer won't budge, gonna give my local tyre place a call now.
 
Just spoke to my local tyre place and the bloke there says I can't change the wheels over as it would change the speedo - which we already know, then he said it'd wear the drive shaft out as well.

Any truth in that?
 
Yeah that's what they're saying, but another guy from ATS just said it might change the ABS but other than that there aren't any problems in doing it - they don't do it themselves anymore after they had problems doing it with a guys Golf or something.
 
Kwik fit have quoted me £80 to swap the tyres onto the new rims but he advised that he wouldn't personally do it.
 
I wouldn't ask these places for their advice, I'd just take them to have it done, or not. The wheels are the same size, assuming the fitment (PCD / offset) is correct then it won't make a blind bit of difference to how the car operates and drives, aside from the fractional difference in speed calibration as already agreed. A mk4 Mondeo might just look a bit funny with mk3 wheels.

Swapping the tyres should cost £5-10 a wheel at an independent tyre fitter.
 
smr said:
Just spoke to my local tyre place and the bloke there says I can't change the wheels over as it would change the speedo - which we already know, then he said it'd wear the drive shaft out as well.

Any truth in that?
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Regarding the driveshafts he's talking through his bottom I'm afraid, just another clueless fitter pretending to know what he's talking about.

Conscript said:
I thought it would read marginally faster - a smaller wheel revolves quicker at a given speed?

EDIT: Just saw the table.
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Correct, the speedometer will read higher for a given vehicle speed when you have tyres with a smaller rolling radius. I'm guessing the table shows actual speed at an indicated 70mph.
 
What dealer is this?

Unfortunately it's not unusual for the trade to fit ditchfinder tyres. Most people at the bottom end of the market just don't care, so no point spending 20% of the car's value on a set of premium rubber. My dad is in the trade and he tries his best to fit at least a big brand lower model tyre (Conti, Dunlop, Goodyear, Michelin, etc.) as I don't think his conscience can take fitting total crap, but that's not particularly usual.
 
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