Toyo tyres; any good, or are there better options?

Conscript · 22 Dec 2008 at 17:15

I might be looking to buy a new pair of front tyres in the near future...the current weather conditions have shown up how rubbish the current ones I have really are and seeing as they are wearing, I figured now is the best time for a change. Ive seen that Toyo T1-R tyres in my size (195/55/R15) are available at Camskill for £40 a go. Ive heard a few good things about Toyo tyres before, but the price does seem almost too good to be true. Before i commit I was jsut wondering if anyone else had any experience of them or could recoomend any other decent rubber in that size?

Car is a 1.6 Focus and gets treated as such so it's no performance machine, but I would like some decent rubber, especially as it has no ABS so locking the wheels is more of a concern for me. That said, I don't want to be spending huge amounts of money on rubber for a car which lives a rather sedate life. The last pair of tyres (Conti Premium Contact 2) cost me close to £150 fitted, which in hindsight is a lot of money to spend on rubber, even if they have been very good so far.

Edit: Actually turns out Im runing 195/60/R15 size tyres.

Howard · 22 Dec 2008 at 17:40

T1-Rs are good, Eagle F1s are better. That said, considering you don't drive it like you're on track, T1-Rs will be more than adequate

Charlie Bravo · 22 Dec 2008 at 17:41

I had 4x Goodyear NCT5's on my car when I bought it. They had just been fitted and lasted around 22k, maybe a bit more.
When the fronts wore out I went for Bridgestone ER300's and whilst they are good, they aren't as grippy in the wet as the Goodyears.

Anyway last week I got 2 new Goodyears fitted to the car and had the Bridgestones put on the back. Very happy with the handling again now.

Blackcircles have NCT5's avail in your size for £44.25 each. Toyo T1-R's are £40.54 each.

I drive a Seat Toledo 2.3 V5 and it gets treated like it

Howard · 22 Dec 2008 at 17:41

I have NCT5s on the front of my Honda, they're crap in the wet

which is a shame because they're great in the dry and not what I'd expect from an "all-rounder" tyre really

Charlie Bravo · 22 Dec 2008 at 17:44

Really? Blimey, mine have been great, they've never slipped in the wet.

Howard · 22 Dec 2008 at 17:46

Well they're not dangerously bad, but I find it very easy to induce understeer or wheelspin, lol

Conscript · 22 Dec 2008 at 17:51

About the only bad remark I read about the Toyo T1-R was a customer who rated them on Blackcircles who said he'd seen his economy drop slightly. Not an issue for most people Im sure, but Im a tightwad

I dont believe they do Eagle F1s in 195/55/R15 howard, or at least I haven't seen them yet. But as you say, these are probably far in excess of what I need anyway.

UltimateBadger · 22 Dec 2008 at 17:54

I have T1-R's on my Impreza. They are good all round road tyres. I've used Toyo for years now as I find the price/performance balance just about right.

mr tommo · 22 Dec 2008 at 17:59

What are the tyres that a few people were raving about, was a brand Ive not heard of before. Think Gibbo may have had them on his Mustang IIRC.

Mr_White · 22 Dec 2008 at 18:00

mr tommo said:
What are the tyres that a few people were raving about, was a brand Ive not heard of before. Think Gibbo may have had them on his Mustang IIRC.

Vredestein

mr tommo · 22 Dec 2008 at 18:11

Cheers been looking because I think mine will need replacing soon. Anyone got a 2008 tyre test link?

Jonny69 · 22 Dec 2008 at 18:46

Good value tyre with good performance for the money. Got them on her Renault

G_D · 22 Dec 2008 at 18:57

I have T1-Rs on my focus and they are fantastic tbh. I wouldn't really refer to the NCT5 as a performance tyre which I have also experienced on several cars.

The Toyos do make a huge difference. I have known people have Eagle F1's on their focus as well and we couldn't ever really feel much difference between them.

I am also finding I am going to get more miles from my T1-Rs than I did from the last set I had which was PremiumContact-2s all round. The Toyo rubber is obviously just much more suited to my driving/the car.

saitrix · 22 Dec 2008 at 19:16

I love T1-R's, I have had them both on the Focus and the Mx5. Really good for the money in my opinion.

subaru_swift · 22 Dec 2008 at 19:21

goodyear f1's on my 300bhp scooby doo...

but the t1 toyos are just like them i hear ?? but cheaper in most cases.

gillywibble · 22 Dec 2008 at 19:26

I think the Toyos are overrated and poor.

saitrix · 22 Dec 2008 at 19:27

Yeah, to show the difference in price.

195/50 r15

Toyo T1-R = £29.31 each
Eagle F1 = £43.55 each

Both from Camskill.

clv101 · 22 Dec 2008 at 19:29

howardcanning said:
T1-Rs are good, Eagle F1s are better.

I've had both on the Fabia VRs (16R-45-205) and prefer the Toyos. The Fabia is quite front heavy and I don't think the Goodyear's sidewalls are strong enough.

MarkDavis · 22 Dec 2008 at 19:37

T1-Rs are very good tyres. Didn't realise that they came in such a small size but at £40 they would be a real bargain - they were about £65 a year or two ago. Only slight criticism I have with them is that they have quite stiff sidewalls compared to other tyres at the same price point, which helps the tyre resist deformation when cornering (and thus handling and grip) but results in a slightly bumpier ride. Then again, its all relative. For £40, go for it!

Nor · 22 Dec 2008 at 19:57

I have TR1 Proxies on my car and they have been great. A huge improvement over the standard Contis. Grip is fantastic even in the wet. Think I paid about £95 fitted for 205 40 R17s last year. Price has come down though.

Toyo tyres; any good, or are there better options?

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