Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglio - Tyre Choices?
Discussion
For those of us lucky enough to drive these things daily the inevitable time will come when we're running on inters/slicks and need to replace the tyres.
Has anyone done this yet? Is the consensus to stay on the Pirelli "AR"-branded rubber or go for something else?
With good experience in the past I am considering Michelin Pilot Sport (whatever the latest performance version is).
For reference I've just passed 8,000 miles in mine and the rears are still "ok".
Has anyone done this yet? Is the consensus to stay on the Pirelli "AR"-branded rubber or go for something else?
With good experience in the past I am considering Michelin Pilot Sport (whatever the latest performance version is).
For reference I've just passed 8,000 miles in mine and the rears are still "ok".
My Corsas are getting pretty tired (13k miles) so I've ordered Michelin Pilot Sport 4S all round. The rears are 295 instead of the stock 285 but according to the Internet they don't rub and are fine. I ordered from blackcircles (just under £1k) and they can't fit until week after next (17th Oct). I'll let you know how I get on. There is no way I'd run Corsas through the winter, they are a horror in cold weather.
I think you could use the Corsas year round if you only ever went out for fast drives. Even in sub zero temperatures if you give them a hard time and get them hot they are fine. Problem is commuting and motorway driving don't generate heat so when you do get the chance to go for it the tyres are not hot enough and you're Bambi on ice. If the ambient temperature is above 10 degrees or so and it's dry there are no such problems.
The Corsas are not an appropriate tyre choice for a general purpose car in the UK. There will be a lot of crashed Quadrifoglios this winter.
The Corsas are not an appropriate tyre choice for a general purpose car in the UK. There will be a lot of crashed Quadrifoglios this winter.
Nick-3nfg9 said:
I think you could use the Corsas year round if you only ever went out for fast drives. Even in sub zero temperatures if you give them a hard time and get them hot they are fine. Problem is commuting and motorway driving don't generate heat so when you do get the chance to go for it the tyres are not hot enough and you're Bambi on ice. If the ambient temperature is above 10 degrees or so and it's dry there are no such problems.
The Corsas are not an appropriate tyre choice for a general purpose car in the UK. There will be a lot of crashed Quadrifoglios this winter.
Totally agree. The only slightly disappointing thing about the car. Teaches good throttle control though (or shows how good the traction control is in the various settings!).The Corsas are not an appropriate tyre choice for a general purpose car in the UK. There will be a lot of crashed Quadrifoglios this winter.
So far the tyres have been fine in every condition, including torrential rain. I have thought about the colder weather issues and concluded that I would go down the Winter tyre route - after much looking around, and purely based on liking Continental Tyres from previous cars (& looking at reviews of the WinterContact) I have ordered 4 in the same sizes as the Pirelli's - the plan is to get them fitted in the next week, and then store the Pirelli's as they have only done 6,500 miles and have plenty of rubber on them yet.
How are you guys getting on?
Still have my corsas on at 9,000 miles, wear is OK, if anything the front's seem quite scrubbed though.
I was planning to order Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 tyres for the winter.
I see that someone on the Alfa forums has fitted Pilot Sport 4 and says they are less lethal than the Corsas when cold, but feel like I might as well go for the proper winters and then re fit Corsas come March next year...
Still have my corsas on at 9,000 miles, wear is OK, if anything the front's seem quite scrubbed though.
I was planning to order Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 tyres for the winter.
I see that someone on the Alfa forums has fitted Pilot Sport 4 and says they are less lethal than the Corsas when cold, but feel like I might as well go for the proper winters and then re fit Corsas come March next year...
I’ve only had the Conti’s on for a week and it isn’t cold enough to appreciate them fully. The Pirelli’s have plenty of tread at 7,000 miles, so I will find out more over the next couple of months - it is noticeable that the tread blocks on the Conti’s don’t squeek on the road until they have warmed up, so I guess the temp is just on the cusp.
I have Michelin Pilot Sport 4Ss on mine now. About 500 miles in and loving them. No skipping on full lock (it's been quite warm so it may return when the temperature drops, but at the very least it's a big improvement). Unlike the Corsas they don't need big heat to be generated before they grip and they are much better in the wet. £980 fitted from black circles. The slightly wider than stock rears (295 vs 285) don't seem to be causing any problems but you can see that they bulge out a bit more.
The Michelin Pilot Super Sport exists in the right dimensions (OEM from front of the C63 Saloon and rear of the C63 Coupé). Depending on what mileage I get from the Corsas, and how they fare in the wet, that would be my choice next year, if the Pilot Sport 4S is still not available.
edit: MegaCat, we seem to have very very similar taste in cars...
edit: MegaCat, we seem to have very very similar taste in cars...
Edited by gonzales_turbo on Friday 27th October 10:20
gonzales_turbo said:
The Michelin Pilot Super Sport exists in the right dimensions (OEM from front of the C63 Saloon and rear of the C63 Coupé). Depending on what mileage I get from the Corsas, and how they fare in the wet, that would be my choice next year, if the Pilot Sport 4S is still not available.
edit: MegaCat, we seem to have very very similar taste in cars...
How did you know I wanted a Lancia Delta as well!? ; )edit: MegaCat, we seem to have very very similar taste in cars...
Edited by gonzales_turbo on Friday 27th October 10:20
I am more than happy with the Pirelli’s in summer conditions and there is loads of tread still on them, maybe after next summer I will change them for Michelin’s. The Pirelli’s will definitely be a handfulin the depths of winter, so I thought I’d give Winter tyres a go for the first time - so far they are very good, not as sticky by any means, but with damp leaves and damp and dry roads I reckon they are the right choice for the next 5 months, we shall see!
2,000 miles on the Conti’s - trip to Scotland in search of proper cold weather! They have been faultless, no slip, plenty of grip and inspiring loads of confidence! They are probably worth a 9/10 for what they offer (probably an 8/10 in the summer), the Pirelli’s still a 10/10 but not so much in the cold!
PS_66Quadrifoglio said:
Megacat thanks for the update on the Contis, fyi my dealer, but not the specialist engineer seems to think there's no problem but will get back to me next week. What's the exact model you've put on plse?. Ta
It was Conti WinterContact TS830 in the same wheel & tyre sizes as OEM, the newer ones are the 860, but weren’t available in the right size - I paid £850 i think.MegaCat said:
It was Conti WinterContact TS830 in the same wheel & tyre sizes as OEM, the newer ones are the 860, but weren’t available in the right size - I paid £850 i think.
& I can now confirm they have been brilliant in snow & ice - Wales! They give so much confidence in cold conditions, so well chuffed I made the decision to change this winter Gassing Station | Alfa Romeo, Fiat & Lancia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff