[thevwguy]

Hey folks! With a lot of difficulty, found a set of Michelin P4STs. I have 2 issues with this - any suggestions would help me decide between the P4STs and the Conti UC6 (this I can get from my neighbourhood tyre shop).

1) 14.5k per tyre which is almost the cost of 2 Conti UC6’s.
2) it’s an online deal from a reputed tyre outlet. But still, I won’t get to see the tyres in the flesh.
3) Stock size - 195/55/R16 and available size is 205/55/R16. Slight apprehension as I’ve the 1.2 TSI DSG - the infamous box that has been good far. Worried the slight upsize will affect.

[NA-driver]

Originally Posted by thevwguy

1) 14.5k per tyre which is almost the cost of 2 Conti UC6’s.

IMHO a P4ST for 14.5k is not worth the money, this is even more than what PS4 cost (at least back when it was easily available)

2) it’s an online deal from a reputed tyre outlet. But still, I won’t get to see the tyres in the flesh.

Any idea about the date of manufacture of these tyres?

3) Stock size - 195/55/R16 and available size is 205/55/R16. Slight apprehension as I’ve the 1.2 TSI DSG - the infamous box that has been good far. Worried the slight upsize will affect.

Any particular reason why you're going for the upsize?
There are several other good tyres available in both 195 & 205 section tyres for example - MRF perfinza, Vredestein ULTRAC, Conti UC6 (like you mentioned) etc.

[thevwguy]

Originally Posted by NA-driver

IMHO a P4ST for 14.5k is not worth the money, this is even more than what PS4 cost (at least back when it was easily available)

Absolutely- their only USP for the price is availability. And probably my Michelin affinity

Originally Posted by NA-driver

Any idea about the date of manufacture of these tyres?

Jus got fresh pics this morning - they’re 21’.

Originally Posted by NA-driver

Any particular reason why you're going for the upsize?
There are several other good tyres available in both 195 & 205 section tyres for example - MRF perfinza, Vredestein ULTRAC, Conti UC6 (like you mentioned) etc.

None at all. Again down to availability. I wouldn’t touch MRF as my primary requirement is comfort, silence and confidence. Vredestein has got mixed reviews.

Thanks for your time!! With the fresh pics I got this morning, I’m walking away from this. 2 years and almost 15k for a tyre is

[thevwguy]

Update: I went into the tyre shop with my mind made up on the UC6’s. The owner of the shop is a close friend and it has been a custom with all cars in my family to drive straight from the showroom floor to the tyre shop. We’d always swap stock tyres with Michelin and hence have a good relationship with the owner. He strongly suggested going with Ceat securedrive and not the UC6 which was a shocker. He knows my priorities are silence and comfort being the top. I took his word and man am I pleasantly surprised. The tyres are super soft at least on the Vento and very comfortable. I’ve just embarked on a 1k KMS road-trip and will update further on driving dynamics. I am taking it slow and breaking them in - keeping speeds low. Im a happy camper with what im experiencing so far. Also, for anyone in TN thinking of Ceat’s, there is an offer going on with purchase of 4 tyres you’d get a 1g gold coin free. I’m yet to receive it so if I do, the tyres are a steal at 28k (minus 5k for the gold if that floats your boat).

[maheshsm12]

Originally Posted by thevwguy

He strongly suggested going with Ceat securedrive and not the UC6 which was a shocker.

Could you please update on the experience on the Born Tough tyres, am planning to change from Michelin.

[ASVA]

Greetings everyone.

Got my 2012 VW Vento TDi serviced recently. There was a lot of noise coming from the front suspension even on mildly bad city roads and rumble strips. So had to replace the front suspensions and got the steering rack mechanism repaired and re-lubricated.
It runs smooth as butter now but the tyres are a let down, due to its age.

Finally have decided to replace tyres. They are currently running on Yoko Earth 1 installed in 2018, upsized to 195/60 R15. A lot of tread still left but there are large visible cracks on the side wall due to age.

My initial thoughts were to replace them with the same brand and size but then thought of doing some looking around.

Went thru this thread and many others and am really confused. Would appreciate inputs on the following points

(1) Comfort and low noise are priority. Do I stick to 195/60 R15 or 185/65 R15 would be a better size? (Without putting more stress on the suspension /steering components)

(2)Yokos? Contis? Ceat? Michelin? Bridgestone? Which brand do I go for?

(3)Read somewhere on this forum that 195 section tyres MAY lead to faster wear of the suspension components/tie rods. How much of a difference would 195 section make vis-a-vis 185 section tyres?

(4) 90 % city use with very occasional high speed highway usage. Braking grip and safety are paramount concerns.

(5)With most roads being converted to concrete surfaces, I am told tyres heat up very fast and that's a factor to be considered. True?

(6)Would appreciate leads to a reputed tyre dealer in Mumbai. (Preferably South or Central Mumbai)

Thanks in advance

Reagrds
ASVA

[ASVA]

Originally Posted by thevwguy

Update: I went into the tyre shop with my mind made up on the UC6’s. The owner of the shop is a close friend and it has been a custom with all cars in my family to drive straight from the showroom floor to the tyre shop. We’d always swap stock tyres with Michelin and hence have a good relationship with the owner. He strongly suggested going with Ceat securedrive and not the UC6 which was a shocker. He knows my priorities are silence and comfort being the top. I took his word and man am I pleasantly surprised. The tyres are super soft at least on the Vento and very comfortable. I’ve just embarked on a 1k KMS road-trip and will update further on driving dynamics. I am taking it slow and breaking them in - keeping speeds low. Im a happy camper with what im experiencing so far. Also, for anyone in TN thinking of Ceat’s, there is an offer going on with purchase of 4 tyres you’d get a 1g gold coin free. I’m yet to receive it so if I do, the tyres are a steal at 28k (minus 5k for the gold if that floats your boat).

Please update us on your experience with Ceat tyres so far. Am looking for a worthy replacement for the Yokos on my Vento.

[click]

Don't know about the wear on the shocks by upsizing to 195/60/R15, but ride def is more comfortable.

I shifted to Continental UC6 from stocks after 58000 kms and have done about 12000kms on them. No complaints. My run is 95% city as well.

[Sen]

Planning to move from Continental UC6s 195/55 R16 on my Vento TSI 1.0 MY2020 to MRF Perfinzas at a slight upsize of 205/55 R16s. The UC6s are lasting well but starting to lose a bit of the leech-like grip that they had when they were newer (I got some of the newest tires because Continental had just launched the tires when I'd bought Taco in 2020 Nov). After hearing some forum members talk about the Perfinzas including Nikhil and Rubber guru, I'm curious to try it out for a good grip vs value proposition.

Still got 3.5-4mm of tread depth left, so I'm going to only let the tires stay on for another 5-7k kms.

Any suggestions for what kind of difference I can expect in the grip levels and handling/steering feel? I know the steering might become a little harder, and am aware of the speedo variance and the slightest of changes to the power delivery characteristics and ground clearance, but anything else to watch out for? The other direction is to go for 185/60 R16s but I'm worried that I will sorely miss that tire width since I'll probably be getting a remap soon now that I have a better set of brake discs and pads in place, and good grippy tires to go with.

Advice and suggestions heartily welcomed. (I'm also really really slacking off on updating my owner's review with everything that's happened in the last 3 years since I got Taco )

[gt3t0uring]

Originally Posted by Sen

(I'm also really really slacking off on updating my owner's review with everything that's happened in the last 3 years since I got Taco )

As a Polo 1.0 TSI user, I’m keenly waiting for the update!

[Deepak Pai]

Installed a set of Bridgestone Sturdo 185/60 R15 recently. I had stock JKs earlier. The Sturdos feel really comfortable, ride cushioning is much better and I think they're less noisier as well. Mainly city driving so cannot comment on hi speed grip.

[akash_v12]

Is it safe to upsize from 185/60 R15 to 185/65 R15. Looking at ground clearance, full-lock clearance and scraping as factors. Please do add in any other things you feel is required to be looked at. Looking at Continental UC6s as an upgrade from the Yokos on the car. Any other tyre which is worth using?

[NA-driver]

The correct upsize for 185/60R15 is 195/60R15, you'll gain 6mm of ground clearance without crossing the 2% deviation limit.
UC6 is one the best tyre currently available in this size, other options to consider are MRF Perfinza & Michelin P4ST (fresh stock of Michelin might be an issue)

[Turbohead]

Originally Posted by akash_v12

Is it safe to upsize from 185/60 R15 to 185/65 R15. Looking at ground clearance, full-lock clearance and scraping as factors. Please do add in any other things you feel is required to be looked at. Looking at Continental UC6s as an upgrade from the Yokos on the car. Any other tyre which is worth using?

While 195/60 R15 might be a good size, here are some things I'd like to warn you since you've got the DSG.

Going with tires having a diameter bigger than stock, will require more slipping of the clutch before the engine and the drive shaft are fully coupled. This is because for a given rotation of the wheels, the tires will be traveling more distance than stock since bigger diameter equals bigger circumference. Basically, your car will be crawling faster when you release the brake pedals than stock. It may not be desirable in heavy traffic but the real problem is that your clutch/ transmission will be slipping more than usual to get to the crawling speed.

This usually results in faster wear of the gearbox and suspension(heavier tire). The real advantage is ride height. Just be aware of what you'll be getting into if there's no other way. Consider driving a similar car with the size of tires you're considering to know exactly what you're getting into.

Just putting this out since not many people know the side effects of changing tire size as manufacturers test a car with the stock size which will mostly be optimised. The only problem with stock size is lack of good options.

[akash_v12]

Originally Posted by Turbohead

While 195/60 R15 might be a good size, here are some things I'd like to warn you since you've got the DSG.
.

Originally Posted by NA-driver

The correct upsize for 185/60R15 is 195/60R15, you'll gain 6mm of ground clearance without crossing the 2% deviation limit.)

Thanks for the answers guys!
What do you guys recommend as the ideal tyre in the original size? Currently running a combination of Yoko Blue-Earth's and Earth1's. Looking to change into Continentals or Michelins. Continental seems to only have the CC6 in 185/60R15 but not the UC6.
What options can I look at from Michelin?