**Unofficial Tyre Thread**

Just changed cars from a 2010 Honda Insight to 2016 Honda Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC. The Civic came with Bridgestone Turanza T005 with about 4-5mm tread on them. Living in the Peak District with snow forecast, I've decided to get some Michelin Crossclimate 2s, which is what I'd had on the Insight and been very satisfied with (they have been brilliant in snow, quiet, and more than satisfactory the rest of the time). ATS are doing £70 off and a £50 Rainforest voucher for 4 Michelin tyres at the moment, and that swayed me.

The T005s seem like a decent summer tyre though and it would seem a shame to waste premium brand tyres with so much tread left. Rather than allowing ATS to dispose of them, I'm planning to ask to keep them with the intention of putting them on the bay. I'll add it to my pile of leftover Insight accessories I'm planning to sell (I had 10 wheels for the Insight - only let 4 go with the car - stemming from previously having run separate summer and winter wheels, and having both full size and spacesaver spares, It's a car I'd kept for over 13 years, and you acquire paraphernalia over time...)

Also - the Insight size was 185/55r16 and the Civic is 205/55r16. It's been a surprise how much cheaper tyres are and what a wider selection there is in the Civic's tyre size.
 
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Uriel said:
The T005s seem like a decent summer tyre
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One of the best tyres in my opinion for the normal weather we get in the UK i.e. cool and damp. In torrential slick rainy conditions they are excellent with a good feeling of control and hold up surprisingly well when temperatures drop - only exhibiting the negatives you normally get in a summer tyre once it drops below 7C when it gets down to about 0-1C. They don't do so well at the extremes though - you definitely don't want to be relying on them in snow - even light snow they struggle let alone proper snow and in a dusty dry heatwave they get a bit heavy and vague feeling (though a lot of tyres struggle with that).

I had them on my pickup in light snow and in 2WD they were trying to spin a lot - albeit rear wheel drive pickup without much in the back isn't an ideal situation for any tyre in the snow, 4WD brought them back under control to a surprising extent but they still were a long way off other tyres I've used in the snow. Sadly haven't got to try the CC2s I've got in the snow yet to compare.
 
I had previously run Contintental Wintercontact TS850s on the Insight, later replacing one axel with TS860s, which are both well-regarded winter tyres. Moving to a rural, hilly area it became useful to run them all year round for dealing with the odd bit of mud, as well as snow. They gave a notably more comfortable ride than the Toyo Proxes CF2 I had on my summer wheels. They wore quickly in summer though, and I replaced them with the Crossclimate 2s. With the Crossclimate 2s I didn't feel like I was missing anything compared to the Wintercontacts - and hence been running them all year since then.

I had the unfortunate experience of attempting to drive the Insight on the OEM Dunlop SP2030s in snow. The car was embarrassingly helpless. Either the winter or all-season tyres completely transformed it though, into a vehicle that I could be utterly confident driving as long as the snow didn't come up the underside of the car.

I dare say the Civic might be better than the Insight in snow on summer tyres, being a manual car, but I need to be able to rely on it in snowy conditions for work and I'll feel more confident with Crossclimate 2s on it.
 
Well I had those Michelin Crossclimate 2s fitted at ATS. Pressures all over the place when they'd finished. We have rears at 35 and 36, fronts 37 and 39. On the plus side, technically every wheel is within the range limits of spec inside the driver's door given loading possibilities. Also on the plus side they did a free wheel alignment check and it's just within spec, but after the pressures, I have to ask myself whether I believe the numbers.

As it happens, the space created by flipping up the 'magic seat' bases, was exactly the right size for the 4 Bridgestone Turanza T005s to fit in upright. A bit of practical car pleasant surprise there. Didn't even need to touch the boot to bring them home.
 
Is it madness to spend £350 on a new set of premium all seasons on a car I bought for £4300?

Currently it has fairly new budget summer tyres, but I like scottish winter mountaineering which involves ungritted backroads and don't feel comfortable driving on what I have.
 
Disco_P said:
Is it madness to spend £350 on a new set of premium all seasons on a car I bought for £4300?

Currently it has fairly new budget summer tyres, but I like scottish winter mountaineering which involves ungritted backroads and don't feel comfortable driving on what I have.
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Thats essentially what I just did, on a car I paid just under twice that for - but I had premium summer tyres with 4-5mm tread removed (hoping to get some value back by selling them on).

If you drive on untreated roads in snow, it's worth it in my opinion. Tyres are essentially a consumable. If you drive the car enough, you'll get your money's worth no matter the car's value.
 
Disco_P said:
Is it madness to spend £350 on a new set of premium all seasons on a car I bought for £4300?
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No absolutely not mad at all!
The only thing between you and that tree/cliff/child is your tyres and brakes (and maybe a bit of skill). Don't cheap out!

Disco_P said:
but I like scottish winter mountaineering which involves ungritted backroads and don't feel comfortable driving on what I have.
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MrRockliffe said:
Not when it’s your safety involved, IMO.
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This
 
New tyre day for the RS3 :)

Fronts are starting to get low, and have the usual wearing on the inside edge so thought would get them changed.

Giving the Conti 7s a try as everyone raving about them, coming from MPS4S.

The Michelins lasted 2 years/20k or so which wasn’t bad.

Will get the rears changed over later in the year, they’ve still got a fair bit of life in them yet.

Also getting the alignment checked as can’t remember last time I had it done!
 
Disco_P said:
Is it madness to spend £350 on a new set of premium all seasons on a car I bought for £4300?

Currently it has fairly new budget summer tyres, but I like scottish winter mountaineering which involves ungritted backroads and don't feel comfortable driving on what I have.
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Nope, I removed a set of CSC5s with a depressing amount of tread left to fit some CC2s because I've got a fairly hefty commute which could be mild and wet at one end and freezing cold and snowing at the other.

Tyre price vs car price is irrelevant fit whatever fits your needs best.
 
tom_e said:
Nope, I removed a set of CSC5s with a depressing amount of tread left to fit some CC2s because I've got a fairly hefty commute which could be mild and wet at one end and freezing cold and snowing at the other.

Tyre price vs car price is irrelevant fit whatever fits your needs best.
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Now I need to know what this commute is…
 
Penfold101 said:
Now I need to know what this commute is…
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Shropshire to the top of Warwickshire, I've had times where I've gotten about half way without a hint of snow and then went over a roundabout and into a inch or so of settled snow. That was a bum twitcher as it was when commuting by motorbike was my only option :o So I like to be prepared these days :D
 
tom_e said:
Shropshire to the top of Warwickshire, I've had times where I've gotten about half way without a hint of snow and then went over a roundabout and into an inch or so of settled snow. That was a bum twitcher as it was when commuting by motorbike was my only option :o So I like to be prepared these days :D
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Summer tyres on the back, winter on the front. Sorted! :D
 
Whatever else is relevant about the Crossclimate 2s (in XL, as I think they have a better chance of surviving local potholes), they are quiet and give a comfortable ride. Having just gone from Turanza T005 to Crossclimate 2, the Civic Tourer is a remarkably more pleasant place to be after the change. I am running the higher load pressures - so 39 psi all round and maybe the Crossclimate 2s cope better with it. I prefer the way the steering feedback feels with the Crosslimate 2s as well.

Two things I changed in a hurry after buying the car - tyres and some rather depressing and tired generic front wipers back to the Genuine Honda Aero ones. Both changes rubber related - both just make the car noticeably nicer.
 
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Uriel said:
Whatever else is relevant about the Crossclimate 2s (in XL, as I think they have a better chance of surviving local potholes), they are quiet and give a comfortable ride. Having just gone from Turanza T005 to Crossclimate 2, the Civic Tourer is a remarkably more pleasant place to be after the change. I am running the higher load pressures - so 39 psi all round and maybe the Crossclimate 2s cope better with it. I prefer the way the steering feedback feels with the Crosslimate 2s as well.
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The T005 have this droning noise to them - not that loud but kind of low key annoying, when I swap out the T005s on my Navara for the wheels with Falken Wildpeaks the difference in cabin noise comfort is stark despite the Wildpeaks being ATs.

I found the CC2s handle better 1-2 PSI above the relevant load rating for some reason, they definitely seem to prefer towards the higher PSI than lower, but personally prefer the T005 for handling - they feel more on point and the CC2s don't like rapid direction changes especially if going from a left turn with a bit of momentum into a quick right they become a bit sloppy into the right.
 
The T005s are noted for their low rolling resistance but looking up the specs they get a 'C' for rolling resistance. The Crossclimate 2s in XL get a 'B' (it's C for standard). Did a journey this morning that amounts to the first 3/4 of my usual commute route. This is the first time I've had to scrape frost off the Civic so started with a little idling to warm up. Nevertheless the same car with CC2s seemed to have caught up with the trip mpg readout at the same stage of the journey. Early indications would be that fuel usage in dry cold clear conditions is about the same as the T005s.
 
Thanks folks, I am looking at Continental All Season Contact 2

Annoyingly the 20% code on kwik fit only applies to the tyre cost, which they don't actually state anywhere!
 
Wife messaged me while I was at work earlier saying she's booked her car in to have a new set fitted next week. I've not built up the courage to ask what ditch finders she's ordered yet :o
 
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