Rotalla Tyres - Anybody Had THEM?

[markjay]

From what I read, the chinese-government-owned China Development Bank provides generous finance to local manufacturers who export to the West, which in effect amounts to government-sponsored flooding. If true, this means that no one can compete with these brands, and that a Chinese tyre made by one such manufacturer will always be significantly cheaper than the competition. So if you are after the cheapest tyre that has the 69 db rating... you won't find anything else that comes near.

 

[esscee]

Tyres and brakes are two matters on a car that can seriously impair safety. Not implying that the Tyre brand mentioned are not that good, just never heard of them. If not wanting premium make tyres then use Nexen or Falken if you have a desire to save some money. But if putting tyres on a car to sell it, well if I saw cheap tyres would make me wonder what other makes of spares/servicing on that car, so would just walk away from it.

 

[E55BOF]

If you've never heard of these tyres, you can't really contribute anything to this discussion, can you?

The car is a keeper, and I know what I want from the tyres I fit. I won't spend more than necessary to get that, obviously, but cost is not the deciding criterion. It's how the tyres perform that matters, and numbers may not tell the whole story, which is why I started this thread.

 

[clk320x]

I'm not fussed what I fit if it does the job I want. The Falkens are a possibility, but their fuel economy rating is poor.

Fuel economy on an E500 Dennis?

 

[MercedesDriver]

There are new Nexen N’Fera Sport which are 69db in your size
Nexen N'Fera Sport 245/40 R18 97 Y XL » Oponeo.co.uk
More info here NEXEN TIRE
And some road test results here
NEXEN TIRE

 

[Will]

As the car is a keeper, why not fit the best premium tyres you can?

You will get the benefit, not the next owner, and depending on your useage should last quite a while

Nothing against the suggestion of the Falkens but at £88 a corner they can’t be a whole lot cheaper than some of the OE quality brands?

If you have a Costco membership or know someone who does you can get a full set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4s for £100/corner. That includes fitting btw

Costco

www.costco.co.uk

I wouldn’t read too much into the tyre labels, probably a good starting guide but maybe see if you can find real world reviews too, and a few different test results. Eg I have seen a very old V-groove tyre that I know to be quite noisy with a 67dB noise rating - what’s that all about?

 

[clk320x]

As the car is a keeper, why not fit the best premium tyres you can?

You will get the benefit, not the next owner, and depending on your useage should last quite a while

Nothing against the suggestion of the Falkens but at £88 a corner they can’t be a whole lot cheaper than some of the OE quality brands?

If you have a Costco membership or know someone who does you can get a full set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4s for £100/corner. That includes fitting btw

Costco

www.costco.co.uk

I wouldn’t read too much into the tyre labels, probably a good starting guide but maybe see if you can find real world reviews too, and a few different test results. Eg I have seen a very old V-groove tyre that I know to be quite noisy with a 67dB noise rating - what’s that all about?

Totally agree Will, tbh I only suggested the falkens as I assumed they would be a good middle ground between budgets and premiums. If the price is so similar the PS4s are a no-brainer! I also think that Costco are doing a promotion with £50 off a pair of Michelin tyres?

 

[OneForTheRoad]

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Remember its a c63 and he's trying hard to derail the car on a soaking wet track.

 

[Will]

It’s £80 off a set of four, so works out £92.18 a corner, and they only charge £8.4 for fitting. Their fitting service is second to none, nitrogen inflation, very good QC on the fitting itself etc.

Got my 911 tyres there, was very impressed with their service

 

[markjay]

It’s £80 off a set of four, so works out £92.18 a corner, and they only charge £8.4 for fitting. Their fitting service is second to none, nitrogen inflation, very good QC on the fitting itself etc.

Got my 911 tyres there, was very impressed with their service

Bought tyres from Costco a few times, and I agree that the benefit of having young guys working on your car is they go through a checklist as per their training and do a proper job, as opposed to the back street tyre fitter that often cuts corners.

 

[E55BOF]

Fuel economy on an E500 Dennis?

I do what I can to help save the planet...

It’s £80 off a set of four, so works out £92.18 a corner, and they only charge £8.4 for fitting. Their fitting service is second to none, nitrogen inflation, very good QC on the fitting itself etc.

Yes, but they're 71 db noise rating according to Costco, and 70 according to Camskill, so I'd best buy them from Camskill...

I'm spoilt for choice; it's a nightmare, and my brain hurts, Brian...

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Not in 245/40/18, I'm afraid; only four. That surprised me, too.



Rated at 72 db, though, so not for me if the numbers are correct. That may be a big if....

The most expensive tyre on the site, a Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect at three times the price, has a worse wet grip rating. Perhaps it's a dry track day tyre?

It is and I can confirm they’re not great in cold and wet conditions - they’re OK, but no more. However in warm dry conditions they bend the laws of physics.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Remember that a tyre that performs poorly in snow will perform poorly In cold conditions too (relatively speaking).

One of the reasons that cheap tyres are cheap is the lack of silica, which means that (relative to a modern high performance tyre) it gets harder as the tyre cools, and so cold weather and wet weather performance can be relatively poor, and performance in snow will be shocking!

 

[moonloops]

Buy chinese, buy twice

 

[E55BOF]

Repeat outdated sayings more than twice...

 

[moonloops]

Repeat outdated sayings more than twice...

If they can't stop a tiny virus, the chins will not stop a heavy car.


^^From a fortune cookie yesterday^^

 

[kid-jensen]

The difference between 69dB and 71dB is insignificant, I would guarantee you won't notice which was which in a blind test.

The vast majority of people can only just-about notice a 3dB change, certainly not a 2dB one....

Spookily enough, I've just changed the front tyres and my choice for 285/50 x 18 was Continental or Nexan, couldn't find any other make in that size...

Continentals were about £215 and the Nexans £130, and their test scores were identical or near-as.

So the Nexans got my cash. So far, they are smooth., quiet (at least 3dB better!) and have great turn-in. I guess I'll be more reassured when I give them some stick in the wet, but I've only driven in the dry so far.

If this turns out to be my last posting, You'll know what not to buy.....

 

[flowrider]

The difference between 69dB and 71dB is insignificant, I would guarantee you won't notice which was which in a blind test.

The vast majority of people can only just-about notice a 3dB change, certainly not a 2dB one....

Spookily enough, I've just changed the front tyres and my choice for 285/50 x 18 was Continental or Nexan, couldn't find any other make in that size...

Continentals were about £215 and the Nexans £130, and their test scores were identical or near-as.

So the Nexans got my cash. So far, they are smooth., quiet (at least 3dB better!) and have great turn-in. I guess I'll be more reassured when I give them some stick in the wet, but I've only driven in the dry so far.

If this turns out to be my last posting, You'll know what not to buy.....

A 3dB change is twice the sound intensity and acoustic power which everyone with normal hearing will notice.

 

[markjay]

A 3dB change is twice the sound intensity and acoustic power which everyone with normal hearing will notice.

Correct. dB isn't a linear scale! 71dB is louder than 69dB by far more than (say) 69dB is louder than 67dB, etc.

In fact that was one of my considerations when I opted for the Dunlop Sport BluResponse over the Continental ContiPremiumContact 2 MO that I previously had.

That said... while the difference between 69dB and 71dB is noticeable, as others pointed-out the EU rating is for noise outside the car, not inside.

It is quite possible that the noise inside the car is in fact lower to such extent that the difference may be unnoticeable.

My own experience is that the biggest differentiator is the road surface.

Personally, I would stick to 69dB tyres, just in case, though if I'm honest then I am not sure if it does make a difference inside the car or not.

 

[E55BOF]

My own experience is that the biggest differentiator is the road surface.

Mine too, but every little helps.