Nankang tyres- issue

[sgregory124]

I know my experience in this instance hasn't been a good one. But wow!!!

Everybody seems extra negative about this brand without actually trying them out..... And the word Budget is used a lot, what does that actually mean?? what basis does a tyre become a "budget" tyre?

If the tyre costs similar to what people deem as "premium" brand tyre.. is it still a budget tyre? And what makes a premium brand tyre a premium? price alone??

After all people could class Mercedes as a "premium" brand yet mercedes have resorted to using Renault engines in some vehicles.. Premium brand with a budget engine?? is that right???

I think a budget tyre could be classed as any brand that isn't Michelin, Goodyear, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Yokohama or Continental. They would be my top tier 'Premium' brands, followed by the mid-range like Kuhmo, Uniroyal, Falcon et al in the tier below. Finally, your budget tyres like Nankang, would be below that.

My definition of a 'Premium' tyre is a tyre from a manufacturer who has experience on the racetrack as well as the road, as all the first set of manufacturers I listed above have. Their research and subsequent knowledge of the materials, construction etc is invaluable and in my opinion and more than warrants them charging more for their products.

I don't know what you paid for the Nankang's, but if it was more than £100 per tyre, they most definitely aren't in the same bracket as a premium brand. To give you an idea, I replaced all 4 of the tyres on my C63S last year with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S's and I paid £793. Yes, I have a different car to you so the spec of the tyres is different but, the 4S is widely regarded as one of the best performing tyres for my car so I was happy to pay that kind of money.

If i'd have put Nankang's on there I suspect the car would have destroyed them in < 5000 miles based on their poorer construction and their unsuitability for anything other than 'normal' cars.

 

[Tuercas viejas]

Yes I think they are very dangerous,the problem in this country is there is no route for people to get a major company to accept that they have to do anything about this problem and others like it,you would think there should be a contactable agency that would progress problems like this.
We all know that in the US people who own Mercedes always get a better deal when there is a problem,we need a mechanism like they have to get ordinary people a result against the big companies.

Yes its called class action lawsuit .
And the best in recent years was Ford, Bridgestone & Goodyear and the product called the Ford Explorer or what the trade by euphuism called "exploder"!
The tyres being defective together with design/GVW's shortcomings resulted in deaths and serious injurers by the scores.
Ford threw the tyre manufactures under the bus in court and successfully blamed them not the vehicle.
Tuercas viejas

 

[Tonygw]

I think a budget tyre could be classed as any brand that isn't Michelin, Goodyear, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Yokohama or Continental. They would be my top tier 'Premium' brands, followed by the mid-range like Kuhmo, Uniroyal, Falcon et al in the tier below. Finally, your budget tyres like Nankang, would be below that.

My definition of a 'Premium' tyre is a tyre from a manufacturer who has experience on the racetrack as well as the road, as all the first set of manufacturers I listed above have. Their research and subsequent knowledge of the materials, construction etc is invaluable and in my opinion and more than warrants them charging more for their products.

I don't know what you paid for the Nankang's, but if it was more than £100 per tyre, they most definitely aren't in the same bracket as a premium brand. To give you an idea, I replaced all 4 of the tyres on my C63S last year with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S's and I paid £793. Yes, I have a different car to you so the spec of the tyres is different but, the 4S is widely regarded as one of the best performing tyres for my car so I was happy to pay that kind of money.

If i'd have put Nankang's on there I suspect the car would have destroyed them in < 5000 miles based on their poorer construction and their unsuitability for anything other than 'normal' cars.

That's kind of my point, They are widely used in motor sport they have been around since the 60's so have plenty of experience, and I see the use of the word budget again?
Tyres are a personal thing for sure. But i dont see how Nankang can be classed as budget? They make race tyres / road tyres/ commercial etc but I would guess they don't have the financial clout to get the PR of the larger companies Like Michelin and Pirelli do. Hence they are a lesser know brand.

But the general opinion on the internet is that nobody would touch them.. yet nobody seems to have even tried them...or has any scientific information to back up their statements.. of how "apparently" rubbish they are.

I have tried them, and found them to be comparable to the better know brands.. in all conditions.

But each to their own of course. If the internet says they are bad.. they must be ... LOL

 

[Fastcar155]

Hi , tyres are expensive. My cars preferred tyres are the Conti 5p MO

On my Mercedes C207/E400 they are superb but psi is important but on other cars the benefits may not show up.

In reality it you buy new tyres we are talking about the price difference between a budget and premium tyre.

I could save £250 for a set of tyres but will they budget tyre perform as well as a premium tyre , they won't.

I say this as as an ex car test driver who has driven many tyre / car combinations over the years.

 

[SpikyMikey]

Think a Nangkang is bad? When I bought my S204, the dealer had fitted 2 brand-spanking new rear tyres from that well known premium brand 'Wideway'. On a wet road, every application of welly to get out of a junction or onto a roundabout a bit smartish had the TC light flashing like a 70's disco - this in a C180 which won't exactly rip your face off with acceleration G-Forces.
After a week, they went in the bin and a set of 4 Goodyear Eagle F1's went on.

 

[mioba]

I onced asked a tyre place whats the difference between budget and premium, his answer was rather blunt, its the quality (you get what you pay for) and its what keeps you to the road.

I dont think it should percieved as negativity, just the blatant truth from experienced people.

Comparing this now to engines is comparing apples and pears, Mercedes history has never been based on making small engined cars unlike Renault.

 

[Tonygw]

Hi , tyres are expensive. My cars preferred tyres are the Conti 5p MO

On my Mercedes C207/E400 they are superb but psi is important but on other cars the benefits may not show up.

In reality it you buy new tyres we are talking about the price difference between a budget and premium tyre.

I could save £250 for a set of tyres but will they budget tyre perform as well as a premium tyre , they won't.

I say this as as an ex car test driver who has driven many tyre / car combinations over the years.

As an ex car test driver, I would say your have a very valid opinion on tyres

 

[sgregory124]

Think a Nangkang is bad? When I bought my S204, the dealer had fitted 2 brand-spanking new rear tyres from that well known premium brand 'Wideway'. On a wet road, every application of welly to get out of a junction or onto a roundabout a bit smartish had the TC light flashing like a 70's disco - this in a C180 which won't exactly rip your face off with acceleration G-Forces.
After a week, they went in the bin and a set of 4 Goodyear Eagle F1's went on.

Sound like they might be one step away the remoulds an old work colleague of mine fitted to our works van one day, nearly killing the next driver during a blowout on the M1 the following week

 

[AMGeed]

That's kind of my point, They are widely used in motor sport they have been around since the 60's so have plenty of experience, and I see the use of the word budget again?
Tyres are a personal thing for sure. But i dont see how Nankang can be classed as budget? They make race tyres / road tyres/ commercial etc but I would guess they don't have the financial clout to get the PR of the larger companies Like Michelin and Pirelli do. Hence they are a lesser know brand.

But the general opinion on the internet is that nobody would touch them.. yet nobody seems to have even tried them...or has any scientific information to back up their statements.. of how "apparently" rubbish they are.

I have tried them, and found them to be comparable to the better know brands.. in all conditions.

But each to their own of course. If the internet says they are bad.. they must be ... LOL

I tried them, and they didn't last long on a miserly E280. Bought them at the time because they were cheap in comparison to more well known brand names. Probably poor quality down to the the materials used in manufacturing the tyre.

Copied from t'internet

Nankang is classed as a budget make, on the basis of quality we think it is far better than most budget brands and it should be classed in the mid-range sector. Nankang is relatively unheard of however have been making tyres since 1940. ... If you have only a small budget, we could quiet easily recommend you a Nankang.

 

[markjay]

..After all people could class Mercedes as a "premium" brand yet mercedes have resorted to using Renault engines in some vehicles.. Premium brand with a budget engine?? is that right???

Well, you could argue that the 'budget' engine was used only in their 'budget' model range (A-Class/B-Class)....

 

[markjay]

I think a budget tyre could be classed as any brand that isn't Michelin, Goodyear, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Yokohama or Continental. They would be my top tier 'Premium' brands, followed by the mid-range like Kuhmo, Uniroyal, Falcon et al in the tier below. Finally, your budget tyres like Nankang, would be below that...

So where would you place Dunlop (owned by Goodyear in Europe), Firestone, Hankook, Avon, Kleber, Toyo, Nokian, and Nexen?

 

[sgregory124]

So where would you place Dunlop (owned by Goodyear in Europe), Firestone, Hankook, Avon, Kleber, Toyo, Nokian, and Nexen?

I would put Dunlop at the top of 'tier 2', i'd forgot them actually.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

I know my experience in this instance hasn't been a good one. But wow!!!

Everybody seems extra negative about this brand without actually trying them out..... And the word Budget is used a lot, what does that actually mean?? what basis does a tyre become a "budget" tyre?

If the tyre costs similar to what people deem as "premium" brand tyre.. is it still a budget tyre? And what makes a premium brand tyre a premium? price alone??

After all people could class Mercedes as a "premium" brand yet mercedes have resorted to using Renault engines in some vehicles.. Premium brand with a budget engine?? is that right???

Any tyre with a name that I cannot pronounce or has a strange name.....

 

[SpikyMikey]

Any tyre with a name that I cannot pronounce or has a strange name.....

Not a fan of the "Linglong" or "Landsail" brands then?

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Not a fan of the "Linglong" or "Landsail" brands then?

Tongue twisters.....

 

[ShaunB]

Think a Nangkang is bad? When I bought my S204, the dealer had fitted 2 brand-spanking new rear tyres from that well known premium brand 'Wideway'. On a wet road, every application of welly to get out of a junction or onto a roundabout a bit smartish had the TC light flashing like a 70's disco - this in a C180 which won't exactly rip your face off with acceleration G-Forces.
After a week, they went in the bin and a set of 4 Goodyear Eagle F1's went on.

My neighbour has these beauty's on the front of her car - luckyland happy gallop.

 

[markjay]

Any tyre with a name that I cannot pronounce or has a strange name.....

How do you pronounce Michelin then.... ?

The proper French way?

'Mish-lan'....

 

[andyR43]

My brand new modified van came supplied with Powertrack Cityracing tyres.
I've not yet been into a city to verify that they live up to their claim!

 

[SpikyMikey]

How do you pronounce Michelin then.... ?

The proper French way?

'Mish-lan'....

Mais certainement !

 

[Deleted member 126251]

How do you pronounce Michelin then.... ?

The proper French way?

'Mish-lan'....

I do have a smattering of French. mi·shuh·lan Spent several years working in a French speaking country where almost nobody spoke English.