rasheed
Well-Known Member
Just put some new ones on my P38 and yes like in so many other tyre reviews I'm tempted to say gee whiz, my car rides just like new! Well of course it does, I've just come off a set that were tired and worn to the cords (almost) so to me fresh hot jelly donuts would probably feel like an improvement. Setting that aside therefore, here's what I can tell you about my new tyres. They are round.
Or still round I should say. It'd never entered my mind before that after a few hundred miles of loading the shoulders through turns, accelerating, braking, driving over different surfaces and all that your tyres are probably no longer cylindrical at all. They're more likely to be polygons with 500 sides rattling along, killing comfort, making more noise etc. I had my ephiphany on a little stretch on the way home where I sometimes let the car coast a little. With the new tires it seemed even more effortless-er than before (gee whiz!). Couldn't figure it out. Same wheel bearings. Same everything else. New tires probably sticking better to the road. Wider contact patch infact. Yet there we were, coasting farther than usual, in perfect silence while feeling more planted and secure not to mention very pleased with myself for figuring it out.
For anyone interested I went for Yokohama Geolandar AT/S 255/65/16s. This is not standard on the P38 in my market, here its 235/70/16s but as this combo is offered in some places I thought I'd try it. You'll note there's very little difference in total diameter - only about 2.5mm. I've already been on normal roads, slippery wet tarmac, gravel paths and a little river bed - about 10 inches of water on 4 or 5 inches of soft slippery clay/mud and the car's behaved impeccably. The tires are quieter than my last despite a fairly aggressive looking tread pattern (I was on Geolander AT +IIs before) and the 20mm extra contact is definitely recommended as the car is more self assured when cornering at speed on mixed surfaces. I think its whatever improvements they've made to the rubber compound. Yet to see what I'll get for tyre mileage (the AT+IIs were very good in that respect) but I'm getting better fuel mileage already.
Or still round I should say. It'd never entered my mind before that after a few hundred miles of loading the shoulders through turns, accelerating, braking, driving over different surfaces and all that your tyres are probably no longer cylindrical at all. They're more likely to be polygons with 500 sides rattling along, killing comfort, making more noise etc. I had my ephiphany on a little stretch on the way home where I sometimes let the car coast a little. With the new tires it seemed even more effortless-er than before (gee whiz!). Couldn't figure it out. Same wheel bearings. Same everything else. New tires probably sticking better to the road. Wider contact patch infact. Yet there we were, coasting farther than usual, in perfect silence while feeling more planted and secure not to mention very pleased with myself for figuring it out.
For anyone interested I went for Yokohama Geolandar AT/S 255/65/16s. This is not standard on the P38 in my market, here its 235/70/16s but as this combo is offered in some places I thought I'd try it. You'll note there's very little difference in total diameter - only about 2.5mm. I've already been on normal roads, slippery wet tarmac, gravel paths and a little river bed - about 10 inches of water on 4 or 5 inches of soft slippery clay/mud and the car's behaved impeccably. The tires are quieter than my last despite a fairly aggressive looking tread pattern (I was on Geolander AT +IIs before) and the 20mm extra contact is definitely recommended as the car is more self assured when cornering at speed on mixed surfaces. I think its whatever improvements they've made to the rubber compound. Yet to see what I'll get for tyre mileage (the AT+IIs were very good in that respect) but I'm getting better fuel mileage already.
