So I've allocated a budget of $500 to $600 maximum for a set of four tires following an already expensive major service. I'm leaning towards Bridgestone, but I could use some guidance on what tire to use. Tire profile is 215/60/R16.

The main concerns are road noise, comfort and grip. I suppose tire life and longevity is another. The car wouldn't be driven hard, although a drive through the Adelaide Hills is always a possibility so something that holds the road relatively well is a plus.

Looking at Bridgestone's website, I'm considering a few options:


Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus (https://www.bridgestonetyres.com.au/turanza-serenity-plus-el64)

"Ultimate in ride comfort and low road noise, Enhanced safety in both wet and dry conditions, Longer wear life, Exceptional handling in hazardous, wet conditions"

Seems to meet the criteria, but keen to hear what others think. Bridgestone does a decent offer on these (buy 3, get the 4th for $10) as well. Found this forum thread (http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106221) though where MadMax suggested to avoid them based on their build quality, so I'm somewhat undecided on these.

Bridgestone Potenza Adrenalin RE003 (https://www.bridgestonetyres.com.au/potenza-adrenalin-re003)

"Precise handling and cornering performance, Increased handling stability provides powerful traction in dry conditions, Better groove drainage and anti-hydroplaning performance, Enhanced wet braking capabilities and reduced irregular wear"

Had these recommended to me. Looks good on paper, but don't know how that translates to real world conditions and any drawbacks (noise, wear, price, etc).

Bridgestone Ecopia EP100 (https://www.bridgestonetyres.com.au/ecopia-ep100)

"Improved fuel efficiency, Wear resistance, Reduced road noise when driving"

Better efficiency and wear resistance are great, and considering how the Verada is to be driven they could be more than adequate. But not much information on grip, and on a car the size of the Verada who knows what the difference would actually be, especially since the efficiency claims are fairly bold.

Bridgestone Turanza T001 (https://www.bridgestonetyres.com.au/turanza-t001)

"Outstanding high speed stability and performance, Superior grip for reliable braking in the wet, Reduced rolling resistance for better fuel economy, Longer wear life"

Literally just came up when I punched in 215/60/R16, know little about them otherwise. However the feature list looks decent enough. Seems like a standard all-round tire that could do the job.


Or is there a better tire not from Bridgestone worth looking at?

Consider me a newbie when it comes to tires. I've run Bridgestone RE92s and Goodyear Regattas in the past so nothing particularly flash, just "good enough" to get around town, and as long as they were in good condition and from a reputable manufacturer I would choose whichever one was available at the best price. I want to be a bit more selective this time, for the quality of the ride and the safety of my passengers. And myself, I suppose.

Would probably be looking to have them fitted by Tyrepower, Bob Jane or Bridgestone Select (in order of distance from home, although I'll choose whoever does the best job above all else). There's a Kmart Tyre & Auto nearby as well but I don't know many out there that would recommend them.

I would be looking to have them fitted, balanced and a wheel alignment performed at the same time.

Throw me your thoughts.

Cheers,
Michael

If instead of starting ANOTHER THREAD ON TYRES you had used the search function with the search term "Turanza", you would have got this:

http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/search.php?searchid=1390142

There would have been any number of threads with a large amount of information, including the one that you linked to.

My recommendation after 5 months of use is the Potenza 003.

You are doing yourself a disservice by not searching FIRST.

It depends on your order of priority regards noise, comfort and grip (then wear rate).
If noise and comfort trump grip, then def the Serenity Plus. My GF just fitted a second set of these to her 2013 Hyundai i30 after doing 35,000 km on the last set, and they are very smooth and quiet. Don't worry what Max says about their quality, the quality is just as good as the other Bridgestones you have listed. And of course they are relatively cheap with the current deal.
If grip trumps noise and comfort, then go for the Potenza R003. Fantastic grip, reasonably quiet, but a lot more expensive that the Serenity Plus and they will wear a lot quicker.
Can't really comment on the other two.

I know someone with the Ecopias on a 380 and they commented that wet weather grip wasn't good.

I agree entirely with TreeAdeyMan. It will come down to your preferences in a tyre. I mean none of those tyres are going to be bad - but do you want uber grip at the expense of milage and noise/comfort, or something a bit more in between? I know what I'd go (the RE003s) but that doesn't mean that they're best for you too.

The current Goodyear and Michelin ranges are worth looking also.

It's somewhat relevant, so I'll chime in.

RE003's are awesome tires. Above average dry & wet grip (from what I've experienced). I have read of slightly higher tread wear, but that is only if not rotated properly.
I got my set from Costco when they had the '4 for 3' deal. 235/45/17 sizing. Touch over half a g for all four! Cheap as chips. Couldn't go past them.

Don't worry what Max says about their quality, the quality is just as good as the other Bridgestones you have listed. And of course they are relatively cheap with the current deal.


I'd agree with that. Quality wise, the different Bridgestone tyres would all be similar. Wear, grip and tyre noise might be (slightly) different though, but I can't comment on that.

If you go for the "four for the price of three", just be wary of any one fitting where a lot of weights were added to get the balance right.

You may be able to get them to fit a different one, to avoid problems down the road with that tyre, like uneven wear.

I know the tyres that came off my CH Lancer - Japanese made Yokohama - had minimal balance weights (some wheels had none), whereas the Bridgestones, all 4 of them, needed a lot more. I interpret that as being indicative of a difference in production quality.

Perhaps choosing your next set of tyres many need to include looking at country of origin?

EDIT: The Ecopia tyre is biased towards good fuel efficiency, ie it would have stiff sidewalls and hard rubber compound to achieve long life and low rolling resistance. So in a wet climate (Queensland) they may not be the best deal grip wise.

I have Ecopia tyres on my Aurion and they're horrendous for road noise. Grip is nothing to write home about either.
I don't know how they contribute to fuel economy as they were on the Aurion when I bought it.

Yes bridgestone are good at marketing tyres. They have something for everyone.

My brother has RE003's on His AWD Verada and they are WAAAY overspecialized for the car he's using them on and how he drives. They're coming up for replacement soon but he's only done 15,000kms on them. That's the thing though, if you want one thing over the other you will pay by losing either in the pocket or in another feature of the tyre.

My advise it to have a real think about what matters to you most and buy accordingly.

I have Ecopia tyres on my Aurion and they're horrendous for road noise. Grip is nothing to write home about either.
I don't know how they contribute to fuel economy as they were on the Aurion when I bought it.

Got similar economy oriented tyres on the CJ Lancer, from the factory, different brand though. Sidewalls are very stiff to the point tyre pressure can drop to 10 psi without affecting sidewall bulge (there isn't any), rolling resistance is low, but noise is terrible. Tread pattern encourages picking up bits of gravel, which adds to the noise, and they love picking up nails and screws off the road for the added noise of a screw head hitting the road every rotation. Can't wait for them to wear out. (not putting "4 for the price of 3" Bridgestones on it though.)

I've found the noise level improves when the tyres warm up, or run lower pressure than usual. Try 4 psi less than you have now. And yes, dropping the tyre pressure does affect fuel consumption adversely.

Can't comment on their wet weather performance really, rain seems to have gone out of fashion on Adelaide.

I have Bridgestone Ecopia 225/55/17 on my 380 and found them to be quiet and reasonably comfortable.
The grip is good in dry and wet conditions but very loose when damp.

If instead of starting ANOTHER THREAD ON TYRES you had used the search function with the search term "Turanza", you would have got this:

~

You are doing yourself a disservice by not searching FIRST.

Understandable, I ran a discussion forum or two myself and although I find vBulletin's search function horrendous, I gave it a shot. Alright, I didn't search for "Turanza", and I'll wear that. Likewise I understand the linked thread had some decent information, but with a lot of opinion thrown into the mix, which to someone like myself with limited knowledge can often raise more questions than such posts answers. I thought in seeking clarification it would be better to open a new thread than resurrect an old one. Give me some time and I'll have readjusted to the various AMC community customs.

But cheers for the recommendation on the Potenzas. They're definitely high on my list.


Ecopias are now off the table. Had a discussion with the service techs at Mitsubishi this morning and they seemed to agree that the grip just isn't there. Consensus is leaning toward the Potenza RE003 or Turanza T001.

When it comes to road noise and comfort, I'd say "whatever is fitting in a Verada". I don't mind a bit of road noise, but if what should be a luxury-spec sedan starts to sound like a tradesman's ute inside the cabin, I'd consider that too much of a tradeoff. But of course the single main priority is how well the car handles on the daily drive and occasional weekend trip. If the tires aren't up to scratch for the purpose then it makes no difference how quiet they are.

Google search has indexed most of AMC, so it's far better to use that than the vBulletin search feature.

And as for yet another tyre thread - I've got little sympathy for members who post up another "I need tyres, what do I buy" thread. But the way I see it is if you've put a bit of thought into it (which you clearly have) then I don't have any overwhelming issue with a 're-post'. If it riles you up you can always vote with your feet and not reply.

I have to confess I've never read a review of it, but I understood the Turanzas to be a touring tyre with decent grip. If you're not into hooning I suspect that they may be better suited to you then the RE003s - I would presume they'd be quieter and wear better. I know handling/safety is a concern but where do you draw the line? I mean a set of Michelin Pilot Sports are better than the Bridgestones (and are priced accordingly) - are you going to get them automatically cause they're better?

For what it's worth I had the RE002s previously and noise wasn't an issue, but that's comparing it to other performance-orientated tyres I've had. Wear is definitely a concern too - they had a treadwear rating of 220 which, frankly, is scary. I was getting decent milage out of mine (sold them a little while ago but I reckon I would have got 50,000km out of them) but a bias towards highway driving would have contributed.

Try 4 psi less than you have now. And yes, dropping the tyre pressure does affect fuel consumption adversely.


They're already at the recommended pressure at 35psi, not sure if I would want to go much lower than that. I'll take the trade off of better fuel economy (950+km to a tank on the highway or 6.8L/100km)

35 psi? lol
Next time I pump those tyres up, I will try 35 and see how noisy they get. They have 30 in them at the moment, down from 32 originally.

35 psi? lol
Next time I pump those tyres up, I will try 35 and see how noisy they get. They have 30 in them at the moment, down from 32 originally.

What are you doing? Taking the Lancer on Fraser? lol
I jest.

If it riles you up you can always vote with your feet and not reply.



I am assuming this comment is aimed at me, even though you have not used the quote function.

Thanks for the courtesy.

There are 25,000 threads in the 3rd gen. section.

Isn't that far in excess of what it should be if there was some discipline and direction applied to requests for imformation?

For example, and I will leave "tyres" alone for a moment....as in "tyre" and not "tire"....., we have a "Car Audio" sub forum and many threads scattered around about car stereos and such like.

Are forum catergories just to be ignored all together, or is there someone interested in providing some structure?

The reason I am making a fuss about this is because this haphazard posting and excessive numbers of threads scattered around eveywhere makes it much harder for a new member to search.

I was a new member not that long ago, and found it absolutely bewildering to try and dig out certain information that was important to me.

Why?

Because there were then, probably only 24,000 threads.

It's just absolutely frustrating trying to sort out the wheat from the chaff.

Now back to tyres, using the correct spelling, which is an other problem.

The OP in this thread has used the American spelling.

The result being that this whole thread appears NOWHERE AT ALL if someone tries a search for "tyres"in the 3rd. gen. sub forum.

I just tried it(twice to make sure).

There is lots of useful information in this thread that will be innaccessible completely if a new member tries to find out about Bridgestone tyres of one form or another who does not happen to find it as a recent post.

Within a few weeks, it will sink under the waves, unless he is an American.

So, what has this thread added to the forum for anyone else other than the OP?

Past those few weeks, absolutely nothing.

Is that how ADMIN want things to proceed?

Why should I be the one to be cast as a whinger, making myself the object of derision and insults from certain members, because I care about the quality of information being provided?

It's not fair, and it's not common sense.

The forum should remain informative for all members - especially new ones or those that are to join in the near future, not just for the ones who have been around for a long while who have some ability to navigate around the forums because they were here before information overload set in.

To achieve this, there should be some commitment not only from ADMINISTRATORS but also from members to ensure that there is some attempt at regulating what is posted, how it is posted, and WHERE it is posted.

Otherwise, the forum will become an irrelevence.

Some forums, automotive or otherwise, have this commitment, and it makes them not only informative, but also enjoyable to use.

Woah okay that's a bit to take in. I'm going to take this to PM to save this thread getting de-railed any more. If anyone else wants to chime in feel free to shoot me a PM also.

got serenity plus on the TW, very happy with ride, noise, handling, but I don't push it hard. Seem Ok in the wet. Fuel economy no different to previous (Michelin primacy LC) but definitely quieter. These in turn were much quieter than the original RE92s.

The RE 92 tyres were a no brainer. Wear them out, just ask for more of the same. Good tread life, grip and price. Still have some on the back of my TJ, pity they don't make them anymore.

The RE 92 tyres were a no brainer. Wear them out, just ask for more of the same. Good tread life, grip and price. Still have some on the back of my TJ, pity they don't make them anymore.

Sorry Max, gotta disagree big time.
When I bought my old TE manual V6 in Jan 1999 with around 17,000 km on it it came with the OEM RE92s, still with plenty of tread.
They were the ungrippiest tyres I have ever come across, with woeful traction under any circumstances. Second gear, 40 km/h, dry road, put the foot down and it was wheelspin city, forget about wet traction. Couldn't get rid of them fast enough, they were downright dangerous.

Never envisioned a thread about 4 possible tire / tyre choices would devolve into a discussion about the logistics of sorting and finding information on a discussion forum, but speaking from experience forums in general aren't brilliant at organising and archiving information long term. We can attempt to mitigate the issue and try to bring some structure to it all, but it doesn't strictly solve the problem. After all, discussion forums are built for discussions. A database of information is an afterthought of the design.

And believe it or not I'm Australian born and raised, but for some reason I use "tire" and "tyre" interchangeably. A result of globalisation in the car community I suppose. I'm been a member of car communities with predominantly overseas members as well, so it's a habit that stuck over time.


I have to confess I've never read a review of it, but I understood the Turanzas to be a touring tyre with decent grip. If you're not into hooning I suspect that they may be better suited to you then the RE003s - I would presume they'd be quieter and wear better. I know handling/safety is a concern but where do you draw the line? I mean a set of Michelin Pilot Sports are better than the Bridgestones (and are priced accordingly) - are you going to get them automatically cause they're better?

Good call, and valid points that I think ultimately have made the decision a lot easier.

Went for a ride this afternoon in a car equipped with RE003s and I'll admit I liked them, but the conclusion I drew from the experience is that either set would likely do the job, with the RE003s perhaps extending the limit of how hard I could corner. But because I'm not chasing raw performance, if using a tyre like the T001 means I need to back off the accelerator just a little instead, I don't think I would consider that a problem.

Sounds unbelievably obvious in hindsight, I know.

The RE 92 tyres were a no brainer. Wear them out, just ask for more of the same. Good tread life, grip and price. Still have some on the back of my TJ, pity they don't make them anymore.

They are still available, but sourced from Indonesia. I just bought 2 for my TJ Wagon from Kmart Tyre and Auto, paid about $120 ea. Only problem with them is they generally aren't included in the cheap promos as they are no longer a high volume tyre.

I have the Turanza ER300 on my 380. The T001 is the latest version of that same tyre.

It has been fantastic. Oodles more grip than the Dunlop rubbish which came from the factory - especially in the wet. They've done 30k and are probably half worn at best, although I do rotate every 5k and alignment every 20k. Perhaps a fraction more noise than the Serenity Plus, but still an amazingly quiet tyre.

When replacement time comes I won't be using anything else.

Perhaps a fraction more noise than the Serenity Plus, but still an amazingly quiet tyre.
How do they go on coarse bitumen? And how do they ride (e.g. sidewall stiffness)?

I can't believe I'm posting this but I have considered trading off some performance for noise/handling when my next set of tyres are due.

Because someone could benefit from this thread, everywhere I have contacted said the same - Potenza Adrenalin RE003s and Turanza T001s are exactly the same price. In 215/60/R16, $159.00 each for both RE003s and T001s at Bridgestone Select, at Bob Jane the prices are $135.00 each for T001s and $139.00 each for RE003s. Serenity Plus tyres are $165.00 each at Bridgestone Select making them the most expensive of the bunch, but can sometimes be had on a "Buy 3, get the 4th free / for $10" deal making them somewhat more cost effective.

Prices are current as of January 2016.

Hi Red Valdez, sorry about be delayed reply.

I don't drive them on coarse bitumen much so I wouldn't really know. I did a trip to the Flinders a while back, but was towing a trailer so was busy thinking about that. I don't remember them being anything other than their normal, quiet self.

If it helps, I've taken two work colleagues for a ride in my 380 recently as they are thinking of getting one as a second car. One owns a new Golf, and the other owns a late model falcon. The first thing they both said was "I can't believe how quiet this car is".

Partly the near-new 380 drivetrain (given I've done 70,000k since new) - but also no doubt the tyres.

I run approx 38psi and up to 40 on the highway. Slightly lower pressures would further lower the noise.

I have RE003s on the front of my Ralliart and am quite happy with them so far. I want grip, grip and grip, so am willing to trade tyre life. I run them at 34psi.

Settled on the Turanza T001. Haven't driven around much but like them so far.

Managed to score them for $100 each because someone ordered them in and then decided they didn't want them. :D $495 including front and rear alignment and wheel balance. A nitrogen fill was included, not something I would normally opt for, but considering it was no extra cost I went ahead with it.

Wow, that's a great price. I got mine in 225/55/17 - and it set me back a grand.

Money well spent though.