Team-BHP - Fiat Punto : Tyre & wheel upgrade thread

Ok guys, finally after learning it the hard way (read terrible accident), am going in for better rubber as soon as I get my car back.

I have 2 options now, incase if I have to stick to stock rims, I think ill go for 185/70 R14. And incase if I go for alloys (15" i.e.), am confused between 205/55 R15 and 195/60 R15. Which is a better bet? I drove my car with 205s and I did notice the loss in acceleration. Now FE and ride quality is not at all an issue. Am only bothered about performance, grip, breaking and handling. Which would be a better upsize? Am tempted for the 205s because of the uber looks (chunky look) it gives but a little skeptical because of the drag in the tires and loss in pickup.

And which are the best tires I can opt for? Neovas are too expensive and I really dont think my bone stock car can exploit the full potential out of them either. I have the Yokos, Michelins, Continental, Pirelli. And I remember reading somewhere about Hankook Ventus R-S2. Thats tempting me too if its available in the size I want. Guys help me with this.

OMG! I hope nothing major happened and it was only the car which was damaged.

I would suggest oyu upsize to 15" as you get a lot more variety in the correct size.

Go for 195/60R15. I know oyu said you dont care about mileage, etc, but 195/60R15 is more than enough for a stock punto. Go for the Continental CPC2. The best handler in that size. Probably only the ES100 can come close.

If you do decide to go in for 205/55R15, then you have the Michelin PP2, the Conti CPC2 and the Yoko S drives.

Ventus R-S2 is basically an Advan Neova at almost half the price and half the performance. It is decent for the price, but my personal opinion is you should still go in for a Michelin/Yoko/Conti.

Glad to know you got through your scrape safe and are looking forward. IMHO - Pirelli, Continental and Michelin are the best tyres available today.

Of these the Michelins are the most expensive while Contis and Pirellis are a little cheaper. All three brands have both comfort as well as performance ranges. The performance range from Continental are the "Contact Sport". I am using Pirelli P7s in size 195/55 R 15s and they are just awesome, great grip & handling which means good braking, neat cornering in both wet and dry.

I also use Michelin Primacy HPs and the same are good tyres but are more comfort oriented.

Cheers,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008 (Post 1535981)

Thankfully only the car was damaged and no injuries to any person. How much does R-S2 cost? Is it available in 15inch size? And how is it when compared to CPC2, Sdrives, ES100 and the michelins?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra (Post 1536166)

Isnt 195/55 R15 the wrong size? The michelins seem to be more comfort oriented amongst all the options.

Was reading through other threads and another tire added to the list, Maxxis MA-Z1.

Am in a jitter between looks and performnace. Performance being primary aspect and yes I want a good looking tread pattern too :p thats why am a little skeptical about Michelins, Conti and Pirelli, all because of the looks aspect. The Yokos, Maxxis and Hankook definetely look better. If there is a tire which promises me both, thats what I want. Dont want to compromise on the performance aspect just for looks either.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008 (Post 1536312)

Then 205/55R15 Yoko S drives or Maxxis MA Z1 is your best bet.

NO idea about the cost of the RS2s but I would stay away. Maxxis is good for the price, but I would still recommend the Yokos.

Dont go for 195/55R15. Definitely the wrong size.

So if I go for alloys, 205/55 R15 is the size ill pick over 195/60 R15. Will adjust with the drop in pickup at the cost of grip and handling. A few more questions,

1. Between S drives and ES100, which is better?
2. Is ES100 available in 205 size?
3. How much do Maxxis cost?
4. In case I stick to stock rims, can I go for 195 section tire without ballooning or I should stick to 185? What tire options do I have in this size?

Quote:

Originally Posted by furioussphinx (Post 1536311)

No one can make out the tyre / its tread pattern when the car is moving, so looks should take a secondary place unless you are putting the car on some stationary display.

Michelin has some fantastic performance (sport) tyres, the most common being the PP2s (Pilot Preceda 2), the Pilot Sport or PS2 are available in bigger rim sizes.

Cheers and happy hunting,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008 (Post 1535981)

Go for 195/60R15. I know oyu said you dont care about mileage, etc, but 195/60R15 is more than enough for a stock punto. Go for the Continental CPC2. The best handler in that size. Probably only the ES100 can come close.

If you do decide to go in for 205/55R15, then you have the Michelin PP2, the Conti CPC2 and the Yoko S drives.

There you have it then! Pick up the 205s if you want to run PP2s, pick up the CPC2s if you dont want to run 205s. :D

7j rims!

Quote:

Originally Posted by furioussphinx (Post 1536549)

tyrereviews.co.uk has some weird ratings if I go with whats mentioned on Tbhp.

Grip wise : Maxxis MA Z1 > Hankook Ventus RS2 > Michelin Primacy HP > Pirelli P7 > Yokohama Advan Neova AD07 > Goodyear Eagle F1 > Continental Sport Contact 2 > Yokohama S Drives > Michelin Pilot Preceda 2

That table is a motherlode of information. Do not look only at the "Grip Column" look at the other parameters too before deciding. Also read the actual reviews to see why the users have rated the tyres as they did. You will automatically disregard some ratings on reading the write-up, eg. you might want to disregard the ratings given by users who have given exceptionally high ratings for their first ever set of tyres contrary to what seasoned users have given.

Cheers,