[satyamkaushik]

Please can someone help me out with my query ?

I am planning to get the wheels changed tomorrow.

PS: I am confused between 175/70R14, 195/60R14 and 185/65R14.

Originally Posted by satyamkaushik

Hi Folks,

The wheels on my Rapid are going bald and are demanding a change.
At the time of purchase i had upgraded to alloys retaining the stock tires (175/70/R14).
Now after 45K on the ODO i am planning to replace the stock Apollo Acelere to a better tyre.

I am confused on whether to upsize/upgrade or to retain the stock specifications.
Since i had already invested in alloys earlier i have no plans to upsize to 15" so i just have few limited options (attached image).

80% of my running is normal Delhi-Noida City driving (75 km/day) and rest 20% accounts for highway trips to Dehradun and Baddi, hence i want a tyre which is durable and also gives me good performance and handling).

What as per you would be the best option for the Rapid Diesel and what brand shall i go for ? I am planning to get the change done on the weekend.

[coolboy007]

My friend who owns a Rapid needs help on deciding which tyre to go for. He has already finalized on 205/55 R15 and there are only a few choices available. He wants a sturdy tyre with very good grip and that can last indian conditions. He would not drive blindly over potholes but a tyre which is too delicate is best avoided. Car has clocked 40k on XM1's and so far 1 tyre was damaged due to hitting a sharp stone.

1. Hankook V8RS - mostly good reviews online but the bummer is that the tyre construction states Sidewall - 1 polyester which hints that it is more towards a comfortable ride and more prone to sidewall damage compared to tyres which have 2 ply sidewall construction, also Hankook is not a widely accepted brand in India. Very few people have opted for it so i have no clue how the tyre is. Is the V8RS a good tyre? The car is currently running on XM1 which also has a 1 ply sidewall, is very soft and now he needs a tyre which is a bit on the harder side.

2. S drives - myself running them on my Vento and i purchased it for brilliant outright grip levels, which am happy it. Have clocked 4000 on good/bad roads and have had no issues regarding comfort or noise. There are many mixed reviews on tbhp so it is confusing. He is not sure of Yokohama as a good brand.

3. MRF Zsport - This is the last consideration as the tread design is too flashy and from previous mrf tyres, i do not like the grip etc. ZLO's were good but now only Zsport comes in 205.

Conti has stopped CPC2 and MC5 has very less reviews, Conti is too expensive and out of budget as well so it is mostly between Hankook or Yokohama. What do you suggest guys, Hankook or Yokohama?

[ALSUDA]

If CPC2 are not available S-Drives would be better bet.
I'm using them in my Rapid & clocked 16k kms, so far no issues at all.
Most of my driving was on highways - good/bad/worst roads. I read some reviews in this forum on wheels locking up etc, but I never felt any that kind of issues. Couple of times I touched speeds 180km/hr no issues. Only -ve I found bit noisy. CPC2 will be better compared to S-Drives.

[coolboy007]

Originally Posted by ALSUDA

CPC2 will be better compared to S-Drives.

CPC2 are better grip wise or the noise levels are lower? Have read a few reviews on CPC2 on team bhp and from what i know, the grip levels are not great with CPC2. Continental has replaced CPC2 with made in India MC5.

[ALSUDA]

Grip wise may be marginally better, but noise level wise it should be much better. Our forum member kryptonite who was using S-Drives switched to CPC2 when it happens to change tyres after its life. He has shared his comparison in detail here. You pls search. Not sure about MC5.

[nileshch]

Originally Posted by coolboy007

CPC2 are better grip wise or the noise levels are lower? Have read a few reviews on CPC2 on team bhp and from what i know, the grip levels are not great with CPC2. Continental has replaced CPC2 with made in India MC5.

I have been using 205/55/15 CPC2s on my Vento since the last 15000+ kms. I can't compare them with S-Drives but they have ample grip compared to the Apollo OEMs on Vento/Rapid. I can vouch from the fact that ABS has kicked in very few times compared to the Apollos. And I am an enthusiastic driver on the highway. They are much much quieter than Apollos too.

Not sure of the MC5 though.

[sunilyk]

Hi Rapid Owners, has anyone used Yokohama Earth 1 (185/60 R15)? How are they? Please let me know your experience. I am planning to change stock Apollo Acelere to either XM2 or Earth 1 in the same stock size.

[travelex]

My Rapid diesel elegance has clocked 61000. I had to change one tyre because it burst when it hit a sharp stone (Bridgestone).
The other three are stock Apollo accelere 15 inch. There is still some tread left on them but I think it is high time I replaced these.

I would prefer tyres with good grip as most of my driving is on highway and moderate to high speed. Delhi - gurgaon (approx. 72 km/day) Also low noise is a must.

My questions are

1. What would be a worthy upgrade? I would prefer sticking to the same size since the car came with 15 inch alloys and I am not looking to upgrade the alloys.

2. Should I replace all at once or should it be staged since there is some tread left and two of these can be used as rear tyres for another rotation cycle?

3. Should I keep the Bridgestone (which is least used among these but still 40k odd kilometers) as the spare tyre and dispose of the smaller spare tyre? Does it make any sense? I dont even know if this 15 inch tyre will fit in the boot in the space allocated.

Thanks

[sunilyk]

Originally Posted by travelex

My Rapid diesel elegance has clocked 61000. I had to change one tyre because it burst when it hit a sharp stone (Bridgestone).
The other three are stock Apollo accelere 15 inch. There is still some tread left on them but I think it is high time I replaced these.

In my opinion, no need to upgrade. Stock size 185/60 R15 is good enough for regular city/highway drive with moderate to high speeds.
61000 KM is the time to replace all the tyres even though there is tread left. Keep the existing spare tyre as it is.
For low noise and good grip, Michelin XM2 would be the best choice.

[travelex]

Thanks a lot for the reply. Do you think that stock tyres are as good and don't offer any advantage, or are you against an upgrade for any reason?

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by sunilyk

Hi Rapid Owners, has anyone used Yokohama Earth 1 (185/60 R15)?

Yokohoma mentions only 205/65R15 under 15" in their website. Where did you get this size from? Or is it discontinued now?

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Yokohoma mentions only 205/65R15 under 15" in their website. Where did you get this size from? Or is it discontinued now?

That size is there for a long time. The Earth1 is now Yoko's most popular tyre. Almost all common sizes available.

The Yoko website is silly and outdated. Here's the post in Earth1 thread from last year when these sizes were announced:

Originally Posted by WasavaTyres

Earth 1 has now been launched in the following sizes :

165/80/R14
185/60/R15

To be launched later this month :
185/70/R14
175/65/R15

Yokohama is also offering a Lotto tracksuit on purchase of every 4 tyres across all sizes and patterns until 25/11//2014

[Rohit_Quad]

Originally Posted by satyamkaushik

Please can someone help me out with my query ?

I am planning to get the wheels changed tomorrow.

PS: I am confused between 175/70R14, 195/60R14 and 185/65R14.

I have been using Yoko's C Drives since the last 4k kms - 185/65R14 on my Fiesta and am blown away by how planted the car feels at high speeds and cornering. Did a 1.5k Kms road trip and the breaking was excellent. Maybe coming form MRF ZVTS, the difference was a bit too much for me. I guess
S-Drives would also be good, maybe even better than my C-Drives. I got my friends Vento's tires changed to XM2's and the feedback was good. I Suggest you stick with 185/65R14 86H. I guess 'H' gives you a better speed index too.

[sunilyk]

Originally Posted by travelex

Thanks a lot for the reply. Do you think that stock tyres are as good and don't offer any advantage, or are you against an upgrade for any reason?

Well, I didn’t feel any pressing need to do an upgrade to either 195/60 R15 or 205/55 R15. I have easily driven at high speeds on expressways on stock size. Cornering and Steering feel is also very good. If the reason for upgrade is performance then you get it in the same stock size at least for Skoda Rapid

[travelex]

Hmm. Ok so I up sized to 195/60r15 Yokohama earth 1 for 19500 including alignment and balancing from Tyre emporium Malviya Nagar. Feel super smooth with nice grip, probably because I am comparing these two 61300 km old tyres.