Stock tyres on the Baleno

dipen · 25th November 2004, 02:56

Abt tires , anyone tried MRF ZVRS.
I think even they are pretty good

tabrez02 · 22nd December 2004, 18:01

Hi i have 14" HR Mags with 205/60 R14 ES100 Yokohama tires, amazing looks with grip. could cost u around rs 4000/tyre.

Stryker · 20th June 2005, 10:52

Hi,

My first post here. I have been "hanging" around these forums for the last couple of weeks and have taken all your advice into consideration before deciding on the purchase.

After a lot of test driving, soul-searching and arguments with wife and friends, I have decided to buy the Baleno Lxi E3 based on the posts in these forums and the car is being delivered (hopefully) this Sunday.

The car I test drove was the Baleno Vxi with stock tyres and I did not find anything wrong with the handling. As you know, the stock tyres are the 165/80/R13 Bridgestones.

Now my question. What is the problem with these tyres? I have seen many posts recommending 175, 185 or even 195 tyres on R14, but couldnt find much on what is the problem with the stock ones. Is it mainly a visual upgrade (of course with some minor performance gains)? Or does it really make sense to go for a higher tyre size?

I should add that most of my driving will be in the city with very occassional forays on the highways. To give you a fair idea, I have had a Zen LX for four years now and have driven a grand total of approx 10,000 kms. Dont laugh, please.

For this kind of driving, am I better off with the stock tyres? I can use the money saved on something else.

RJK · 20th June 2005, 11:48

If you drive fast & attack corners, then change the tyres. Otherwise don't bother if you just use the car as a means of getting from point A to B. You obviously don't drive a lot, so my suggestion would be to not bother changing tyres.

Samurai · 20th June 2005, 12:01

I bought a Baleno Lxi EIII just 2 months back. Since I bought it as a performance car, I changed the tyres to Unidirectional 195/60R14 on the day of delivery.

I have driven it in some really twisty ghat roads at pretty high speed (for those roads) and didn't experience a skid or slip even once. It just stayed glued to the road all the while. Also it adds significantly to the looks of the car. My F-I-L who was disappointed about me buying a Baleno, was very impressed when he saw it with bigger and wider alloys/tyres, his driver was drooling over the tyres.

If you don't plan to throw it around corners or do high speed driving, then you should be ok with stock tyres. It can cause quite a damage to your wallet, between 25K-30K for alloys/wheels.

Stryker · 20th June 2005, 12:03

Thanks, RJK. Yeah, my main use of the car is to get from point A to point B, in some style if I can. Comfort is uber important, performance coming second. I am planning to use the car much more from now on but I still dont see how I can exceed a few 1000 kms every year.

But exactly what will I be trading off when I retain the stock tyres? Grip? Comfort? Mileage? Better braking ability? That stuck-to-the-road feeling?

I already know that the Baleno drives so much better than my Zen, just that I'd like to be doubly sure of everything before deciding on the tyres.

arup10 · 20th June 2005, 12:03

Hi guys, even I am getting a Baleno Lxi by this weekend, and have the same dilemma reagrding the tyre upgrade.
I have been suggested to upgrade the stock tyres to 185/70 R13, which I believe will improve handling but get the FE down by about 0.5 kmpl.

So guys please suggest if i should go for a 175/70 R13 instead to get a better balance between handling and FE.
Also what will be the impact on the performance of the car?

I intend to keep the original 13" rims and don't plan to go for 14" rims or Alloys.

My running is about 30-40 Kms per day.

arup10 · 20th June 2005, 12:08

Also does anybody know how much does it cost to replace the black centre console of the Lxi model with a silver finish one.

Thanks.

Samurai · 20th June 2005, 12:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by arup10

I have been suggested to upgrade the stock tyres to 185/70 R13, which I believe will improve handling but get the FE down by about 0.5 kmpl.

If you are worried about FE difference 0.5, you shouldn't upgrade. You obviously won't push the car enough to make the upgrade worth. Therefore, stick with the stock tyres.

I still haven't bothered to find out the FE of my car even after 2 months and 3000+ on odo. I only have a very vague idea.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stryker

Thanks, RJK. Yeah, my main use of the car is to get from point A to point B, in some style if I can. Comfort is uber important, performance coming second.

Same goes for you too. If ride comfort is really important over performance, don't upgrade, save your money.

Quote:

Originally Posted by arup10

Also does anybody know how much does it cost to replace the black centre console of the Lxi model with a silver finish one.

Rs.1190 is what I paid.

Stryker · 20th June 2005, 12:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai

If you don't plan to throw it around corners or do high speed driving, then you should be ok with stock tyres. It can cause quite a damage to your wallet, between 25K-30K for alloys/wheels.

No, I am not planning on throwing it around any corner. High speed driving in the city is ruled out with traffic in BLR being what it is. So I guess I will go with the stock tyres. Thanks for the suggestions.

BTW, the dealer (Sagar Auto) quoted 14K for alloy wheels and 6K for the set of 175/R13 Bridgestone tyres, so I am on paper saving 20K.

Do you think I can put some kinda cover on the exposed wheels to slightly pretty up the looks?

arup10 · 20th June 2005, 12:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai

If you are worried about FE difference 0.5, you shouldn't upgrade. You obviously won't push the car enough to make the upgrade worth. Therefore, stick with the stock tyres.

How do you think is the option of going for 175/70 and not 185/70??
How will it affect the handling, FE and ride comfort compared to the stock tyres??

A tyre dealer is ready to exchange the stock ones for new 186/70 R13 for about Rs.2,500.

arup10 · 20th June 2005, 12:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai

I still haven't bothered to find out the FE of my car even after 2 months and 3000+ on odo. I only have a very vague idea.

Also, how much is your car giving in terms of FE?

Stryker · 20th June 2005, 13:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by arup10

A tyre dealer is ready to exchange the stock ones for new 186/70 R13 for about Rs.2,500.

2500??? For a set of 5? Or is it 2500 x 5 = 12500? That sounds either very cheap or quite expensive, depending on which one is correct.

Gurus care to comment on this? As mentioned above, I am getting a quote of 6000/- for 175/R13 (set of 5) from the dealer, on exchange basis of the unused stock tyres.

vivaid · 20th June 2005, 13:46

hi guys.. another Baleno Lxi owner chipping in.. I bought the lxi around the same time as Samurai.. have done about 5k on the odo over the past 2.5 mths .. most of this daily driving.. with just 150 km(one way) long drive... a 250 kms (one way) trip coming up this weekend (hopefully)...

coming to tyres.. i run on the stock tyres... had aslo speculated a lot like you guys on the option of switching.... but then took a decision purely based on fin reasons to defer the purchase to about 6 mths.. by when i would completed around 10 k on the odo and would also have run the car thru the mumbai monsoons.... here's my 2 cents
1) i do speeds of 100-110 at a certain stretch daily... have not had any issues here at all.. the car latches on to road very well
2) a certain flyover with superb turns that on a few good n less traffic days i take at 60-70.. havent had any slipping or loss of control issues
3) have pushed the car to 135 once.... the car only was asking for more....
4) these tyres make a hell lot of noise.. i can literally hear/feel the change of road surface... not sure whether all tyres would make such a noise...
5) the comfort factor on these tyres is good .. not one of the best tho.'' and they way i understand tyre dynamics... increasing the size would result in a decrease in profile and hence ride comfort( pls correct me if i am wrong)..

as for me.. i still intend to change tyres... but only to tubeless tyres and to change to alloy rims..

hope my experience helps u in ur decision making...

cheers

Stryker · 20th June 2005, 14:04

Ah, vivaid, just the sort of feedback I was looking for! Good to hear that the car does well at high speeds (anything above 100 is high for me) and fast turns. I think with all the feedback I have got and keeping my driving characteristics in mind, I will remain on the stock tyres.

About the noise levels, does any one else have any inputs on this? I must say I did not notice much noise while test driving when I took the car beyond 80 kmph, with the AC off and stereo muted. But then I was comparing it with the noise my Zen makes when I rev her up beyond 60 on city roads. It was fairly quiet throughout, especially on mud roads where I was moving at around 60 in the Baleno. The dealer guy sitting next to me was continuously advising me to slow down to reduce speed.

Now the problem of what to do with the extra 10K or so that I have left over after this decision...but then that is worth another thread, me thinks!

25th November 2004, 02:56	#16
dipen Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: mumbai Posts: 2,236 Thanked: 726 Times	Abt tires , anyone tried MRF ZVRS. I think even they are pretty good
	() Thanks

22nd December 2004, 18:01	#17
tabrez02 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 286 Thanked: 6 Times View My Garage	Hi i have 14" HR Mags with 205/60 R14 ES100 Yokohama tires, amazing looks with grip. could cost u around rs 4000/tyre.
	() Thanks

20th June 2005, 10:52	#18
Stryker BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 493 Thanked: 2,884 Times	Stock tyres on the Baleno Hi, My first post here. I have been "hanging" around these forums for the last couple of weeks and have taken all your advice into consideration before deciding on the purchase. After a lot of test driving, soul-searching and arguments with wife and friends, I have decided to buy the Baleno Lxi E3 based on the posts in these forums and the car is being delivered (hopefully) this Sunday. The car I test drove was the Baleno Vxi with stock tyres and I did not find anything wrong with the handling. As you know, the stock tyres are the 165/80/R13 Bridgestones. Now my question. What is the problem with these tyres? I have seen many posts recommending 175, 185 or even 195 tyres on R14, but couldnt find much on what is the problem with the stock ones. Is it mainly a visual upgrade (of course with some minor performance gains)? Or does it really make sense to go for a higher tyre size? I should add that most of my driving will be in the city with very occassional forays on the highways. To give you a fair idea, I have had a Zen LX for four years now and have driven a grand total of approx 10,000 kms. Dont laugh, please. For this kind of driving, am I better off with the stock tyres? I can use the money saved on something else.
	() Thanks

20th June 2005, 11:48	#19
RJK Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,140 Thanked: 701 Times	If you drive fast & attack corners, then change the tyres. Otherwise don't bother if you just use the car as a means of getting from point A to B. You obviously don't drive a lot, so my suggestion would be to not bother changing tyres.
	() Thanks

20th June 2005, 12:01	#20
Samurai Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore/Udupi Posts: 25,828 Thanked: 45,557 Times View My Garage	I bought a Baleno Lxi EIII just 2 months back. Since I bought it as a performance car, I changed the tyres to Unidirectional 195/60R14 on the day of delivery. I have driven it in some really twisty ghat roads at pretty high speed (for those roads) and didn't experience a skid or slip even once. It just stayed glued to the road all the while. Also it adds significantly to the looks of the car. My F-I-L who was disappointed about me buying a Baleno, was very impressed when he saw it with bigger and wider alloys/tyres, his driver was drooling over the tyres. If you don't plan to throw it around corners or do high speed driving, then you should be ok with stock tyres. It can cause quite a damage to your wallet, between 25K-30K for alloys/wheels.
	() Thanks

20th June 2005, 12:03	#21
Stryker BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 493 Thanked: 2,884 Times	Thanks, RJK. Yeah, my main use of the car is to get from point A to point B, in some style if I can. Comfort is uber important, performance coming second. I am planning to use the car much more from now on but I still dont see how I can exceed a few 1000 kms every year. But exactly what will I be trading off when I retain the stock tyres? Grip? Comfort? Mileage? Better braking ability? That stuck-to-the-road feeling? I already know that the Baleno drives so much better than my Zen, just that I'd like to be doubly sure of everything before deciding on the tyres.
	() Thanks

20th June 2005, 12:03	#22
arup10 BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 85 Thanked: 2 Times View My Garage	Hi guys, even I am getting a Baleno Lxi by this weekend, and have the same dilemma reagrding the tyre upgrade. I have been suggested to upgrade the stock tyres to 185/70 R13, which I believe will improve handling but get the FE down by about 0.5 kmpl. So guys please suggest if i should go for a 175/70 R13 instead to get a better balance between handling and FE. Also what will be the impact on the performance of the car? I intend to keep the original 13" rims and don't plan to go for 14" rims or Alloys. My running is about 30-40 Kms per day.
	() Thanks

20th June 2005, 12:08	#23
arup10 BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 85 Thanked: 2 Times View My Garage	Also does anybody know how much does it cost to replace the black centre console of the Lxi model with a silver finish one. Thanks.
	() Thanks

20th June 2005, 13:46	#29
vivaid BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 71 Thanked: 3 Times	hi guys.. another Baleno Lxi owner chipping in.. I bought the lxi around the same time as Samurai.. have done about 5k on the odo over the past 2.5 mths .. most of this daily driving.. with just 150 km(one way) long drive... a 250 kms (one way) trip coming up this weekend (hopefully)... coming to tyres.. i run on the stock tyres... had aslo speculated a lot like you guys on the option of switching.... but then took a decision purely based on fin reasons to defer the purchase to about 6 mths.. by when i would completed around 10 k on the odo and would also have run the car thru the mumbai monsoons.... here's my 2 cents 1) i do speeds of 100-110 at a certain stretch daily... have not had any issues here at all.. the car latches on to road very well 2) a certain flyover with superb turns that on a few good n less traffic days i take at 60-70.. havent had any slipping or loss of control issues 3) have pushed the car to 135 once.... the car only was asking for more.... 4) these tyres make a hell lot of noise.. i can literally hear/feel the change of road surface... not sure whether all tyres would make such a noise... 5) the comfort factor on these tyres is good .. not one of the best tho.'' and they way i understand tyre dynamics... increasing the size would result in a decrease in profile and hence ride comfort( pls correct me if i am wrong).. as for me.. i still intend to change tyres... but only to tubeless tyres and to change to alloy rims.. hope my experience helps u in ur decision making... cheers
	() Thanks

20th June 2005, 14:04	#30
Stryker BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 493 Thanked: 2,884 Times	Ah, vivaid, just the sort of feedback I was looking for! Good to hear that the car does well at high speeds (anything above 100 is high for me) and fast turns. I think with all the feedback I have got and keeping my driving characteristics in mind, I will remain on the stock tyres. About the noise levels, does any one else have any inputs on this? I must say I did not notice much noise while test driving when I took the car beyond 80 kmph, with the AC off and stereo muted. But then I was comparing it with the noise my Zen makes when I rev her up beyond 60 on city roads. It was fairly quiet throughout, especially on mud roads where I was moving at around 60 in the Baleno. The dealer guy sitting next to me was continuously advising me to slow down to reduce speed. Now the problem of what to do with the extra 10K or so that I have left over after this decision...but then that is worth another thread, me thinks!
	() Thanks