V50 Wheels/Tyres : Nankang

[BeardedMidget]

Originally Posted by tayandre

Good video highlighting what you are paying for buying premium tyres and what you are loosing out on buying cheap Chinese junk...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_j-2...eature=related

Do you actually have any first hand experience of these tyres yourself?

[tayandre]

Why on earth would I want to run junk tyres when every test I see shows how appalling they perform? Oh these are tyres really sh1t in braking and cornering so I think I'll go buy four...eh no.

No I don't drive like a BMW owner, but I can't guarantee nobody else does hence I prefer to spend a few pounds extra knowing they are more capable if things go wrong. Especially when the price difference can be as small as ten or fifteen pounds, is it really worth it?

As I always say, your money your choice.

[BeardedMidget]

Originally Posted by tayandre

Why on earth would I want to run junk tyres when every test I see shows how appalling they perform? Oh these are tyres really sh1t in braking and cornering so I think I'll go buy four...eh no.

No I don't drive like a BMW owner, but I can't guarantee nobody else does hence I prefer to spend a few pounds extra knowing they are more capable if things go wrong. Especially when the price difference can be as small as ten or fifteen pounds, is it really worth it?

As I always say, your money your choice.

You could have just said no! To be honest I struggle to take your argument seriously when you brand all chinese tyres "junk" and "****" but have no actual experience of them.
Nankang's NS2 is not a budget tyre but a specifically designed performance tyre. They are still quite a bit cheaper than a comparable western make though and although they are maybe only 15quid cheaper, if you buy a full set thats a 60quid saving. Like I say-my experience of the NS2's has been very good and for the price I was very pleased with them. I found cornering grip in the dry and wet to be very good with excellent feedback and they seem to be quite hard wearing with minimal road noise. My uprated brakes stop the car on a six pence and the tyres grip no problem. The car is used for a few trackdays a year and I go through tyres quite regularly. I have had time to try a number of more expensive brands on the car and some of which have performed very badly or worn out ridiculously quickly. Just because a set of tyres is expensive or made in Europe is'nt automatic proof it is going to perform well! I'll definately buy another set when these wear out and have complete confidence in them-even if a "BMW driver" should slam his brakes on infront of me!

[D5driver]

Originally Posted by spurs

Thinking of buying Nankang XR 611 tyres for the front of my V50 se sport, has anyone tried them?

Have you looked into these: http://www.neuton-tyres.co.uk ?

I was recommended these and now have 4 on my S60. So far they seem very quiet and with good grip in wet and dry conditions.

[tayandre]

Originally Posted by BeardedMidget

you brand all chinese tyres "junk" and "****"

I don't call them junk, it's the people that test tyres that do that. I'm not a tyre expert, the people that test them are. I read their reviews and buy based on their recommendations.

In the main budget Chinese and Taiwanese brands come bottom of the tests, that's why I wouldn't use them. Not because they are cheap and not because they are Chinese. Because they generally take longer to stop and loose grip earlier. My "argument" is based on the objective output of test results.

Yes there are handfull of exceptions, but in the main they do not perform well in comparison to Conti's, Michelins, etc.

By all means if price is more important than grip, handling or braking performance then buy them. FOR ME it's not, so I'll keep buying the tyres that come out top.

Finally, one question....if you have a choice of £10 chinese unknown branded brake pads or £30 Ferodo pads, which would you buy? Strange how people won't skimp on brakes but will happily do so on tyres.

There's a useful bunch of tyre reviews at this site:

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre-Tests/#summer

In the most part it's the "premiums" that offer shortest stopping distances and best grip.

[BeardedMidget]

Originally Posted by tayandre

I don't call them junk, it's the people that test tyres that do that. I'm not a tyre expert, the people that test them are. I read their reviews and buy based on their recommendations.

In the main budget Chinese and Taiwanese brands come bottom of the tests, that's why I wouldn't use them. Not because they are cheap and not because they are Chinese. Because they generally take longer to stop and loose grip earlier. My "argument" is based on the objective output of test results.

Yes there are handfull of exceptions, but in the main they do not perform well in comparison to Conti's, Michelins, etc.

By all means if price is more important than grip, handling or braking performance then buy them. FOR ME it's not, so I'll keep buying the tyres that come out top.

Finally, one question....if you have a choice of £10 chinese unknown branded brake pads or £30 Ferodo pads, which would you buy? Strange how people won't skimp on brakes but will happily do so on tyres.

There's a useful bunch of tyre reviews at this site:

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre-Tests/#summer

In the most part it's the "premiums" that offer shortest stopping distances and best grip.

Well in some ways I can see your point. Someone who buys a 10quid set of unbranded brake pads devoid of testing standard certificates is clearly an idiot regardless of where they were manafactured. On the other hand I am always on the look out for a bargain and if I can get a pattern part that can be proven to perform as well as OE for less than OE prices than I would give it a go with no hesitation! Likewise I am not saying all chinese tyres are excellent but my experience with Nankang NS2's has been a good one. This thread is afterall asking for opinions on Nankangs! What you seem to be saying is that all Chinese tyres and indeed now all Chinese products are "junk" and "sh1t" which is a mass generalisation. To be honest I find this quite an offensive stereotype. Do you perhaps also believe that all gay people have aids, or that all black people are criminals? I would be amazed if half the electrical products in your home were'nt manafactured in China!

Using the tyre review site in your link, I see that Nankang's NS2 has a combined reccomendation of 66%, whereas a Pirelli p6000 comes in at 54%, Dunlop sp sport 900 63%, Bridgestone Potenza REO50a 49%. All from the premium brand category!

Please dont think I am arguing for the sake of it. If you can give me some proof that my tyres are unsafe I will of course admit that you are right and remove them from my car immediatley! But somehow I suspect you are just another keyboard warrior peddling second hand information as your own. Enjoy the premium tyres you paid an extra 60quid for safe in the knowledge of their superiority but please........dont drive too close!

[tayandre]

Those reviews you are quoting are subjective scores based on individuals feedback, they are not objective test results carried out under controlled conditions.

Look at the individual tests in the link I posted for test results.

[tayandre]

Further test data.... In German but easy to work out the tyres at the borrom of the list marked in red are not so good.

http://www.adac.de/infotestrat/tests...25_45_R17.aspx

[BeardedMidget]

Originally Posted by tayandre

Those reviews you are quoting are subjective scores based on individuals feedback, they are not objective test results carried out under controlled conditions.

Surely subjective scores based on real world tests by people who have lived with the tyres throughout their wear life and had them fitted to a wide variety of cars are more useful than a single persons opinion? After all our opinions are clearly very different. However I feel I am in a very good position to rate these tyres. I drive a lightweight rear wheel drive car making in excess of 170bhp which i have owned for nearly 5 years and use for a mix of fast road and track driving. The car has race spec coilover suspension, poly bushes all around and professionally set up geometry. When used on the track the car is regularly driven to the limits of handling and any shortfallings of the tyres are immediatley noticeable. There is no such thing as a perfect all-round tyre though and selecting a set for your car will always be a matter of researching what you want from your tyres and buying some that perform well in that regard. Nankang NS2's work very well for what I use them for and indeed for a small lightweight R/W/drive sports car driven quick and used largely in fine weather I would highly reccomend them but maybe for something like my heavy, front wheel drive V70 I would choose something different.

[BeardedMidget]

Originally Posted by tayandre

Further test data.... In German but easy to work out the tyres at the borrom of the list marked in red are not so good.

http://www.adac.de/infotestrat/tests...25_45_R17.aspx

Well done! You have used google to find an opinion that supports your argument!

At the end of the day all products that are legally for sale in the UK have to be tested and meet a minimum safety and quality standard. A high price or a sticker saying "Made somewhere other than China" is'nt a guarantee of quality.