Autostyle tyres and tyre prices

[SauRoNZA]

I have Achilles on my G5 GTi which is I believe a Yokohama sub-brand and I'm quite impressed with them.

They were slightly cheaper than the Hankook Ventus V12 which is also quite highly rated.

More scary is that the care came with some very cheap and nasty HiFly tyres...which are astonished good and I would actually put them on again. Amazing what you'll find if you don't know what's on the car and expect something different.

When I test drove the car it had the OEM Continentals on, but these were replaced for roadworthy and I didn't take note until a few months later and was quite surprised. Oddly enough the rear Continentals warped within a year and I'll never put them on again for that reason.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Have no favourites with tyres, but won't ever go for the stupidly cheap tyres.. thats just an accident waiting to happen.

 

[c3n0byt3]

Bought plenty from auto style. From car sound to accessories. Their stuff is legit.

Well, not everything;-).

 

[Hemi300c]

Om my Chrysler the replacement OEM tyres were to cost R5200 each, because this is basically the only vehicle that used them and they were scarce. Pirelli P7 225/60/18 w rating I think.

I replaced them with Hankook 235/55/18 and was very happy with them. Speedo was out by .75% only and they stuck like snot to a blanket.
They also cost R2350 per tire at TWT.

 

[Haldex]

The car styling trend was really strong around that time. Nowadays it is a lot harder to bolt on aftermarket parts, especially for styling. The market just isn't what it used to be. The trend seems to be big rims and stupid drop suspension.

Stupid?

 

[Kbeat]

Thanks for the responses guys. As mentioned earlier , I believe tyres should be of high quality especially if you driving in a performance car like a GTi.

 

[Kbeat]

I also don't get "favourite tyres" but R16k is pretty much average for a decent tyre set on a high performance car. The tyre needs to be at least as good as the rest of the car (which is good for 200+) and as Mike said at any given time its only minute pieces of rubber holding you on the road. Any cheap thing will do for a tazz but you want something decent on a faster car.

Its funny when people buy cars like a GTI and then complain about the price of tyres.[/QUOTE]

So just because we driving Gti's we should not shop around for good deals? I was not complaining about tyre prices but I was wondering why they were so much cheaper at Autostyle than other dealers like HQ and Tiger wheel. Surely even Ferrari drivers have a right to shop around. You don't just splash cash without looking for better deals.

 

[ChocolateBadger]

Stupid?

Yes stupid. Especially for SA roads. You drop your car to the ground but can't driver faster than 40km/h because any little bump will break your back.

Rule of thumb. If the top of your back tyres are in the wheel arches at standing, you've gone to low. May as well just weld your back suspension fass.

 

[Haldex]

Yes stupid. Especially for SA roads. You drop your car to the ground but can't driver faster than 40km/h because any little bump will break your back.

Rule of thumb. If the top of your back tyres are in the wheel arches at standing, you've gone to low. May as well just weld your back suspension fass.

Interesting, I have a 45mm drop (coilovers) Low as low can go, a 330ml can of coke upright will hit the bumper.
I can go well over 40kmph even 240 if I wanted to.
Rides good, not too firm not too soft. Handling is awesome and looks awesome.
By your definition sportscars in SA cant go over 40kmph!

 

[MisterBigglesworth]

I have had almost every big name brand on my car, Yoko's were the second tyre combination I tried. Out of all of them, they performed the best in terms of grip, even in wet conditions. I had the Yokohama S Drive's but I believe they dont make them anymore. I tried the A Drive, that was ok....but nothing compared to the S Drive. Never had a puncture, no bubbles...it was a fantastic tyre. The worst I had was Continental...

 

[supersunbird]

Interesting, I have a 45mm drop (coilovers) Low as low can go, a 330ml can of coke upright will hit the bumper.
I can go well over 40kmph even 240 if I wanted to.
Rides good, not too firm not too soft. Handling is awesome and looks awesome.
By your definition sportscars in SA cant go over 40kmph!

I guess you dont live in speedbumps heaven (PTA East) and you just deal with the occasional grindins sounds at some shopping centres or other entrances.

 

[Bionic]

Hi guys, as soon as I took delivery of my Gti 6 I went to check how much the 18" tyres cost. The highly recommended Michelin cost R4000 each and my favourite Continentals are selling at R3800 per tyre. So I shopped around and came across Yokohama and Dunlop and auto style for R1550 and R980 respectively. How good or bad are these tyres? I got the car with two Dunlops at the back and two Good year's in front. And it drives very well and handles fine. Would you suggest that I stick with the Dunlops and get Yokohamas? Why are they so cheap compared to the Contis and Michelins? And the Yokohamas at Tiger wheels were selling at R3000 per tyre. Are the tyres at Autostlye real?

Hey bud,

I drive an 09 Golf 5 GTI. When i took delivery of the vehicle i had to change the tyres immediately due to flat spots. I bought Dunlops from Autostyle around R799 . I have them on for about 20 000 kms and very impressed.Performance is great .nice thread,handles fine is wet weather and road noise is very slight.I would def buy another set again.Very under rated tyre!

 

[rph72]

Lol, my Dunlop's lasted me just over 20000 km (2years) and I need to replace them. Will never buy Dunlop again. My previous set lasted 55000 km and 5 years. Will be sending my Dunlop tyres back to Dunlop for a compound Test once replaced.

 

[R13...]

Lol, my Dunlop's lasted me just over 20000 km (2years) and I need to replace them. Will never buy Dunlop again. My previous set lasted 55000 km and 5 years. Will be sending my Dunlop tyres back to Dunlop for a compound Test once replaced.

That's because dunlops aren't the best of tyres. That's why they're cheap.

 

[rodga]

Interesting, I have a 45mm drop (coilovers) Low as low can go, a 330ml can of coke upright will hit the bumper.
I can go well over 40kmph even 240 if I wanted to.
Rides good, not too firm not too soft. Handling is awesome and looks awesome.
By your definition sportscars in SA cant go over 40kmph!

Pic?

 

[ponder]

That's because dunlops aren't the best of tyres. That's why they're cheap.

Depends on how you look at it. Many years back I was in the market for new tyres and a reputable magazine just did an extensive test on various brands & models of tyres. For wet weather performance a certain Dunlop came out at #1 and #3 for dry performance if I recall correctly. I had 4 fitted and two this day I reckon it was the best wet weather tyre I have used. They did not last very long though due to the soft compound they use (you will get almost double the life out of the rears compared to the fronts on a fwd car). Overall I was happy with their performance, especially in the wet which gives me the heeby cheebies.

EDIT: Just went and had a look for newer info/reviews and the Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 came out #1 in a 2009 Car & Driver test. I'm sure there are more positive tests out there.
Dunlop has always had a schite rep in this country, kinda like Chicken Licken vs KFC. Perceptions...

 

[Haldex]

Pic?

Nah. It can go lower if you curious.

 

[Caveat Emptor]

Achilles tyres not too bad forva. Gti

2233 tyre

 

[HavocXphere]

Well I suppose it depends on the car. I drive a fairly modest one, so I aim for something that is sufficiently safe & inexpensive.

I guess you dont live in speedbumps heaven (PTA East) and you just deal with the occasional grindins sounds at some shopping centres or other entrances.

True story. Though sooner or later people take things into their own hands.

A local economic powerhouse was building a new building close by...one day a speedbump near my employers office felt unusually smooth & easy. Sure enough some construction crew went and augmented it a bit..now its more like a gradual rise than a speedbump. They even matched the colour of the tar... Many thanks to said less than legal construction crew.

 

[ViperGTI]

I've heard some very bad reviews with regards to Dunlop, especially with regards to bubbles forming so I would stay away.

The Yokohama S Drive tyres that CrazyFig mentioned were very good, but my favourite was the ADVAN Sport. Had some on my GTI 5 (replaced my Continental Sport Contact 3 tyres) and while driving home I could immediately notice the reduction in road noise. The cabin was much quieter inside. A Drive is a pretty basic tyre, cheap, but you get what you pay for. The S Drive, Decibel or ADVAN Sport are better, but expensive.

The Continentals that you get with the GTI when you buy it new is pretty good. Think it is the Sport Contact 2. I did 40000km on mine with the GTI6 (which is probably the most I've ever gotten out of a tyre). The Sport Contact 3 on the other hand is total crap. Lots or noise, punctures easily and doesn't last long. Not sure where to get the Sport Contact 2 as TWT usually only stock the SC3.

Have you checked hankook prices? Twt sells them.

For my last tyre purchase, I also went this route. It may not be the best tyre (like ADVAN Sport for instance), but it is a very good balance between price and performance. It is probably better than any other branded name tyre that you can get for the same price.


Edit 1: And someone mentioned something about Nankang. As far as I can remember, it is an cheap entry level tyre / in-house brand, comparable to General Tyre and Velocity, but made by one of the major brands like Yokohama. Wouldn't recommend for GTI.

Edit 2: Just went on Autostyle's website to check out the tyres for R1550. It is the A Drive I mentioned above which is basically like the entry-level performance tyre for Yokohama. I've used them before and although I'm a Yokohama fan, I think the Hancooks are better.