What have you done to your MK 7 today ?

[Booth11]

The problem is once you've had poor experience with something and lost confidence in it, rightly or wrongly it's hard to regain that.  Bridgestones may be adequate for everyday driving but I agree with MH that the performance Golfs should have a tyre that is commensurate with the car's ability.

We do get fobbed off in the UK with tyres but maybe the Germans think our roads are not worthy of a decent set of rubber 

[Exonian]

The problem is once you've had poor experience with something and lost confidence in it, rightly or wrongly it's hard to regain that.  Bridgestones may be adequate for everyday driving but I agree with MH that the performance Golfs should have a tyre that is commensurate with the car's ability.

We do get fobbed off in the UK with tyres but maybe the Germans think our roads are not worthy of a decent set of rubber 

Indeed, maybe Ze Germans look at our crowded roads with absolutely sh!te surfaces and our 70 mph speed limit and just use us as an easy target for the lower grade tyres.

[Booth11]

The problem is once you've had poor experience with something and lost confidence in it, rightly or wrongly it's hard to regain that.  Bridgestones may be adequate for everyday driving but I agree with MH that the performance Golfs should have a tyre that is commensurate with the car's ability.

We do get fobbed off in the UK with tyres but maybe the Germans think our roads are not worthy of a decent set of rubber 

Indeed, maybe Ze Germans look at our crowded roads with absolutely sh!te surfaces and our 70 mph speed limit and just use us as an easy target for the lower grade tyres.

Precisely!  Can't say I blame them and of course we just roll over and accept it.

[CraigW]

Well i can't say i've ever had an issue at a roundabout in the rain. To even think about buying a new set or rubber when you have brand new tyres is madness in my opinion. At the end of the day, as mentioned, unfortunately the speed limit in this country is 70mph so regardless that its seen as a performance car, you can never make use of the tyres full potential anyway unless your tracking it. And if your acting like an idiot by flooring it at every set of traffic lights then yeah you might get a bit of tramping.

For 95% of GTI/R owners, the tyres will not be an issue. The age profile of owners for these type of cars seem to be on the increase from years ago with the average owner probably being in their mid 30's to mid 40's. Therefore i wouldn't expect to see the vast majority ragging the sh!t out of their car.

IMO the tyre performs perfectly adequately for UK conditions

[Exonian]

The problem is once you've had poor experience with something and lost confidence in it, rightly or wrongly it's hard to regain that.  Bridgestones may be adequate for everyday driving but I agree with MH that the performance Golfs should have a tyre that is commensurate with the car's ability.

We do get fobbed off in the UK with tyres but maybe the Germans think our roads are not worthy of a decent set of rubber 

Indeed, maybe Ze Germans look at our crowded roads with absolutely sh!te surfaces and our 70 mph speed limit and just use us as an easy target for the lower grade tyres.

Precisely!  Can't say I blame them and of course we just roll over and accept it.

Well we certainly seem to be lapping it up accepting long wait times (a double edged sword as it restricts supply thus keeping the resale values up on more desirable models which keeps punters hooked with lower PCP monthlies and cars staying within the VW umblella at the end of deals to be sold on again using VW finance = VWFS and punter both happy) and on the face of it looking at the £ vs Euro we're getting a bum deal right now bearing in mind VW are putting in an inflationary price increase soon when inflation is pretty much supposed to be going into negative figures - does that mean VW will be knocking 1% off?

Anyway, I'm moaning and rolling over in submission in a typically British way.
Just imagine the Americans putting up with what we do? They'd be going ballistic!

[Exonian]

Well i can't say i've ever had an issue at a roundabout in the rain. To even think about buying a new set or rubber when you have brand new tyres is madness in my opinion. At the end of the day, as mentioned, unfortunately the speed limit in this country is 70mph so regardless that its seen as a performance car, you can never make use of the tyres full potential anyway unless your tracking it. And if your acting like an idiot by flooring it at every set of traffic lights then yeah you might get a bit of tramping.

For 95% of GTI/R owners, the tyres will not be an issue. The age profile of owners for these type of cars seem to be on the increase from years ago with the average owner probably being in their mid 30's to mid 40's. Therefore i wouldn't expect to see the vast majority ragging the sh!t out of their car.

IMO the tyre performs perfectly adequately for UK conditions

I'm going to have to sit on the fence as far as the Bridgestones go, there was a huge amount of complaining on the mk6 forums about certain tyres so maybe it's driving styles more than the car.
I've not tried the Bridgestones so really can't comment.
I have Conti 3's on my GTI and they're "ok". They're noisy and wear pretty quickly but seem to do the job without any dramas, and as Craig says, I'm mid 40's and don't thrash my car but then again I don't hang about either.
The only thing I will say is when I've read road tests of some of the sportier VW's including the ones we own or have on order on this forum they actually praise the Bridgestones or at least call them "highly rated" so...

Like optional extras, car colours and everything else, it must be a personal thing.

NeilP, wigit and a few others on here track their cars so would demand the very best to get the very best out of their  (modified) R's

[monkeyhanger]

Personal experience, i've had Bridgestone Potenzas cause frequent tramping on 2 of my VWs bought from new, and not with the other 5, here's the last 5.

MK5 GT 140TDI PD - Bridgestone Potenza on 16" wheels - frequent tramping, poor wet grip (lasted to 21k miles on the fronts though). Changed to Michelin PS3, no tramping issues from fitment and excellent wet grip.

MK5 GT Sport 170 TDI PD - Firestones on 17" wheels (I forget the variant) - no tramping, ever.

Scirocco GT 140 TDI CR - Dunlop SP01 on 18" wheels - no tramping, but very fragile - 3 tyres with sidewall bulges in my first winter on the slightest potholes (tracking remained intact). Changed to Michelin PS3, still no tramping issues and excellent wet grip, lasted well to the point of p/x - probably would've got an easy 20k miles from them.

Scirocco GT 170 TDI CR - Pirelli P7 on 18" wheels - no tramping, wore unevenly in the centres (front) and so done in at 13k miles, although the outer 1/3 inside and outside still had 6mm left. Changed fronts for Michelin PS3, still no tramping, were half worn at trade-in having done 10k miles.

GTD.....well, you know the story.

Same driver, assortment of cars, 2 have tramped, both have had Bridgestones, one had Bridgestones swapped out and the tramping stopped. Whatever the driving style, i'd blame the tyres rather than the driver or the car having a propensity to tramp.

[wigit]

I've got Bridgestones on the Polo and like them on that car, they are not the best for handling but go around and do their business with wear very well

I did not find the Bridgestones dangerous on the R in fairness they are ok but the added boost did tend to show the limitations but were more than up to 150+ motoring in Europe, not driven them in anger as in reality they are just going to result to the default understeer

Did i lack confidence with them, no I just don't push them

Exonian makes a valid point on the R in terms of when i go tyre shopping i am not really looking at 8k, 10k or 12k of use as a primary consideration, primary consideration is dry grip and how good a wet grip rating

In reality in normal spirited humdrum you do not get near the limits of the car, if you do you overlooking other considerations, that said having tested the PSS on track in dry and wet it is reassuring to know what these things are capable and where the limits are

the PSS in the wet blew me away how good they were and how they can put 350+ down with no dramas in the dry

i've just bought some Dmack trackway tyres which are E rated so totally road legal and A rated for wet use so should work rather well but may not have the longevity, the reason for this is whilst the PSS are great I felt a few more hard days would impact on the sides of the tread block

The embargo is still in place on the wife's and she is a bit annoyed and my wheel shopping given she wants another set so yet to try the Bridgestones on 18s, she will be having PSS on it when they have worn out

Given the 4 patches of black rubber are the only thing in contact with the ground i tend to be fussy, I was always a conti fan

[Booth11]

Anyway, never mind the Bridgestone tyres, first thing I'll be doing when my R comes is swapping the oem (Valeo) wiper blades with a set of Bosch Aerotwins.  Is that madness too   

[am1w]

Personal experience, i've had Bridgestone Potenzas cause frequent tramping on 2 of my VWs bought from new, and not with the other 5, here's the last 5.

Yes, they do tramp. Had this on my Mk6 GTI. I learned to live with it. It is a great pity as, coupled with the noise, it does affect driving enjoyment.