205/55 R19 Tires

As the owner of a CITROEN C5 AIRCROSS 2.0 HDI, known for wearing out its tires quickly, I now have GOODYEAR EFFICIENTGRIP PERFORMANCE 2 on the front, replacing the original MICHELIN PRIMACY 3. I haven't noticed any significant difference in comfort, braking, or road holding on dry or wet surfaces. However, in terms of wear, the GOODYEARs are clearly superior. I had to change the MICHELINs at the front after 19,000 km (the outer tread was almost smooth!). I then had the geometry checked, which was fine! In replacement, the GOODYEARs now have 31,000 km, show no signs of premature wear, and seem capable of covering another 15,000 km before needing replacement. In conclusion, for me, in terms of quality and performance, GOODYEAR and MICHELIN are equivalent, but GOODYEAR is cheaper than MICHELIN and, above all, wears much better. So my next tires will definitely be GOODYEAR.

Replacement for Michelin Primacy 3, that had severe drop in performance when hot. K127 is superb in hot&dry, also feedback, wet roadholding is very good, wear is low. 3/4 profile still remaining. Quiet tire. Don'care much about fuel economy.

This is a further update on the Goodyears. Previously I had complained about the poor fuel consumption with these tires. After 3,000 miles, there has been some improvement hence this review. However I estimate I am still around 2 mpg down with these tires.

I have never experienced this before with new tires, but it has taken over 2,000 miles for these Goodyear Vector 3’s to ‘bed in’. There is definitely less resistance from the tires now, and the car will freewheel further. Fuel consumption has improved, but it is still not as good as my previous tires - Kleber Quadraxer 3’s. Apart from that gripe, the tires are excellent.

I drive a lot in Italy and generally the locals don’t hang around. So you need a car that is agile and tires that will grip well. Certainly on wet and greasy roads, the Goodyears really hold on. Wet braking is good too. I have not had a chance to try them on snow or ice.

The Goodyears make the car feel more chuckable and it changes direction without hesitation. The ride quality though, maybe because of this, is not so forgiving. It is just a question now of how long they will last, and when their performance might start to drop off.

In the future I will certainly pay more attention to the rolling resistance of tires, and will choose a tire with the lowest. It really does seem to make a difference.

This is my second review of these tires. I have covered over 2,000 miles with them and my initial perceptions of these tires has been reinforced.

Although acceptable in other driving dynamics, the extremely high rolling resistance is a problem. My average fuel consumption has been increased from 5.4/ per 100 kms to 6.6/ per 100 kms at 115 kph. In mpg terms, the consumption has increased from an average on a long run of 49/51 mpg to 42/43 mpg. This is huge. I have been in contact with Goodyear technical UK, but they have not been much help. I watched the tires being fitted at Halfords - nothing else happened to the car. However the effect of these new tires was immediately noticeable. They are like driving on donuts is the best description I can find.

The tires are not only increasing my fuel consumption, but sap the power of the engine. I have never known tires to have such an adverse effect in nearly 50 years of driving. These tires are supposed to be B rated for rolling resistance. In my experience these tires do not compare to my previous tires with the same rating. Either the B classification for rolling resistance is wrong for these tires, or the category is extremely broad. With such a high rolling resistance, the extra cost of these tires over 50,000 miles is huge.

Goodyear is supposed to be a premium brand, but they are producing tires with the rolling resistance of a Budget tire. Tomorrow I will drive from northern France to Venice again. This is a regular run for me. I will be able to calculate how much extra in fuel these tires are costing me.

I have just had a set of these put on after 58,000 kms with Kleber Quadraxer 3 all season tires.

Yesterday I had my first long distance run in really dreadful wet conditions. The Goodyears performed well, but it was noticeable that when there was a lot of surface water, the Goodyear’s did not cope as well as the Klebers. Where the Klebers simply cut through the water, you can feel the car slowing down as the Goodyears clear the water.

In the wet and greasy conditions, the Goodyears offered excellent grip and inspired confidence. The handling of the car has improved with a more rapid response to directional changes.

What I have been shocked by is the drop in fuel economy of my car. It is huge. Where my 1.2 Citroen C5x would give 3.9L/100km at 115 kms with the Klebers, this is now 4.8L/100km. I will check the tire pressures and keep an eye on this, but if this does not improve, I will have to remove these Goodyear tires very soon.