Tyres - Any advice please (for Polo GTI)

[JCM308]

I find that hard to believe. A tyre has one thing to do - provide sufficient friction where it meets the ground to provide the required grip. I realise that some tyres are built to OEM specifications (and the chassis then tuned to match that particular tyre in a "partnership"), but the KU31 isn't an OEM tyre.

Not talking about OEM spec tyres. As I said, you can't always take someone's word for it if they don't have a similarly setup car. But each to their own, I know this from experience (as well as experience from alot of good friends). Feel free to find this out the hard way.

I'm not saying the grip will be garbage, all I'm saying is you may not get the performance that other people have had.

RT615's are a classic example of this. I asked the question recently i the Polo thread, 1 guy said on his old car (non VW) they were awesome but another said on the Polo they were crap.

[noone]

FYI, went for the Kuhmo KU31's

$120 a corner (practically a budget tyre for a 205/40/17). Tyre manufacture date was just under a year ago (think this discussion helped with the price slightly).

I was concerned when changing from 16 to 17 (45 to 40 profile) that it would make the ride harsh like it did in my Impreza. Happy to say the results so far have been good, if anything the ride is more comfortable.

Think there is more grip, I get less traction control kicking in when I'm powering out of a corner.

Are they a great tyre? I have no idea. I can only say I prefer them to the stock Conti's (which would be over 3 years old by now), but there are so many variables (like new wheels which I think are lighter). I don't doubt that a more expensive tyre could yield better results.

[MissVuks]

Hmmm i will be needing new tyres soon and I'm struggling to decide on what to buy. Ideally I would like something better than the conti's, but I haven't really had much experience when it comes to tyre selection..

[DubSteve]

I have heard nothing but praise from the Kuhmo KU31 range!

[noone]

Hmmm i will be needing new tyres soon and I'm struggling to decide on what to buy. Ideally I would like something better than the conti's, but I haven't really had much experience when it comes to tyre selection..

I have found it really hard to decide.

It depends on your criteria, as per the start of this thread, my priorities were:
Comfort
Handling
Noise
Wear
Looks

The one thing I didn't discuss was price.

As a quick overview, if you want good tyres and are happy to pay more than 200 a corner, the Marangoli's (spelling is likely off) have recieved great reviews from POG owners.

For a cheaper alternative, the 31's are cheap for what they are.

[AusScare]

I'm in the same boat as you, I have 205/40/17 on my mk2. My current tyres are considered crap, Nankang Ultrasport NS2, they are $130 each.

I'm looking for something better, no idea how much to spend.

My criteria in order:

Handling
Wear
Noise
Comfort
Looks

Basically my car is old, on coilovers and low profile tyres so I don't care about ride quality, I just one the best performing tyre for my dollar, as long as it doesn't need replacing every year.

Ideas? $200 a corner sufficient?

[noone]

Not sure if you can get them for that price, but those with the Michelin Pilot Preceda PP2's are mostly fans.

Biggest downsides are higher noise and less comfort, but as they are lower on your list, might be the way to go...