Hello,

My car is due to have new tyres but there's so many options to choose from and I have no idea which tyre will suit me best. The tyre specs of my car are 205/65R15 and the rim is 17".

I have $800-900 to spend.

Bridgestone select have a 4 for 3 offer that I took up, but the tyres are Turanza serenity plus, made in the Phillipines.
Judging from the weights that needed to be added to the rims, just to balance them up, they are poorly made.
Best avoided.
The tyres they replace - Yokohama - had no or minimal weights on the wheels ex factory fit.

Go for a Japanese made tyre - written on the sidewall - Yokohama, Kumho etc. Avoid Chinese, Phillipino or Indonesian made tyres to be on the safe side.

With what you have to spend, aim for something up market - can't think of a specific make or model, but others will.

Go see some tyre shops, ask for a quote, ask to see an example, check the country of manufacture - simple!

I'm running Achillies ATR Sport on my TW. I don't know where they're from, maybe MadMax can shed some light?

The tread pattern looks sensational and the grip is pretty good. However, longevity of the tyre isn't great as they're a relatively soft compound tyre. So if your a regular hypermiler (which I am not) then I would go for a different brand.

I bought mine in 225/50 R17 size and they were $140 per tyre (excluding fitting/disposal of old tyres)

A few people say they can be a hit and miss in terms of satisfaction, but I guess it's whatever you use it for. My car is very much a daily driver, and work/university is close(ish) to home. Likewise, I don't do spirited driving through Perth's hills so a high performance tyre like a Michelin Pilot Sport 2 would be a waste of money IMO.

Michelin tyres, I've used these before (not the pilot sport 2/3), great performance and long life if your budget can stretch that far.
Even if you drive grandpa spec all the time, their expected lifetime would make them worth while.

Best research them, just in case they are super soft compound.
Current price of these, you would need to research on line as well.

What is this thread..

To start off with you should be asking yourself what you want most in a tyre. Obviously decent grip is a must but there's a difference between normal grip levels and sport grip levels. If you drive the car spiritedly often you will want something with above average grip in probably the wet as well as dry.

After that you need to consider road noise, how long they will last. You may get super duper tyres that you are fine with using, but over the life of the tyres you may not notice anything different from a standard set. It's all subject to how you use them.

Tell us what values you hold in a good tyre.

What is this thread..

To start off with you should be asking yourself what you want most in a tyre. Obviously decent grip is a must but there's a difference between normal grip levels and sport grip levels. If you drive the car spiritedly often you will want something with above average grip in probably the wet as well as dry.

After that you need to consider road noise, how long they will last. You may get super duper tyres that you are fine with using, but over the life of the tyres you may not notice anything different from a standard set. It's all subject to how you use them.

Tell us what values you hold in a good tyre.

I just want something with good grip in wet and dry weather, longevity and road noise needs to be decent enough.

P.s I have never bought tyres in my life so please forgive me if I sound stupid.

I just want something with good grip in wet and dry weather, longevity and road noise needs to be decent enough.

P.s I have never bought tyres in my life so please forgive me if I sound stupid.

In that case, bob jane are currently doing a special on yoko's, buy 4 get 1 free. The Yokohama S.drive are pretty good.

On the other hand I've found maxxis to provide fairly decently gripping tyres for decent price, good road noise.

There are also a good range of Kumho tyres out there. As long as you stick to some of these decent brands you can't go too wrong.

But no... you don't need to go for the top of the range bridgestones or something and shell out $900 if you're not a race car driver.

Get yourself some Achilles 2233 (235/45) highly recommended imo and you will have some money left over.

https://www.jaxtyres.com.au/tyres/sizes/17-inch/235-45r17

[QUOTE=Will8027;1633995]I just want something with good grip in wet and dry weather, longevity and road noise needs to be decent enough.

Yokohama A-Drives im my opinion would be best what your looking for.

Cheers matt

I don't know why tyres made in the Phillipines makes them any lower quality. China manufacture some of the most cutting edge and highest quality products, with excellent quality control - like Apple and Samsung.

How many weights is not always a good indicator of tyre quality. I have Australian made Turanza ER300 on my 380, and one corner has upwards of 20 stick on weights.

It is just as likely to be caused by the rim. If the heavy side of the tyre is mated to the heavy side of the rim, it means a lot more weights are required. Breaking the bead and moving the tyre around on the rim to reduce the number of weights required is very time consuming and has no real advantages to just leaving it how it is and using more weights.

The weights used to be heavy and hammered onto the rim edge. The stick on ones are very light, so many can be required.

The key to tyre choice is choosing one which matches your needs (touring, performance, noise, longevity). Rotate it (front to back, not side to side) every 5k. Get an alignment and balance every 10-15k. Do this and choose a decent brand and you'll be fine.

The Bridgestone 4 for 3 deal is good. Serenity plus on our third gen - quite good grip wet/dry for the price point, very quiet and seem to be lasting well. Buying through Bridgestone gets you free 5k rotations, free repairs, and credit towards new tires if you follow their servicing schedule and you fall short of their kilometre guarantee.

+1 for the Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus.
Fitted them to my GF's 2013 I30 a few months ago under the same 4 for the price of 3 deal (plus a $100 fuel voucher), and she is very happy with the grip, ride, wear and noise.
They are very quiet, much quieter than the previous Yokohama C drives she had on.

I put serenity plus tyres on my TW and am very happy. Nice ride, comfort, quietness, grip. Got 3 for the price of 4. I Like them.

I put serenity plus tyres on my TW and am very happy. Nice ride, comfort, quietness, grip. Got 3 for the price of 4. I Like them.

Yep, they are supposed to be good and quiet - how long they last though, is still unknown.
I was having a bitch in my first post about the need for lots of balance weights on one tyre, whereas the Yokies that came off the car had minimal weights. Smells like bad quality control to me, but time will tell.

They cost me $440 for 14 inch ones (CH Lancer) for the 4 plus wheel alignment.
Unfortunately the car was being used by someone else during the day, so I could only take one tyre in per day. This turned out to be a major pain, as the rear wheels have lots of clearance for inside balancing weights, but the fronts don't. The calliper just knocks them right off. Had to take one wheel back for this, so 5 trips this week all up. The one wheel with lots of weights is on the back, but will be a problem if rotated to the front.

Anyway, get them to check clearances between the weights and callipers when you get new tyres, they can make an awful noise if they scrape as you first drive off. May not be a problem with a Magna, guessing it depends on the rims you have on the car.

The wife's Lancer (CJ) is due for tyres before too long, and will probably go for the 4 for 3 deal on the Turanzas again, if the deal is still there at the time and the ones on the CH turn out to be nice and quiet. It has steel wheels with lots of clearance, so weights won't be a problem - I hope. Taking the whole car in though, this time. lol

On one of our Solaras we fitted Toyo tyres and they have good grip wet and dry but they cost a packet (Made in Japan). On the other we went with a recommendation of one of our friends and fitted Chinese "Sailun" tyres because Sailun have a technical tie-up with Michelin in China, so we were told. To be honest the Sailun-fitted car drives, handles and stops no differently to the other Solara with the Toyo tyres. The Sailuns were also much cheaper but not dirt cheap like the weirder of the Chinese brands you find in some tyre places these days. I also have some experience with the Maxxis tyres and the Achilles tyres. Seem just fine for everyday driving and not too heavy on the wallet.

To be honest the Sailun-fitted car drives, handles and stops no differently to the other Solara with the Toyo tyres.
It's interesting because another user has Sailun tyres (on their 380) (http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105221&p=1633820&viewfull=1#post1633820) and weren't very impressed.

To the OP I would be looking to capitalise on the 4-for-3 deals offered by Bridgestone and Yokohama at present, and look at either the Serenity Plus and C-Drives respectively. I haven't looked at any reviews for them though so it probably wouldn't hurt to Google a few reviews.

Another option would be a set of Michelin Energy XM2s. Presently $111 each at Jax, but with a $50 giftcard (so a bit under $400 for a set).

Being 205/65/15 you can get some decent tyres at cheap prices.

As others have said in this thread, there's not a lot of point in buying performance tyres unless you had a specific need for them. They cost more, they wear quicker, they generally have stiffer sidewalls (better steering response but firmer ride) and they can be quite noisy. Mind you, they also offer a tremendous amount of grip - my hooning days are mostly behind me, but I think I'll stick with some good performance tyres for the foreseeable future simply because of the sheer grip they offer (particularly in the wet).

Always worth comparing prices to kmart tyre & auto once you decide on a brand. pretty sure they guarantee the cheapest price or will beat it. Up here i find those 4 for 3 deals are not always logically the cheapest, not when they quote RRP.

I was quoted close to $150 / tyre for (Bridgestone) Supercats 195/60/15(H rated). they're not a good tyre and nothing special. So $450.

I got 4 Bridgestone MY02 V rated for $500 at KTAS , very grippy and pretty quiet. Everyday price not on sale. A few years ago now.

Avoid anything with Bob Jane on it's sidewalls.

Tyres, bit like beer, there'll be plenty of differences in opinions in taste.

Always worth comparing prices to kmart tyre & auto once you decide on a brand. pretty sure they guarantee the cheapest price or will beat it. Up here i find those 4 for 3 deals are not always logically the cheapest, not when they quote RRP.

I was quoted close to $150 / tyre for (Bridgestone) Supercats 195/60/15(H rated). they're not a good tyre and nothing special. So $450.

I got 4 Bridgestone MY02 V rated for $500 at KTAS , very grippy and pretty quiet. Everyday price not on sale. A few years ago now.

Avoid anything with Bob Jane on it's sidewalls.

Tyres, bit like beer, there'll be plenty of differences in opinions in taste.

You say avoid anything with bob jane on the sidewall but then you say go to kmart to get stuff fitted as it's cheaper?

Kmart put coolant in my friends engine instead of oil (long story, yes the engine was destroyed). And one of my brothers went there for tyres and he ended up taking it back a couple of times because of the severe vibration that developed after he got it back, not sure whether it was the tyres or failed wheel alignment.

Kmart should be avoided like the plague! Cheapest service is not best service. Tyres are the single most important safety part on your car, they are the little rubber link that keeps you on the road in every situation and all times you are on the road. Get some professionals to fit them at least.

Always worth comparing prices to kmart tyre & auto once you decide on a brand. pretty sure they guarantee the cheapest price or will beat it. Up here i find those 4 for 3 deals are not always logically the cheapest, not when they quote RRP.

I was quoted close to $150 / tyre for (Bridgestone) Supercats 195/60/15(H rated). they're not a good tyre and nothing special. So $450.

I got 4 Bridgestone MY02 V rated for $500 at KTAS , very grippy and pretty quiet. Everyday price not on sale. A few years ago now.

Avoid anything with Bob Jane on it's sidewalls.

Tyres, bit like beer, there'll be plenty of differences in opinions in taste.

Tyres are like beer, very true and that made me laugh a lot surprisingly haha

You say avoid anything with bob jane on the sidewall but then you say go to kmart to get stuff fitted as it's cheaper?

Kmart put coolant in my friends engine instead of oil (long story, yes the engine was destroyed). And one of my brothers went there for tyres and he ended up taking it back a couple of times because of the severe vibration that developed after he got it back, not sure whether it was the tyres or failed wheel alignment.

Kmart should be avoided like the plague! Cheapest service is not best service. Tyres are the single most important safety part on your car, they are the little rubber link that keeps you on the road in every situation and all times you are on the road. Get some professionals to fit them at least.

I have not had any real dramas. I don't use them for servicing but then I rarely use anyone unless I have too. I'm talking like for like product not the installer nor the cheapest piece of crap KTAS has either.. Sure, you can get bad service anywhere including dealerships and sometimes I wonder about the skills of some doing these jobs. Even if KTAS beats a price, you still have the opportunity to go back to whoever you like and see if they'll match it.

KTAS scratched the crap out of my rims when I got tyres there. You get what you pay for.

If you want to price match on Bridgestone tyres, you'd be better off going to Bridgestone with the KTAS price. Bridgestone should match it.

KTAS scratched the crap out of my rims when I got tyres there. You get what you pay for.

If you want to price match on Bridgestone tyres, you'd be better off going to Bridgestone with the KTAS price. Bridgestone should match it.

I'm getting hammered on the KTAS bit. :eek2: But yes, my intent is it's worth comparing prices and decide.

I'm getting hammered on the KTAS bit. :eek2:

Some places can be trusted to do any job on a Magna.
Some places can be trusted for tyre jobs, but nothing else.
Some places can't be trusted to do anything right.

See if you can place the following in the correct category:
Mal's workshop.
Bridgestone Select.
KTAS.

Hint: KTAS is near the bottom.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the help.

I am going to get the Bridgestone Serenity Plus tyres. I was quoted $440 for all 4 tyres plus $30 for a wheel alignment so $470 all up which isn't bad, not sure how they'll go but I'll definitely let you all know :)

As you are looking at Bridgestone products check out the Potenza Adrenalin RE003.

https://www.bridgestonetyres.com.au/potenza-adrenalin-re003

I have had mine for 10 weeks and they have not put a foot wrong.

$117 each for 215/60/16 from Bob Jane T marts(that special price has probably increased since I got mine).

$30 is very cheap for a wheel alignment - especially if it is a 4 wheel alignment, not just for the front 2.

May I ask where this is at?

The Adrenalins are a very good tyre (50/50 they'll be my next tyre, either that or the Pilot Sport 3s again) but they're probably a bit overkill in this situation. They might not be that much more expensive up front but they would definitely wear a lot quicker than the Serenity Plus.

Also agreed, $30 for a wheel alignment is suspiciously cheap - I think the cheapest I've ever paid for a 4 wheel alignment is $50.

Yep, the Adrenalines are a softer grippier compound than the Serenity Plus, and also a more aggressive tread pattern, and they will wear out a fair bit quicker.
I had the Adrenaline R002 in 17" on my old 380 for a few thousand k and they gripped really well both wet and dry. But I agree with Red, for what you want in a tyre the Serenity Plus is probably the better choice, and the clincher is they are a bit cheaper than the Adrenalines.

$470 for four Bridgestone Serenity tyres, fitted, balanced and full alignment is a bargain.

The Adrenalins are a very good tyre (50/50 they'll be my next tyre, either that or the Pilot Sport 3s again) but they're probably a bit overkill in this situation. They might not be that much more expensive up front but they would definitely wear a lot quicker than the Serenity Plus.



Yep, the Adrenalines are a softer grippier compound than the Serenity Plus, and also a more aggressive tread pattern, and they will wear out a fair bit quicker.
I had the Adrenaline R002 in 17" on my old 380 for a few thousand k and they gripped really well both wet and dry. But I agree with Red, for what you want in a tyre the Serenity Plus is probably the better choice, and the clincher is they are a bit cheaper than the Adrenalines.

Grip is life, and/or reduced panel beating.

Either mine or someone elses.

I'm more than happy to pay to replace tyres more often for the added security that better performing tyres can provide.

Generally, I am very tight with money.....sometimes painfully so, but not when it comes to tyres or vehicle safety.

The tyres that came with my car when I purchased it 8 months ago were Bridgestone Turanza ER30's.

They seemed to be a reasonable tyre in most respects, except for cornering & wet braking grip.

I am much happier with the extra performance given by the replacement and feel more relaxed in all circumstances.

That I paid about the same as other "name" brands whilst improving my cars handling in all conditions that I have met so far is a bonus.

Just to make sure that the OP, who admits to never having purchased tyres before, does not get confused by all of this I just want to say that his choice is a good one.

It's just that by purchasing a higher standard of tyre, with admittedly a somewhat shorter lifespan, may help towards ensuring he is still around to purchase his next set.

Some places can be trusted to do any job on a Magna.
Some places can be trusted for tyre jobs, but nothing else.
Some places can't be trusted to do anything right.

See if you can place the following in the correct category:
Mal's workshop.
Bridgestone Select.
KTAS.

Hint: KTAS is near the bottom.

Ha, Ha, Ha :booty: