GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: cyclopops on 30 December 2015, 22:19
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I have not got a GTD yet but I assume they come with Bridgestones, and I see lots of people commenting on the Bridgestones, can anyone tell me what the issue is?
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They are cr@p. Noisy, rubbish grip especially in wet conditions, a lot of wheel spin in first, etc hence why most of people have swapped them with Michelin PSS including me. That is a brilliant tyre.
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Wheels spin up loads from standing/low speeds under hard acceleration. Happens more when its cold (ambient, not engine!) than warm and once they have worn down, can happen all over the shop - you can even feel it 60-70mph if you nail it.
I've had Goodyears and PS3's since the BS's went and both p*ss all over them.
Only thing is, the BS's last forever, my rears are still going from factory fitted after almost 40k!
Doesn't seem to be a problem on the rear, just the fronts.
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Lack of sheer outright grip - simple as that. Quick getaways (especially in the wet or damp), usually involves lots of wheelspin and tramping and very little movement.
Dry grip not too bad but not the best, and they are far from the quietest tyre as well.
On the positive side (there had to be one), they are quite a hard tyre so tyre wear is pretty good. I've got over 20,000 miles on my original set still with 4mm left on them, but will be changed for Conti's or Goodyear Asymettrical's when the Christmas expense is paid for.
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Depends on how you drive as well. I managed to "eat" the fronts in under 14k miles with less than 2mm thread left. Rears were still above 4-5mm but I swapped all 4 of them with PSS -> best mod.
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thanks for the replies.
surely then they are not fit for purpose as VW should be held accountable and provide tyres that are suitable to the cars performace, has anyone challenged VW about this?
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thanks for the replies.
surely then they are not fit for purpose as VW should be held accountable and provide tyres that are suitable to the cars performace, has anyone challenged VW about this?
Iirc, I believe Monkeyhanger did challenge VW about Bridgestone some time earlier in the year. Think he wrote to them. I'm sure he'll confirm this and tell you what their response (if any) was.
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thanks for the replies.
surely then they are not fit for purpose as VW should be held accountable and provide tyres that are suitable to the cars performace, has anyone challenged VW about this?
Iirc, I believe Monkeyhanger did challenge VW about Bridgestones some time earlier in the year. Think he wrote to them. I'm sure he'll confirm this and tell you what their response (if any) was.
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If they are potenzas I'd be ditching them as soon as replacement time comes. I ate through a set in my old type r in 5-6k miles. Grip wasn't great and were cr@p in the wet. Fitted Goodyear eagle f1's all round which were in a different league in the dry and wet, they are also cheaper too :smiley:
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I did challenge VW on the Bridgestones in a letter, stating that they impeded the GTD with frequent tramping not seen on new GTDs received on different tyres. I stated that they weren't fit for purpose on a car marketed as a performance model.
I got a standard customer services spin response, acknowledging my points without admitting anything. No way in the world that VW would have these fitted to their test fleet which they use to determine official performance figures.
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Am I correct in thinking that the 19" wheels don't come with the Bridgestones?
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I received Continentals on my first GTI. I suppose it would be a complete fluke if the same thing happened on my new order...
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Am I correct in thinking that the 19" wheels don't come with the Bridgestones?
Recently the 19" wheels on the R have been coming shod with ContiSportContact 5P's which is a great tyre. Don't know about the 19's on GTI/GTD's?
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I really detest the Bridgestones on mine mainly due to the reasons already mentioned, will definitely be looking to change for something else during 2016.
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The GTD is genuinely a different car in the wet now Bridgestones are history.
You really have to be planting the right foot to get the yellow light come on but more importantly you are moving and there is no loss in how getting away.
You definitely adjust your driving style to accommodate the Bridgestone in feathering your acceleration.
The dry experience is less noticeable as you could get away pretty well on the Bridgestone though the new tyres are again less noisy.
My Bridgestone on front went at 13k my rear Bridgestone are still going strong at 21k and have not measured but think they likely have enough tread to go to when have all four changed at say 25k?
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Is it ok to just change the front tyres to something decent and leave the rears alone?
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Is it ok to just change the front tyres to something decent and leave the rears alone?
Yep, that's what I plan on doing
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Is it ok to just change the front tyres to something decent and leave the rears alone?
Now that's another debate :grin:
Costco or at least Michelin will only put the new tyres on the rear. Loads of articles to back up its safer to do it this way but it doesn't seem quite right when you are steering and pulling from the front!!
Anyway I got 2 Michelins from Costco to replace the Bridgestones on my GTD. They obviously put the old Bridgestones from the rear to the front and normally i would swap them back when I got home but decided to leave them to wear down the front Bridgestones quicker. I used to think they were okay but in any greasy condition they just slide about. Getting the stability light flashing at 40 when you are getting on can be quite scary
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If the car is new then ask the supplying dealer to swop to another brand of tyre you want. Will not cost much .i did it a while ago on my wife's car and dealer charged fifty quid to swop from Pirelli to Michelin .
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I might try that if my new car comes with Bridgestones fitted.
They can only say no...
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I have not got a GTD yet but I assume they come with Bridgestones, and I see lots of people commenting on the Bridgestones, can anyone tell me what the issue is?
4 posts of opinion later...
surely then they are not fit for purpose as VW should be held accountable and provide tyres that are suitable to the cars performance, has anyone challenged VW about this?
Wow that escalated quickly! Going from a general question, to not fit for purpose and wanting to challenge one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world? The tyre is fitted to Porsche and the Ferrari 458 and probably a host of other cars as standard. VW will politely tell you to "jog on" unless they had a bad month for sales at the dealer.
So the tyre?
Are Bridgestone the best tyres you can fit to your car? No
Are they the noisiest tyres at 73db or 72db if its the Mercedes approved ones? No (most "premium" brands are between 70db and 72db on average so 1db is neither here nor there and its very dependent on the surface)
Are you going to crash into a ditch with them? Not unless you are complete idiot.
Are they fit for use? Yes you have a medium size hatchback diesel, or R or GTi, not a McLaren P1 needing Trofeo R's
If you don't work within the grip limits/circle of the tyre you will lose traction, like with all tyres. There are plenty worse Landsail Xiangwong province tyres on the market besides the leading 4-5 brands Michelin, Continental, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Goodyear etc. In Germany they fit another brand (can't remember now), but they also have de-restricted Autobahns where as our speed limit is 70mph among other differences with the roads between the UK and Germany.
Your car will be fine, enjoy your new purchase and when the tyres wear out look to another brand to have a sligthly better tyre. OEM+ is what most enthusiast do, same with the shocks, when they wear out look to Bilstein or Ohlins, but I wouldn't worry too much about the tyres on a VW hatchback of any type as long as they are a premium brand.
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I have not got a GTD yet but I assume they come with Bridgestones, and I see lots of people commenting on the Bridgestones, can anyone tell me what the issue is?
4 posts of opinion later...
I'll reserve judgment until I've had my car a few months.
I don't plan on accelerating from a standstill like a lunatic too often so if it's wheel spinning like a b!tch under moderate acceleration, I'll know they're sh!te.
surely then they are not fit for purpose as VW should be held accountable and provide tyres that are suitable to the cars performance, has anyone challenged VW about this?
Wow that escalated quickly! Going from a general question, to not fit for purpose and wanting to challenge one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world? The tyre is fitted to Porsche and the Ferrari 458 and probably a host of other cars as standard. VW will politely tell you to "jog on" unless they had a bad month for sales at the dealer.
So the tyre?
Are Bridgestone the best tyres you can fit to your car? No
Are they the noisiest tyres at 73db or 72db if its the Mercedes approved ones? No (most "premium" brands are between 70db and 72db on average so 1db is neither here nor there and its very dependent on the surface)
Are you going to crash into a ditch with them? Not unless you are complete idiot.
Are they fit for use? Yes you have a medium size hatchback diesel, or R or GTi, not a McLaren P1 needing Trofeo R's
If you don't work within the grip limits/circle of the tyre you will lose traction, like with all tyres. There are plenty worse Landsail Xiangwong province tyres on the market besides the leading 4-5 brands Michelin, Continental, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Goodyear etc. In Germany they fit another brand (can't remember now), but they also have de-restricted Autobahns where as our speed limit is 70mph among other differences with the roads between the UK and Germany.
Your car will be fine, enjoy your new purchase and when the tyres wear out look to another brand to have a sligthly better tyre. OEM+ is what most enthusiast do, same with the shocks, when they wear out look to Bilstein or Ohlins, but I wouldn't worry too much about the tyres on a VW hatchback of any type as long as they are a premium brand.
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Front wheel drive on my GTD,loads of torque, and 1st gear acceleration in the wet/damp from roundabouts can result in acute embarrassment.And that's with only 2000 miles on the Potenzas. :embarrassed:
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They're legally sound, but the car could perform so much better with any other premium brand of tyre. After a long line of the higher output VW TDIs, i've never suffered tramping or in-gear acceleration tyre slip on any of them but the MK5 GT Sport 170TDI and the MK7 GTD which were shod in Bridgestones. The MK5 was transformed when the Bridgestones wore out and the car was put on Michelin PS3s. Other cars have had Pirelli P7s, Conti 2s, Dunlop SP01, Uniroyal Rainsport 3.
Unless VW are getting these Bridgestones massively cheaper than any other, they should really be listening to their customers if they haven't researched the performance of all the tyres they have fitted to their cars.
So yes, you'd be a bit daft taking your performance Golf to the max knowing you're on slippery Bridgestones, knowing how crap they are, but after spending £26-£32k on a Golf (excluding options), doesn't the car deserve to be shod in tyres that allow it to perform as intended? It's like buying a laptop and finding that Toshiba put a 10 minute rechargeable battery in it, but you can buy a regular 4 hour rechargeable battery for another £100. IMO it is sh!tty of VW to do it.
The most galling thing about the choice of tyres is there are better tyres for the car at the same retail price-point, yet to correct VW's mistake of putting Bridgestones on you're talking of a £400-600 outlay.
If you're running Bridgestones and don't understand the fuss then you're only tickling the throttle in the wet. That's fine when the car's performance is so great that it has very noticeable traction limits no matter the choice of tyre, but when a different tyre of the same retail cost can transform the car, you've got to seriously question VW's choice of tyres when they put Bridgestones on a GTD or GTI (and to a lesser extent due too the 4WD making up for the tyre's shortcomings - the R).
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I have not got a GTD yet but I assume they come with Bridgestones, and I see lots of people commenting on the Bridgestones, can anyone tell me what the issue is?
4 posts of opinion later...
surely then they are not fit for purpose as VW should be held accountable and provide tyres that are suitable to the cars performance, has anyone challenged VW about this?
Wow that escalated quickly! Going from a general question, to not fit for purpose and wanting to challenge one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world? The tyre is fitted to Porsche and the Ferrari 458 and probably a host of other cars as standard. VW will politely tell you to "jog on" unless they had a bad month for sales at the dealer.
So the tyre?
Are Bridgestone the best tyres you can fit to your car? No
Are they the noisiest tyres at 73db or 72db if its the Mercedes approved ones? No (most "premium" brands are between 70db and 72db on average so 1db is neither here nor there and its very dependent on the surface)
Are you going to crash into a ditch with them? Not unless you are complete idiot.
Are they fit for use? Yes you have a medium size hatchback diesel, or R or GTi, not a McLaren P1 needing Trofeo R's
If you don't work within the grip limits/circle of the tyre you will lose traction, like with all tyres. There are plenty worse Landsail Xiangwong province tyres on the market besides the leading 4-5 brands Michelin, Continental, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Goodyear etc. In Germany they fit another brand (can't remember now), but they also have de-restricted Autobahns where as our speed limit is 70mph among other differences with the roads between the UK and Germany.
Your car will be fine, enjoy your new purchase and when the tyres wear out look to another brand to have a sligthly better tyre. OEM+ is what most enthusiast do, same with the shocks, when they wear out look to Bilstein or Ohlins, but I wouldn't worry too much about the tyres on a VW hatchback of any type as long as they are a premium brand.
I'm going out on a limb here but do you A) Work for VW or B) Not not drive quickly a car with any decent amount of power?
For what it is worth I'm guessing the former.
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There are a fair few new Audi TT's leaving the factory fitted with Hankook tyres :shocked:
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They're legally sound, but the car could perform so much better with any other premium brand of tyre. After a long line of the higher output VW TDIs, i've never suffered tramping or in-gear acceleration tyre slip on any of them but the MK5 GT Sport 170TDI and the MK7 GTD which were shod in Bridgestones. The MK5 was transformed when the Bridgestones wore out and the car was put on Michelin PS3s. Other cars have had Pirelli P7s, Conti 2s, Dunlop SP01, Uniroyal Rainsport 3.
Unless VW are getting these Bridgestones massively cheaper than any other, they should really be listening to their customers if they haven't researched the performance of all the tyres they have fitted to their cars.
So yes, you'd be a bit daft taking your performance Golf to the max knowing you're on slippery Bridgestones, knowing how crap they are, but after spending £26-£32k on a Golf (excluding options), doesn't the car deserve to be shod in tyres that allow it to perform as intended? It's like buying a laptop and finding that Toshiba put a 10 minute rechargeable battery in it, but you can buy a regular 4 hour rechargeable battery for another £100. IMO it is sh!tty of VW to do it.
The most galling thing about the choice of tyres is there are better tyres for the car at the same retail price-point, yet to correct VW's mistake of putting Bridgestones on you're talking of a £400-600 outlay.
If you're running Bridgestones and don't understand the fuss then you're only tickling the throttle in the wet. That's fine when the car's performance is so great that it has very noticeable traction limits no matter the choice of tyre, but when a different tyre of the same retail cost can transform the car, you've got to seriously question VW's choice of tyres when they put Bridgestones on a GTD or GTI (and to a lesser extent due too the 4WD making up for the tyre's shortcomings - the R).
Good points there Monkeyhanger.My little most basic spec departed M135i cost virtually the same as my GTD.But was clad in the finest Michelin Pilot Supersports.The best rubber to harness all of that power.And they worked a treat.
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I have not got a GTD yet but I assume they come with Bridgestones, and I see lots of people commenting on the Bridgestones, can anyone tell me what the issue is?
4 posts of opinion later...
surely then they are not fit for purpose as VW should be held accountable and provide tyres that are suitable to the cars performance, has anyone challenged VW about this?
Wow that escalated quickly! Going from a general question, to not fit for purpose and wanting to challenge one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world? The tyre is fitted to Porsche and the Ferrari 458 and probably a host of other cars as standard. VW will politely tell you to "jog on" unless they had a bad month for sales at the dealer.
So the tyre?
Are Bridgestone the best tyres you can fit to your car? No
Are they the noisiest tyres at 73db or 72db if its the Mercedes approved ones? No (most "premium" brands are between 70db and 72db on average so 1db is neither here nor there and its very dependent on the surface)
Are you going to crash into a ditch with them? Not unless you are complete idiot.
Are they fit for use? Yes you have a medium size hatchback diesel, or R or GTi, not a McLaren P1 needing Trofeo R's
If you don't work within the grip limits/circle of the tyre you will lose traction, like with all tyres. There are plenty worse Landsail Xiangwong province tyres on the market besides the leading 4-5 brands Michelin, Continental, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Goodyear etc. In Germany they fit another brand (can't remember now), but they also have de-restricted Autobahns where as our speed limit is 70mph among other differences with the roads between the UK and Germany.
Your car will be fine, enjoy your new purchase and when the tyres wear out look to another brand to have a sligthly better tyre. OEM+ is what most enthusiast do, same with the shocks, when they wear out look to Bilstein or Ohlins, but I wouldn't worry too much about the tyres on a VW hatchback of any type as long as they are a premium brand.
I'm going out on a limb here but do you A) Work for VW or B) Not not drive quickly a car with any decent amount of power?
For what it is worth I'm guessing the former.
Not sure I fully understand the comment/question and its relevance, but happy to answer either way. No I don't work for VW, I'm a car enthusiast not a big VW enthusiast, I accept the car has its short comings compared to others when I buy it, everything is made at a price point. We want all the gadgets with non of the cost efficiency, we want a big discount and we want directional Xenons and active cruise, better build quality than Renault, Ford and Seat, more tech to play with and also want to have better tactile material, better tyres, wipers, the list goes on. Sometimes something has to give, should it be tyres? Possibly not, but its not something that requires us to all go and get our fire torches is it?
Monkeyhanger makes valid points, and I agree with many of them, however the opening line "but the car could perform so much better with any other premium brand of tyre" you could replace the word "tyre" for Shocks or Brakes. The shocks (possibly Sachs) are ok at best, the brakes are possibly lacking on the R with single piston efforts, as it has to stop the quicker and heavier car with also managing the XDS+. I appreciate the thread origin was tyres not shocks or brakes though.
These topics are always interesting, but the way the thread turned within a a few posts I felt needed some balance at least. But to assume after a couple of pages that anyone who doesn't agree, either works for VW or doesn't drive quick enough is missing my point perhaps.
I have had waaay too many cars, nothing really special but a couple of mine are in my car gallery link below. Including my Griege GTi PP (Monkeyhanger LSG).
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There are a fair few new Audi TT's leaving the factory fitted with Hankook tyres :shocked:
Our 1.6TDI A1 came on Hankooks. I'm not a tyre snob - Bridgestones are marketed as a premium tyre and they're crap for everything but wear/longevity. If Hankooks can give better wet traction/grip and dry grip than the Bridgestones, i'd rather have them.
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There are a fair few new Audi TT's leaving the factory fitted with Hankook tyres :shocked:
Our 1.6TDI A1 came on Hankooks. I'm not a tyre snob - Bridgestones are marketed as a premium tyre and they're crap for everything but wear/longevity. If Hankooks can give better wet traction/grip and dry grip than the Bridgestones, i'd rather have them.
I suppose you could look at it that their fitment is a testament to them being a good tyre for a particular vehicle but somehow I think it all comes down to cost.
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I've no complaints about the shocks and brakes - the R and PP share a slightly better brake set-up than the standard GTI and GTD, and i've found the brakes more than adequate in both the GTD and the R, both offer very good stopping power. The suspension/shock set-up is also similarly good on a car of this price. My R is on 19s without DCC and still behaves competently and comfortably in all conditions except the very roughest of road types - pot-hole riddled side streets.
Enhancements to either the shocks or brakes would require noticeable additional outlay for VW to supply, but the Bridgestones aren't any cheaper than the competition that does the same job so much better, which is why it is so annoying.
If Asda value beef mince with extra gristle and 25% fat was the same price as Aberdeen Angus steak mince, which would you buy for making a Spag Bol?
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I have not got a GTD yet but I assume they come with Bridgestones, and I see lots of people commenting on the Bridgestones, can anyone tell me what the issue is?
4 posts of opinion later...
surely then they are not fit for purpose as VW should be held accountable and provide tyres that are suitable to the cars performance, has anyone challenged VW about this?
Wow that escalated quickly! Going from a general question, to not fit for purpose and wanting to challenge one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world? The tyre is fitted to Porsche and the Ferrari 458 and probably a host of other cars as standard. VW will politely tell you to "jog on" unless they had a bad month for sales at the dealer.
So the tyre?
Are Bridgestone the best tyres you can fit to your car? No
Are they the noisiest tyres at 73db or 72db if its the Mercedes approved ones? No (most "premium" brands are between 70db and 72db on average so 1db is neither here nor there and its very dependent on the surface)
Are you going to crash into a ditch with them? Not unless you are complete idiot.
Are they fit for use? Yes you have a medium size hatchback diesel, or R or GTi, not a McLaren P1 needing Trofeo R's
If you don't work within the grip limits/circle of the tyre you will lose traction, like with all tyres. There are plenty worse Landsail Xiangwong province tyres on the market besides the leading 4-5 brands Michelin, Continental, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Goodyear etc. In Germany they fit another brand (can't remember now), but they also have de-restricted Autobahns where as our speed limit is 70mph among other differences with the roads between the UK and Germany.
Your car will be fine, enjoy your new purchase and when the tyres wear out look to another brand to have a sligthly better tyre. OEM+ is what most enthusiast do, same with the shocks, when they wear out look to Bilstein or Ohlins, but I wouldn't worry too much about the tyres on a VW hatchback of any type as long as they are a premium brand.
I'm going out on a limb here but do you A) Work for VW or B) Not not drive quickly a car with any decent amount of power?
For what it is worth I'm guessing the former.
Not sure I fully understand the comment/question and its relevance, but happy to answer either way. No I don't work for VW, I'm a car enthusiast not a big VW enthusiast, I accept the car has its short comings compared to others when I buy it, everything is made at a price point. We want all the gadgets with non of the cost efficiency, we want a big discount and we want directional Xenons and active cruise, better build quality than Renault, Ford and Seat, more tech to play with and also want to have better tactile material, better tyres, wipers, the list goes on. Sometimes something has to give, should it be tyres? Possibly not, but its not something that requires us to all go and get our fire torches is it?
Monkeyhanger makes valid points, and I agree with many of them, however the opening line "but the car could perform so much better with any other premium brand of tyre" you could replace the word "tyre" for Shocks or Brakes. The shocks (possibly Sachs) are ok at best, the brakes are possibly lacking on the R with single piston efforts, as it has to stop the quicker and heavier car with also managing the XDS+. I appreciate the thread origin was tyres not shocks or brakes though.
These topics are always interesting, but the way the thread turned within a a few posts I felt needed some balance at least. But to assume after a couple of pages that anyone who doesn't agree, either works for VW or doesn't drive quick enough is missing my point perhaps.
I have had waaay too many cars, nothing really special but a couple of mine are in my car gallery link below. Including my Griege GTi PP (Monkeyhanger LSG).
Funny you say that tyre could be replaced with shocks or brakes. Do you realise that one of the best ways of improving brakes is to have a good tyre.
I never understood why people don't think that tyres are one of the most important things you can have on a car. Yes compromises sometimes have to be made but they should never be made in regards to safety.
VW sell the GTD/GTI as performance cars and therefore should only use tyres that are in the top 20% of the best tyres in the particular size. When they were having their press drives of the cars I bet you they didn't have crap tyres on.
I'm not so sure you get just how important tyres are!
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Spot on!
If Bridgstones where £25 a tyre cheaper than the competition, you could almost understand VW fitting them, but not if they cost roughly the same. It makes no sense.
They must be getting huge discounts from Bridgestone is the only answer.
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Funny you say that tyre could be replaced with shocks or brakes. Do you realise that one of the best ways of improving brakes is to have a good tyre.
I never understood why people don't think that tyres are one of the most important things you can have on a car. Yes compromises sometimes have to be made but they should never be made in regards to safety.
VW sell the GTD/GTI as performance cars and therefore should only use tyres that are in the top 20% of the best tyres in the particular size. When they were having their press drives of the cars I bet you they didn't have crap tyres on.
I'm not so sure you get just how important tyres are!
This ^^
Spot on!
If Bridgstones where £25 a tyre cheaper than the competition, you could almost understand VW fitting them, but not if they cost roughly the same. It makes no sense.
They must be getting huge discounts from Bridgestone is the only answer.
And this ^^
The importance of those few inches of rubber between you and the road should not be underestimated.
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Spot on!
If Bridgstones where £25 a tyre cheaper than the competition, you could almost understand VW fitting them, but not if they cost roughly the same. It makes no sense.
They must be getting huge discounts from Bridgestone is the only answer.
Exactly. They might be in the same price bracket as other premium tyres for us mere mortals but they might get offered to VW with huge price reductions.
But you then have the argument you could add the price of other quality tyres onto the car.
One of the car manufacturers give you options on their sports model of what type of tyre you want so it can be done.
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My front Bridgestones are getting low now. What do people recommend to replace with?
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My front Bridgestones are getting low now. What do people recommend to replace with?
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=271504.0 37 pages of suggestions :laugh:
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fk me its like talking to a brick wall,
I have not got a GTD yet but I assume they come with Bridgestones, and I see lots of people commenting on the Bridgestones, can anyone tell me what the issue is?
4 posts of opinion later...
surely then they are not fit for purpose as VW should be held accountable and provide tyres that are suitable to the cars performance, has anyone challenged VW about this?
Wow that escalated quickly! Going from a general question, to not fit for purpose and wanting to challenge one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world? The tyre is fitted to Porsche and the Ferrari 458 and probably a host of other cars as standard. VW will politely tell you to "jog on" unless they had a bad month for sales at the dealer.
So the tyre?
Are Bridgestone the best tyres you can fit to your car? No
Are they the noisiest tyres at 73db or 72db if its the Mercedes approved ones? No (most "premium" brands are between 70db and 72db on average so 1db is neither here nor there and its very dependent on the surface)
Are you going to crash into a ditch with them? Not unless you are complete idiot.
Are they fit for use? Yes you have a medium size hatchback diesel, or R or GTi, not a McLaren P1 needing Trofeo R's
If you don't work within the grip limits/circle of the tyre you will lose traction, like with all tyres. There are plenty worse Landsail Xiangwong province tyres on the market besides the leading 4-5 brands Michelin, Continental, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Goodyear etc. In Germany they fit another brand (can't remember now), but they also have de-restricted Autobahns where as our speed limit is 70mph among other differences with the roads between the UK and Germany.
Your car will be fine, enjoy your new purchase and when the tyres wear out look to another brand to have a sligthly better tyre. OEM+ is what most enthusiast do, same with the shocks, when they wear out look to Bilstein or Ohlins, but I wouldn't worry too much about the tyres on a VW hatchback of any type as long as they are a premium brand.
I'm going out on a limb here but do you A) Work for VW or B) Not not drive quickly a car with any decent amount of power?
For what it is worth I'm guessing the former.
Not sure I fully understand the comment/question and its relevance, but happy to answer either way. No I don't work for VW, I'm a car enthusiast not a big VW enthusiast, I accept the car has its short comings compared to others when I buy it, everything is made at a price point. We want all the gadgets with non of the cost efficiency, we want a big discount and we want directional Xenons and active cruise, better build quality than Renault, Ford and Seat, more tech to play with and also want to have better tactile material, better tyres, wipers, the list goes on. Sometimes something has to give, should it be tyres? Possibly not, but its not something that requires us to all go and get our fire torches is it?
Monkeyhanger makes valid points, and I agree with many of them, however the opening line "but the car could perform so much better with any other premium brand of tyre" you could replace the word "tyre" for Shocks or Brakes. The shocks (possibly Sachs) are ok at best, the brakes are possibly lacking on the R with single piston efforts, as it has to stop the quicker and heavier car with also managing the XDS+. I appreciate the thread origin was tyres not shocks or brakes though.
These topics are always interesting, but the way the thread turned within a a few posts I felt needed some balance at least. But to assume after a couple of pages that anyone who doesn't agree, either works for VW or doesn't drive quick enough is missing my point perhaps.
I have had waaay too many cars, nothing really special but a couple of mine are in my car gallery link below. Including my Griege GTi PP (Monkeyhanger LSG).
Funny you say that tyre could be replaced with shocks or brakes. Do you realise that one of the best ways of improving brakes is to have a good tyre.
I never understood why people don't think that tyres are one of the most important things you can have on a car. Yes compromises sometimes have to be made but they should never be made in regards to safety.
VW sell the GTD/GTI as performance cars and therefore should only use tyres that are in the top 20% of the best tyres in the particular size. When they were having their press drives of the cars I bet you they didn't have crap tyres on.
I'm not so sure you get just how important tyres are!
Do you realise that one of the best ways of improving brakes is to have a good tyre
Yes I do understand that, what from my posts make you assume I don't?
I'm not so sure you get just how important tyres are!
Errr I think I do, my cars have all had Michelin tyres fitted when they needed replacing, I always fit the best available and at the time that was the PS2, now it will be PSS. Every car I have owned had tyres that weren't the best on the market and I have changed them when they wore out. I just don't foam at the mouth about the Bridgestone tyres, some are better some are worse...
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One of the car manufacturers give you options on their sports model of what type of tyre you want so it can be done.
That could be a good option. But I wonder how much over the odds VW might charge for a better tyre, knowing how overpriced some of the other optional extras are? Might be better to take the poorer tyre, buy replacements at a reasonable price yourself, and sell the crap tyre as nearly new on eBay. A bit of hassle but probably cheaper that way?
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Spot on!
If Bridgstones where £25 a tyre cheaper than the competition, you could almost understand VW fitting them, but not if they cost roughly the same. It makes no sense.
They must be getting huge discounts from Bridgestone is the only answer.
Exactly. They might be in the same price bracket as other premium tyres for us mere mortals but they might get offered to VW with huge price reductions.
But you then have the argument you could add the price of other quality tyres onto the car.
One of the car manufacturers give you options on their sports model of what type of tyre you want so it can be done.
Ford even do it for the lowly Transit van - some tyre choices can be made at a small premium. If VW said up front "you can have Bridgestones, or for an extra £100 we can make sure you get Michelin PSS, I would be more than happy to tick that box.
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My 2013 Transit van was supplied with Continentals.
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If VW said up front "you can have Bridgestones, or for an extra £100 we can make sure you get Michelin PSS, I would be more than happy to tick that box.
So would I provided the premium was not silly money.
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My front Bridgestones are getting low now. What do people recommend to replace with?
Almost anything else that isn't a Chinese/Indian/Korean no make will be an improvement.
Cost vs Performance I would go Michelin PS3 on 18"ers, they offer great grip and are relatively hardwearing relative to their grip and perform well right down to 2mm left.
On 19" I would go Michelin PSS if you want outright performance or Uniroyal Rainsport 3 if on a budget (they were very cheap somewhere recently).
Contis, Pirellis, Dunlops will all do you a better job than Bridgestones.
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Quite a few years ago met a lovely old gentleman who worked for Dunlop tyres in the 60's and 70's . He was in sales and high up. When He met Honda executives about supplying tyres for the then new Triumph Acclaim they were aghast the equipment used to make the tyres was pre WW2 vintage ! He did not dare tell them that the mounds used for the tyres for the Allego meant the tyres were not even properly round .But BL would take any old rubbish as long as it was cheap.As in very very cheap. Dunlop took the view they would make plenty on replacement tyres . Hopefully VW check to make sure they get round tyres and I am certain they screw Bridgestone on price just as BL did .
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My front Bridgestones are getting low now. What do people recommend to replace with?
Almost anything else that isn't a Chinese/Indian/Korean no make will be an improvement.
Cost vs Performance I would go Michelin PS3 on 18"ers, they offer great grip and are relatively hardwearing relative to their grip and perform well right down to 2mm left.
On 19" I would go Michelin PSS if you want outright performance or Uniroyal Rainsport 3 if on a budget (they were very cheap somewhere recently).
Contis, Pirellis, Dunlops will all do you a better job than Bridgestones.
Thanks for this. That other thread is a minefield of information! Yeah it appears the Contis are the best overall if your looking for performance but not if you want durability too. I rarely drive like I've stolen it so not really after the best performance all the time. Maybe I'll give the Michelin PSS a go! :-)
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If you rarely drive it like you've stolen it and you have the standard 18 inch alloys you don't need Michelin Pilot Super Sports - it's overkill. Michelin Pilot Sport 3's are considerably cheaper than the Super Sports and are the best all round value/compound/wearing Michelin tyre for the Mk 7 GTD in standard guise. Job done.
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I was just about to ask the same thing but regarding the Pilot Sport 2.
Is anybody using these on their GTI ?
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it appears the Contis are the best overall if your looking for performance but not if you want durability too.
You mean you want your cake and eat it :grin:
It tends to be the better the performance, the softer the tyre and the quicker they wear.
If you want durability you won't get high performance. Hence Bridgestones.
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Quite a few years ago met a lovely old gentleman who worked for Dunlop tyres in the 60's and 70's . He was in sales and high up. When He met Honda executives about supplying tyres for the then new Triumph Acclaim they were aghast the equipment used to make the tyres was pre WW2 vintage ! He did not dare tell them that the mounds used for the tyres for the Allego meant the tyres were not even properly round .But BL would take any old rubbish as long as it was cheap.As in very very cheap. Dunlop took the view they would make plenty on replacement tyres . Hopefully VW check to make sure they get round tyres and I am certain they screw Bridgestone on price just as BL did .
Yeah I bet they did too.
Pretty much everything fitted in ANY car is a contract won by the lowest bidder. The GTi and possible the R of 2014 and beyond is fitted with a Wix filter from the factory, Would you use a Wix air filter? Or like me rather fit a more premuim brand Mahle or Mann? I know I would but again the lowest bidder won the contract. Happens in every area of business from road construction, to aerospace, and even military procurement, the automotive industry is no different, even if they are our pride and joy unfortunately
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Quite a few years ago met a lovely old gentleman who worked for Dunlop tyres in the 60's and 70's . He was in sales and high up. When He met Honda executives about supplying tyres for the then new Triumph Acclaim they were aghast the equipment used to make the tyres was pre WW2 vintage ! He did not dare tell them that the mounds used for the tyres for the Allego meant the tyres were not even properly round .But BL would take any old rubbish as long as it was cheap.As in very very cheap. Dunlop took the view they would make plenty on replacement tyres . Hopefully VW check to make sure they get round tyres and I am certain they screw Bridgestone on price just as BL did .
Yeah I bet they did too.
Pretty much everything fitted in ANY car is won by the lowest bidder. The GTi and possible the R of 2014 and beyond is fitted with a Wix filter from the factory, Would you use a Wix air filter? Or like me rather fit a more premuim brand Mahle or Mann? I know I would but again the lowest bidder won the contract. Happens in every area of business from road construction, to aerospace, and even military procurement, the automotive industry is no different, even if they are our pride and joy unfortunately
The flip side is that often the difference in quality is negligible with no tangible benefit from the consumer just to have a brand, and for a consumable item like an air filter that will be replaced regularly, it make no commercial sense to spec a 'premium brand', if a comparable item does exactly the same job to the same standard especially when you multiply even a few pence by several million cars per year
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Funny you say that tyre could be replaced with shocks or brakes. Do you realise that one of the best ways of improving brakes is to have a good tyre.
I never understood why people don't think that tyres are one of the most important things you can have on a car. Yes compromises sometimes have to be made but they should never be made in regards to safety.
VW sell the GTD/GTI as performance cars and therefore should only use tyres that are in the top 20% of the best tyres in the particular size. When they were having their press drives of the cars I bet you they didn't have crap tyres on.
I'm not so sure you get just how important tyres are!
This ^^
Spot on!
If Bridgstones where £25 a tyre cheaper than the competition, you could almost understand VW fitting them, but not if they cost roughly the same. It makes no sense.
They must be getting huge discounts from Bridgestone is the only answer.
And this ^^
The importance of those few inches of rubber between you and the road should not be underestimated.
As a matter of interest what do you use on your R?
My go to tyre when possible is the Michelin pilot sport cup 2
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If you rarely drive it like you've stolen it and you have the standard 18 inch alloys you don't need Michelin Pilot Super Sports - it's overkill. Michelin Pilot Sport 3's are considerably cheaper than the Super Sports and are the best all round value/compound/wearing Michelin tyre for the Mk 7 GTD in standard guise. Job done.
That is just it though. It is not just when you are 'driving it like you stole it' as you say, what about when you want to stop, like when you have to when some muppet pulls out in front of you or have to swerve to miss a kid running out in front of your car.
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My front Bridgestones are getting low now. What do people recommend to replace with?
Almost anything else that isn't a Chinese/Indian/Korean no make will be an improvement.
Cost vs Performance I would go Michelin PS3 on 18"ers, they offer great grip and are relatively hardwearing relative to their grip and perform well right down to 2mm left.
On 19" I would go Michelin PSS if you want outright performance or Uniroyal Rainsport 3 if on a budget (they were very cheap somewhere recently).
Contis, Pirellis, Dunlops will all do you a better job than Bridgestones.
Thanks for this. That other thread is a minefield of information! Yeah it appears the Contis are the best overall if your looking for performance but not if you want durability too. I rarely drive like I've stolen it so not really after the best performance all the time. Maybe I'll give the Michelin PSS a go! :-)
I'd definitely pick Michelin PSS over Conti 5's - there's not much in it new, but the Conti's deteriorate noticeably in performance when they get below 4mm.
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Funny you say that tyre could be replaced with shocks or brakes. Do you realise that one of the best ways of improving brakes is to have a good tyre.
I never understood why people don't think that tyres are one of the most important things you can have on a car. Yes compromises sometimes have to be made but they should never be made in regards to safety.
VW sell the GTD/GTI as performance cars and therefore should only use tyres that are in the top 20% of the best tyres in the particular size. When they were having their press drives of the cars I bet you they didn't have crap tyres on.
I'm not so sure you get just how important tyres are!
This ^^
Spot on!
If Bridgstones where £25 a tyre cheaper than the competition, you could almost understand VW fitting them, but not if they cost roughly the same. It makes no sense.
They must be getting huge discounts from Bridgestone is the only answer.
And this ^^
The importance of those few inches of rubber between you and the road should not be underestimated.
As a matter of interest what do you use on your R?
My go to tyre when possible is the Michelin pilot sport cup 2
Well I was very lucky because by the time my R was being built VW had switched from Bridgestones to ContiSportContact 5Ps for the 19s on the R. It was the only upside to the 8 month wait!
My last 3 sets of tyres I've had have been CSC 5Ps. They are a great tyre, so I'm very happy. But if the R had come shod with Bridgestones I was ready to swap them for a set of Michelin PSS. There's not much between the two at all but I fancied trying them out.
Monkeyhanger may be right about the CSC performance after they hit 4mm but I always change my tyres at around 4mm so never taken them to the limit. On my mk6 GTI I got 13k miles out of both sets, before they got to 4mm. It's as Stevie (p3asa) says, best performance = quicker wear; longer wear = poorer performance. So they don't last and last like Bridgestones, but I know which I'd rather have. I had Bridgestones on my Mk5 GTI and never again!!!
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I have not got a GTD yet but I assume they come with Bridgestones, and I see lots of people commenting on the Bridgestones, can anyone tell me what the issue is?
You might be lucky, my recently departed GTD came on Continental Contact Sport 2s. They were far from a good tyre compared to the Goodyears I put on it after 7000 miles, but not terrible.
Incidentally I don't find the Bridgestones on my R that bad, though I've only drove the car in the wet so far. Seem to lack a bit of turn in bite, but I guess 4Motion probably flatters them.
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First time since I got it that the R has left me feeling a bit nervous today due to lack of grip.
7C ambient temp, roads very slightly damp, medium traffic, everyone leaving home early to ensure they make the first day at work after new year, so not much opportunity to put my foot down. 2 miles into the journey I put my foot down to get up to 80mph. The traction control lit up on 2/3 throttle. The rest of the 20 mile commute was driven in a saintly fashion due to a lack of opportunity to do otherwise and a bit of curiosity to see what the car can do mpg-wise. The second to last roundabout was a medium sized one, my exit about 2/3 round it. Took it about 25mph, following a BMW 118d, and the car underwent a bit of a sideways slide, I crawled out of the exit!
Got to work, the tyres are nicely warm and I check the tread depths. A very healthy 5mm on the fronts and 6mm on the back.
The Haldex will only do so much, these Bridgestones are truly sh!te! Looking to get them off ASAP and drive like a nun in the wet meantime. A rear wheel drive BMW 118d going much quicker around the roundabout than me negotiated it with no drama. 2/3 wear remaining on the tyres, a long enough journey to be warm and slightly damp conditions defeats them at low speeds. Tell me they're ok! :evil:
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Monkey,
Your temperature and tread depth description matches how I felt about the BS's on my GTD.
Fine in 10+ and relatively new, not fine part worn (nowhere near illegal though) and when it gets cold - not necessarily wet.
For balance the Goodyear F1's I swapped my fronts to next never gave me any drama whatsoever and were definitely quieter than the BS's.
Now I have PS3's on the front and they feel different again. Not had much chance to do anything but crawl along so far, but I think probably they will be better again.
Just to highlight my driving style - I am a company car driver doing many miles for work. I drive fast but not racetrack/café racer fast. My tyre requirements are not exactly like Mr Hamilton's but if I can tell the difference, then there is a big difference.
Its annoying to have a car which I think is the best one I've had in a very long time to be niggly faulted with sub-par tyres. Its usually (in my company car leasing world) the reverse -the OEM factory tyres are excellent and then the lease company won't pay for something specifically setup for the car by the makers... VW seem to have got this round the wrong way!
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Bloody hell this thread is boring. MH you have been the biggest critic of bridgestones on this forum and yet you are still running with them :huh: :huh: where others have changed long ago. Just change them for god sake. There's no point in compromising your safety for the sake of saving a few pennies if you feel they are that bad.
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I do get the feeling that somewhere in an alternative reality there is a world where they fit the tyres with the best grip to VW's whatever they may be and whatever the cost. In that world is a forum with a thread complaining that they last for 5000 miles and what a liberty it is that having paid 30K for a car the tyres last 3 months.
I exaggerate somewhat but you get the picture. Cant please all the people all the time :wink:
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Bloody hell this thread is boring. MH you have been the biggest critic of bridgestones on this forum and yet you are still running with them :huh: :huh: where others have changed long ago. Just change them for god sake. There's no point in compromising your safety for the sake of saving a few pennies if you feel they are that bad.
^^Amen to that.
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I can't remember off the top of my head, but my gut feel is that the Goodyear F1's I've just finished with actually lasted longer than the BS fronts or at least the same(ish). Just chucking this in here in case people think I am clamouring for super soft race tyres that only last 200 miles...
The BS rears are still hanging in there, but they are still the factory ones, I have no idea how long they are expected to last on the back... they've got almost 40k and still have 4mm!
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Yes, looking into it today. First time I've had any real drama with them on the R (the Haldex being saviour many times no doubt), so been reluctant to spend that £600 - it's still a bit tough to stomach so close to Christmas and the conditions/level of wear testament to how crap they are under everyday driving.
Michelin have a £75 fuel card promotion on right now, but Costco aren't eligible according to the Michelin website, they don't have their own offer on right now as far as I'm aware.
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It's a small price to pay for peace of mind plus if you can afford a £30k plus car then £600 is a drop in the ocean
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Chap I used to work with was an ex copper, loved his cars advanced VIP driver in the police and an IOM instructor, will never forget his advice when looking at tyres;
Him: "so you've got a 170bhp car, with big brakes, ASB, the latest gizmos on and all that yeah?"
Me: "Yep"
Him: "Great any of those bits attached to the road?"
Me " Well no, of course not!"
Him: "Exactly, your tyres are the only part of the car that physically attach you and the car to the road, Where do you think is the last place you want be a cheap skate?"
Me: "The tyres"
Him: "you got it"
and with that in mind I have just purchased myself a set of 4 new GY Eagle F1s Asy off of amazon for £62 each!(inc delivery!) (£10 fitted at the local garage)
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Rang around for Michelin PSS and Costco rang last - £152.98 each fitted. Bloke at Gateshead branch advised me to wait until next Monday as there'll be a £75 voucher to take the sting out of the purchase. I did see some surprisingly good prices for Kwikfit online, including Pirelli P Zero Nero 19s for £126 each fitted, ATS and National looking very expensive for everything.
£532 (after voucher) to put VWs poor choice right won't break me, but it is galling to have to do it to stop the car sliding when being driven sensibly on borderline winter temps. For me that makes the tyre choice a safety issue.
I'll drive like a nun for a week.
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Got my Bridgestones changed off today for 4 x Michelin PS3's. Only done around 15 miles home, but Jeez what a difference in road noise, much quieter than the BS's.
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PSS's are expensive, no question of that.
PS3's or Conti 5's are not and that's the annoying thing.
My tyre supplier told me that the lease company wouldn't fit the BS's because they were more expensive than the PS3's or Goodyear F1's.
Which tells you that its not about something 3 times the cost being better, just that there are approximate same price items that are better.
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Michelin PS2 are £430 fitted from mytyres
£487 for PSS
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Michelin PS2 are £430 fitted from mytyres
£487 for PSS
Is that 18" or 19"? PS3s a little cheaper where you can find PS3 in 19" (Costco don't).
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Michelin PS2 are £430 fitted from mytyres
£487 for PSS
Is that 18" or 19"? PS3s a little cheaper where you can find PS3 in 19" (Costco don't).
have you tried camskill :smiley:
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Michelin PS2 are £430 fitted from mytyres
£487 for PSS
Is that 18" or 19"? PS3s a little cheaper where you can find PS3 in 19" (Costco don't).
That's 18''.
I only looked at that size because my GTI will have standard Austin's.
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Some extra choice coming soon:
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Michelin-Pilot-Sport-4-Press-Release.htm
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Goodyear-Eagle-F1-Asymmetric-3-Press-Release.htm
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Some extra choice coming soon:
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Michelin-Pilot-Sport-4-Press-Release.htm
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Goodyear-Eagle-F1-Asymmetric-3-Press-Release.htm
Still a way off, in 19" at least for the PS4. Looking forward to seeing the difference the PSS give when I swap over on Monday (depending how busy Gateshead Costco Tyre dept are, and if they have stock when I finish work Monday).
Did consider sticking with Bridgestones for the Summer and getting Winters for now, but 19s in Winter flavour are quite limited in choice and expensive. Coupled with that, even in warm weather the Bridgestones are sh!te in the wet.
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Picking my new GTD up on Friday, been to look at it today and it's got Bridgestones on. My current GTD that I'm trading in has got a full set of nearly new Michelin PS3's. I'm considering asking the dealer if he's willing to do a swap. What do you think my chances are?
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I'm picking my Gti up on 23rd and I went to look at it today that too has Bridgestones on. Dealer is asking if I can change them not counting on anything though.
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With no frost around (but still only 3C ambient temp) and lots of opportunity to put my foot down, I gave the new PSS a workout.....Wow! The car feels like it is velcro'd to the road. Car was a little thirstier than recently, but considering how much I put my foot down today, a devilish 31mpg vs a saintly 33mpg, i'll take the dark side!
The difference is like night and day in grip and your confidence in the car's abilities.
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Not sure if this has been asked so apologies if it has, but are these tyres as bad under braking as they are under acceleration in the wet ?
If so, surely they should be fitting something far better at the factory.
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Not sure if this has been asked so apologies if it has, but are these tyres as bad under braking as they are under acceleration in the wet ?
If so, surely they should be fitting something far better at the factory.
I've noticed the difference my new PSS make when braking. I had to jump on the brakes this morning when a Citroen Berlingo crawled out of a side-road and into my path on a 60mph road that I was doing about 55 on. My horn still works very well! :laugh: That was in 2C ambient temp.
I've always been a fan of Michelin PS3s, but the PSS difference is noticeable.
Bridgestones are hard in the Summer and Rock hard in the winter - they'll last forever but be crap all the way.
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I fitted Toyo T1 Sports to my new wheels just before Christmas at the recommendation from the tyre place. Driving around today and it felt like I had no grip at all, yes it was very cold and wet...BUT I had no confidence whatsoever :cry:
Gonna get them change as soon as, there goes another £500 :angry:
I'm actually so dissapointed with them I'm gonna stick my Cadiz with Bridgetones on tomorrow as they are way better, and their still pretty crap, that's how bad the Toyos are lol
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That's a real bummer. Nothing worse than being wrongly advised by someone you should be able to trust.
I think Michelin is the way to go. I'll probably try the PS2 when I finally get my car.
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I fitted Toyo T1 Sports to my new wheels just before Christmas at the recommendation from the tyre place. Driving around today and it felt like I had no grip at all, yes it was very cold and wet...BUT I had no confidence whatsoever :cry:
Gonna get them change as soon as, there goes another £500 :angry:
I'm actually so dissapointed with them I'm gonna stick my Cadiz with Bridgetones on tomorrow as they are way better, and their still pretty crap, that's how bad the Toyos are lol
What tyres are on your BBS's? You'll probably be able to sell the Toyos on eBay easily enough to recoup most of the cost.
Some tyres just take a few hundred miles to scrub in and some tyres just don't like cold weather at all.
I've spent several years reading nothing but damnation for firstly Dunlops fitted to mk6 GTI's and now Bridgestones fitted to sporty mk7's.
I didn't find the Bridgestones that bad personally.
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At last, someone with a more positive view on the dreaded Bridgestones!
Well not that positive but makes me think that rather than ripping them out straight away, it may be worth trying them for a month or two and making my own mind up.
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There's been a lot of scaremongering on here by a few individuals about these tyres. I never had any issues with them but then I don't tend to gun it off the line every time I see a green light. They are perfectly fine whether it's dry or wet and also very durable, mine lasted 18,000 miles.
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I have always defended bridgstones as they are fine for my style of driving. I am not saying there are the best, as tyres that wear so well are not going to give you the best grip. The term tombstones is not really fair and has caused alarm to some on here. Personal choice ofcourse as I recognise that people need to feel they have confidence and good grip when driving their pride and joy .
The tombstone tag is justified on some of the Chinese budget tyres, now they are scary. When I bought a used Mk5 fitted with these I had them changed and destroyed.
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Agreed.
This "tombstones" nonsense is way over the top.
I ran the bridgestones on my GTI for 25k Kms and apart from a bit of tramping in the wet as they wore towards the limiters (to be expected, to be fair) they were generally fine imo.
I have conti's on the R and to be quite honest I'd be pressed to tell the difference in most normal conditions.
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Agreed.
This "tombstones" nonsense is way over the top, perpetrated by a handful on these forums and now accepted as gospel!
I ran the bridgestones on my GTI for 25k Kms and apart from a bit of tramping in the wet as they wore towards the limiters (to be expected, to be fair) they were generally fine imo.
I have conti's on the R and to be quite honest I'd be pressed to tell the difference in most normal conditions.
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Agreed.
This "tombstones" nonsense is way over the top, perpetrated by a handful on these forums and now accepted as gospel!
I ran the bridgestones on my GTI for 25k Kms and apart from a bit of tramping in the wet as they wore towards the limiters (to be expected, to be fair) they were generally fine imo.
I have conti's on the R and to be quite honest I'd be pressed to tell the difference in most normal conditions.
I had tramping with Bridgestones on my GTD from day one, and had some access to my Dad's GTD which never tramped at all, I haven't heard of anyone else without Bridgestones reporting copious tramping either, but plenty with have done so. After having a string of "performance diesel" Golfs/Sciroccos, only one other came on Bridgestones from the factory, a MK5 GT Sport TDI170, and that tramped like a pissed off bull at slightly damp roundabouts too. Their dry performance really deteriorates below 12C - most Summer tyres' performance noticeably deteriorates below 4C.
I'm no traffic light dueller, but I do expect tramping not to occur at the slightest bit of damp at 40% throttle trying to exploit a gap on a busy roundabout that a 65PS Toyota Aygo can take advantage of easily enough because it will just go. In the Summer, grip on the move for the Bridgestones was adequate, but once the temp drops below 12C the tyres really harden up in a way that a premium tyre shouldn't.
When there are far better tyres at the same price point (retail) and a Bridgestone shod GTD doesn't have a cat in hell's chance of doing the stated 0-62 in 7.5 seconds because of the tramping (even in the dry in the Summer with more than 60% throttle) then the tyres really aren't fit for the purpose. You don't have to be driving like an idiot for them to misbehave, and when you wouldn't need to rein it in on other rubber at the same pricepoint there's something amiss with the choice of tyres, not the way the car's being driven.
Pretty much any other tyre in the same price range as a BS S001/RE050 will outdo it on wet grip and lower temp dry grip.
The change from RE050A to PSS has transformed my car in the current conditions, and officially they're not even scrubbed in yet. I doubt the difference would have been quite so profound when changing from Dunlop SP01, Conti 5, Pirelli P7, Michelin PS3.
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It's this tombstones nonsense which almost implies that the bridgestones are inherently dangerous which is just not the case. For day to day driving there is absolutely nothing wrong with them
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It's this tombstones nonsense which almost implies that the bridgestones are inherently dangerous which is just not the case. For day to day driving there is absolutely nothing wrong with them
They're inherently dangerous when driving on them in the way you would if you had almost any of the other equivalent tyres from Pirelli, Continental, Dunlop, Michelin etc in the slightest bit of damp or in lower temperatures that are no so low as to make winter tyres a recommended option).
The tramping thing for me is what is really dangerous - on some busy roundabouts you do have to be quick off the mark to exploit a gap. You give it 40% throttle, the nose gets out into the line of traffic that would be heading your way on the roundabout and your BS shod GTD just sits there stamping it's feet. Tramping after giving it 80%+ throttle is fair dos, but not 40%, you shouldn't need to be driving your GTD like it has 50PS to avoid tramping. Maybe it's less of an issue on a GTI with a little less torque low down, but on a GTD it is a real issue.
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The GTI is lower geared which acts as a torque multiplier, the MK7 GTI is very torquey and performs as well at low to medium revs as some modified earlier GTI's Ive had. The R doesn't pull away from a GTI until you're over 4000rpm which is pretty academic in most road conditions unless you're drag racing from the lights in which case the GTI just won't grip that well no matter what tyres it has. Been there, owned both and tried most things!
The R is a great car and I do love mine but I think so many people are now blinkered towards the R as it's such an accomplished performer they lose sight of exactly how good the GTI PP is. Aside from pulling away very abruptly with both wheels facing exactly forward which the PP diff can do nothing about the PP GTI handles amazingly well. Yes it's well down on power on paper but at normal road speeds there ain't a lot in it and to be honest (I've done a good few miles in GTD's now as a friend of mine regularly has one as a pool car from work) the GTD can be wound up pretty quickly and plenty quick enough for public roads.
My personal view after running the R on Bridgestones or the first 1800 miles or so is that they are no worse than the Conti 2's on my GTI or the Conti 3's I've been running on 19" wheels I've been using on both my mk7's (and mk6).
If I had a choice of tyres from the factory then I'd probably be happier with Conti's but I didn't find that as soon as I pulled off the drive the R swapped ends and pirouetted down the road like some people make out on here (you're not the worst MH, just one of the most consistent!).
I had the use of a private road that was newly 'built' (made? laid?) a few months ago. It's now a public road but at the time it was still private property and closed to the public. It is now a 30mph limit road with building work going on either side of it but I'd had the nod to use it privately whilst it was waiting to be signed off. It has some nasty 90 degree bends and a sharp roundabout and gave the Bridgestones absolutely no issues at speeds somewhat a little above the now mandatory 30!
Ok the temp was above 12 I think but it wasn't the height of summer and I've taken the bend at the top of Telegraph Hill on the A380 (for those of you who have towed your caravans to Torbay) quite quickly in low temperatures and that bend can get 'a bit' hairy if you're unfamiliar with it on crap tyres.
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Did we even use the term 'tramping' before we noticed the Mk7 had an 'anti tramping system?'
Maybe it's a common term and just I'd never heard of it before as I'm not as into cars as I thought..! :undecided:
Anyhow, both my MK6 and Mk7 GTD both came with them from the factory and the only odd thing I noticed about them was that they wore unevenly/ excessively in the middle on both cars.
Nothing to do with over inflation as my pressures are checked regularly and I've never experienced this on the subsequent continentals/ ecsta's etc.. that were fitted to both cars
I'd have another set.
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Did we even use the term 'tramping' before we noticed the Mk7 had an 'anti tramping system?'
Maybe it's a common term and just I'd never heard of it before as I'm not as into cars as I thought..! :undecided:
Anyhow, both my MK6 and Mk7 GTD both came with them from the factory and the only odd thing I noticed about them was that they wore unevenly/ excessively in the middle on both cars.
Nothing to do with over inflation as my pressures are checked regularly and I've never experienced this on the subsequent continentals/ ecsta's etc.. that were fitted to both cars
I'd have another set.
Yes, tramping has been mentioned quite a bit on ALL tyres with high torque applications on Golfs since the mk4 days.
On modified cars the cure tended to be uprated mounts to limit the torque reaction from the soft factory rubber mounts. These modified cars would generally be wearing uprated tyres anyway, especially when they were newer. I'd expect your average remapped mk4 or mk5 to be running on Chinese specials nowadays though!
The mk7 has much more torque as standard than earlier cars, particularly in GTI form so any tramping will be more pronounced.
Going from some of the people on here who modified their mk7 GTI's having had pretty catastrophic suspension failures I'd guess the metal used on the mk7 is also lighter and thinner around the wishbones and other pressed parts.
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Did we even use the term 'tramping' before we noticed the Mk7 had an 'anti tramping system?'
Maybe it's a common term and just I'd never heard of it before as I'm not as into cars as I thought..! :undecided:
Anyhow, both my MK6 and Mk7 GTD both came with them from the factory and the only odd thing I noticed about them was that they wore unevenly/ excessively in the middle on both cars.
Nothing to do with over inflation as my pressures are checked regularly and I've never experienced this on the subsequent continentals/ ecsta's etc.. that were fitted to both cars
I'd have another set.
Yes, tramping has been mentioned quite a bit on ALL tyres with high torque applications on Golfs since the mk4 days.
On modified cars the cure tended to be uprated mounts to limit the torque reaction from the soft factory rubber mounts. These modified cars would generally be wearing uprated tyres anyway, especially when they were newer. I'd expect your average remapped mk4 or mk5 to be running on Chinese specials nowadays though!
The mk7 has much more torque as standard than earlier cars, particularly in GTI form so any tramping will be more pronounced.
Going from some of the people on here who modified their mk7 GTI's having had pretty catastrophic suspension failures I'd guess the metal used on the mk7 is also lighter and thinner around the wishbones and other pressed parts.
my mk4 runs eagle f1s and it will still spin when full boost applied :smiley: the bridgestones on my mk5 have been ok in the snow we had over the last few days will only notice any difference once its fitted with f1s
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Fabio: My Scirocco 170TDI on Pirelli P7s from the factory wore the same way - the central 1/3 of the tyre width was at the markers after about 11k miles, the outer 1/3 each side of the centre still had a healthy 6mm left. They were replaced with Michelin PS3 which wore evenly. I inflated as per instructions for a light load, going off the filler flap inflation pressure recommendations.
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Well tomorrow mornings the big day, after 2 years 4 months and 20,500 miles I've finally decided enoughs enough, and will be swapping out my Bridgestones (which are down to 3mm now), for a brand new set of Goodyear F1 Assymetrical 3's (the new version).
Quite excited really to have a set of tyres that actually don't just spin up in the wet and allows me to actually pull out on roundabouts without the front wheels tramping like a bast*rd. :grin: :grin:
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Well tomorrow mornings the big day, after 2 years 4 months and 20,500 miles I've finally decided enoughs enough, and will be swapping out my Bridgestones (which are down to 3mm now), for a brand new set of Goodyear F1 Assymetrical 3's (the new version).
Quite excited really to have a set of tyres that actually don't just spin up in the wet and allows me to actually pull out on roundabouts without the front wheels tramping like a bast*rd. :grin: :grin:
I'm sure they'll transform your car!
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Well tomorrow mornings the big day, after 2 years 4 months and 20,500 miles I've finally decided enoughs enough, and will be swapping out my Bridgestones (which are down to 3mm now), for a brand new set of Goodyear F1 Assymetrical 3's (the new version).
Quite excited really to have a set of tyres that actually don't just spin up in the wet and allows me to actually pull out on roundabouts without the front wheels tramping like a bast*rd. :grin: :grin:
Looking forward to the update, think I'll be getting the same on mine in the near future.
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OMG !!!! What a difference. I was told to not go balls out for the first few hundred miles until they scrubbed in, but straight from the off, the first thing I noticed is how quiet they are. Pulled out onto a main road (just down the road from the tyre place), and had to pull out sharpish, with zero miles on them and ambient at only 3°C, and it just took off - not a hint of wheel spin at all - and that's with 0 miles !
Just got to work (approx. 10 miles), and I can already tell how much better a tyre they are. Firstly (as mentioned) they are very quiet, not just on smooth surfaces, but on rough and semi-rough surfaces, where the Bridgestone's would roar. Secondly, the ride just seems that little bit more compliant and not as harsh over the bumps (although that could be my imagination).
Lastly, I clocked my MPG after pulling up at work (to be fair only a 10 mile journey, but a mix of urban, town centre and dual carriageways), and for reference the best I have EVER had out of the GTD, which was last summer time when it was much warmer, was 64.5 mpg (which I was delighted at). Well today after arriving at work I saw this (and don't forget - mines a DSG, a manual would be 5mpg or so better).
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1618/23869775284_aca0bb9cea_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/CnhQzJ)
Now it could just be coincidence, (as to be honest, I can't see a different tyre making such a huge difference to MPG), but based upon the above, I do think they will be more economical. Tonight's journey home will be the test, where I've been struggling to get over 50mpg now the weather's turned cold, be interesting to see what the Goodyear's get under similar circumstances.
So far, a very happy bunny, and they treated my alloys with kid gloves and not a mark on them, and as a bonus filled them with Nitrogen at no extra cost and used black wheel weights as well !
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They sound like a fantastic upgrade. :smiley:
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OMG !!!! What a difference. I was told to not go balls out for the first few hundred miles until they scrubbed in, but straight from the off, the first thing I noticed is how quiet they are. Pulled out onto a main road (just down the road from the tyre place), and had to pull out sharpish, with zero miles on them and ambient at only 3°C, and it just took off - not a hint of wheel spin at all - and that's with 0 miles !
Just got to work (approx. 10 miles), and I can already tell how much better a tyre they are. Firstly (as mentioned) they are very quiet, not just on smooth surfaces, but on rough and semi-rough surfaces, where the Bridgestone's would roar. Secondly, the ride just seems that little bit more compliant and not as harsh over the bumps (although that could be my imagination).
Lastly, I clocked my MPG after pulling up at work (to be fair only a 10 mile journey, but a mix of urban, town centre and dual carriageways), and for reference the best I have EVER had out of the GTD, which was last summer time when it was much warmer, was 64.5 mpg (which I was delighted at). Well today after arriving at work I saw this (and don't forget - mines a DSG, a manual would be 5mpg or so better).
Now it could just be coincidence, (as to be honest, I can't see a different tyre making such a huge difference to MPG), but based upon the above, I do think they will be more economical. Tonight's journey home will be the test, where I've been struggling to get over 50mpg now the weather's turned cold, be interesting to see what the Goodyear's get under similar circumstances.
So far, a very happy bunny, and they treated my alloys with kid gloves and not a mark on them, and as a bonus filled them with Nitrogen at no extra cost and used black wheel weights as well !
Glad you liked the improvement on the new rubber, but I don't think I have ever seen anyone talk about new tyres in anything other than glowing reviews in general.
its never good to take new for old reviews as anything other than a swap and not a comparison, They would feel fantastic compared to 2 1/2 year old 3mm F1's too. Compared to new tyres that are 8mm deep, compliant, and on a new generation rubber...
Glad you liked them though, and good to see a fuel increase even if you are taking it easy at the start. but just wanted to add context before someone jumps in :whistle:
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Of course you are right Jackie but even from new the Bridgestone's were always noisy and straight off the bat, the new Tyres are much quieter. Also I do remember less than in a week into ownership of the car when the Bridgestones were very new thinking there was something wrong with the car when pulling away at just a medium throttle from a set of traffic lights seeing the traction control light come on and the wheels just spin, (which they have done on countless occasions since).
Obviously very early doors for the Goodyears at the moment, but they certainly feel like a much better suited product for the car.
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Interesting to read your review Sootchucker. I have my Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 Winters on at the moment, and even those are miles better than the Bridgestones.
I'm due a full set of summer tyres in March/April time and I'm considering my options. Given how impressed I've been with the Michelin Winters, I was just going to stick with the brand and go for a set of Pilot Sport 3's but might consider the Goodyears too.
The Continental won the EVO summer tyre test (in which they used a MK7 GTI as a test car, so I'll be hard pushed to make the decision.
I still can't quite believe that VW chose the Bridgestone for the MK7 performance Golf range, it's bloody awful in all but the driest of conditions from my 23,000. Even when new, I experienced the same as you in terms of the wheelspin when pulling away.
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Just a thought, has anyone ever tried to get the tyres changed under warranty? If they're as bad as people are making out then surely it can't be any less important than an abnormally large panel gap or scratch or noise etc.
I've already made my dealer aware of my concerns about the Bridgestone's based on what I've read so when I pick it up, if I drive out of the showroom and spin the wheels up I'll be taking it straight back.
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Its not that you CAN'T spin the wheels up with something else (with all of the torque a GTD delivers its not unreasonable to expect some cases) its just that the better choices do it far less and across a broader range of ambient temperature and wetness...
I tried out my latest PS3's and from a cold start a spirited getaway still lights up the traction control.
They are however a load better than the BS's ever were, as were my previously Goodyears.
Both the PS3 and Goodyears once warm won't spin up a speed (30-50mph, full throttle).
I'd echo the comment that the BS's aren't "lethal" but they are sub-standard for a premium vehicle and a premium tyre brand.
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Yeah pretty much agree with what Fred just said. The Bridgestones were far from lethal, just not very well suited to the GTD's torque. My wife has Bridgestones on her similar age Polo Blue GT (140ps Petrol), although they are not S001's but RE050A, and they are great, good traction, pretty quiet and wearing well. Just not on the Golf 7 it would seem unless you are lucky enough to own an R, where the 4WD flatters them :grin:
Jbirchy : In answer to you, those three you mention were my short-list - The Goodyear F1 Asymmetrical, The Conti 5's or the Michelin's either PS3 or PSS. The reason I went with the Goodyear's were a) Cost - for a set of 4, the AS3's were about £40.00 cheaper than the next (Conti 5's) with the PS3 over £75 more and the PSS £150 more for 4. and b) I've had Eagle F1 AS2 on a MK5 Golf and they were stunning, so that sort of made my decision for me.
I'm not saying of course any of these 4 mentioned tyres above are better than the other, but all will be a big improvement on the standard fit Bridgestone's (in fact the PSS may well be the best).
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I'm due a full set of summer tyres in March/April time and I'm considering my options. Given how impressed I've been with the Michelin Winters, I was just going to stick with the brand and go for a set of Pilot Sport 3's but might consider the Goodyears too.
The Continental won the EVO summer tyre test (in which they used a MK7 GTI as a test car, so I'll be hard pushed to make the decision.
The same expert source you quote has the Sport 3's you are thinking of in 8th place, Bridgestone in 9th. Why believe them for one and not the other?
The Mrs mighty 89bhp Kia came with Sport Contact 5's. Not really sure what that says about manufacturer tyre sourcing :grin:
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Sootchucker: I had no doubt you'd see a marked difference, all of your shortlist would've been a big upgrade. I personally chose PSS because taking into account the Costco rebate, there were coppers between them and the Conti 5s and Eagle Asys in 19".
It's the low temps and perpetual winter dew dampness on a morning commute that really show the BSs up.
Looking back through my old posts I was calling the BSs for tramping from day 1 with my GTD, so in agreement with you that you'require not comparing old with new.
With the unseasonably warm winter until a few weeks ago the Bridgestones weren't completely atrocious on the R with the Haldex undoubtedly saving tramping that I would have had on another GTD. Definitely seems worse for GTDs than GTIs going off the for and against votes here.
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possibly because a lot of GTI's came with Conti 2's, (at least in the early days). The GTI has a smoother torque build up than the GTD too despite what the power graphs would tell you. The only time I ever suffered any major wheelspin in my GTI was on a salted road in very low temps running Conti 3's being a bit brutal with the right pedal. The GTD torque hits in a nice big wallop!
A few years ago the mk6 section was full of people slating the cold weather grip on Goodyear F1's.
Forums and tyres eh?
Personally I'm going for Rainsports next time as a) I cover a piddly mileage and b) aside from about three days it's done nothing but rain in the South West for at least nine months.
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There are lots of different technical reasons different tyres suit different cars... maybe the Mk6 was heavier or less torquey...
However you would expect that the OEM fit took this into account and that the factory choice was the most suitable....
But no, its all down to price point on a negotiated bulk deal, which doesn't necessarily play out when you or I try to buy them ourselves... my lease company say the BS's are too expensive compared to Goodyears or PS3's... figure that out!
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Good to hear your enjoying the Goodyears! I have a set of Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3s stored in my garage ready to be fitted to my car on Friday 29th. Have the F1 A2s at the min and they've been a superb tyre, grippy in all conditions and have lasted almost 35k on my car with rotation front to back now and then.
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possibly because a lot of GTI's came with Conti 2's, (at least in the early days). The GTI has a smoother torque build up than the GTD too despite what the power graphs would tell you. The only time I ever suffered any major wheelspin in my GTI was on a salted road in very low temps running Conti 3's being a bit brutal with the right pedal. The GTD torque hits in a nice big wallop!
A few years ago the mk6 section was full of people slating the cold weather grip on Goodyear F1's.
Forums and tyres eh?
Personally I'm going for Rainsports next time as a) I cover a piddly mileage and b) aside from about three days it's done nothing but rain in the South West for at least nine months.
In 19" at least, the Uniroyal Rainsport 3s are pretty cheap at certain places (seen then for as little as £94 a corner delivered - I assume 18s are considerably cheaper), but they last no time at all - which should be fine for piddly mileage.
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I'm due a full set of summer tyres in March/April time and I'm considering my options. Given how impressed I've been with the Michelin Winters, I was just going to stick with the brand and go for a set of Pilot Sport 3's but might consider the Goodyears too.
The Continental won the EVO summer tyre test (in which they used a MK7 GTI as a test car, so I'll be hard pushed to make the decision.
The same expert source you quote has the Sport 3's you are thinking of in 8th place, Bridgestone in 9th. Why believe them for one and not the other?
The Mrs mighty 89bhp Kia came with Sport Contact 5's. Not really sure what that says about manufacturer tyre sourcing :grin:
Good point
The Evo test is a very strange one, unless my eyes are playing tricks on me the Bridgestone tyre used (Bridgestone Potenza RE002 W 92) is not the tyre fitted to the GTi as standard and is not listed on Bridgestones website for the vehicle? Very weird tyre choice for the test and hardly helps matters at all...
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18" wheeled Golfs with Bridgesrones get Potenza S001, 19"ers get RE050A.
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18" wheeled Golfs with Bridgesrones get Potenza S001, 19"ers get RE050A.
Yeah exactly, which is why the tyre tested is so odd.
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OMG !!!! What a difference. I was told to not go balls out for the first few hundred miles until they scrubbed in, but straight from the off, the first thing I noticed is how quiet they are. Pulled out onto a main road (just down the road from the tyre place), and had to pull out sharpish, with zero miles on them and ambient at only 3°C, and it just took off - not a hint of wheel spin at all - and that's with 0 miles !
Just got to work (approx. 10 miles), and I can already tell how much better a tyre they are. Firstly (as mentioned) they are very quiet, not just on smooth surfaces, but on rough and semi-rough surfaces, where the Bridgestone's would roar. Secondly, the ride just seems that little bit more compliant and not as harsh over the bumps (although that could be my imagination).
Lastly, I clocked my MPG after pulling up at work (to be fair only a 10 mile journey, but a mix of urban, town centre and dual carriageways), and for reference the best I have EVER had out of the GTD, which was last summer time when it was much warmer, was 64.5 mpg (which I was delighted at). Well today after arriving at work I saw this (and don't forget - mines a DSG, a manual would be 5mpg or so better).
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1618/23869775284_aca0bb9cea_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/CnhQzJ)
Now it could just be coincidence, (as to be honest, I can't see a different tyre making such a huge difference to MPG), but based upon the above, I do think they will be more economical. Tonight's journey home will be the test, where I've been struggling to get over 50mpg now the weather's turned cold, be interesting to see what the Goodyear's get under similar circumstances.
So far, a very happy bunny, and they treated my alloys with kid gloves and not a mark on them, and as a bonus filled them with Nitrogen at no extra cost and used black wheel weights as well !
How's the tyres goings now they'll have settled in a little?
Rang round for prices today and found the Same tyres online at £73 a corner or locally they're £88 fitted which I guess is about right.
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Brilliant now they have around 400 miles on them. Very grippy both wet and dry (even at these current >10°C temperatures we have at the moment), and much, much quieter than the Bridgestone's.
It's like I said before, the Bridgestone's weren't total crap, they just struggled to cope with the power and torque that the performance Golf's have on tap, and were a little too quick to spin up when it either got damp or the temperatures dropped, but they did give fantastic mileage. I changed them with still just under 4mm all round, and at 20,500 miles, so I doubt the Goodyear's will last that long, but they do totally change the driving pleasure of the car.
Only last night I needed to get a quick getaway at a roundabout, and it was circa 5°C and quite wet. If I'd have booted it with the Bridgestone's on, the traction control light would have been on for several seconds, and I would have to cut the power or feather the throttle to get away, even then with wheel spin. Last night however on the Goodyear's I saw a gap and went for it, and aside for a momentary blip of the traction control light (not full throttle by any means) , the car just catapulted away from the line with no drama at all..
Very pleased.
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Brilliant now they have around 400 miles on them. Very grippy both wet and dry (even at these current >10°C temperatures we have at the moment), and much, much quieter than the Bridgestone's.
It's like I said before, the Bridgestone's weren't total crap, they just struggled to cope with the power and torque that the performance Golf's have on tap, and were a little too quick to spin up when it either got damp or the temperatures dropped, but they did give fantastic mileage. I changed them with still just under 4mm all round, and at 20,500 miles, so I doubt the Goodyear's will last that long, but they do totally change the driving pleasure of the car.
Only last night I needed to get a quick getaway at a roundabout, and it was circa 5°C and quite wet. If I'd have booted it with the Bridgestone's on, the traction control light would have been on for several seconds, and I would have to cut the power or feather the throttle to get away, even then with wheel spin. Last night however on the Goodyear's I saw a gap and went for it, and aside for a momentary blip of the traction control light (not full throttle by any means) , the car just catapulted away from the line with no drama at all..
Very pleased.
Appreciate the update buddy.......
I'm due two new fronts but think I'm sold on just changing the full set for the sake of the difference and it'll save me hassle in the future.
Happy motoring and thanks again
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my 2015 GTi came new with Bridgestone Potenza S001 225/40/R18 ( Austins )
i must not drive as hard as some others- but my major gripe is cabin noise from the tyres on anything but smooth tarmac. Much of the northern end of the M6 is course tarmac and the noise at 70/80 is way too high for a refined car like the Golf.
Which tyres should i change to for a quiet (er ) ride. My local tyre man says Dunlop Sport Max RT, but nobody on this thread has mentioned them?
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my 2015 GTi came new with Bridgestone Potenza S001 225/40/R18 ( Austins )
i must not drive as hard as some others- but my major gripe is cabin noise from the tyres on anything but smooth tarmac. Much of the northern end of the M6 is course tarmac and the noise at 70/80 is way too high for a refined car like the Golf.
Which tyres should i change to for a quiet (er ) ride. My local tyre man says Dunlop Sport Max RT, but nobody on this thread has mentioned them?
Personally I have for the last number of years used Michelin as my go to tyre. I have sport cup 2's on both my CC and the Mk6 GTi that my wife has. Not saying that you need to go that extreme but Michelin often do deals especially with Costco so maybe some Pilot Sports.
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EVO October 2016, summer tyre test (235/35/19)
1 Conti 6 (9.8kg)
2 GY AS3 (9.6kg)
3 Yoko (10.5kg)
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EVO October 2016, summer tyre test (235/35/19)
1 Conti 6 (9.8kg)
2 GY AS3 (9.6kg)
3 Yoko (10.5kg)
I'd be interested to know where the Michelin PS4s came if tested as I have those on the front.
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EVO October 2016, summer tyre test (235/35/19)
1 Conti 6 (9.8kg)
2 GY AS3 (9.6kg)
3 Yoko (10.5kg)
I'd be interested to know where the Michelin PS4s came if tested as I have those on the front.
For the standard 225/40/18 (best selling Euro tyre size) this article offers some results on the latest bench mark tyres, and the new PS4 rank...
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/91856/tyre-reviews-best-car-tyres-2016
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Unfortunately no PS4 only PSS, see
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2016-EVO-Summer-Performance-Tyre-Test.htm
For 18" see http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2016-Auto-Express-Summer-Tyre-Test.htm
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These tyre tests aren't always that reliable - there's no accounting for how the tyre performs through its life, only when it is brand new. Contis are great new but drop roght off under 4mm in my experience, and my PSSs have been unflappable in the wet, even when accelerating hard up a bendy steep sliproad.
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I know it's not a popular tyre on here, but my Bridgestones are perfectly fine for the driving I do.
If I was buying tyres now, it would almost certainly be the PS4 as I found Conti's wore very quickly on my A3.
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For everyone running 19" wheels
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Michelin-Pilot-Sport-4-S-Press-Release.htm
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I have 350 km on a my new CS and the Bridgestones are very very noisy... I went on Saturday to the tyre shop and they told me I should discuss it with the VW dealer. They agree it's noisy but no real "fault" can be reported. My feeling is that it would be a waste of time and energy to discuss this with the dealer. I think I buy myself a gift with the Michelin PS4 somewhere early 2017 and use the Bridgestones as home decoration. What do you think?
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I have 350 km on a my new CS and the Bridgestones are very very noisy... I went on Saturday to the tyre shop and they told me I should discuss it with the VW dealer. They agree it's noisy but no real "fault" can be reported. My feeling is that it would be a waste of time and energy to discuss this with the dealer. I think I buy myself a gift with the Michelin PS4 somewhere early 2017 and use the Bridgestones as home decoration. What do you think?
Get the crappy Bridgestones off and swap out with some decent rubber The Bridgestones are poor in the Summer and much worse in the Winter (damp/wet grip). They are hard wearing (hence the noise). Stick them in the shed/garage to put back on at trade-in/resale time. When you're paying £30k for a hot hatch it should come with tyres that are befitting of the performance capability.
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Evo September 2017 tyre test
Test car MK7.5 GTI(!)
1. Michelin PS4
2. Pirelli P Zero PZ4
3. Conti Premium Contact 6
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Picked my GTD up on Friday. It has 19" Brescias, don't know if it's typical but mine's come with P-Zeros.
Sean
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Picked my GTD up on Friday. It has 19" Brescias, don't know if it's typical but mine's come with P-Zeros.
Sean
Yes, the 19 inch alloys do come with P-Zeros. Are they the new PZ4?
I did consider upgrading the alloys just to get better tyres. However, the rural roads where I live are just too bumpy. So I decided that I needed the more comfortable and less damage prone 18 inch tyres.
I was looking at my cousins' Mk7 Golf R yesterday. It had 18 inch Cadiz alloys with Continental tyres. I would have been happy with Continental tyres. :angry: I wonder is that part of the reason why people think the Golf R has better suspension than a GTI/GTD with hard as brick Bridgestones.
I have been too busy this week to get my new Michelins fitted :sad:
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Get the crappy Bridgestones off and swap out with some decent rubber The Bridgestones are poor in the Summer and much worse in the Winter (damp/wet grip). They are hard wearing (hence the noise). Stick them in the shed/garage to put back on at trade-in/resale time. When you're paying £30k for a hot hatch it should come with tyres that are befitting of the performance capability.
I know that is an old post - but it echoes my sentiments exactly.
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Old thread, but I didn't want to start a new one.
After 10,000 miles of A-road driving, I had a MOT, the garage mentioned all the depths, some people might be interested in the fronts
Goodyear F1A3 = 5mm
Continental Sport Contact 5 = 3mm
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Old thread, but I didn't want to start a new one.
After 10,000 miles of A-road driving, I had a MOT, the garage mentioned all the depths, some people might be interested in the fronts
Goodyear F1A3 = 5mm
Continental Sport Contact 5 = 3mm
You have both of those on the front? Fitted at the same time???
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Yes, fitted on the front about one week apart.
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I take it that's a fleet vehicle.... and you didn't have a choice?
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So, I've had my R for a year now from new (absolutely love it :grin:). I've done around 6500 miles in that year and whilst the Bridgesones still have plenty of tread I'm thinking of getting the PS4's. The cheapest I've found, fitted, is £386.72 - Seem a good deal?
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If that's for 4 18 inch then that's a good price. If it's for 4 19 inch then it's a great price.
The 18's are over a hundred each, fitted at most places.
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If that's for 4 18 inch then that's a good price. If it's for 4 19 inch then it's a great price.
The 18's are over a hundred each, fitted at most places.
It's the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 225/40 R18 Y (92) at black circle tyres. Using discount code 4MICH40 to get them at this price.
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If that's for 4 18 inch then that's a good price. If it's for 4 19 inch then it's a great price.
The 18's are over a hundred each, fitted at most places.
It's the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 225/40 R18 Y (92) at black circle tyres. Using discount code 4MICH40 to get them at this price.
Great find...or £335.82 delivered and get them fitted cheap if you know someone :)
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I take it that's a fleet vehicle.... and you didn't have a choice?
Private, had four new tyres fitted, then a sudden puncture far from home.
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Slightly OT, but I had a quick look over at Black Circles, and whilst I've never had a car with PS4's on them (and I'm no tyre expert), people here seem to rave about them, and yet on the landing page for my car tyre size (225/35 R19 Y (88)), it shows the PS4 as
Fuel Economy E
Wet Weather A
Noise levels 71db
These are £173.50 (before any discount)
Right next to it however was the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 and their data was:
Fuel Economy C
Wet Weather A
Noise levels 68db
These are £140.50 (before any discount.)
Doens't that mean the Goodyear's are better, and yet I never hear anyone raving about them ? Just a thought.
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Go on Sooty, give the same data for the OEM BS's....
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Well, I don't think any of the Golf's with 19" alloys ever came with Bridgestones, but in any case just for you Fred :D :D
Bridgestone Potenza S001 (225/35 R19 Y 88)
Fuel Economy E
Wet Weather B
Noise levels 72db
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Sootchucker:
My R on 19" Prets came on Bridgestones, and I changed them out for Michelin PSS at about 6000 miles, when they slid a little going around a big roundabout quite slowly on an unusually warm winter's day (11C ambient, slughtly damp). 19" Bridgestones are RE050 rather than S001, and they're poor. If anyone wants to buy my Bridgestones, they've been up in the loft area of our garage.
PSS transformed the car (and my confidence in it when pressing on).
Saw PS4 in Costco recently and they're marginally more expensive than PSS there. I saw C for fuel economy advertised on the PS4 (E for PSS).
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Sootchucker:
My R on 19" Prets came on Bridgestones, and I changed them out for Michelin PSS at about 6000 miles, when they slid a little going around a big roundabout quite slowly on an unusually warm winter's day (11C ambient, slughtly damp). 19" Bridgestones are RE050 rather than S001, and they're poor. If anyone wants to buy my Bridgestones, they've been up in the loft area of our garage.
PSS transformed the car (and my confidence in it when pressing on).
Saw PS4 in Costco recently and they're marginally more expensive than PSS there. I saw C for fuel economy advertised on the PS4 (E for PSS).
The direct replacement for the PSS are the PS4S (which are miles better than the PSS in the cold/wet weather and almost 99.9% as good on a summer's day on the track!).
If your replacing the PSS the PS4 will disappoint (as it isn't really their flagship sports tyre) you need the PS4S!
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I did have Eagle F1 asymmetrics on my last GTD.
Definitely better than the OEM BS's, not as good as the PS3's.
Cheaper than the PS3's/SC5's but wore about the same rate on the fronts as the PS3's did.
If you wanted better than the BS's (which are expensive anyway) but not go as far as PS4's, I'd say the F1 was a good middle choice actually.
That's based on driving experience, not manufacturers labels.
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Just ordered a set of PS4 all round...for £335 it was too good a deal!
Now the Bridgestones (171 miles from new) are going on ebay!
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Bridgestones, whats the problem?
They're sh!t.....next?
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Ordered! Getting fitted on Tuesday :smiley:
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Bridgestones, whats the problem?
They're sh!t.....next?
I've done nearly 13k on the original Bridgestones and they've been fine. They aren't as bad as everyone says they are, but maybe some drivers can get the best out of them and others just can't. :whistle:
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I've done nearly 13k on the original Bridgestones and they've been fine. They aren't as bad as everyone says they are, but maybe some drivers can get the best out of them and others just can't. :whistle:
Amen to that! Done a good 20k on mine already, probably get another 5-7k out of them.
They are significantly better (as in your don't have to drive them quite as hard to get to right temperature) in properly hot countries though than in cold and rainy Britain :D
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Just come back from Lockerbie today and the weather was atrocious until just after Gretna. Loads of standing water on A74, temperature down to 2°c and tyres were ok. I'm sure lots of other tyres will be better but I'm not one to just bin a set of perfectly good tyres.
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If anyone is in the market for a set of 4 PS4's, it looks like a set can be had for £336 at the moment (plus fitting):
https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/michelin-pilot-sport-4-2254018-92y-xl-set-of-4-33582-at-blackcircles-2917006
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If anyone is in the market for a set of 4 PS4's, it looks like a set can be had for £336 at the moment (plus fitting):
https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/michelin-pilot-sport-4-2254018-92y-xl-set-of-4-33582-at-blackcircles-2917006
Your Welcome ;) and thank you to Greencode for pointing out the BC offer!
Type_R
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Saw PS4 in Costco recently and they're marginally more expensive than PSS there. I saw C for fuel economy advertised on the PS4 (E for PSS).
Costco appear to have dropped the PS4's and only appear to sell the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup.
I've been keeping an eye on their site for the last 3 months and there has been none on it and I've checked a few different branches.
Which is a shame as I think they are generally good at looking after the alloys.
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Not had Bridgestones on a car for long time although when I had my bikes I always preferred them. Our Gti CS came with the Michelin PCS2's although at the time I didn't realise they were a track orientated tyre for road use :whistle:... I've only just got myself a set of 235/35/19 PS4S's, after seeing a few recommendations on here, from Blackcircle (good deal, highly recommended) fitted at local tyre shop last week. I think they'll perform a lot better in the wet than the CS's, I know already they're certainly quieter and as soon as the large red hot thing in the sky makes a return then hope to comment on the dry performance!! :laugh: