[Starfire]

Hey Guys, I will be taking delivery of my GT TSI next week. The stock set up comes with 195/55/R16.

Im planning to upgrade the tyres straight out of the showroom and was thinking of the following choices:

1) 195/55/R16 Continental MC5
2) 205/50/R16 Michelin PS4

It would be really great if you fellow Bhpians here could kindly state the pros and con's of each Tyre/Size . My preference for a tyre is in the following decending order:

>Grip.
>Comfort.
>Tyre noise.
>Tyre life.

[Aston Singh]

Originally Posted by Starfire

1) 195/55/R16 Continental MC5
2) 205/50/R16 Michelin PS4

I personally feel the 205 section is not needed for a stock GT TSI even though PS4 is a great tyre. It's definitely a step ahead of the MC5 or P3ST for that matter.

195 is more than enough for grip. I am personally using Michelin P3STs (195/60R15). Sufficient grip, great comfort and reduced noise levels. People usually opt for either the P3STs or the MC5. I would request you to check out their respective threads and decide accordingly.

Another tyre I would suggest you check out is the MRF Perfinza. Nikhil from our forum is using those on his Octavia vRS and he's a happy camper. Again, please check the respective thread for more details.

Hope this helps.

[rageshgr]

Originally Posted by Starfire

Hey Guys, I will be taking delivery of my GT TSI next week. The stock set up comes with 195/55/R16.

Im planning to upgrade the tyres straight out of the showroom and was thinking of the following choices:

1) 195/55/R16 Continental MC5
2) 205/50/R16 Michelin PS4

It would be really great if you fellow Bhpians here could kindly state the pros and con's of each Tyre/Size . My preference for a tyre is in the following decending order:

>Grip.
>Comfort.
>Tyre noise.
>Tyre life.

The PS4 is in a different class than the MC5. It is an aspirational tyre for the sub 10 lac market. But unless you are planning do some.performance upgrades soon, 205 section is not warranted on the stock GT TSI. 195 section is very good for.this car.

[rageshgr]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Swapped out the Apollo Alnacs for 195/60/15 Michelin P3STs on my 17K run Polo GT TSI. The Michelins are simply outstanding. The Alnacs were good for the first 10K kms. Almost Michelinesque in their behavour. But offtlate they had become too noisy and the outer grooves had worn out a bit unevenly. As it is the Polo has poor brakes, I did not want to compromise safety further by having tyres with poor grip. Keeping 28~ PSI for the city really is giving me a magic carpet ride.

Hi Santosh, good to know! I am considering the P3STs as well. How is the high speed manners and handling? I am currently running 195/55 Yoko S Drives.

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by rageshgr

Hi Santosh, good to know! I am considering the P3STs as well. How is the high speed manners and handling? I am currently running 195/55 Yoko S Drives.

Hi Ragesh. P3ST is a very good tyre. It's got a premium feel to it. The rubber is nice and soft and it is typically Michelin in the way it rides with low noise etc..

In terms high speed grip it is quite good as well. Only downside I can think of is that the tyre, being comfort oriented, does not deliver that sporty feel that out and out sporty tyres like the S drives do. Steering feedback may not be as sharp as the S drives'. But overall its a far better tyre and a very accomplished product. You can go for them eyes closed.

[docsinghal]

I just purchased Momo Quantum 16 inch alloy wheels for my Polo GT.
I am keen on getting tires with 205/50 profile.

I am not too sure about the performance of Michelin PS4 on bad roads.

The MOMO dealer is suggesting the Yokohama Earth1 tires that are available in the same size.

Does anyone have any experience with these tires?

I am not inclined to buy the MC5s in 205/55 profile as they might scrap the car.

I wish Continental had 205/50 size in MC5s.

Please advise!

[thiagust]

Hi Guys.

I have a 2013 GT TSI which has done 37K Kms and went for a yearly service yesterday.The tyres on my car is 195/55 R15 Continental which I changed on the very day of the car delivery in 2013. The service advisor has suggested me to change the tyres in another 4-5 Kms max. I have been thinking of moving to 205/55 R15 which is the least deviation from the stock which was 185/60 R15. Need your inputs or if you can point to any other link would be really helpful.

[d_himan]

So, my stock Apollo Alnacs 185/60 R15s became really hard. I must say, the first 10,000 km were quite good. I had very low running for almost 9 months (~10 km on a weekend drive) and that basically ruined the tyre. I also have Bilstein B6s.

2. My initial plan was to upgrade to Portago alloys. After a futile search, thought of retaining the stock alloys and upsizing to 195/60 R15s. Did not want 205s.

3.Took a quick spin a 9 year old Honda city which had newly installed Perfinzas and was floored. So, went to the nearest MRF exclusive dealer and put them in. I’ve always upgraded to Michelins/Continentals in my earlier cars and was waiting for Michelin P4 ST, so the TD was basically that good!

4. First experiences –
a. I’m blown away by pothole handling. A real ‘wow’ factor, given the state of roads in Bombay. Expansion joints thuds beautifully suppressed.
b. The drive is very premium – that same fluidity Michelins give – very low noise, very smooth, great ride quality, good braking etc.
c. There is a slight sidewall flex in hard cornering/extreme directional changes (with B6s, this style becomes a way of life), similar to Michelin P3STs. A shortcoming for sure for keen drivers with capable suspension set ups. But if you want comfort in a daily drive, it may be a compromise worth making.

In all, I think exceptional value for money. Will update the thread in case I discover anything further.

[#ish]

Guys,

So my 2015 Polo GT TSI (Apollo Alnac 185/60/15) needs new set of tyres.

Although the stock ones have run only 40k so far but the number of punctures etc have risen over the past six months and I think it is time to buy new tyres.

I have read every single post on this thread and have decided to go for 195/60/15. My current choice is Continental MC5.

I had one question.

At this point in time I am looking for superior ride comfort and minimum noise.

Could you please advise which is the best tyre in the specification I am looking for?

Would be grateful if Mumbai people could suggest best place to buy the tyre from.

On a side note, do you guys think old tyres are worth something or do I have to give them up as a write-off?

[sephiroth]

Guys, my 2015 GT TDI had done about 3.5 years and 49k on the stock 185/60 R15 Apollo Alnacs. I've been lucky to have not faced a single incident or puncture on these. I'm now looking for a change in the stock size. Have heard good reviews about Yoko Earth 1s. To add some confusion to the mix, the Pune VW dealer mentioned that the company has started offering the Pirelli P6 in this stock size.

Although going the VW dealer route is gonna be a bit more expensive, is it worth considering the Pirelli's? While an extra 2k is not a major concern, my concerns are whether they will be Indian roads capable and also whether I'll have to solely rely on VW for a replacement if needed. The P6 in this size is not available at a few independent dealers I checked with.

Quite confused between the Pirelli's, Yoko Earth 1 or going back to Alnacs which have served me well. I'd prefer one that gives me good grip and another 40k+ incident free kms with low noise being a good to have. Any suggestions/insights appreciated. I do not see too many posts with reviews of the Pirelli P6.

On a side note, considering my spare has never been used, should I consider changing it as well?

[roby_dk]

Best tyres for GT TSI? Looking for best comfort and grip without any modifications. My car has done just over 100km, will the tyres be considered as new.

[ashwin489]

Recently upgraded from MRF ZVTV 195/55/R16 to Conti MC5 of the same size on my GT.

While braking has become noticeably better, the ride is harsh on bad roads, speedbreakers and potholes, when compared to the stock MRFs.

All the experts and the tyre shop guy find it strange, as Contis are supposed to have a softer compound compared to the MRFs.

My theory is that the MRFs had a softer sidewall, which added a bit of cushion on bad roads. However, with the Contis' stiffer sidewalls, the suspension does more work on bad roads, resulting in a harsher ride.

Does that make sense? I am asking, because I'd like to switch a tyre that offers comfort similar to the stock experience.

If that theory does make sense, which specific tyres should I consider?

Which among Yokohama BluEarth, Yokohama Earth-1 and Michelin XM2 has the softest sidewall?

[roby_dk]

Originally Posted by roby_dk

Best tyres for GT TSI? Looking for best comfort and grip without any modifications. My car has done just over 100km, will the tyres be considered as new.

Quoting my post, I have switched from stock MRF 195/55 R16 rubber to Pirelli Cinturato P7 205/55 R16. There is a big difference in braking and cornering, might be due to the wider stance but the ride quality has improved considerably, specially on broken/uneven road. I must say the minor undulations which I was experiencing with MRF's is gone.

[ashwin489]

Originally Posted by roby_dk

I have switched from stock MRF 195/55 R16 rubber to Pirelli Cinturato P7 205/55 R16. the ride quality has improved considerably, specially on broken/uneven road.

I must say the minor undulations which I was experiencing with MRF's is gone.

Good to hear that. What PSI did you maintain with the MRFs?

[roby_dk]

Originally Posted by ashwin489

Good to hear that. What PSI did you maintain with the MRFs?

I made it 30 psi at fuel bunk when I did the first tankful after taking delivery. I hardly drove it around 140kms on stock tyres. I replaced them as I don't like the MRF's at all, having experienced them on my other car Endeavour. I wish I could have replaced them after I took took delivery. Planning to get rid of them soon, currently at 26k and will try to change them after 35-40k.