As some of you know, I had an issue with the tires on the 2010 XK I just bought. It seems someone at the dealer put a set of 2007, old and unsafe tires on the car before shipping it to me. The two front tires both had bubbles in the sidewalls and one of the rear tires had the tread beginning to separate on the sidewall. My angry email to the dealership asking for the owner of the dealership's contact info was answered by a call from the used car manager saying it was a "mix up" and that the previous owner had two sets of tires, winter and summer. They "inadvertently" put the wrong ones on. At the time he called, the car was already at the tire shop having a new set of Hankook Ventus V12s installed. He then agree to pay for the new tires. So, I guess all's well that ends well. But the thought of a possible blow out at highway speed because of a dealer's "mistake" still bothers me. At any rate, I did ask the tire shop folks how they knew the tires were 2007s? Maybe you all know this but I didn't. In the DOT code on tires, the manufacture date is the last four numbers. For example the 0307 on my tires meant that they were made in the third week of 2007. He also said tires, even with plenty of tread left, should probably be replaced after 6 years. Who knew?

 

How's the ride with the Hankook Ventus V12s? I am having them installed on my XKR on Dec 3rd, along with new wheels. I have had the Hankook Ventus V12 Evo K110 in the past, but first time on the XKR. Are your's 19"s or 20"s?

 

I had them on my 01 XK8, '07 XK and now the '10. I like the tires. They seem to grip well, wear Ok and they're very reasonably priced. Not sure about an XKR but for the XKs they're a good tire.

 

When your 91 years old and own a supercharged Jaguar XKR you have a tendency to drive SLOOOOOOOW.

 

The one thing I learned from all this, other than never trust a used car manager, is that you can tell the age of a tire by the DOT stamp. I never knew that.

 

So good to know.....I am going to check my tire year today.

Thanks

 

Chazaroo: How were the Hankooks in the noise dept? Did they wear evening across the fronts? Jaguar told me that the XKs tend to wear on the insides of the fronts.(negative camber). I was considering the Michelin Pilot Super Sports but they are fairly expensive.

 

I've had good luck with the Hankooks. I just replaced the beat up Pliots on my 2010 a couple days ago and it's too soon to tell how they'll do, as it takes about 500 miles of driving before they are broken in. They aren't bad in the noise department and they wore well on my '01 XK8 and 07 XK. And you can't beat the price. You can get them from Tire Rack. A set of four there is $770 plus shipping.

 

I replaced my Michelin Pilots about a year ago with the Hankook Ventus V12 Evos. The Michelins were only 2/3 worn out, but they had lost a lot of their grip particularly when accelerating from a dead stop. I really disliked them, so when a local dealer had a sale on Hankooks I decided to take advantage of it and try out the V12 Evos. I had previously read the user reviews on TireRack.com and thought they were a much less costly alternative to the Michelins. Sure, the Michelin Pilot SS is a better tire, but I didn't think it was worth the extra cost since I don't drive anywhere near the edge. Bottom line is I'm glad I bought the V12 Evos since I'm pleased with the ride quality, turn in, and balance. Overall, a great tire for the money and the way I drive.

 

I agree, particularly at $770 for a set of four at Tire Rack. Can't go wrong for that price...plus, cool tread design.

 

Did you have an independent shop install them for you or Jaguar? I would assume Jaguar would charge the most. My only concern is damaging the rims.

 

I used Highway Tire in Palm City, FL. Any good tire place will know how to install without damaging the rims.

 

Any tire installer can damage a rim. Whoever you use to do the installation make sure you tell them before they begin work that you will hold them responsible for any rim damage. Before the old tires are dismounted, inspect each rim with the installation manager and note any damage and take cellphone pictures of each rim. Odds are that the shop will put their best technician on your job. When the installation is completed, inspect each wheel with the manager before you leave the premises.

I bought mine from the local Discount Tire shop, who installed them with rebuilt TPMS sensors and lifetime balance. No rim damage. I haven't had them rebalanced since they are still smooth with no vibration. Why did I buy the V12 Evos? Simple - highly rated and a better value than the Michelins, in my opinion.

Discount Tire is the local retail outlet for DiscountTireDirect.com. See this link for current pricing on 20" sets, staggered F&R: Tire Products by Vehicle - Discount Tire Direct

Current Pricing: The DiscountTireDirect.com website has the 20" Hankook Ventus V12 Evo for $162 (front) and $220 (rear), compared to the 20" Michelin Pilot Super Sport for $299 (front) and $340 (rear). Prices do not include installation, road hazard, etc. Check with your local Discount Tire store for installation, etc. costs.

Total cost (tires only):
Michelin Pilot SS: $1,278
Hankook V12 Evo: $764
Savings $ 514

With the savings, I can buy 2/3 of a set of new V12 Evos!

 

Stuart S....Good suggestion about taking pictures beforehand. I was thinking of getting new tires due to the noisey OEM Dunlops I now have on. I just measured front and rear and I have close to 7 32nds still left on the tires. I might be a little hasty in going for new tires right now and may wait to see how annoying the noise is. Highway is fine, while slowing down in city gets the road whine. Even though the price sounds great for the Hankooks and they are an excellent value, knowing me, I'm leaning towards the Pilot Super Sports due to the great ratings and the very little amount of driving I do.(6,000 miles per year) I spoke with a tire rep at tirerack today and he thought the Super Sports would be the quietest of the tires available if the price was not a factor. I'll probably need new tires every 1 1/2 to 2 years. It's the price of owning a Jaguar.

 

For a paltry $150 more you could be riding on S-04s.... Penny wise, pound foolish if you ask me...

 

Boca:

Just put the Hankook Ventus V12 evo K110's on my car last week. Also did through Discount Tire here in Las Cruces, NM . I will drive the Jag about 5000 to 6000 miles per year also. Doing my research and past use of the Hankook brand on my Formula race cars, it is a great value with high ratings. The only tire in the comparative ratings that beat the Hankook was the Dunlop, with the Hankook #2.

My recommendation is BUY THE HANKOOKs and save the balance to do other things to your car, like the clear bra covering.

 

I tried a set of hankook ventus v12's on my Porsche 911 turbo and they were very bad. Not worth the money saved. However, they might perform better on the jag as the handling is probably not as sensitive as the Porsches. My next set of tires will be Michelin PSS when my Pirelli's are done

 

The Pilot Super Sports will also be my next tire. I can hardly wait!

Good tires can make a huge difference in performance. A tire is something I will never compromise on.

 

When I bought the Hankook Ventus V12 Evos I wasn't sure that they would meet my expectations. But after over 4,000 miles, I knew that I made a good choice, and it wasn't a compromise. They are perfect for my 2009 XKR and the way I drive. They have much better grip than the previous Michelins and are a bargain compared to Michelin Pilot Super Sports.

I can afford to buy any tire on the market and decided to buy the Hankook V12Evos. Saving money is not a compromise; it is a prudent, informed choice.

Another reason I decided to try the Hankook Ventus V12 Evos is because I was very unhappy with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus tires on my Lexus LS460. With less than 5,000 miles on them, the edges on all 4 tires were shredding, as if you took a potato peeler and sliced along the outsides. Alignment and tire pressures were perfect. Michelin admitted that the triple-compound they used was defective and replaced all 4 tires under warranty with the Pilot HX MXM4 A/S. This also happened to XK owners. See: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...hunking-82025/

If my car had 540RWHP and I drove at or near the limits, then I might buy the Michelin Pilot Super Sports.

 

Glad you are happy with your choice, I'm not knocking it at all...Especially if you don't push your car hard then you probably don't need an ultra-high performance tire.

And you did save $514 which is great.

But consider this, if you own the tires for even 2 years...that is $257 per year saved...or $21.41 a month. 3 years and its around $14 a month. That's about 4 gallons of gas worth. It's just minuscule.

So I'm just saying if you plan to put the power down and run a car hard even occasionally, I personally don't want to compromise. In my opinion it isn't worth saving the $21 or $14 a month for a less grippy tire.

Of course, your mileage may vary...as well as your driving habits.

Best regards.