Touring tyres that do not compromise handling?

[Forumuser]

Evening all,

Been looking at the various threads discussing tyres and honestly I am overwhelmed. I've never really been too concerned about tyre brands/types until now. My Aurion is the first car I've owned that I actually want to drive. I bought my Aurion secondhand and while the tyres seem to be in okay condition they've done 50,000km and

My concern is that there seems to be no objective metric for comparing various tyres. How am I supposed to make an informed choice?

The one tyre that keeps popping up everywhere I look is the Bridgestone Potenza RE003 but I know this is a "performance" tyre, while I am mostly interested in quiet/comfort. I have seen a number of people talking about the Potenza series (and other "performance" tyres) losing their tread much faster than touring tyres. Compromise for their performance?

While looking at the Bridgestone website I noticed they sell a Turanza series specifically designed for quiet and comfortable driving and right now they're offering 4 for 3 price on the Turanza Serenity Plus (I was quoted $170 per tyre or $510 all up for 4 tyres). I know it's all marketing hype but "serenity" is exactly what I'm looking for I guess. But how much will I compromise the handling of the car compared to a sportier tyre? How much more quiet / comfortable are they really compared to (for example) the Potenza series? It's a hefty car and can't help notice it is fairly sluggish to turn around corners.

And this is just one manufacturer, what about other brands? I saw a recommendation for Toyo TEO Plus as a very quiet tyre, also saw a recommendation for Michelin Primacy LC. How are we supposed to know how these compare to the Bridgestone except to rely on people's subjective opinions?

Does my head in!

[KAA]

A good post..thanks..I also am due to update the black stuff that keeps us alive..I also want Peace and quiet when I drive..well except for the music sweeping me away...My Presara has Michelin's on it right now and they have been awesome..both in wear, performance and that sweet smooth quiet runs we love..so yes I agree how to chose replacements..I also have read closely the threads on here..I have come to the opinion that it comes down to you...so for me I will check the deals about, question tyre dealers on what is what and fingers crossed chose wisely.

Hope you also find what keeps the smiles flowing as you cruise

KAA

[Cam93]

I actually just bought new tires about 2 weeks ago, I have a 04 Sportivo 2.4, it had 195 supercat tires on it when i bought it and they were terrible, I then bought a set of 235 XR6 wheels which had the Michelin Pilot Sport 3s on it and the difference was incredible, but they can be quite costly and they're a softer compound so they wear fairly fast, I went to Jax and ended up getting a set of Hankook Ventus V2 Concepts with the buy four get get $100 off, cost me $380 + $66 for a balance. Now I'm not saying they're as grippy as the PS3s, but if the supercats were a 1 and the PS3s were a 10, I'd say the Ventus V2s would be a 7, definitely good value, plus they're a lot quieter than the PS3s.

tl;dr Can recommend the Hankook Ventus V2 Concepts from Jax Tires, $120ea + $100 off a set of 4, pretty grippy, won't wear as fast as softer performance tires and will be quieter.

Plus Hankook will replace a tire for free if gets damaged from a road hazard.

Edited October 20, 2016 by Cam93

[campbeam]

A few months ago I bought Continental ContiComfortContact 5 on a 4 for 3 deal at Bob Jane for my 2009 Aurion. From memory, they were $129 ea plus wheel alignment of $66 so within my preferred $500 budget..

I wanted a quality brand touring/all rounder tyre that would be safe in wet driving conditions,long wearing,.low rolling resistance and quiet.

Certainly not disappointed with purchasing these new tyres but have not done enough kms for an informed recommendation.

Interesting but I have not found the Aurion to be sluggish getting around corners. I prefer to drive slower into a corner then accelerate mid way through the corner so the front wheel drive is pulling the vehicle and exiting faster. Also a defensive look for safety sake before accelerating.

Having said that, I was also öutclassed"by a scooter going through a roundabout. Needed my lane to be 2-3 times wider to be able to drive in a straight line like that scooter and still be within the lane. Anyway, driving up Cunninghams Gap was easily done at the 70kph speed limit.

 

[trentmeyer23]

Yokohama C.drive2 is a quiet, reasonably priced and well constructed tyre.

[mg85]

11 hours ago, Forumuser said:

Evening all,

Been looking at the various threads discussing tyres and honestly I am overwhelmed. I've never really been too concerned about tyre brands/types until now. My Aurion is the first car I've owned that I actually want to drive. I bought my Aurion secondhand and while the tyres seem to be in okay condition they've done 50,000km and

My concern is that there seems to be no objective metric for comparing various tyres. How am I supposed to make an informed choice?

The one tyre that keeps popping up everywhere I look is the Bridgestone Potenza RE003 but I know this is a "performance" tyre, while I am mostly interested in quiet/comfort. I have seen a number of people talking about the Potenza series (and other "performance" tyres) losing their tread much faster than touring tyres. Compromise for their performance?

While looking at the Bridgestone website I noticed they sell a Turanza series specifically designed for quiet and comfortable driving and right now they're offering 4 for 3 price on the Turanza Serenity Plus (I was quoted $170 per tyre or $510 all up for 4 tyres). I know it's all marketing hype but "serenity" is exactly what I'm looking for I guess. But how much will I compromise the handling of the car compared to a sportier tyre? How much more quiet / comfortable are they really compared to (for example) the Potenza series? It's a hefty car and can't help notice it is fairly sluggish to turn around corners.

And this is just one manufacturer, what about other brands? I saw a recommendation for Toyo TEO Plus as a very quiet tyre, also saw a recommendation for Michelin Primacy LC. How are we supposed to know how these compare to the Bridgestone except to rely on people's subjective opinions?

Does my head in!

Hi,

Not sure what you mean by sluggish around corners possible body roll? as mentioned elsewhere in this forum, an upgraded rear sway bar is the best way to improve handling for a relatively cheap price the original item is woefully inadequate. Easy job to replace yourself from www.ultraracingaustralia.com.au

I'm for the Continental ContiComfortContact CC5 they are wearing well and very quiet. If you wait until they have a 3 for 4 deal they are great value.

Choice tyre test link, hit the search button (magnifying glass on the web page to display) or paste link into your browser.

http://translate.google.com.au/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fmpshina.com%2Ftests%2F123451038&sandbox=1

How's your Russian?

Last 2 tables are noise in db lower is better the other tables you can work out from the translated text at the top.

 

Edited October 20, 2016 by mg85

[matt36415]

I have Bridgestone re003 on my 2007 atx. They are no more noisy than the yokohama 'blue earth' eco focussed tyres they replaced. I dont notice tyre noise, Although I havent seen it yet, I do expect faster wear and although I drive pretty conservatively I do value the ability to stop, turn... more quickly to avoid crashing. Thats why i chose them

[V6_fan]

Yesterday in the rain, I started to overtake, sport mode set in 3rd at about 60K, hit the throttle and it felt like BOTH front wheels came off the tarmac !

The traction light didn't even come on, a slightly scary moment.....  Could have been shiny tarmac, but makes me think about some better tyres as well ....   I looked and I've got Bridgestone supercats.    Not impressed at all with grip in the wet....

Edited October 24, 2016 by V6_fan
update

[DeafDave76]

My car is a 2011 Touring SE bought new with 0kms in odo and had stock Bridgestone tyres. That was 2012. That didn't last long and was already worn out at 30,000 kms this year. Those tyres were Bridgestone Ecopia something.

I ended up switching to Michelin tyre Primacy LC as my previous silver Aurion prior to its write off had Michelin Energy XM2 tyres and was the most quietest I ever had. Best in fuel economy as well. The reason I picked Michelin Primacy LC for my current car was because I wanted quiet and comfort with the benefits of fuel economy for good measure. So far it has been so good that I end up filling my car once a month! I really wanted to get Energy XM2 but Michelin stopped making them.

So if you wanted a Michelin tyre, http://www.michelin.com.au/AU/en/tires/Toyota/Aurion/2011/Touring Special Edition/6Sp Auto 3__5L V6.html

I am not sure on other brands but these are the ones I would go for:

Pirelli - had Pirelli tyres on my old Magna prior to its write off with new rims on it. Great tyres! 

Kumho KU22 - have this on the family's Toyota Spacia van. Good grip in wet weather and was comfortable on roads no matter where you are at. 

[mg85]

On ‎24‎/‎10‎/‎2016 at 4:24 PM, DeafDave76 said:

My car is a 2011 Touring SE bought new with 0kms in odo and had stock Bridgestone tyres. That was 2012. That didn't last long and was already worn out at 30,000 kms this year. Those tyres were Bridgestone Ecopia something.

I ended up switching to Michelin tyre Primacy LC as my previous silver Aurion prior to its write off had Michelin Energy XM2 tyres and was the most quietest I ever had. Best in fuel economy as well. The reason I picked Michelin Primacy LC for my current car was because I wanted quiet and comfort with the benefits of fuel economy for good measure. So far it has been so good that I end up filling my car once a month! I really wanted to get Energy XM2 but Michelin stopped making them.

So if you wanted a Michelin tyre, http://www.michelin.com.au/AU/en/tires/Toyota/Aurion/2011/Touring Special Edition/6Sp Auto 3__5L V6.html

I am not sure on other brands but these are the ones I would go for:

Pirelli - had Pirelli tyres on my old Magna prior to its write off with new rims on it. Great tyres! 

Kumho KU22 - have this on the family's Toyota Spacia van. Good grip in wet weather and was comfortable on roads no matter where you are at. 

The Kumho's in the Choice test get a really poor rating, actually the worst rating out of all the tyres wet or dry cornering and braking.

[DeafDave76]

2 hours ago, mg85 said:

The Kumho's in the Choice test get a really poor rating, actually the worst rating out of all the tyres wet or dry cornering and braking.

Actually i never follow Choice. Each to their own anyway  

 

[Kombi17]

I've been using Michelin Primacy LC for the last 6 years and would definitely recommend them for quietness. At 60kph with the windows up and aircon and music off, the loudest sound I hear from the car is wind noise and a hum from the engine.

Edited October 25, 2016 by Kombi17

[Tony Prodigy]

I can also vouch for the Primacy LC. The original Bridgestone tyres were rubbish and were very noisy.

I did some research and decided on the Primacy LC. Best tyres I've had.

Super smooth and super quiet for the comfortable saloon the Aurion is meant to be.

[Kombi17]

3 minutes ago, Tony Prodigy said:

I can also vouch for the Primacy LC. The original Bridgestone tyres were rubbish and were very noisy.

I did some research and decided on the Primacy LC. Best tyres I've had.

Super smooth and super quiet for the comfortable saloon the Aurion is meant to be.

What pressure do you have on your tyres Tony? I've been reading another forum on pressures and started experimenting on mine since they will need to be replaced in the next 6 months anyways. Usually I have 32psi at the back and 34psi at the front, which I've always found to be most comfortable. I read someone swears by 34psi at the back and 38psi at the front which I've been trying for a while. I find the car a little twitchy at this firmness so I might try 34/36 for the next week or so.  

I am aware the higher pressures would affect tyre longevity and road handling/grip and am only experimenting as the tyres will need to be changed anyway and the road conditions are generally dry. 

[Tony Prodigy]

Mate, I couldn't tell you exactly.

I had them replaced around 6 months ago from Bob Jane at Blacktown and haven't checked the pressures since.

My wife drives it mostly as I have a company vehicle and don't get much time to go over it except on weekends.

Last week I had the front jacked up to do the oil service and was able to see that the tyres are wearing nice and evenly.

They did a magnificent job on the alignment on all 4 wheels as it was out to buggery previously.

A good alignment makes a huge difference as you know.

I'll have to pop in to the local service station and check my pressures now that you've mentioned it.

Whatever the guys at Bob Jane pumped them to I couldn't tell you.

But in saying this, the car felt amazing to drive as I left the shop.

So quiet and smooth was the immediate reaction. And the road manners were greatly improved.

Primacy LC Tyres are excellent and I highly recommend  these for an Aurion . 

[Pittsy]

Any ideas about the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 Tyres?

I will replace the Bridgestone Turanza Tyres that came with the Car and haven’t lasted too long, 35,000 Kms and I look after them too!!

 

225/45 R18

[TIDYWAZZA]

Hi, I have recently purchased 8 new tyres for my 2 Camry SL's. 2014 Camry had 65,000 kms on original Bridgestone Turanza ER33's the other Camry, 2016 had 59,000 kms also on OE ER33,s. As usual I opted for my favourite tyres Hankook Optimó K415. Always quiet relaxed ride on wet & dry roads, excellent holding on wet greasy roads. Excellent road holding/ grip in most circumstances. Both cars do interstate & intrastate travelling on various surfaces. NO tyre is quiet on  bold chip bitumen. We have been using Hankook Optimo's since 1998 as replacement tyres on our private and business vehicles with no complaints re mileage/wear or performance. Past experience has given us a minimum of 60,000 kms from the K415 Optimos.  However I would still recommend the Bridgestone ER33.  I refuse to drive with noisy tyres, they drive me crazy, also secure performance in the wet is an absolute must have.

Edited March 29, 2019 by TIDYWAZZA
spell check

[Khiladi]

Hi, I was looking for a tyre that provides maximum comfort and low noise and have narrowed down on Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus EL. Currently, getting a deal to buy 3 and get 4th free for $494 ($145 each + $59 alignment). I will be getting these sometime next week.

Has anyone had experience with these tyres. I have seen these tyres coming standard on Camry/Aurion models 2015 onwards until made in Australia.

The current tyres that I have on my Aurion are Michelin Primacy LC and they lasted about 41,000 kms which I think is average mileage for their price.

[Pittsy]

Just fitted 4 Michelin Primacy 4 Tyres. 

My Presara was fitted with Bridgestone Turanza and they only lasted 35,000 kms in spite of the fact I looked after them properly, inflation, rotation etc etc.

 

Michelin seem to have the edge on most searches I’ve done.

[Khiladi]

Michelin’s are no doubt good tyres but I couldn’t justify the cost compared to what Bridgestone are offering, if they are going to last similar km.

Bridgestone will cost me $470 fitted and aligned.

What did you pay for Primacy 4’s ?