[Adriaan]

Hi guys,

I'm new to the forum. Got myself a 2005 RR a month ago and since the winter is ending I need some new tires. I live in Estonia (Northern Europe) so I use winter tires in winter. Most of my driving is on road, however I do not like to look like a fool getting stuck on a wet grass field and avoid situations like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ShJZnH3flQ

So I need an decent on-road tire that is good enough off road. My choices in Estonia are very limited and therefore I need some help. Believe me I have read all the posts on the forum, googled for ages, read reviews on tirerack.com etc, but still cannot decide. See the link below for the choices I have here.

http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?s ... o_Seite=20

The site is in Estonian, but I think it is easy to recognize the brand and type of tires.

All responses are highly appreciated.

Adriaan

 

[vinniman]

Adriaan.

From your predicament, the relevant tyre brands and sizes I noticed were all 19" versions and this is a major stumbling block !

There are very few 19" tyres available in an All-Terrain package which appears to be what your summer driving style requires ?

As I suggested to 'Carter' earlier this evening, selecting another set of second hand 18" OEM rims is the safest solution to your problem and then the choice of appropriate rubber to meet your needs is significantly better and you will not be disappointed.

Cheerio,


Vinniman
'88 Highline
Perth, W.A.

 

[texige]

My situation is even worse. My 09 came stock with 20s and I am a 90%/10% driver but the tread pattern on the stock Conti's absolutely stink off road. I don't off road enough to be switching wheels. If anyone knows of a decent tire that fits the factory 20s, let me know.

 

[rfdiii]

I've read good things about the Yokohama Parada Spec-X and it comes in the stock 20" size.

You can save a few bucks per tire by going to a 265/50 @ $142 each instead of the 255/50 @ $150 (based on what I've seen at tirerack) and the ride may be a little better (a bit more sidewall).

 

[bgsntth]

Nitto offers the TerraGrappler in a 265\50-20, and it is only a half-inch bigger than OE (i.e., 30.5"). If you go up to a 275\55-20 (32"), there are quiet a few AT tires; but fit may be an issue. Of these I like the Yoko A\T-S and the Pirelli ATR. I have had both tires, and they are both excellent, though the Yoko would be my first pick.

 

[Adriaan]

I got an offer for some continentals cross contact UHP 265/55/19, however I have read that these are crap offroad. Can anybody confirm? I used a tire calculator (http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html) to verify the increase in diameter and I suppose that a 1.4% difference is not a big issue. Can anybody recommend this tire? I just replace aftermarket 19" with OEM 19" wheels. The aftermarket (MAK Canyon) have the wrong offset (ET35) which leads to rubbing (even cutting in the tire). So buying another 18" set of wheels would mean I can open my own shop in selling used rims.

 

[bgsntth]

The Conti's are a high-performance Summer tire. If you are thinking of 19's, look at the 255/55-19 Pirelli ATR.

 

[rfdiii]

I've got the Continentals and would say that they seem more of a road-only tire, although they've done OK in the ice and snow. Not great, but OK... My FFRR came with the Continentals on the 20" wheel.

The Nokian WR G2 SUV is an excellent year-round tire that works well in winter conditions and is good on the highway (even though it is shown as a winter tire). I have the Nokian WR SUV tires (no longer made?) mounted on a Volvo XC70 (wife's car) that have been excellent tires -- great traction in all conditions, comfortable ride, and not loud. I would generally recommend the Nokian brand, although the "Z SUV" tires look much more like a summer-only tire.

The Toyo Open Country is a pretty good tire and may be the most aggressive all-season type tire in your list of tires. I've heard good things about Toyos here in the States.

 

[CMoore05]

My 275 55 20's fit great on mine!