[JackSparrow]

Thanks for the info guys.
Yes it is 15*6j.

[raj_5004]

Hi guys, My Innova V is shod with Bridgestone B390 205/65 R15 OE tyres. the tyres have come to the end of its life now & is due for replacement.

I am still a learner when it comes to tyres so i am asking my query over here.

1) Which tyre should i go for? i prefer yokohama but i am open to all brands (not the too expensive ones like michelin!). Along with the brand, please suggest the tyre model number too.

2) Can i increase the tyre width? i am NOT changing the alloys. the current tyres are 205, so can i increase it to say 215 or 225 without the tyres looking bulbous on the present wheels? also, it should not affect safety.

3) which one is better? unidirectional or asymmetic tyres?

My priorities are (in that order)-

* good ride comfort
* low road noise
* tyre should not be too soft, in other words, it should be hard wearing & puncture resistant
* good looks (!!)
* not too expensive

all in all, i am not looking for a 'sporty' tyre, but i am looking for a 'practical' tyre! and of course, yokohama would be preferred.

[Buffetfan]

I have 225/60R15 Yokohama C.Drive (with bill/warranty) on my Innova that runs the original Alloys ( Note that have a 2009 Innova Vx that has a different Alloy design compared to the previous year's model but I read in a few places that the Alloy Rim width is 6J in both of them).

Yes the tires do bulge a bit but not overly so. I understand that the Toyota provided 6J rim is the smallest width you can use on the 225 section tire. 6.5J is the most optimal width.

Ride comfort is good till 32 psi. Anything beyond and the ride can get a bit firm (with one driver and no passengers). The tires are very silent and have a pretty good grip - bailed me out a couple of times. In terms of speed - 150Kmph was a non issue and the handling is pretty good during hard cornering.

The car is always in alignment with the steering inputs.

Finally - the tires are cheaper than the Michelin Primacy (Note that I am a die hard Michelin fan!) - the immediate competition. when I purchased the Yokos the Primacy seemed 30-40% more expensive.

Would I recommend one-yes!

This is how the tire looks - Assymetric design and pretty reasonable tread depth.

[raj_5004]

thanks for the reply buffetfan. can you post a pic of your car's tyre if possible?

[Buffetfan]

Never clicked a pic of my innova or the tires till now. Will try and click one over the weekend and post. I have done about 10k kms till now and have had no punctures (Now that I said it - maybe I will get one soon!)

[raj_5004]

hey guys, i have got the quotation from saifee tyres for my innova's tyre. but the quotation i got is for 205/65 R15 & i am looking for 225/65 R15.

anyways, here is the quotation-

Michelin XM1+ = 5475/-
Yokohama AC01 (C drive) = 4640/-

prices are inclusive of VAT/tax.

also, for my usage, is yokohama A drive better or C drive?

is this price good? i know it can increase by Rs. 500 when i opt for 225 section. which one is better of the two & more VFM? my priorities are already stated.

Originally Posted by raj_5004

My priorities are (in that order)-

* good ride comfort
* low road noise
* tyre should not be too soft, in other words, it should be hard wearing & puncture resistant
* good looks (!!)
* not too expensive

all in all, i am not looking for a 'sporty' tyre, but i am looking for a 'practical' tyre! and of course, yokohama would be preferred.

[sam003]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

............ 205/65 R15 & i am looking for 225/65 R15.

anyways, here is the quotation-

Michelin XM1+ = 5475/-
Yokohama AC01 = 4640/-

I guess it has to be 225*60*15 as you won't get 225/65. I took mine in Feb 2009 for Rs 5500 each and gave Bridgestone for Rs 4000 each, it has Yokohama C-drive. Look at this thread for pics
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...-seater-7.html

[raj_5004]

oops, sorry for the typo. its 225/60/R15.

so, how is the yokohama with respect to road noise & comfort?

[Buffetfan]

Ride comfort will be slightly better in 205/65R15 and the road grip will be slightly better in 225/60R15.

This is the positioning of various Yokohama models (A,C,S drive etc etc).



Note that this comparison is not apples to apples (Comparing between 225/60R15 Yokohama C.Drive on my Innova and 185/65R14 Michelin Energy XM1 on my Baleno) but I seem to feel that the Yokos have a slightly better grip than the Michelin energy XM1. On the other hand, the Michelins have a slight edge in ride.

[raj_5004]

thanks for the detailed comparo buddy.

i am willing to go for the michelins due to their ride quality advantage but i have been informed that they are very soft compound tyres & can get punctured easily & also their life is very short. how true is this?

[Buffetfan]

Really depends on where you ride them - My XM1s have lasted me about 39k Kms in my Baleno till now and might do another 15 k. So I am expecting a life of 50k on my tires in a mixed driving cycle that contained highways, state highways and country roads. This life is particularly interesting remembering that I banged one half flat tire into a pothole @100kmph+ ..thereby damaging the sidewall & limiting its use to a spare. (see http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-a...ml#post1684838).

Over 39k I have had maybe five or six punctures in the Michelins (none in the Innova till now but it has done only 10k) but never a flat as the tire does not loose air easily and I have an electric compressor that can come in handy sometimes.

As for me - I might try the C.Drive in the Baleno in the next tire change as the grip is slightly better and so are the looks. (OK looks are mixed - the sidewall of the Michelin has a better finish but the Yoko tread pattern looks better)

If you just need a hard wearing tire - just buy the Bridgestones that come with the car and they are reasonably silent as well though not so grippy.

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by Buffetfan

Really depends on where you ride them - My XM1s have lasted me about 39k Kms in my Baleno till now and might do another 15 k. So I am expecting a life of 50k on my tires in a mixed driving cycle that contained highways, state highways and country roads.

life of 50k is not bad at all.

Over 39k I have had maybe five or six punctures in the Michelins (none in the Innova till now but it has done only 10k) but never a flat as the tire does not loose air easily and I have an electric compressor that can come in handy sometimes.

6 punctures, thats on the higher side IMO. my stock bridgestones have had only 2.

As for me - I might try the C.Drive in the Baleno in the next tire change as the grip is slightly better and so are the looks. (OK looks are mixed - the sidewall of the Michelin has a better finish but the Yoko tread pattern looks better)

i agree. the yoko treads look far better.

If you just need a hard wearing tire - just buy the Bridgestones that come with the car and they are reasonably silent as well though not so grippy.

what??? they are silent!!! infact they are the most noisy tyres i have come across. add to that, innova's poor sound insulation. over 110 kmph on concrete roads, the car's music system is just ornamental!

i think i will go for the yokos. the premium which michelin is demanding does not seem to be worth it.

[Buffetfan]

Also check

http://www.vredestein.com/File_Bande...xpress2006.pdf

and

Tyre Noise | Auto Express

[raj_5004]

Finally changed the innova's tyres to Yokohama C drive, stock size at Saifee in santacruz.

i wanted to change to 225 section but was advised to do so only if i do a lot of highway driving.

i was also showed Goodyear Assurance which they claimed to be better than yokos but since i was not sure about it, i went for yokos.

[Buffetfan]

Congrats..the tires look nice and also a perfect fit (the 225s bulge out a bit). I have no clue about goodyear assurance but my experience with their Eagle NCT 5 (185/65R14-Baleno) and Eagle GA Plus (165/65R13-Santro) has been less than satisfactory so I would not consider them in my next purchase at all.