Are these budget tires any good?
#1
Join Date: Oct 2012
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Are these budget tires any good?
So I just picked up a set of 17x7 Enkei rpf1's and needed some fresh rubber to wrap them in. My next set of tires are going to be something a little more high-end so they really grip.
I ended up picking these Accelera Alpha's in 205/45/17 as they were inexpensive and in stock.
Here they are on a UK tire review site:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Accelera/Alpha.htm
Does anyone have any personal experience with these?
Thanks
I ended up picking these Accelera Alpha's in 205/45/17 as they were inexpensive and in stock.
Here they are on a UK tire review site:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Accelera/Alpha.htm
Does anyone have any personal experience with these?
Thanks
#2
A friend of mine put them on his 06 VW GTI and he said as far as performance goes, they were absolute garbage. But he needed cheap tires to get him around on stock wheels after an accident he had on the track bent two of his track wheels.
His major complaint was the rain performance, we live in the Seattle area so we get out share of rain here, and he said they hydroplaned really bad even in shallow standing water. He also said they felt very vague when taking corners (onramps) quickly in the dry.
I haven't seen any real reviews/tests of these tires though, so that's just one man's opinion. He actually only used them for about 3000 miles before getting fed up and getting rid of them.
His major complaint was the rain performance, we live in the Seattle area so we get out share of rain here, and he said they hydroplaned really bad even in shallow standing water. He also said they felt very vague when taking corners (onramps) quickly in the dry.
I haven't seen any real reviews/tests of these tires though, so that's just one man's opinion. He actually only used them for about 3000 miles before getting fed up and getting rid of them.
#4
You might be just fine with them, but if you are looking for high performance, it's possible you made the wrong choice. I don't know your location, but if you get a significant amount of rain they might cause you problems.
For future reference, there's lots of places you can safely save some money with a car, but tires is not one I would recommend. Not saying you have to spend $200 a tire, but you really should avoid being a guinea pig for unproven tires. There are budget tires out there that are pretty decent in wet and dry, like the Federal 595. In that size they run about $73 each.
For future reference, there's lots of places you can safely save some money with a car, but tires is not one I would recommend. Not saying you have to spend $200 a tire, but you really should avoid being a guinea pig for unproven tires. There are budget tires out there that are pretty decent in wet and dry, like the Federal 595. In that size they run about $73 each.
#5
To the OP,
Did you read the UK owner reviews for the tire in the link you posted?
They are simply awful. Essentially cheap tires that don't do well especially in the wet.
Although some tires are overpriced the thing to remember about the MINI is that it is very capable and worth the investment in good tires.
Not all tires are available in the UK but the good brands tend to be Continental, Michelin, and Pirelli. But you have to shop wisely as each brand has some winners and losers.
Next time you have to buy tires look for-
205/45-17 or 215/45-17 to fit your wheels (which are good ones)
For good street comfort with good handling and moderate wear-
Continental ExtremeContact DW (Max Summer tire) 340 treadwear
205/45-17 $99 each
215/45-17 $108 each
For good street comfort, good performance in three seasons and cold weather with longer treadlife-
Continental ExtremeContact DWS (ultra high perf All Season) 540 treadwear
205/45-17 $121 each
215/45-17 $119 each
Did you read the UK owner reviews for the tire in the link you posted?
They are simply awful. Essentially cheap tires that don't do well especially in the wet.
Although some tires are overpriced the thing to remember about the MINI is that it is very capable and worth the investment in good tires.
Not all tires are available in the UK but the good brands tend to be Continental, Michelin, and Pirelli. But you have to shop wisely as each brand has some winners and losers.
Next time you have to buy tires look for-
205/45-17 or 215/45-17 to fit your wheels (which are good ones)
For good street comfort with good handling and moderate wear-
Continental ExtremeContact DW (Max Summer tire) 340 treadwear
205/45-17 $99 each
215/45-17 $108 each
For good street comfort, good performance in three seasons and cold weather with longer treadlife-
Continental ExtremeContact DWS (ultra high perf All Season) 540 treadwear
205/45-17 $121 each
215/45-17 $119 each
#7
My thoughts....
After following the link to the UK on the first day of the post, I was even amazed the tire listed was even under ANY consideration....reviews seemed to say the tire was downright dangerous.....the poor wet weather performance is pretty common with MOST Chinese import tires.....
After following the link to the UK on the first day of the post, I was even amazed the tire listed was even under ANY consideration....reviews seemed to say the tire was downright dangerous.....the poor wet weather performance is pretty common with MOST Chinese import tires.....
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#8
selected quotes from the reviews site provided....
there are a couple folks who liked them as a "basic grocery getter type of tire"....but is is about 5-1 they are DANGEROUSLY BAD to JUST OK....
Okay in the dry, but then that's not asking much.
Awful in the dry, spins the wheels aquaplanes.
They came on the car and certainly wouldn't have been and won't be my choice.
Awful in the dry, spins the wheels aquaplanes.
They came on the car and certainly wouldn't have been and won't be my choice.
On damp or wet roads these tyres even when new dont grip very well in these conditions.dont try anything spirited with these or could end up one!
I bought a set of 235 35 19, and these tires are a danger. With only months of use, I had one go flat on the freeway, and the whole sidewall came apart. From the moment I put them on they made the car vibrate at pretty much any speed, and the road noise is a nuisance. They also made me think I needed a wheel alignment even though I had just had one done. I took the car in and had it aligned again, but still same issues. I took them off and put on a set of Michelin Primacy MXM4, AND ALL THE PROBLEMS DISAPPEARED! No vibration no road noise, no alignment needed. These tires are unsafe for any use. If you put them on your car, you need to pray every time you get in it. Not worth it just to save a few bucks.
#9
If he had read the many negative reviews he would have kept shopping I suppose.
For the rest of us, just be aware that low prices can mean lesser tires so do your homework before you make the purchase.
Many years ago I used to buy generic bad tires for my economy import cars, yes they were bad, no I didn't know any better.
Then I got a MINI and the tire market has never been the same for me.
#10
As a recommendation, I run Mayrun MR500's on my Cooper s and I am completely blown away in every way. These tires are so good I have recently mounted a set on the wife's SC430. They are a four channel like u would find on a continental summer, handing, wet and the quietest tire I have run since SuperSports. I bought them from Onlinetire.com, the service has always been good from them. Really great tires
#13
#15
Or putting on the rears so you don't have to put lunch-trays under them to make the rear end slide like crazy in a parking lot to do some crazy doughnuts!!! I wonder if the above tires were used on the old cop shows where the tire SQUEAL AND SMOKE at every turn!!
#16
I had these on my last set of wheels as a cheap stop gap until I got my new rims.
They were absolutely atrocious....
When they were cold it was like driving on diesel. When they were warm and dry they would still feel like you were driving on a very wet slippery road. Absolutely no confidence in them at all. In the wet???!!! Well, it felt like I was on a set of 4 road bicycle slicks. It would wheelspin into 3rd and if you took a roundabout at anything above 2000rpm you'd oversteer into the outside lane.
On top of this - they are incredibly noisy and really don't wear that well at all either.
I've just put a set of Kumho Ecsta Sports on my new rims and the difference is night and day.
They were absolutely atrocious....
When they were cold it was like driving on diesel. When they were warm and dry they would still feel like you were driving on a very wet slippery road. Absolutely no confidence in them at all. In the wet???!!! Well, it felt like I was on a set of 4 road bicycle slicks. It would wheelspin into 3rd and if you took a roundabout at anything above 2000rpm you'd oversteer into the outside lane.
On top of this - they are incredibly noisy and really don't wear that well at all either.
I've just put a set of Kumho Ecsta Sports on my new rims and the difference is night and day.
#17
there's no such thing as a good budget tire.
tires should NEVER be the area that you get cheap on. think about it - your tires are the only thing actually touching the ground. not exactly somewhere that you want to compromise on. i will never understand why people think it's a good idea to cheap out on tires and brakes, the two things that often quite literally decide your fate and life in a serious situation.
tires should NEVER be the area that you get cheap on. think about it - your tires are the only thing actually touching the ground. not exactly somewhere that you want to compromise on. i will never understand why people think it's a good idea to cheap out on tires and brakes, the two things that often quite literally decide your fate and life in a serious situation.
#18
there's no such thing as a good budget tire.
tires should NEVER be the area that you get cheap on. think about it - your tires are the only thing actually touching the ground. not exactly somewhere that you want to compromise on. i will never understand why people think it's a good idea to cheap out on tires and brakes, the two things that often quite literally decide your fate and life in a serious situation.
tires should NEVER be the area that you get cheap on. think about it - your tires are the only thing actually touching the ground. not exactly somewhere that you want to compromise on. i will never understand why people think it's a good idea to cheap out on tires and brakes, the two things that often quite literally decide your fate and life in a serious situation.
There are some very cheap tires that actually perform very well, but you just have to be very careful about buying them and be sure to do as much research as you possibly can. So don't buy them and then ask for opinions like the OP did.
But the OP really confuses me because he bought such a great wheel (Enkei RPF1) and then throws possibly the worst tires you can buy on them. What's the point? LOL
#19
I had these on my last set of wheels as a cheap stop gap until I got my new rims.
They were absolutely atrocious....
When they were cold it was like driving on diesel. When they were warm and dry they would still feel like you were driving on a very wet slippery road. Absolutely no confidence in them at all. In the wet???!!! Well, it felt like I was on a set of 4 road bicycle slicks. It would wheelspin into 3rd and if you took a roundabout at anything above 2000rpm you'd oversteer into the outside lane.
On top of this - they are incredibly noisy and really don't wear that well at all either.
I've just put a set of Kumho Ecsta Sports on my new rims and the difference is night and day.
They were absolutely atrocious....
When they were cold it was like driving on diesel. When they were warm and dry they would still feel like you were driving on a very wet slippery road. Absolutely no confidence in them at all. In the wet???!!! Well, it felt like I was on a set of 4 road bicycle slicks. It would wheelspin into 3rd and if you took a roundabout at anything above 2000rpm you'd oversteer into the outside lane.
On top of this - they are incredibly noisy and really don't wear that well at all either.
I've just put a set of Kumho Ecsta Sports on my new rims and the difference is night and day.
#20
there's no such thing as a good budget tire.
tires should NEVER be the area that you get cheap on. think about it - your tires are the only thing actually touching the ground. not exactly somewhere that you want to compromise on. i will never understand why people think it's a good idea to cheap out on tires and brakes, the two things that often quite literally decide your fate and life in a serious situation.
tires should NEVER be the area that you get cheap on. think about it - your tires are the only thing actually touching the ground. not exactly somewhere that you want to compromise on. i will never understand why people think it's a good idea to cheap out on tires and brakes, the two things that often quite literally decide your fate and life in a serious situation.
The important things are:
Define your budget (if needed make your budget include both wheels and tires since expensive wheels and cheap tires isn't the best strategy).
Define your priorities (are you using the tires for street only, driving school, some autocross or track, for three season use, etc).
Evaluate your road conditions (are your roads for daily travel full of potholes or smooth as glass).
Know your options on tire vendor sources (online like tirerack, local shops, costco or sam's club, Sears, etc). Sometimes you have to pay high shipping costs or maybe you have a relationship with a local shop that backs their tires.
I do believe that in most cases one can find a very good fit within a given budget if you do your research.
I do feel that the MINI is a car that will benefit from using the best tires you can afford, so choose wisely.
#21
I totally agree (and with your reasoning which I didn't include) but then I am on record on NAM in saying that one should never cheap out on anything one puts on their Mini. If you can't afford it now, save your ducats and buy quality.
#22
For those on a tire budget consider-
For Max Summer tires-
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=149
For UHP All season tires-
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=151
For High Performance All Season tires-
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=179
For Max Summer tires-
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=149
For UHP All season tires-
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=151
For High Performance All Season tires-
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=179
#23
When I was driving the audi a2 in UK, I kerbed the tyre and need some replacements and the store only got Arrowspeed tyres in stock for the size I need (205/40R17, very rare size, I think only a few brands make them). dreadful tyres, no grip in the wet or the dry, nothing happens when you wobble the wheel at 70mph dry (car still goes straight, instead of snakey trail). only upside is it doesnt seems to have any sort of wear after 6k miles. (Or its the car's upside, ~1000kg, 2200 lbs). After that, I stick to premium brands only. (call me a badge snob!!!! ) But the tyres are the last thing you want to skimp on........
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