Wanli S1063 Reviews - Page 2

Mounted on the front tires only, I previously reviewed these tires in January 2012 after 20,000 miles. I now have to change my ratings and recommendation of them after the tires were worn down to just over 4mm of thread depth remaining.

Once these tires wear below 5mm of thread depth, the characteristics change profoundly. Dry grip remains reasonable, but does deteriorate noticeably, although almost in a fun way.
Wet grip becomes non-existent. I had often wondered was there an oil spill at a certain roundabout with a sharp apex, that I rarely drive by. While gently exiting the apex, I'd find myself sailing toward the kerb in a straight line due to aquaplaning at a mere 20km/hr, bracing myself against the steering wheel and stopping only inches from mounting the kerb, while other vehicles drivers looked on bewildered at why I appeared to have missed the single roundabout exit.
"What happened you yesterday?" was once such comment on a different corner from a work colleague driving behind me as he watched my car "exit" a damp corner in a perfectly straight line toward the ditch.

Wet grip on these tires approaching 4.5mm of thread is lethal, it doesn't matter even if it's 20°C, or well below 8°C. Given that these budget tires weren't the best in the wet to start with (expected from a budget tire), the drop off in water evacuation properties and grip is horrific. There is no warning that the grip is about to give in the wet, while in the dry they at least give a gentle rumble and are quite progressive.

Value for money; the wear from the tires was very good, but given that the tires are only usable for about 50% of their life span, it's a false economy. I've worn many other tires down to 1.9mm of thread depth before changing tire without issue (1.6mm being the legal limit). I wouldn't dare drive with these tires in the wet past 4mm unless you drive as fast as you walk.

I replaced the front tires with Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric II's (no other parts were replaced at the same time) and the handling of the car changed dramatically; from emphatic wet understeer to wet oversteer. The rear Federal 595 SS tires were since replaced also, despite also having over 4mm of thread depth remaining. I never needed to consider replacing these tires until the Asymmetric II's were mounted.

I do drive quickly every so often, but usually I'm driving gently in order to conserve fuel.
I didn't and I wouldn't buy these tires again, despite my previous recommendations, due to false economy.

Bought my new car with these tires on the front wheels, they are very loud and it's like driving on ice in the wet or if the road is damp/greasy. I decided to swap them to the back wheels as wanted better grip on the front from the used bridgestones (Wanli's look new), BIG MISTAKE, going straight on at a roundabout in the wet doing 20mph, the back end stepped out suddenly & without warning! I found myself at a 90 degree angle to where I should have been facing, luckily there were no other cars behind or around me and I didn't crash the car or cause any damage. Have now swapped them to the front wheels again so at least I can feel them loosing grip and back off the power! These tires were made in China and not designed for the European market, the tread is all wrong for wet conditions. Be warned, you may end up in a crash if you drive on them in the wet unless you drive VERY slowly. OK in the dry I guess but very noisey and lacking in feel. These tires are too hard, I will be getting rid of them VERY soon! AVOID!

There are those reviews in which the writer says they are surprised that anyone should think that these tires are at all dangerous in the wet. The writer then goes on to suggest that the driver must be a "boy-racer" type.

The reviewers who do this think that they will never need to brake hard or swerve: well, that's taking a chance - they should realise that they may have to even through no fault of their own.

I'm not a boy racer, I much, much older than that and always drive well within the limits of the car and conditions. Neither do I, or anyone I know, have any interest in any tire manufacturer or seller.

I had the Wanlis on the Peugeot 407 which, despite other faults, has very good road-holding. The Wanlis replaced Michelins.

In the dry, they were not as noisy and were quite well behaved. Not quite as good as the Michelins, but not bad. I had them on the front for about 5 or 6000 miles and wear was not too bad. I kept mileage records and the Michelins. the Wanlis and the tires that followed all gave me about 42mpg.

In the wet they were a nightmare: there's a lot of weight at the front on at 407 and it wants to go in a straight line. The tires wanted to go in a straight line too and objected to being forced to turn me and the car. They did this at any bend in the wet and once they went, and they went at a relatively low speed, there was no stopping them. I was seriously nervous and decided that they had to go. It came to the crunch when I went round a roundabout at no great speed and started drifting to the inside lane.

We all feel aggrieved if we have to throw away tires with a healthy tread on them but I was really pleased when one had an unrepairable puncture and the pair were replaced with a good brand. What a difference, at the same roundabout in the wet, the car sailed round without ruffling its feathers - I thought they'd re-surfaced the road! I noticed that my braking distance has shortened noticeably and "feel" had come back to the steering.

Those Wanlis were terrible and, in my experience, unsafe.

Do you remember how I said they were quiet and wore well? I suspect that was because they didn't grip the road.