225-35 R19 Tyres

[Mutley75]

My GTI is now 4 years old - I've owned it from new and it's just had its second MOT @ 21,000 miles. Last year I hit a pot hole which bulged the tyre wall on the front left tyre. As it was damaged and losing pressure, I had it replaced like-for-like without too much thought. The alloy was totally fine and the wheel alignment wasn't knocked out - on level ground, the car will drive in a straight line without having to adjust the wheel.

Anyway, fast forward to this year's MOT and my current tread depths are:

Front Right - 4.5mm (original tyre)
Front Left - 6.5mm (new last year)
Rear Right - 6.0mm (original)
Rear Left - 6.0mm (original)

Although the alignment appears to be ok, the car does feel overly sensitive to road camber - but seems to pull both left and right, rather than in the same direction. I'm fairly certain this is only since replacing the front left for a new tyre and I am assuming the tread depth mismatch is likely causing this? The tyre pressures are at 38psi all round (lower than stated in the manual but 41psi seems way too hard).

The tyres are Pirelli P-Zero. Which, apart from being a little on the firm and noisy side, seem to be generally ok. However, having read good things about Michelin PS4's I'd quite like to get a couple of those fitted to the car.

So here's the dilemma...

I'm looking at around £180 per tyre, so basically £360 in total. But only one of the tyres is anywhere close to needing to be replaced. So would you guys suggest:

1) Replace the front right 4.5mm for another Pirelli P-Zero and move the rears to the front so both front tyres have the same level of wear. Cost £180.

or

2) Replace both the 4.5mm and the new 6.5mm on the front for 2 x PS4s and sell the good one on eBay (probably get £50 used), leaving the 6.0mm on the rear (yeah I know new tyres should go at the back etc etc). Cost £310 (assuming selling the nearly new one).

I'm not against the second option but having never driven PS4s, are they really worth it and actually that much better than the P-Zeros?

Are there any other options or tyres that I've not considered? In hindsight I should have bought two PS4s last year when I replaced the one on the front left, but hey ho!

[Watts]

I'm not saying 'if it was me' because it was. I had P-zeros on my last and current car and on both I replaced with PS4S. On my current car I replaced all four even though they had 5-6mm left (but one had a puncture which prompted the change). The PS4S compared to the P-zeros are more comfortable, quieter, grip much better overall but especially in wet and cold conditions. They also have much better rim protection. Very pleased with them. So I would change all four.

[clubsport]

The first thing I would do iis fit the 6mm rears on to the front to see if that improves the way the car drives. I previously had Ps4 on a GTi, they are good, but I prefer to get some use out of good tyres before hammering the credit card.

As and when you do change, 235 35 19 are a consideration, sometimes cheaper than the 225 and offer more substantial rim protection?

[Mutley75]

The first thing I would do iis fit the 6mm rears on to the front to see if that improves the way the car drives. I previously had Ps4 on a GTi, they are good, but I prefer to get some use out of good tyres before hammering the credit card.

As and when you do change, 235 35 19 are a consideration, sometimes cheaper than the 225 and offer more substantial rim protection?

Good point. I'd be annoyed to splash out on two PS4's only to find there was some other issue that required £££ also.

[Mutley75]

I'm not saying 'if it was me' because it was. I had P-zeros on my last and current car and on both I replaced with PS4S. On my current car I replaced all four even though they had 5-6mm left (but one had a puncture which prompted the change). The PS4S compared to the P-zeros are more comfortable, quieter, grip much better overall but especially in wet and cold conditions. They also have much better rim protection. Very pleased with them. So I would change all four.

Is the right answer! Or rather, the answer I wanted to hear to help justify to myself it would be worth the investment! That said, justifying to myself is infinitely easier than justifying to the mrs why I need to spend north of £700 to replace 1 slightly worn tyre - because she won't get the 'more comfortable, quieter, better grip' etc argument.

[petec]

Check out for Michelin offers, I've had cashback on a few occasions including last time when I bought 4x 4s's, way better than the P Zeros and cheap non stick items the supplying dealer fitted for the last MoT.

[Watts]

I'm not saying 'if it was me' because it was. I had P-zeros on my last and current car and on both I replaced with PS4S. On my current car I replaced all four even though they had 5-6mm left (but one had a puncture which prompted the change). The PS4S compared to the P-zeros are more comfortable, quieter, grip much better overall but especially in wet and cold conditions. They also have much better rim protection. Very pleased with them. So I would change all four.

Is the right answer! Or rather, the answer I wanted to hear to help justify to myself it would be worth the investment! That said, justifying to myself is infinitely easier than justifying to the mrs why I need to spend north of £700 to replace 1 slightly worn tyre - because she won't get the 'more comfortable, quieter, better grip' etc argument.

It was difficult to justify to me as like clubsport above, I like to get my money's worth but I'm so glad I did. Pirellis are just not good enough.

Petec is right, you can get some pretty good deals, mine were from Blackcircles and it was a keen price.

[MKgti]

You will notice a big difference between the Pirelli's and Michelin's. I changed mine after 4yrs and 25k. Car feels much better, grip and comfort on 19's.
You will soon forget about cost.
Does give a bit better rim protection too.

[symonh2000]

No strictly comparing apples with Apples, but our Golf has Pzeros and my BMW has PS4.

The Pzero are not great in the wet. In warm wet conditions and in the dry the PS4 are better.

However when it is cold and damp, like we have now the PS4 are much worse than the Pzero in terms of grip.

I am fitting Goodyear assymetric 6 in place of the PS4 when the time comes.

[willni]

Take the 4.5 & 6.5mm front P-Zeros off and sell them as part worns, move the 6mm p zeros onto the front and let them wear out. Put two Michelins on the rear of the car.

New tyres should always go on the rear, understeer is easier to correct that oversteer in a fwd car…but encouraged in a rwd