The most recent owner reviews from this car, in their own words.
These are without a doubt the worst tires I have ever driven on. They came brand new on a used VW UP! That I bought and unfortunately are incredibly poor.
Even in the dry they offer very little grip and often slip on inclines or sharp turns. In the wet it’s even worse, the car feels so unstable and doesn’t feel connected to the road at all. They have also worn very rapidly compared to the Michelin Primacy 4+ on my other car. I cannot recommend these tires ever or at all.
Fitted to a 2012 VW Up @ 148000km, 4th set of tires I've put on this car since I bought it new. Excellent dry grip and handling, especially when punting the car through twisty country roads. Wet weather grip is very good, and I felt confident on these tires even in the most challenging of conditions where I live. Good steering feel and feedback. A tad noisy, especially at the limit, but I've had much worse. Wear is a bit disappointing compared to previous tires I've had on this car (I'm used to getting around 50000km per set), but perhaps this is a characteristic of being a somewhat sporty tire. Other than the relatively short lifespan, I have no complaints.
Please avoid these tires if you live anywhere where summer temperatures usually go above 30 degrees Celsius. They simply cannot cope with the heat and they are literally dangerous when breaking in hot conditions. Braking is so poor when hot and dry, it is simply hard to believe how bad it is. However, when it is cold, it is another story, definitely they feel lot more secure. Also in rain no troubles, whatsoever. They also feel secure in directional stability when driving at higher speeds. This winter there was no snow (or ice) at all here in Serbia, so I cannot comment on snow properties.
57%
Avon ZT7
165-70-14- Volkswagen up!
February 12, 2023
I'm quite a smooth driver, but on backroads I tend to enjoy carrying good speed through tight hairpins and bends. If that is you, then avoid these tires as I found when leant on you will quickly find they are easily provoked into understeer. In fairness it is a very progressive behavior and also it's easily recovered from but it's definitely not suited to what makes a small and lightweight car fun to drive.
Running on a tuned 120hp VW Up..
Previously had a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4's which I wore through in under 10k - I drive my car hard - so wanted to go for something a little cheaper this time. Apart from a little less feedback through the wheel, these tires are awesome - more than enough grip in dry and wet even when throwing the car into corners way quicker than I should be. No tramlining or anything negative to say - not sure about wear yet however, but if they can do better than the Michelins I'll be happy
Dry grip and wet grip are both OK. These tires feel safe and comfortable when driving around the city or on motorways, but the handling is so-so (but manageable) on twisty B-roads and there is a lot of tire squeal when cornering, even at very low speeds in multi-storey car parks.. So far they've lasted 35,000km and I expect to get another 10,000-15,000km. Overall, these are a fine general purpose tire ... unless you enjoy driving with gusto when the opportunity arise. But if you're a sedate driver, the EP100s are more than fit for purpose.
74%
Nokian iLine
165-70-14- Volkswagen up!
12,000 miles April 16, 2019
Fitted to my VW Up and having experienced several Nokian tires before, I still feel it is a good buy.
Although I have seen some tires in this size which have lower rolling resistance and thus better fuel economy, the Nokians seem unbeaten on wear. Currently lost only 2,5 mm after approx. 20.000 km (12.000 m).
My previous Fiesta had 195 section Vredesteins, and stepping back to a narrower tire the difference in turn-in and grip shows. This can not be held against the Nokians though! You notice you run out of tire faster, although grip and control is always maintained.
It's a safe tire, not a sporty one. Noise is very subdued although that can be down to the sound insulation too.
I replaced the front Bridgestone Ecopia tires with the Conti premiumcontact5 tires. I was drawn to these tires as they promised more grip and I can confirm that they perform much higher than a premium eco tire. I have noticed greater wear (although that could be because I am enjoying them more!) and a reduction in fuel economy on motorway drives but in an urban environment I have noticed an increase in fuel economy due to being able to carry greater momentum around corners. The tires even performed much better than expected in the deep snow in the New Forest in February, being able to wade through 8 inches of fresh snow with ease!
23%
Toyo T1R
225-45-17- Volkswagen up!
3,000 miles August 18, 2018
An update to my earlier review from July where I replaced four Continentals with Toyos. In 3000 miles the sidewall developed a small hole in the side. Showed it in two tire centers and they both said the same thing that Toyos have very rigid sidewalls and being made in Malaysia not suited to British climate. So I wasted my money on buying another to keep the matching four but if another one fails I'll have to go with one odd tire. In over 250,000 miles of motoring I'm a lifetime never had a sidewall develop a hole like that.
30%
Toyo T1R
185-50-16- Volkswagen up!
3,000 miles July 20, 2018
Bought 4 to replace Continental Premium Contact 2s and been disappointed from the start. Car slides when taking corners wet or dry to the point that worry about lose control. Regret selecting these and if could get money back I would but tires don't come with that. Have had to modify driving style because of these. Already showing signs of wear after 3000 miles.
