Rear Tyres - Citroen C5

[reblack68]

Kwikfit have some competitive prices if you pay online, you just print out a receipt and take it to your nominated branch. I was ready for a "just the tyres please" fight when I took mine, especially as I knew it was needing a track rod end, but they were fine.

[THELABMAN]

Hi Guys,

Well I was forced into buying tyres today, it was a bitterly cold and frosty mornning here and the back end slid out slightly going round a roundabout again this morning on the way over to the hospital with my Mrs in the car and she freaked out... so before we got home she made, yes actually made me go and get new tyres when I said it happened before.

I'd a choice of only two in stock in National Tyres as it's the only place I could find to blance the wheels, £125 a pair for Avons or £100 the pair for the Barum's.. the manager swears by the Barums and says he's fitted them to his wifes, fathers and his brothers car so I opted for them... Tyres where fitted immediately and balanced with no problems and what amazed me only one small weight on the inside rim, the wheels where covered in weights to balance the Triangles on both the inner and outer rims.....

Are they any good, well they certainly look the part. It was still cold and frosty on the way home with them and on the same roundabout and others I go through there wasn't even a hint of movement from the rear... so fingers crossed.

I'd like to thank you all for your input though as the reading was very interesting indeed, especially the comments that compared quite a few tyres. I must admit that I was leaning towards ordering some Toyo CF1's from Value Tyres on reading their recommendations but they don't have a big choice of fitters in Scotland and my two nearest didn't have a contact number to see if they could have balanced the weheels....

Peter

[JohnD]

the manager swears by the Barums and says he's fitted them to his wifes, fathers and his brothers car so I opted for them...

I don't think you'll regret your choice. I've had Barum Bravuris on my C5 for nearly a year and I think they are great. Mine are 215's x16 and bought on line via Value tyres.

[THELABMAN]

High JohnD,

It's nice to finally have someone reply who has used the tyres even if it's another size... reviews are all very well but nothing beats a first hand experience,,,

It was value Tyres I was looking at for the Toyos and one or two others that had been listed but as I said the fitters listed for my area had no contact number and I wasn't taking the chance they couldn't balance the wheels, any saving would have been well and truly wiped out having to go elsewhere for balancing.... even my local National Tyres can't do them and I'd to travel to the next towm for them...

Peter

[THELABMAN]

Hi Folks,

Just a quick update to say that so far with the 1st snow of winter I've been impressed with the handling of the Barum's on the back over the last two days... the car certainly feels a lot more stuck to the road on roundabouts including the ones I'd spun out on previously so fingers crossed for the rest of the winter.

Peter

[myglaren]

Just been to Sunderland and no problems whatsoever. Went mainly in the empty outside lane past all the 20mph crawlers in the (clear) inside lane

Slowest bit was behind a taxi, who pulled out in front of me on a roundabout (there was nothing behind me) and then proceeded at 15mph on completely clear roads without giving a single flash of his indicators anywhere.

I'm sure that there must be exceptions but taxi drivers are the worst on the road IMO.
As my youngest will attest after the crash last week. She is OK but her mate has the usual whiplash along with cracked ribs and other internal injuries, had to be cut out of the car and leave her takeaway by the roadside.

From elsewhere that may be useful:

Put winter tyres on the Scirocco Thursday - Hankook IceBears!
as if IceBears wasn't cool enough - £42 each.
Snowed to buggery Friday night
Saturday went out to play....

last winter - scared to poopydoo in a 944
now - blatzing it

Winter tyres are AMAZING!

the car was carefully chosen to be very light - 875kg

but the tyres have transformed it!

[Citroenmad]

It seems your new Barums are doing the job THELABMAN. Ive not really experienced Barum tyres, i did have a pair on the rear of my old 206, but as one had about 6 punctures they had to go shortly after getting it. They seemed fine though.

I can't say im overly impressed with the snow performance of my new Michelin Primacy HPs, whilst i understand they are summer tyres and not made for snow, my previous Toyos coped with the snow much better at the start of the year than these Michelins are doing now.

I think i might get some winter tyres, though they are very costly for my size (215.16s) they should help with all winter driving, not just snow.

Steve: I know what you mean, so many people are pottering along at hardly any MPH in clear lanes, while others driver faster on snow covered lanes to get past them. Slow people should not be on the road, they cause more accidents than enough. Mind there are also idiots driving as if its a summers day, somewhere in the middle is where i aim my driving style in now. Ive not had any problems of my own.

[XantiaMan]

I've just ordered a set of Hankook icebears for the Transit, hope they are good..

[Citroenmad]

Ive read good things about those Icebears, im sure they will be worth the outlay once you hit the snow.

[Captain Slow]

Quick bump on this. What are the tyre of choice for the C5?

[GiveMeABreak]

For the MK2 and now the X7, I've tried Michelin Primacy, Kleber, BF Goodrich G Grip, Goodyear Efficient Grip, Uniroyal Rainsport 2, Rainsport 3, Kumho, Continental Eco Contact, Avon Z3s, Z5s, Hankook, Falken, Nankang and can safely say that they all wear out about the same. As of now I have just fitted Michelin CrossClimates on the front and will see how these go. Uniroyal Rainsport 2s are better than 3's in my opinion and they are great in the wet. These are on a 225 55 17 W. I've now given up on tyre comparisons as I never get more than 6-7 months on a set of fronts around county roads, so as long as they are safe and stop I'm happy. I should note that ESP / ASR would of prevented the OP from sliding like he described.