Tyres

[JamieX5]

Looking for a new set of tyres for the X5. I don't do many miles, mainly work commute of 10miles a day max. Expecting our first child soon so can't really justify the cost of a new set of michelins although I would love too, what do you guys think of accelera?

[ajwk]

I know next to nothing about tyres but when I worked as a car washer at a mercedes dealership the cheif mechanic swore by budget tyres he said they had everything but a brand name.

I bought expensive tyres (p zero's i think) for the last 4x4 I had an audi A4 estate 3d quattro and the wear rate was horrific and I wasn't driving it especially hard. I will be looking at budget tyres like the accelera when I replace mine on the x5 I have seen  these tyres for about £100 each rather than the £300 you can pay for premium tyres so my view is I will try them out at that price it has to be worth a goif they are poor then go for something more expensive second time around. They have reasonable ratings by the new euro code so they should perform surely?

[huck]

Almost every car forum I've been on has a thread about budget tyres (and mpg etc etc) and Accelera invariably pops up. There's an epic thread over on Alfaowner which I recall well.

I don't sit in the camp that budget tyres are as good as premium ones and you're merely paying for the name. Sure, there'll be an element of added cost but I'm a firm believer that you do indeed get what you pay for when it comes to tyres. I'm sure Acceleras aren't dangerous and will be perfectly ok on your car. Conversely, I'd bet they're not as good as a premium tyre or as consistent in differing conditions. In the wet, I wouldn't have Acceleras on my car from what I've read.

[macca]

more than brand its all about the wear rate, which is usually stated on the tyres side wall, the greater the number the harder the tyre the longer it will last.

so theres a huge area for compromise, harder tyres will generally not handle as well, and especially in the wet, but they will wear well.

softer compound tyre will handle well, and usually also in the wet, the down side is they wont last well

take your pick

[Don Coffey]

Tread ware rate is not a requirement on UK tyres unlike the USA where it's a legal requirement. If the tread ware is on the tyre it is measured as a percentage. 100 equates to 7200 miles in optimum conditions. So a wear rate of 300 would mean that the tyres could last for 21600 miles. On my old Honda CRV I used a set of tyres that had a tread ware of 480 giving a potential for over 35k

Don

[ChrisLux]

I swear by Continentals , a lot cheaper than Michelins and better in my opinion

[ajwk]

I agree with Huck in a fair and equitable world you should get something more  for £300 a corner than you do for £100. That doesn't necessarily mean that happens.

I just had a look at the wet perforance figures for rear 20's for the x5 on black circles the accelera gets a C rating the best is A (the worst E) on the continentals. If I did my sums correctly each letter represents stopping 3 metres quicker in wet weather at 50 mph michelin latitudes bm recommended are B rated so for the extra £200 you stop 3 metres sooner in the wet. You get the added bonus of the michelins being 3 times noisier and 2 grades less fuel efficient too.

In my view one off bad experiences are not evidence of a bad product because other factors like the condition of the car are not taken into account with the amount of potholes around today anything can be out of alignment causing excess tyre wear regardless of what you buy.

[Horizon]

+1
There is a lot of brand snobbery in tyres, we believe the advertising that we see in the magazines and on the TV.
As mentioned,a car with incorrect tracking will trash a £300 tyre, as well as a £100 tyre. If these tyres have undergone independent testing, I'd be happy to go with them.
If you have a set of cheaper tyres with 8 mm of tread, they will be better than a £300 tyre with 6mm, in the wet,snow, by far.

[jaynana]

i'd go balanced - that is branded but not high end. yokohama avents came in well priced.

[Benstan]

Probably the law of diminishing returns.  A bottle of wine for £100 will be better than a £5 bottle, but not 20 times better.  Similarly, a £300 tyre won't be 3 times better than a £100 tyre, but it will be better. 

Spend as much as you can reasonably afford - tyres are the only thing that will keep you out of a ditch on a wet bend and if you've a child on the way, it's safety first.  Bit like babyseats too - I'm sure you will buy the best that you can afford within budget.

Congrats on the baby by the way - they're hard work but you'll love 'em even more than the X (hard as that may seem!).  My kids, when babies, loved the white noise of the kitchen hob extractor fan...only thing that stopped them crying sometimes!

[AW8]

It's not just in a name. I have had so called premium brand tyres on cars that have left a lot to be desired.

On many forums many folk are quick to comment on certain tyres without having had experiences using them in extensively in varied &/or demanding conditions........I to have been guilty of this.

Another thing to consider is the temperaure range any specific tyre is designed to be used in. Many are quick to slag off summer tyres for their limitations in wet/snow/ice/mud for example.

Certainly there are mixed views comments on Accelera tyres if one performs a google discusson search.

Don the info on wear ratings was interesting & informative - thanks..........I think these ratings should also be on UK tyres.