Quiet Tyres

[guest164]

I thought I'd share my findings about tyres for the 2005, and on, Jazz 1.4SE CVT-7.

My previous Jazz CVT-7, a 2003 year model, with it steel wheels, had more sidewall height than the 185/55 lower profile tyres that comes with the standard fit alloys of the 2005- Jazz 1.4 SE and Sport models.

The first thing I noticed on driving my new brand new Jazz was just how much road noise there was compared with the older one. Since pretty much all the mechanicals were the same I figured that the noise must be as a result of the factory-fit Potenza sports tyres.

Thanks to the gentle power transfer of the CVT, my Potenza's lasted a very noisy 35,000 miles. And when it came time to change I went about finding a quieter tyre.

This was tougher than I first thought - the tyre size 185/55R15 is a size that seems to be all about sportiness. That would be fine if I had that sort of driving style but I don't! I wanted something whisper quiet, something with low rolling resistance, adaquate grip in summer and winter and could cope with rain and sun. In short I was looking for the perfect tyre!

After much searching I found exactly what I was looking for in Yokohama's C.Drive. I bought four tyres and got them fitted outside my work by the guys at Etyres.com. When I jumped in the car I didn't quite know what to expect....

Driving the 50 mile commute home over various tarmac qualities was a revelation! It was just like my old 2003 Jazz. Quiet, refined and the ride quality was indistinguishable from the Potenza's, no sloppy cornering, good water dispersal in the wet. I was amazed, and of course very happy. The extra 2 mpg I seemed to be getting, and still get, didn't hurt either!

So 37,000 miles later how do they sound, how are they lasting? Well my back tyres are about 5,000 miles off replacement and my front ones were replaced (for more C.Drives) 5,000 miles ago. So my fronts lasted 32,000 miles and my backs will have lasted 42,000 miles if all goes as it seems to be.

In summary if you're not a wild driver and like quiet driving then I don't think you'd be disappointed by the C.Drive. If anyone has any other quiet tyre experiences I'd love to hear.

Cheero fellow Jazz-type people

[guest684]

Factory supplied Bridgestone Potenza's : Good in the dry with good steering feel however, slippery in the wet, expensive for the performance they provide and can be noisy inside the cabin.

After much research swapped them for Uniroyal Rallye 550's.  A marked improvement in all areas accept steering feel which is ever so slightly down.  Also the ride comfort has improved significantly too, as has rolling resistance as I notice my weekly tank of fuel has been lasting eight/nine days which is more than the previously usual seven/eight days!

Reviews:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Uniroyal/Rallye-550.htm
http://www.tyretest.com/pkw_sommerreifen/uniroyal/rallye_550/index.html
http://www.which.co.uk/reviews/car-tyres/uniroyal-rallye-550--205-55r16v-/test-results

[RichardA]

Factory supplied Bridgestone Potenza's : Good in the dry with good steering feel however, slippery in the wet,

Glad to here I'm not alone in thinking that. I've noticed a marked difference in the wet.

[guest684]

Further (quote taken from an email rcvd):

hi

I read your interesting thread about Quiet Tyres

If you don't mind me asking, where did u buy your tyres and how much did they cost?   They seem to be quite difficult to get hold of.

Did u go for V or H rated tyres?

Tyre noise and harsh ride are two issues I have with my Jazz.

How would u best describe the ride as being better as this is always a subjective thing?

cheers

I found a dealer by using the dealer locator on Uniroyals website (right hand side of the page):  http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/uk/en/uniroyal/automobile/themes/02_products/products_en.html

Alternatively there is a service provided by tyresite.com (-I haven't used it so I couldn't recommend it).


The place I found using the dealer locator provided me with a complete set of four tyres for £270 fitted.

The tyres are H rated.


As for the ride:  Less raw is probably the best way to describe the difference!  -If you imagine the Honda advert with the choir mimicking road noise, well that experience has been suppressed quite a lot, so you don't really notice the variations of surface types you drive over as with the Potenzas unless you pay attention to it.  The drive is quieter.  (Honda add: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gjyWP2LfbyQ)

There is also greater physical road insulation from the tyres ie. vibrations and holes in the road are certainly not so much of an issue, although you can still feel what the road is doing when pushing hard, and breakaway is controlled.

-Don't get me wrong; this tyre won't make your Jazz's ride like that of a Rolls(!) and my Potenzas were worn quite a lot before changing to these new tyres (so you would expect a difference with thicker rubber) but after 800 miles the tyres are looking good and there certainly is a marked improvement as described.

One key benefit to reiterate is the significant increase in grip and confidence in the wet.  That is a big difference.


(If you fancy a giggle:  http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xDnVhu_mxvE&NR=1)

[guest684]

Just wanted to add the tyres have reached over 2000 miles and are doing better than ever, in particular a drive back from Gatwick to Twickenham through deep snow on Monday 2nd Feb '09 at 02:00am was incredible:  Many cars falling at the side of the road (particularly BMW's!), but my little Jazz had all the grip and cruised right through the deepest of snow!!!  Amazing.

PS.  Look at that face (my member image on the left).  It's a face Nick Park could have created for one of his animated productions!

[bill888]

UniRoyal Rallye 550 tyres have been discontinued.

[guest436]

The Michelins on my Civic have held up well. I'm due for some replacements which I have to get as the VW dealer was taking the mickey when I tried to trade my 2006 Civic for a Scirocco (that's a different story...)

[culzean]

Have found that Michelin Energy tyres are hard to beat for a good combination of quiet running, pretty good wet / dry grip and a fairly long life - they have very supply sidewalls which also help with the stiff suspension setup that the Jazz is famous (notorious?) for.  They have a good 'progressive' feel to their grip - ie they are fairly predictable, they may start to lose grip before other (softer compound) tyres, but don't hang in there just a little bit longer and then suddenly break away - which is very hard to deal with.

I have them on my present Jazz and they made a huge difference to the road noise on my previous Civic.

[bill888]

UniRoyal Rallye 550 tyres have been discontinued.  Comment deleted.

[culzean]

Just had four new 'Michelin Energy Saver' tyres fitted and they seem even quieter than the 'Michelin Energy' I had before (Yup - they changed the name already, perhaps to give them a 'greener' image, look out soon for new Michelin 'low carbon footprint' tyres)  - they are 'normal' profile 175 /65 R14 and the steering is sharp, the road noise very muted and road bumps just produce a very muffled 'thump'.  The ride  also feels more comfortable.

[JazzyB]

New tyres will always be quieter, grip the road better and steer better because as the tyre gets older it 'hardens' to a certain extent, thus not being as good as a new one.

[culzean]

Forgot to mention - I rang around a few tyre suppliers and my local ATS Euromaster gave me the best price on Michelin Energy savers, 20% discount for 2 tyres or 30% for 4 (a saving of about £16 per tyre on 4) which meant I paid just over £50 per tyre including fitting and balancing.

[guest593]

I have just replaced my two front Bridgestone Potenzas with Uniroyal Rainsport 2 and althouth it's only been a few days I have noticed that they're quietier than Bridgestone Potenzas. They are also cheaper at £50 a corner.
Its to early to say if they are as good in the rain  as they claim they are but can't seem them being any worse than Bridgestone Potenzas.


Link to review http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Uniroyal/Rainsport-2.htm

[RichardA]

On Monday I drove on the concrete section of the M25 in Surrey for the first time since having two new Continetal PremiumContact 2 tyres fitted to the front. The difference in road noise over the Bridgestones is staggering. Much quieter and better handling in the wet.