4 Tyres the same good. Mixed pairs bad?

[Zennan101]

Thoughts please. My XF has a set of 4 Pirelli’s. The rears are in good order but the front’s however are at the end of their useful life and need changing before winter really bites.
What’s the forum’s view on replacing the front pair only with another premium brand or should I replace like for like until the time when all four can justifiably be replaced at the same time?

Rod

[J44EAG]

Rod,

I suppose we all desire a car with a matched set of identical tyres all round. That doesn`t always pan out. I regret to say that my own buying habits tend toward buying in pairs rather than in full sets. To an extent, what I fit is often a compromise dictated by the depth of my pocket at the time I need replacement tyres.

That said, I try to buy premium tyres with mainstream names. My preferred brands are Dunlop Mxx, Avon ZZ5 and Continental. Our PTJS1 likes Hankook which BMW fit as OE from the factory. I dislike Pirelli due to poor ride quality, poor part worn wet grip, a tenancy to under-steer and harshness.

Although a full set of matched tyres will ensure uniform performance at each corner, one has to ask whether that is necessary for normal road going use. May be, may be not.... As a budget driven compromise, my own minimum rule is to at least have the same tyres on each axle line. Until I had to replace all four tyres on the XJR the other day, I ran ZZ5 on the rear of the car with a pair of well rated if obscure budget tyres on the front. Despite the fact the budget tyres were fitted when I bought the car, they never gave any nasty scares or let me down even when I used the full performance of the car. Would anyone driving the car be able to tell two different types of tyre were fitted? Short answer....I doubt it under normal general use patterns. Certainly I never experienced any untoward handling characteristics as a result of mixing two different brands.

So I now have four new upper budget tyres fitted with correct load, speed and reinforcement levels. I`m currently running those tyres in and rubbing off the smooth ex-mold "shine". As expected, the new tyres on cold, wet, greasy November roads were initially skittish until thirty miles had been covered. That done, the car drives little differently to previously. Perhaps steering response and general feel are slightly improved.

Hope that helps you form an opinion, Rod.

Mike

[Zennan101]

Thanks Mike,

A considered and informative reply as always. I want to move away from Pirellis..too noisy for me when worn!

Rod

[ianoliver57]

Rod, as you will no doubt know, I changed my XF for a new F Type. As a result, I have a set of 4 Wolfrace alloys fitted with a set of virtually new Yokohama winter tires. Both have done little mileage over one season. Tires and alloys are as new condition. PM me if interested. £400.

Regards. Ian.

[Zennan101]

Hi Ian,

I am not ignoring you but the site is stubbornly refusing to let me send you a PM.

Will try and sort it out with James B and try again...

Rod

[ianoliver57]

Rod. I just tried to pm you, and it seems to have worked! If it has, you will now have my e mail address.

Regards, Ian.

[Zennan101]

With an MOT booked for next week I had to get off the fence. (Thanks to Mike K. for his advice and Ian Oliver for his tempting offer). After reading as many reviews as I could find my XF now has a pair of Hankooks on the front leaving Pirelli’s on the rear. I’ll post again once they are bedded in and I can be more objective.

[J44EAG]

Now with just over 200 miles covered with my new set of Jinyu YU63 Gallapro 255/35/20 tyres, I`m quite impressed. Chinese apparently with some quite good reviews on line. Chinese boots...what ever next...never thought I`d see the day!

Used extensively on my now daily runs from Caterham to Redhill Hospital via the A22, A25 and then down the greasy, mud and autumn leaf covered metaled cart tracks of East Surrey, these tyres seem up to the job. Certainly very quiet running and vibration free. Yet to give them a full work out...difficult with Mother wingeing away along side me as soon as we hit 35mph! So far, well happy.

Mike