Need new tyres - again!

[sedlar]

Hi guys!
I will be due for another set of tyres for my '07 159ti.  Currently have the Pirelli Pzero Neros 235/40 ZR19's, but they're so expensive and I only got 30,000klms out of the first set.  Are there any other comparables with the same load and speed index?  The local Alfa dealer wants $650 per tyre!  I'm out in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.  Anyone recommend any service centres other than Alfa out this way?  Thanks guys. Mick

[Paul Gulliver]

Mick,

I just had the same issue  earlier this week with my 2006 159 JTS . I already had 2 new  Pirelli P zero Neros 235/40 ZR19's from a previous 159 owner  ( thank you Nigel Catchlove in Yass). I got the other 2 from Bob Jane in Box Hill for $460 each which i thought was reasonably  pricey.

I think if i was getting 4 new tyres i might be looking at some Toyo Proxes. I have these as the road tyres or my Alfetta GTV road / track car and use them for wet track days and have been very happy with them . Great wet weather performance & well priced.

By the way I purchased  the same set  of Pirelli's last time around from Bob Jane in Box Hill so they had the records. Current set lasted 3 years & 44,000 klms with a mixture of city & touring driving. 3 years ago it was about $1500 for 4 tyres . Bob Jane also said Pirelli's  had gone up about 20% this year which i found a bit amusing given what the Aus dollar has done over the same period . ( couldn't be bothered arguing.)

If you really want to upset yourself see what these tyres cost in the US ( have a look  at tire rack  site in the US) . It will only make you cry.


cheers

Gully       

[shiny_car]

30K km is pretty good for a high performance tyre. Our 159TI Q4 has Continental ContiSportContact3 tyres, and we will likewise probably get 30K from them; currently 28K and running low on the inner edges.

I will stick with CSC3 tyres. Both PZero and CSC3 are OE fitment. I will be buying from tirerack.com too; I have bought from them before. If buying 4 tyres, it will be over A$1000, so enquire about buying 2 tyres at a time, sent separately. Tirerack are used to this procedure; it will avoid import duties and GST if you keep each 'parcel' under A$1K. Of course, you pay a little more for shipping to have 2 separate parcels sent, but that will be less than the cost of duties and GST.

I have Toyo Proxes4 on my 3.2 GT. Definitely a good value tyre: good grip, good wear, very comfortable. Only minor downside is tyre noise; not bad, but a little more than the Bridgestone RE050 that were OE spec.

[alfagtv100 (Biggus)]

I enquired about tyres for my 159 a few weeks ago.  The guy said the only options are the Pirelli and Continentals mentioned in the above posts.  Apparently, our cars take and "odd size".
I have not checked this out with anyone else yet.
Cheers,
Marco.

[shiny_car]

Probably true. When you check tirerack.com - who sell all the major brands - they only list Conti and Pirelli that meet load index requirements. Bridgestone and Yoko make the size, but LI are too low (92; though, I don't know the requirement for the 2.2JTS models).

[sedlar]

Thanks, appreciate the direction.  Might give the Continentals a try next time round.
And is it true that we should only use Selenia in the 159? Oil & filter change is generally $150 (figure taken from Lance Dixon service invoice)

[shiny_car]

I was at Lance Dixon today. I noticed the Series 3 159Ti's have Bridgestone RE050A tyres fitted, in the same 235/40R19 size. So this is obviously another option, though possibly no cheaper.

I gave one of the cars a drive, and can say that the ride comfort on the RE050A was not obviously different to the Conti CSC3. Basically, comfortable.

[bix]

I found the RE50A's a lot noisier than Adrenalin RE001's on my 156 (17inch). Just my 2 cents.