[Aston Singh]

Originally Posted by Zahir

Thanks! Quick question, the car is running 205/55 R16. The company recommends 35psi (a la fuel lid). Isn't that too high?

Definitely seems a bit high. You can reduce it slightly and find a sweet spot where the ride is just perfect. Try 32-33 if it's only the driver in the car and no other passengers.

Other Jetta users can comment better on what should be the ideal air pressure for this size.

[Zahir]

Originally Posted by Aston Singh

Definitely seems a bit high. You can reduce it slightly and find a sweet spot where the ride is just perfect. Try 32-33 if it's only the driver in the car and no other passengers.

Other Jetta users can comment better on what should be the ideal air pressure for this size.

Thanks, any Jetta owners who can chip in on this? 35 too high?

[Mission_PGPX]

Originally Posted by Zahir

Just got them installed this morning. A good ride is now even better. Thanks for the advice.

My jetta is now over 2 years and 38K kms old. My experience with NCTs is good however after 20K they have been noisy and started showing vibrations after 32K above 140 kmph. But they are durable and have gone through real rough bumps and potholes during early life. Life on goodyear NCT is left about 2-3K more meaning i need to change to better shoes now. How is your experience of michelin primacy 3ST, cabin noise and ride quality? and also if you can share the prices for 4?

[Zahir]

Originally Posted by Mission_PGPX

My jetta is now over 2 years and 38K kms old. My experience with NCTs is good however after 20K they have been noisy and started showing vibrations after 32K above 140 kmph. But they are durable and have gone through real rough bumps and potholes during early life. Life on goodyear NCT is left about 2-3K more meaning i need to change to better shoes now. How is your experience of michelin primacy 3ST, cabin noise and ride quality? and also if you can share the prices for 4?

Sorry for the late reply. I paid 9.8 per tyre(3.8 with exchange). Its a bit early but in general the ride is quieter, grip is better & suspension feels more unruffled over potholes

[nikesh]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Well then its better you stick to the stock size.

If you want a sporty tyre, which is pretty comfortable and silent then get the Advan Sports.

The C drives and PLCs are more comfort oriented, with the Michelin having the better ride and silence and the Yokos being a bit more tough.

I think Saifee tyres is that side of town, otherwise you can try Pal tyres at Opera House.

Avoid the A drive R1s, they are noisy and stiff budget tyres.

Hi,

I am also looking to change my stock tyres(Goodyear NCT) for my Jetta Highline driven in Pune and also across states. I have done 36k already while the car is just 14 months old. Could you please suggest few options that I can explore before the monsoons are at full swing? My expectation is an all rounder tyre that is tough, silent, fuel efficient and stable at speeds between 130-150. I understand that it will be hard to find all the best features in the same option but will be good to understand the advantages for the possible options so that I can make a confident decision.

Thanks for the Help!

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by nikesh

Hi,

I am also looking to change my stock tyres(Goodyear NCT) for my Jetta Highline driven in Pune and also across states. I have done 36k already while the car is just 14 months old. Could you please suggest few options that I can explore before the monsoons are at full swing? My expectation is an all rounder tyre that is tough, silent, fuel efficient and stable at speeds between 130-150. I understand that it will be hard to find all the best features in the same option but will be good to understand the advantages for the possible options so that I can make a confident decision.

Thanks for the Help!

If your priorities are listed in the order above, then try and find something like a Bridgestone Turanza. Though I think if you don't drive on broken roads too much, stick with the Michelin Primacy 3 ST, it is a good all rounder.

Also I am using Yokohama DB550s in my vRS, and while they are not outright performance tyres, they are impressive with their ride and silence. Also they seem to be tough, though many reports suggest otherwise.

[nikesh]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

If your priorities are listed in the order above, then try and find something like a Bridgestone Turanza. Though I think if you don't drive on broken roads too much, stick with the Michelin Primacy 3 ST, it is a good all rounder.

Also I am using Yokohama DB550s in my vRS, and while they are not outright performance tyres, they are impressive with their ride and silence. Also they seem to be tough, though many reports suggest otherwise.

I checked the Michelin silent tyre as well as options from bridgestone. I am somehow getting more inclined towards bridgestone's MY02 or, B290 tyre option. I want to have full flexibility while driving on good/bad roads and reduce probability of sidewall damage or, related issues. Is anyone using bridgestone tyres for Jetta? Can anyone recommend the suitable option?

Thank You

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by nikesh

I checked the Michelin silent tyre as well as options from bridgestone. I am somehow getting more inclined towards bridgestone's MY02 or, B290 tyre option. I want to have full flexibility while driving on good/bad roads and reduce probability of sidewall damage or, related issues. Is anyone using bridgestone tyres for Jetta? Can anyone recommend the suitable option?

Thank You

The MY02 will be noisy with a hard ride, and the B290s are budget tyres. Both are in fact interior tot he NCTs I would say. The Turanza is good, and so are the Yoko DBs and the Michelin P3STs. Sidewall damage can be largely avoided by avoid potholes, and sharp stones etc.

[nikesh]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

The MY02 will be noisy with a hard ride, and the B290s are budget tyres. Both are in fact interior tot he NCTs I would say. The Turanza is good, and so are the Yoko DBs and the Michelin P3STs. Sidewall damage can be largely avoided by avoid potholes, and sharp stones etc.

Thanks Akshay.. Have upgraded jetta with Michelin 3PST this weekend costing 9150 for each tyre. Will also be changing the front and rear brake pads this week costing approx 10k more. Current ones can run for another 5k perhaps but not taking much chances in monsoon driving.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

While Rohan is using 225/55 due to extra gc he wanted, I suggest you stick to 225/50 if GC hasn't bothered you yet. It truly makes the car into a different animal. On the 225 PS3s my VRS sometimes used to remind me of my 3 series. But now with the Yoko DBs which are more comfort oriented tyres, it doesn't feel the same. Get PS3s while you can.

Originally Posted by RohanDheman

Hey, i moved from 205/60/15 to 225/55/16.

The reason i went for 225/55 is that i wanted to retain the extra sidewall height specially in view of the fact that the car is getting Bilstein B6 and H&R springs (tomorrow most probably). I use the Laura for my outstation drives so i felt this was the perfect setup for my needs. Plus the error was only 3% on the upgrade.

As far as handling goes, i have not experienced any body roll (i drive very sedately on streets) and for some reason not too much tyre spin on fast launches (tried on a private road). Best part: zilch drop on fuel economy so far. Still getting 13-14kmpl in city traffic.

Will share more updates post the suspension upgrade!

Rohan

Thanks friends. A couple of more questions.

1. Akshay, what is the wheel size on your VRS? Is it 7j or 6.5j? Rohan, when you upgraded from R15 to R16, did you go for 6.5j or 7j wheels? The reason I am asking is: I read in some forums that though 6.5j can take 225, the tyre bulge on the sides will reduce the contact area thus negating the width advantage 225. This will also result in some tyre flex. For this reason, they recommend 7j or above for 225s. What are your thoughts on this? Will I lose the advantage of wider tires if I put them on the stock wheels on my Jetta which or 6.5js or should I upgrade the wheels as well to 7js?
2. I understand that PS3s are performance oriented tyres. What would I be losing in exchange for performance? How do they fare on comfort, noise, and life compared to P3STs?

PS:
Please bear with me on the deluge of questions. Never knew there were so many parameters while making a tyre choice. Thank you once again for your patience in answering all my questions.
I have moved this discussion from Chethan's ownership thread as this is a more relevant place and also did not want to hijack his ownership thread

[RohanDheman]

Originally Posted by graaja

Thanks friends. A couple of more questions.

1. Akshay, what is the wheel size on your VRS? Is it 7j or 6.5j? Rohan, when you upgraded from R15 to R16, did you go for 6.5j or 7j wheels? The reason I am asking is: I read in some forums that though 6.5j can take 225, the tyre bulge on the sides will reduce the contact area thus negating the width advantage 225. This will also result in some tyre flex. For this reason, they recommend 7j or above for 225s. What are your thoughts on this? Will I lose the advantage of wider tires if I put them on the stock wheels on my Jetta which or 6.5js or should I upgrade the wheels as well to 7js?

I went in for 7J. The alloys I picked up came in that size only. So the tyres fit perfectly. I think Akshay is running the 225s on the original VRS alloys which are 6.5J without any issues at all. Going by his experience with the michelins I think you can safely go for PS3 in 225!

Meanwhile here is a pic of my car to give you an idea.



And a close up

Attachment 1389028

Hope this helps!

Rohan

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by graaja

Thanks friends. A couple of more questions.

1. Akshay, what is the wheel size on your VRS? Is it 7j or 6.5j? Rohan, when you upgraded from R15 to R16, did you go for 6.5j or 7j wheels? The reason I am asking is: I read in some forums that though 6.5j can take 225, the tyre bulge on the sides will reduce the contact area thus negating the width advantage 225. This will also result in some tyre flex. For this reason, they recommend 7j or above for 225s. What are your thoughts on this? Will I lose the advantage of wider tires if I put them on the stock wheels on my Jetta which or 6.5js or should I upgrade the wheels as well to 7js?
2. I understand that PS3s are performance oriented tyres. What would I be losing in exchange for performance? How do they fare on comfort, noise, and life compared to P3STs?

My vRS is 6.5j, and 225s are about the widest tyres which can be mounted on these rims. The sides do bulge a tiny bit, but the contact area is not reduced. I really have pushed the vRS with those PS3s and I never felt any tyre flex or unpredictable behavior in the handling. Keep the stock wheels it will be fine.

Compared to your NCTs it will be better in every way till the end of its life, so you will not lose anything. But after 25k kms, it will become a bit hard and noisy but again not as much as the NCTs.

Compared to P3ST, I think that will be a tad bit worse in terms of noise and comfort.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by RohanDheman

I went in for 7J. The alloys I picked up came in that size only. So the tyres fit perfectly. I think Akshay is running the 225s on the original VRS alloys which are 6.5J without any issues at all. Going by his experience with the michelins I think you can safely go for PS3 in 225!

Meanwhile here is a pic of my car to give you an idea.

Those alloys look cool. As Akshay confirms 225 to be fine with 6.5j, I will stick to the stock alloys.

Originally Posted by akshay1234

My vRS is 6.5j, and 225s are about the widest tyres which can be mounted on these rims. The sides do bulge a tiny bit, but the contact area is not reduced. I really have pushed the vRS with those PS3s and I never felt any tyre flex or unpredictable behavior in the handling. Keep the stock wheels it will be fine.

Compared to your NCTs it will be better in every way till the end of its life, so you will not lose anything. But after 25k kms, it will become a bit hard and noisy but again not as much as the NCTs.

Compared to P3ST, I think that will be a tad bit worse in terms of noise and comfort.

Thanks. I will stick to the stock wheels then. BTW, I have P3STs on my car - got them changed straight out of the show room. So, between P3ST and PS3, PS3 is performance oriented sacrificing a little on noise and comfort, whereas P3ST will be silent and comfortable while sacrificing a little on performance.

I think I got all my doubts cleared for now

[scuderiamania]

Guys, has anyone used Apollo Alnac 4G on any car? Are these tyres any good? International reviews seems to be positive. But I would like to hear from genuine users on their experiences. Btw, I need them for a relative's previous gen Jetta (2010). He is a sedate driver and the car has never been pushed to anywhere close to its limits.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

I think they imported a big quantity and could not sell it easily. Now they are liquidating stocks bit by bit. Hopefully once stocks are exhausted they will import fresh stocks. But expect prices to jump by atleast 40%. The tyres are just brilliant though.

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Just consolidating their line up. Michelin has only mass market tyres, nothing real performance. What trouble I had to go through to get one 225/45 R17 PS3 a few years ago for my Bimmer.

Originally Posted by Chethan B G

This is an imported tyre and very much in circulation globally.

From what I could understand, Michelin could not liquidate their 2011 stock yet. This means that the tyre demand / volume required in Indian market is low - Lower than they expected / planned. Import cost would have gone up substantially over the period of time - This can make it non-viable for Indian market. This may be the reason they are not importing it again.

This brings several questions to my mind regarding tire upgrade.

1. My car has done about 22K, and should be touching 30K in another 6 months time. The tires are Michelin P3ST 205/55/R16. What life can I expect from the P3STs? When should I plan to change the tires?

2. If the supply situation of PS3's does not improve, then in 6 months' time, the same tires that are late 2011 manufactured would be 5 years old. Many online tire articles mention about manufacturer's recommendation to change any tires that are more than 6 years old. Some articles do claim that this is a conservative guidance and tires can last as long as 10 years if they are stored in right conditions. What is the next best alternative to Michelin PS3 225/50/R16's? Should I check out other brands? Or should I look at other sizes like 215/55 or 225/55?

It may be too early for me to be worrying about tire selection now. But I would like to be prepared with options when the time comes to change the tires.

Note: Moving the discussion to this thread as anymore tire discussions in Chethan's thread would dilute the thread.