182 Tyre Recommendations

[Davyboy888]

I've a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 3s fitted to my 182. They're great and I would like to replace them with either Pilot Sport 3 or 4 but can't seem to find availability anywhere. So my first question is, have they discontinued them in 205/45/16 form ? My second question is, what would you recommend as a decent road tyre for the 182 ? Mine's fitted with brand new Eibach Sportline springs and brand new genuine Renault Cup shocks all round.
Many thanks in advance.

 

[imprezaworks]

Avon zv7 are a good choice

 

[hopgop1]

They don't make PS4's in that fitment, you're stuck with PS3's which are very good IMO. The problem is that they're a bit of a niche tyre so can be hard to find sometimes. If I had to guess, Michelin aren't always geared up for production of them due to demand.

Did a bit of digging and they apepar to be available here:

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 | lovetyres.com

Never heard of the company though so might be worth doing some more research before you buy.

 

[hopgop1]

Apparently you can buy tyres on Amazon now?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KPWJAAO/?tag=cliospnet01-21

 

[clio tyres]

i will go for these when my ps3 are worn.

Welcome to the Blackcircles.com Help & Support Centre

Continental Premium Contact 6 205/45 R16 W tyres available to order online at Blackcircles.com. Buy your tyres online today and have them fitted at one over 2,000 local fitting centres in our nationwide network. Tyre ID - 37587259

www.blackcircles.com

 

[MRBILLYUK]

Another vote for Avon ZV7s. Good grip in the wet and dry and last longer than some of the softer tyres and only 62 quid a tyre from Camskill. I've got a set on my 182 that have lasted 12k miles. I used to run Rainsports but would only get about 5.5k a set.

 

[clio tyres]

Avon ZV7 review | Auto Express

The competition has moved on since Avon last appeared in our tyre tests

www.autoexpress.co.uk

 

[MRBILLYUK]

Avon ZV7 review | Auto Express

The competition has moved on since Avon last appeared in our tyre tests

www.autoexpress.co.uk

And.....?

 

[clio tyres]

And.....?

2nd from last here.

2021 Tyre Reviews UHP Summer Tyre Test - Tyre reviews and ratings

We've taken 14 of the best ultra high performance summer tyres in the very popular 225/40 R18 tyre size, and we've tested the dry and wet handling, the dry and wet braking ability, aquaplaning ...

www.tyrereviews.com

 

[MRBILLYUK]

2nd from last here.

2021 Tyre Reviews UHP Summer Tyre Test - Tyre reviews and ratings

We've taken 14 of the best ultra high performance summer tyres in the very popular 225/40 R18 tyre size, and we've tested the dry and wet handling, the dry and wet braking ability, aquaplaning ...

www.tyrereviews.com

And.....?

 

[clio tyres]

And.....?

Last here

2020 ACE Mid Range Summer Tyre Test - Tyre reviews and ratings

The talented guys at ACE Europe have just released their first summer tyre test for 2020, and interestingly they've tested nine 215/55 R17 summer tyres from the mid range sector of the market!

www.tyrereviews.com

 

[MRBILLYUK]

Last here

2020 ACE Mid Range Summer Tyre Test - Tyre reviews and ratings

The talented guys at ACE Europe have just released their first summer tyre test for 2020, and interestingly they've tested nine 215/55 R17 summer tyres from the mid range sector of the market!

www.tyrereviews.com

What's with all the " I'll try and find lots of negative things to say about Avon tyres"?
The op wanted some recommendations for tyres. I gave my real life experience of Avon ZV7s. Ok. So they might not be the newest design or technology. But a good tyre back then is still a good tyre now imo. They still offer plenty of grip in the dry AND wet. Price wise they're still very good value for money and they still offer very good wear rate.
The best tyre I've ever had and would still use if they were available are Michelin Pilot Exalto 2, even though that design and technology is circa 17 years old now. Not all newer designs of tyres have progressed. I don't think PS3s are a step up from the PE2s.
Tyre recommendations are all subjective and purely down to a person's driving style. You could ask 20 people their opinions on tyres and get 20 different replies. I can only go off my experience. I went for Avons after seeing @imprezaworks and @stevem ( no longer a forum member) singing their praises, with whom I totally agree.

 

[imprezaworks]

Yup found them spot on.

 

[Davyboy888]

Guys thanks so much for everything here, I really appreciate it.
I agree, road tyres are subjective alright. There's price, durability and adhesion to weigh up.
I've never used Avons on the road before... but I would be willing to give them a go.

 

[clio tyres]

What's with all the " I'll try and find lots of negative things to say about Avon tyres"?

Avon ZV7 Low noise

 

[MRBILLYUK]

Guys thanks so much for everything here, I really appreciate it.
I agree, road tyres are subjective alright. There's price, durability and adhesion to weigh up.
I've never used Avons on the road before... but I would be willing to give them a go.

I would never buy anything that's cheap and would compromise my saftey. Be it tyres or brakes.
Ive been driving a 1*2 for 20 years and tried lots of different tyres. Some I've been happy with, some less happy.
As I said in my last post the best tyres I've ever had are the Michelin PE2s which came as standard on 182s but are sadly no longer available.
I had a 172 from new which had Continental sport contact 3s on. I thought they were pretty average and lasted me about 5k miles
The Avon 7V7s are the only tyre I've had that have lasted and lasted, currently on 12k and still offer plenty of grip in the dry and wet.
Prior to the Avons I used Rainsports 2s and 3s for a few years which were a fantastic tyre, especially in the wet, but wore down rediculously fast.
I would never comment on or recommend a tyre that I didn't have any personal experience of, even after reading reviews. I'd rather listen to what others members have to say on CS and take their own personal experience into consideration.
I especially would take what reviews on Auto express have to say with a very large pinch of salt. You only have to read their reviews on things like waxes and detailing sprays to see their tests aren't always the best, imo.

 

[MRBILLYUK]

Avon ZV7 Low noise

Oh well. I guess you can't educate the ignorant 👍

 

[Davyboy888]

I would never buy anything that's cheap and would compromise my saftey. Be it tyres or brakes.
Ive been driving a 1*2 for 20 years and tried lots of different tyres. Some I've been happy with, some less happy.
As I said in my last post the best tyres I've ever had are the Michelin PE2s which came as standard on 182s but are sadly no longer available.
I had a 172 from new which had Continental sport contact 3s on. I thought they were pretty average and lasted me about 5k miles
The Avon 7V7s are the only tyre I've had that have lasted and lasted, currently on 12k and still offer plenty of grip in the dry and wet.
Prior to the Avons I used Rainsports 2s and 3s for a few years which were a fantastic tyre, especially in the wet, but wore down rediculously fast.
I would never comment on or recommend a tyre that I didn't have any personal experience of, even after reading reviews. I'd rather listen to what others members have to say on CS and take their own personal experience into consideration.
I especially would take what reviews on Auto express have to say with a very large pinch of salt. You only have to read their reviews on things like waxes and detailing sprays to see their tests aren't always the best, imo.

I used to race karts and cars going back almost 40 years now... so have never compromised on tyres myself. Personal experience/recommendations are far more useful than magazine reviews - hence the reason I posted here. Really appreciate what you've said here.

 

[clio tyres]

I would never buy anything that's cheap and would compromise my saftey. Be it tyres or brakes.
Ive been driving a 1*2 for 20 years and tried lots of different tyres. Some I've been happy with, some less happy.
As I said in my last post the best tyres I've ever had are the Michelin PE2s which came as standard on 182s but are sadly no longer available.
I had a 172 from new which had Continental sport contact 3s on. I thought they were pretty average and lasted me about 5k miles
The Avon 7V7s are the only tyre I've had that have lasted and lasted, currently on 12k and still offer plenty of grip in the dry and wet.
Prior to the Avons I used Rainsports 2s and 3s for a few years which were a fantastic tyre, especially in the wet, but wore down rediculously fast.
I would never comment on or recommend a tyre that I didn't have any personal experience of, even after reading reviews. I'd rather listen to what others members have to say on CS and take their own personal experience into consideration.
I especially would take what reviews on Auto express have to say with a very large pinch of salt. You only have to read their reviews on things like waxes and detailing sprays to see their tests aren't always the best, imo.

Yeah the reviews are all wrong must of made a mistake sorry about that Avon ZV7 FTW

 

[MRBILLYUK]

Yeah the reviews are all wrong must HAVE made a mistake sorry about that Avon ZV7 FTW

It's " have" not "of ". Poor grammar as well as ignorance 🤔

 

[imprezaworks]

Lol

 

[Steven103]

I’m sticking up for magazine tests.

There’s one key advantage that outweighs everything IMO:

* Back to back test is as accurate as you can get. Consumers are normally comparing a brand new tyre to a 3 year old tyre and trying to remember what the old tyre was like when it was new on roads that now have more potholes, a car that has more worn out suspension, different alignment and driven in years with potentially different weather or usage. Doesn’t matter how much of a car enthusiast you are, testing something in different conditions 3 years apart is not.

Sure there are a few cons, but most can be mitigated with judgement, or exist in owner reviews too:

* Risk of bias (also exists on forums!)
* No info on how long they last (most owner reviews can be ignored as the car, usage & driving style is not mentioned or irrelevant and no-one measures tread depth at point of replacement)
* Personally I think they do a poor job of explaining that all the tyres are probably safe/acceptable.


Tyres are not purely subjective. Stopping distance, rolling resistance & noise are measurable. Even feel & balance partially translates into lap time, though it would be nice to see reviewers using something like a vbox to measure lateral acceleration.

What is massively subjective is the word “decent” lol. Everyone has different requirements and a different tolerance for spending that extra £20 per corner.

I’ll spend the extra money on something like a PS3 for a weekend clio but for my daily (which is much faster) I’ll settle for something mid/upper.


TLR buy whatever you want The likes of PS3 are probably the best money can buy in the areas that are important for most clio owners, but you might find rubber bands, and anything in between, acceptable for what you want.

 

[sam55]

I switched from PS3s to Dunlop SportMaxx RTs and I think they're fab.

Fantastic dry grip, good steering feel and, my favourite, progressive grip to slip on the rear axle. I even think they're really good in the wet.

I now run 33psi up front and 39psi at the back

 

[Daz...]

I've not long ago replaced my very worn PS3's with a new set as I got a deal on them in 15".

I used to run P Zeros on the 16" wheels and they were more than good enough for the road, although they appear to have gone up in price compared to others.

 

[Davyboy888]

Guys, I really appreciate all the suggestions - thank you so much.

 

[Darryl_1983]

I ditched a set of pilot sport 3 with about 4 to 5mm of tread left as I thought they were rubbish. Far too soft in the sidewalls felt like the wheel was rolling over the tyre wall when pushing a little bit. I switched to a new set of AD08R's and was much happier. This was in the middle of winter too, whilst the tread depth on the new AD08R's was obviously greater, they offered better wet grip and far better stability and feel in the dry.

The newer AD08RS's aren't quite as good in the dry, but in 182 tyre sizes I wouldn't buy anything else at the minute.

 

[clio tyres]

I ditched a set of pilot sport 3 with about 4 to 5mm of tread left as I thought they were rubbish. Far too soft in the sidewalls felt like the wheel was rolling over the tyre wall when pushing a little bit.

What size were you using?

 

[clio tyres]

I switched from PS3s to Dunlop SportMaxx RTs and I think they're fab.

Which one has the stiffest sidewall and best steering feel?

 

[Pistachio]

I've got a slow leak on one of my PS3's and took it in today to get looked at. They said the tyre was cooked because it had been run at low pressure. He showed me a line inside the tyre going from sidewall to sidewall. Dunno if he was just playing me or not 🤷‍♂️

Anyway, they stock all tyres including Michelin and can't get any PS3's. Tried a few other places and no one has any. Bit annoying as I would like to keep the tyres the same.

 

[hopgop1]

I've got a slow leak on one of my PS3's and took it in today to get looked at. They said the tyre was cooked because it had been run at low pressure. He showed me a line inside the tyre going from sidewall to sidewall. Dunno if he was just playing me or not 🤷‍♂️

Anyway, they stock all tyres including Michelin and can't get any PS3's. Tried a few other places and no one has any. Bit annoying as I would like to keep the tyres the same.

Can get them online at a few places, although hard to find again at the min. What pressures were you running?

 

[Daz...]

I got my PS3's through Halfords and they fitted them on my drive.

 

[Pistachio]

Can get them online at a few places, although hard to find again at the min. What pressures were you running?

I usually go for 33 front, 30 rear. But the problem was the inside of the alloy was corroded slightly and pushing the tyre off the rim. That then caused the slow puncture.

I got my PS3's through Halfords and they fitted them on my drive.

I got mine from Halfords last year too. Turns out they didn't dress the inside lip of the alloy when they fitting them, causing the issue above. Now it has basically been a waste of a tyre.

 

[Yarp]

I used to run rainsport 3s which were unreal in the wet but a bit melty in the dry. I’ve got R888rs on now and I think they are fantastic

 

[Darryl_1983]

What size were you using?

Well they we're 195/50/15. However, I've had PS3 in 205/45/16 previously and even though the sidewalls were slightly smaller, they were still soft and unstable feeling for me.

 

[Robbie Corbett]

Well they we're 195/50/15. However, I've had PS3 in 205/45/16 previously and even though the sidewalls were slightly smaller, they were still soft and unstable feeling for me.

Im all game for AD08R's but the PS3 is a decent tyre which in 16" form certainly doesn't do what you mention - I wonder if you have an issue somewhere which is being masked by the AD08R's stiffer side walls? Like some odd tracking or slightly worn bushes somewhere?

On another car worn rear bushes made the car kind of yaw which feels very odd, a bit like sidewalls folding over....

Clio is currently on Hankook V12's which came with the wheels otherwise I doubt I would have ever tried them - feel pretty spot on for the road, but over heated badly on track (*pressures could have been very wrong).

I also think tyre performance and feel changes hugely from tyre to tyre... for example a mate really praises rain sports while I think they're a load of c**k, he uses them on light fwd cars I had them on a heavy rwd and found they had tons of straight line grip but horrid break away which lead to me snap oversteering into a motorway crash barrier.... oops.

In short, I don't think reviews are worthless but I do think the type of car being used and some peoples odd interpretation of 'steering feel' make some reviews more applicable to us than others - although back to back testing with actual data can't really be argued with too much (good reviews will test lateral g and stopping distance for example).

 

[sam55]

Which one has the stiffest sidewall and best steering feel?

My tyres are RT (in 205/45 R16), rather than any of the higher-spec ones I see listed elsewhere for bigger rims. Rated 83W, says max weight is 487kg on sidewall, if that helps.

 

[clio tyres]

Well they we're 195/50/15. However, I've had PS3 in 205/45/16 previously and even though the sidewalls were slightly smaller, they were still soft and unstable feeling for me.

Agree on the ps3 195/50/15 being soft and also the 205/45/16 (non Extra Load which are now discontinued) feeling unstable.
But the 205/45/16XL and 195/45/16XL dont have that problem.
The only road tyre in 195/50/15 with a firm sidewall is like you say the AD08RS

 

[JB21]

Rainsport 5 are decent in that size as they come in XL. I have this size on the rear of my MR2 for road and wet track days and they really do impress. My fronts are 195/50/15 and they have a much softer sidewall than the 205/45/16 XL rear.

Dry handling good, wet handing close to an entry level full wet slick IME. Only gripe on my car is the steering feedback due to the soft sidewalls of the 15" fronts, but as my track car is super stiff (fully poly bushed, stiff coilovers, fully braced, 6 point roll cage etc) the sidewall's are the first thing to flex. I think most road tyres would feel like this on my car TBH.

Buy Uniroyal RainSport 5 Tyre | Demon Tweeks (demon-tweeks.com)

Another option for you is the Zestino Gedge. These are starting to get very good reviews and are under £100 a tyre. People who I have spoken to regarding these state that they are on par, if not better than the now discontinued Yoko AD08R.

It all depends on what you use your car for though, and if a road/track tyre is actually necessary.

Buy Zestino Gredge Semi Slick Tyres | Demon Tweeks (demon-tweeks.com)

 

[Darryl_1983]

Im all game for AD08R's but the PS3 is a decent tyre which in 16" form certainly doesn't do what you mention - I wonder if you have an issue somewhere which is being masked by the AD08R's stiffer side walls? Like some odd tracking or slightly worn bushes somewhere?

On another car worn rear bushes made the car kind of yaw which feels very odd, a bit like sidewalls folding over....

Clio is currently on Hankook V12's which came with the wheels otherwise I doubt I would have ever tried them - feel pretty spot on for the road, but over heated badly on track (*pressures could have been very wrong).

I also think tyre performance and feel changes hugely from tyre to tyre... for example a mate really praises rain sports while I think they're a load of c**k, he uses them on light fwd cars I had them on a heavy rwd and found they had tons of straight line grip but horrid break away which lead to me snap oversteering into a motorway crash barrier.... oops.

In short, I don't think reviews are worthless but I do think the type of car being used and some peoples odd interpretation of 'steering feel' make some reviews more applicable to us than others - although back to back testing with actual data can't really be argued with too much (good reviews will test lateral g and stopping distance for example).

To be honest the 16 inch tyre was from about 6 years ago on a different Clio, but you could definitely feel the instability in the tyres. I can't remember what tyres I had on prior to swapping now, but swapped wheels and tyres due to getting some new wheels, and whilst the grip was better with the ps3 than the previous tyre, the instability and sensation on the tyre wall flexing/rolling wasn't present before.

I've probably used about 7 or 8 different tyres on Clio 182's over the years maybe more to be honest. But the AD08R has definitely been the best i've used. They're a bit rubbish in the winter when the tread starts getting low, which is the reason i opted for a second set of wheels with ps3 one year. But in the end i was so disappointed i just bought a new set of AD08R for my summer wheels and used them. in 15 inch at the time it was £200 fitted for a full set so hardly worth worrying about the tyres having 3-4mm of thread still.

Obviously different people have different experiences and driving styles, but I'll never buy Pilot sport 3's ever again, having tried them twice now. I think there is a misconception that the pilot sport 3 is in some way related to the much better pilot sport 2 or 4 family, but they're really not.

Agree regarding tyres on different cars though. My Z4 has rainsports 5 on which i wouldn't have chosen myself given the choice from past experiences in fwd cars with Rainsports 2 & 3's. But from the limited driving I've done so far, they seem alright to be fair. I wouldn't recommend them on the 182 though, again far too soft. Grip levels would be fine but you'd lose feel and stability, at least in 15's with the taller sidewalls.

 

[sam55]

Which one has the stiffest sidewall and best steering feel?

Just realised I didn’t answer this properly because I can’t read. The Dunlops are noticeably the stiffer, more communicative tyre. But oddly I think the car rides better on them too. Maybe it’s to do with road noise.

I too became quite disappointed with the PS3s I had before. I loved them initially, but after a few miles I felt they really dropped off in adhesion and ride quality. Given the pace of tyre development, surely they’re old tech now!

Edit: As a side note, one thing I’ve found can help with reducing the chances of a tyre rolling onto its side under lateral load is negative camber. I’ve gone a bit mad and run -3 degrees up front on my 182, which makes for fantastic turn in but predictably uneven wear. But for those who use their cars more regularly than me (mine’s a weekend toy), there’ll no doubt be a sweet spot for handling and wear. Maybe closer to -2?