Hi all
this has probably been discussed much in the past, but given the rising cost of… well everything, tyres are my issue of the moment.
i have plenty of tread left on my 255/45/ZR17 Michelin pilot sports, but the MOT chap has pointed out that the side walls are cracked and I now need a set of 4 new boots for the XJR.

255/45/17 pilot sport are now £200 each (give or take with hours of shopping around).
my research on budget/mid range is contradictory to say the least, with most people seem to just love the tire they’ve bought, regardless of brand yet tyre reviews say how awful budgets are.

My wallet tells me I have around £400 to spend.. my Jag loving heart has an unlimited budget, but simply can’t convince my wallet to take the same attitude!

from Nankang to Landsail, Kuhmo to Goodride can anyone say definitively if any of the above are advisable or do we just steer clear, and park the Jag up and wait for mi ship to come in?

All advice most welcomed.

thanks

 

I guess you have largely answered your own question, but herewith my tuppence worth.
The various makes of budget tyre consistently fare less well in every any and all independent tests, most particularly when it comes to wet weather grip. Wet weather grip always strikes me as the most important criterion when selecting tyres, but I live somewhere with lots of rain. Maybe you don’t, in which case this may be less of an issue. Given your current tyres have aged out rather than worn out, I am guessing you don’t drive a lot or like a lunatic, so the argument against budget tyres diminishes again.
All of that said, tyres are never an area where I would take a risk, most particularly with a heavy high performance vehicle. I don’t drive as many miles these days, and my lunatic days are for the most part behind me, but I do enjoy checking out my supercharger and kick down every now and again, and worrying about tyres doesn’t seem like time well spent.
Nothing you don’t already know, and I fully understand your dilemma. Good luck with it.

 

I can tell you how I usually deal with this. Majority of budget tyres are absolutely fine and I've driven my X300 on ALL tyres from absolute chinese dog ***** to £250 per corner Continentals and Michelins. I will drive my X300 in a rather spirited way and will often push it to its limits, which is normally going on roundabouts at 40mph and although countyjag is right in saying that driving in wet is usually the way to tell the tyre quality, this rly mainly applies to absolute dog ***** chinese tyres. With these, you will basically be able to easily spin the bejesus out of the rear end even on small puddles but then you can get these for £20 on eBay so you kinda expect it and don't go too crazy.
Anything budget is in C tyre range these days and there is little difference on a daily driver between these and some super expensive tyres. Might give you slightly better grip on a track, be slightly quieter or give better mpg but it isn't anything to justify their price in my opinion.
That said, I do like the idea of fancy tyres in the same way I will often treat it to some fancy oil(although again, would usually be on offer) so what I would normally do is to look for quality part worn tyres that you can often get for £100 a pair and which are pretty much brand new. That way I will often drive with a pair of Michelins up front and a pair of Kumhos at the back.
I find Michelins too soft for the rear, so if I get them I'll normally would get them for the front only. Continentals are decent too, all round but my favourite for X300 are definitely Kumhos. At the moment though I have all new budget as I got a very good local deal on them and just couldn't say no. They are absolutely fine, whether in dry or wet. They were I think £60 each and called Runways.

PS

I find the heavy Jag much more dependable on budget tyres than my light Merc A-Class on anything but fancy tyres. Heavy means stable and Jag sticks to the road like glue and I usually need a couple days of careful driving when I switch to tiny Merc. Was the same with my old Peugeot.

 

I had an XJR/6 as a daily driver for many years and 171k miles. Tires were a big problem, for various reasons. I eventually went to 16" wheels to get a better selection of tires. Later, when I went to sell the car, I installed the original wheels but I used a different size tire. I wanna say 235/55x17? It'll be in the archives. But I was very happy with whatever choice I made; they worked great.

Anyhow I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss Kumho and some of the other less-known or less prestigious brands based on name alone. I've had some of those less-known tires and had great results. But, regardless, you need a tire that suits the car and suits your driving conditions and driving style

Cheers
DD

 

It is amazing, the variety of budget brand tires on the market these days. All of them that are for sale in the US supposedly meet the Dept of Transportation standards. They even come in summer performance versions. There is an interesting variety of tread patterns to choose from too (like choosing a pattern on a necktie). Many of the budget brands (and some majors) come from China where consistency is not always a priority.

Just as much a concern as the tires you get is the quality of the installation. There is a whole lot of downright poor quality, careless workmanship in the tire industry. Mounting, inflating, balancing and torquing seem to be real challenges for tire installers these days! These factors affect the safety of the rolling tires. My last experience had the installer put a directional tire on the car backwards, and cracking the other wheel's valve stem. And don't get me started on the various methods and attention (or lack of) given to balancing. So after you find a favorite type or name brand and tread design, keep an eye or two on the installers and make sure they do it right.

If you go to a shop for tires, you will have 3 or 4 choices that they can get for you "tomorrow". Online shopping opens up your world, but you will want to make sure you get the right specs of tire so that the installer will not refuse to mount them. Load rating is #1. Speed rating is important too (a V speed or higher is acceptable for our cars). Most shops will accept a +1 or -1 size change from factory originals according to make and model.

Don't drive too crazy, no matter what tires you choose. You are not in a Porsche. All will most likely be fine with your tire choice if you reasonably stick to the rules and give them some attention now and then. The chance of a failure under reasonable use, even of a budget tire, is a lot less than the chance of getting a nail in the tread!

Last year I wanted to buy the Cosmo Mucho-Macho tires (really!), just for the name. I ended up buying Laufenn S-fit tires. Funny name too, but they checked all my boxes, and they look and drive just fine.

 

Another thing about tire discussions and choices.....

Going by brand name alone can be a mistake. All the major manufacturers offer a variety of different tires....much like Jaguar offers a variety of different cars. It's very possible to buy a premium/prestige tire brand and end up with something totally unsuitable for your needs. I've had so many conversations where people had a bad experience and say "I'll never buy another Pirelli tire because....." and, really, there was nothing wrong with the tires. The problem was they bought (or were sold) a Pirelli tire that doesn't match their driving needs or conditions. A different model of Pirelli may have been perfect for them.

(Obviously I'm using "Pirelli" just for conversation)

Cheers
DD

 

UPDATE!!!!
So after much debate and deliberation I now have tyres on the XJR.
For the last 7 years I’ve had Michelin Pilot Sports on all corners of the car.
Grip was always great… in an odd way!
The grip is so good the car felt like it was choosing its own rout. That is to say, it told me through the steering wheel that it had found grip and is sticking to that line unless I make a deliberate alteration via the steering wheel.
I’ve read on Jag forums that this is referred to as “tramlining”, which makes sense as here in Sheffield we have tramlines and when you land in them you know about it… it doesn’t feel scary or anything, just FACTUAL.. your wheels are in the tram tracks.
This fits with my “Grip” description.
So. Now I have a set of Nankang tyres on and this has stopped entirely (enTyrely).
Not to say there’s a noticeable difference in covering or stopping… because there isn’t!!
It’s just the “tram track” effect has gone. It feels more like the Jags I used to drive :XJ40/XJs/XJ3 & 2.
Pushing it round a round about had no break in traction nor did pulling away at full throttle… the wheel spin felt just the same as the Michelins.
The car is noticeably quieter and my av MPG is now at 18.7 (only done 40 miles of town/M1 & twistys) it was at 15MPG
All in all I have to say it’s a winner with the Nankang.
They are rated the same “A wet” as Michelin and come in at a third of the cost.

Perhaps I will find fault as the miles clock up, but early indications are good!!!

 

Jack did you stay with the 255s? Some have gone with 245s, as I did with my 17x8 Lamina wheels (same size as your X306 XJR wheels). Or would the MOT chaps throw a fit if you did that?

 

Yes I did.
got 255/45/17 Nankang Tyres.
im very impressed so far!
it’s a quieter ride, better fuel economy and as much grip as my previous Pilot Sports 👍🏼