Time for some tires

larrydk

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2015
Location
Brookfield
TDI
Sportwagen
I need new rubber....the stock Bridgestones Ecopias have given 60,000 which is unbelievable.....thinking about just getting those again, but wondering about the Goodyear Assurance......any input specifically from gsw owners appreciated.
 

Darth_Furious

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2005
TDI
2015 GSW, DSG
I need new rubber....the stock Bridgestones Ecopias have given 60,000 which is unbelievable.....thinking about just getting those again, but wondering about the Goodyear Assurance......any input specifically from gsw owners appreciated.
I have the ecopias on my GSW right now and I'm pretty happy with them. They are fairly quiet, great treadlife, and good mpg (it's a low rolling resistance tire).

My 2010 JSW came with contipro extreme contacts and they were very grippy but with poor treadlife. I replaced them with Michelin Primacy MXV4 & MXM4. They are my favorite tire in terms of comfort, grip, mpg, treadlife. The excel in all categories and I read a lot about these tires on TDICLUB over the years.

I like the ecopias and when I need new tires, I will go with either ecopias or the primacy. The Michelin cost about $20 more per tire but I think it's worth it.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
Loved our set of Nokian enTyre 2.0 when be bought them for the '12 Passat, worth a shot asking around. Next time we need summer tires I'll be looking for another set.

I wasn't willing to bend over for what they want for Michelins when we were looking for 18"
 

ritsco

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2005
Location
Northeastern CT
TDI
2015 TDI GSW SEL and 2006 Golf TDI GLS
I have gone through a lot of tires with both our old cars at over 220,000 each. I have found that both my MK4 Golf and my wife Volvo S60 AWD did great on the Conti ProContact with Eco Plus (the old DWS touring). Last a fairly long time, quiet ride and decent handling. Definitely not a high performance sticky tire, but that's not what I was looking for.

I have P-7's on my GSW now. Decent ride, but the they wear out, I am going back to the Conti's.
 

Darth_Furious

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2005
TDI
2015 GSW, DSG
I have gone through a lot of tires with both our old cars at over 220,000 each. I have found that both my MK4 Golf and my wife Volvo S60 AWD did great on the Conti ProContact with Eco Plus (the old DWS touring). Last a fairly long time, quiet ride and decent handling. Definitely not a high performance sticky tire, but that's not what I was looking for.

I have P-7's on my GSW now. Decent ride, but the they wear out, I am going back to the Conti's.
The extreme contacts are very sticky with poor life. The stock conti procontacts dw are better but they are loud. Didn't realize how loud they were until I got the Michelin primacy. Continental tires are decent, but you don't know quiet until you put on Michelin primacy
 

larrydk

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2015
Location
Brookfield
TDI
Sportwagen
I ended up comparing three tires;
The Bridgestone Ecopia 422's (these were the stock tires)
The Michellin Defender T+H
The Goodyear Assurance

Ultimately I decided on the Michellins for two reasons....I had a set on my last vehicle and the performed flawlessly. $160 rebate offer on Michellins right now.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
high tread wear and winter rated, sounds like they go together like oil and water ;)
 

TDIBone

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2012
Location
Brantford, ON
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagon TDI
I have had good luck with the ContiPros as well. My current Golf came with Pirelli P7s and those seem to be pretty good so far as well.
 

Mass. Wine Guy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 21, 2001
Location
Ipswich, Massachusetts
TDI
5-speed, 2015 Golf S 6-speed manual; 2015 Golf Sportwagen SEL 6-speed manual
high tread wear and winter rated, sounds like they go together like oil and water ;)
I’ve only had them on my 2003 TDI Jetta wagon for one year, but so far I’m quite satisfied with the Toyo Celsius. It also has the mountain and snow symbol. Last winter in Massachusetts wasn’t so terrible, but we definitely saw some deep snow onthe roads. My car handled extremely well and also had great braking ability. I don’t think they are noisy. They handle exceptionally in the rain and the tires look great with a ton if tread depth left.


I am sold on this new hybrid tire category. No need to have separate snow tires unless I move to Yellowknife, Canada.
 

TDI4evah

Veteran Member
Joined
May 10, 2012
Location
Maine
TDI
2002 Jetta
I loved a set of conti purecontact with ecoplus technology that I had on a mk4 jetta. I'll probably buy a set when the stock tires wear out on my 15 GSW.

On a related note.....

Does anyone have any suggestions on a set of winter rims for snows? I'd be happy with some cheap steelies, but I haven't found any that are 18".

Last questions on a 2015 GSW:

1) What's the standard offset on OEM rims?
2) What are the options for bigger brakes? Will 17" rims fit over them, or do I need to stick with 18's ?
 

dubStrom

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Location
Kansas City Missouri
TDI
2003 A4 Jetta (sold), 2010 JSW (sold), 2013 Passat 6MT traded for 2014 JSW with 6MT-TOTALED in November 2016, 2003 ALH 5MT conversion (sold), wheezing 2015 GSW/DSG and a new 2021 Tacoma Access Cab 4x4 p'up
Conti Pure Contact

I really like the Conti Pure Contacts I got for my 2014 JSW. They ended up on my 2003 Jetta wagon since the JSW was totaled. GREAT tires. Great in wet conditions, and good and sticky in the dry too. Quiet running and smooth. Track well even on grooved pavement.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
I loved a set of conti purecontact with ecoplus technology that I had on a mk4 jetta. I'll probably buy a set when the stock tires wear out on my 15 GSW.

On a related note.....

Does anyone have any suggestions on a set of winter rims for snows? I'd be happy with some cheap steelies, but I haven't found any that are 18".

Last questions on a 2015 GSW:

1) What's the standard offset on OEM rims?
2) What are the options for bigger brakes? Will 17" rims fit over them, or do I need to stick with 18's ?
Unless you changed front rotors for something larger, you should be able to fit 15” rims on the ‘15.

As for offset it really depends on the width of rim, my stock 17x7 have a 45 offset I think.
 

TDI4evah

Veteran Member
Joined
May 10, 2012
Location
Maine
TDI
2002 Jetta
Unless you changed front rotors for something larger, you should be able to fit 15” rims on the ‘15.
Aye, that's the question. Towing stuff or just driving fast it'd be nice to upgrade the brakes once it's time for a break job. I don't want to be breaking new ground here - there must be a plug-n-play solution taking parts from an Audi something-or-other, or maybe a tiguan or CC.

Just wondering if I can put some 16" or 17" on for snows and still be able to upgrade the brakes.

Thanks to all for the help!

David
 

Graham Line

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2012
Location
Pacific Northwest
TDI
'12 Golf TDI 6M
Bought Pirelli P7s (with VW conscience money) about a year and a half ago. Quieter and less squirmy than the OE Continentals with a stiffer sidewall. Much better turn-in response
 

20IndigoBlue02

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 22, 2001
Location
Was North NJ, now SoCal
TDI
2002 Golf TDI-- deceased
I loved a set of conti purecontact with ecoplus technology that I had on a mk4 jetta. I'll probably buy a set when the stock tires wear out on my 15 GSW.

On a related note.....

Does anyone have any suggestions on a set of winter rims for snows? I'd be happy with some cheap steelies, but I haven't found any that are 18".

Last questions on a 2015 GSW:

1) What's the standard offset on OEM rims?
2) What are the options for bigger brakes? Will 17" rims fit over them, or do I need to stick with 18's ?
A) you're not going to find a 18" steel wheel. Why go with expensive 225/40r18 when you can go with smaller wheels with less expensive tire options?

1) It's dependent on wheel width also.
15x6J ET43
16x6.5J ET46
17x7J ET49
18x7.5J ET51
19x8J ET50

(alltrack wheels have different offsets)

2) 312mm will require 16" minimum. It uses the existing caliper, but you need the larger carrier. 345mm will require 17" minimum. It uses a larger bore piston which the master cylinder is not designed for, so you need to push the pedal more to get the brakes working
 

kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
I'm on my second set of Bridgestone Ecopias. The OEM tires only lasted about 40k. The first Ecopias were replaced around 60k. They still had some life left but wanted to make sure I had good traction for the approaching winter. When I originally switched, I noticed a few mpg increase so decided to stick with them. Also, Costco has a rebates all the time, so picking a tire gets a little easier.
 

chilichili

Active member
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Location
Hanover MN
TDI
2000 Jetta SOLD, 2005.5 Jetta SOLD, 2015 GSW

ottomatic

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2008
Location
E. TN
TDI
2015 Golfwagen SE 6MT
Ride was to harsh with the 17" in my perception. I did keep the original 16" off my 14 JSW & turned it in with some crappy wheels & tires.
I live in a rural area but do a lot of mixed driving on curvy mountain roads & interstate.
Examples. Interstate 40 from Asheville NC to Knoxville.
276 from Brevard NC to Greenville SC. or Waynesville NC.
Greenville Tn. to Asheville on 70. Plus a host of others.
Ride, comfort & handling can't be beat with the 16"s to me along with the Michelins'.
 

clacker

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2000
Location
Oxford Mills, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2015 Golf Wagon TDI DSG Trendline, 2000 Jetta TDI auto, 2008 Mercedes R320, 2006 smart fortwo cdi
Cannot stand the OE Bridgestones. They have horrible on center steering feel-they do not like to turn in. We have two brand new trendline sportwagens, one with Bridgestones, the other with Conti's, world of difference. If you like how your car drives tires can make or break a car (if you notice). Some tires make the car feel great, others not so much. Why those Bridgestones ended up on these cars no idea, they do not fit the handling of the car at all. It was the same with our 2014's that were traded in, one set with B and one with C, same difference.
Notice the same with snow tires, the Nokian's Hak R2 suit the vehicle (however wear faster then I like), the Conti snows do not offer much traction in this application, almost like driving on an all season.
 

2015vwgolfdiesel

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Location
Oklahoma
TDI
2015 VW Golf S DSG Silver
.....snip.... world of difference. If you like how your car drives tires can make or break a car (if you notice). Some tires make the car feel great, others not so much.

....snip..... .
Twice in my life I found this to be all so helpful to know and heed. Years ago I stepped up to Michelin's on an ol' 4,100 pou nd Chevy Sedan. WOW ride on the old girl. :D

Then 'bout 4 years ago my old Camry was due for new ones. Have no idea why SAMs would not sell me Michelin. :mad:

But at least I did get the best they had (in my opinion).

Results: Car drove, and felt like new
 

chilichili

Active member
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Location
Hanover MN
TDI
2000 Jetta SOLD, 2005.5 Jetta SOLD, 2015 GSW
Ride was to harsh with the 17" in my perception. I did keep the original 16" off my 14 JSW & turned it in with some crappy wheels & tires.
I live in a rural area but do a lot of mixed driving on curvy mountain roads & interstate.
Examples. Interstate 40 from Asheville NC to Knoxville.
276 from Brevard NC to Greenville SC. or Waynesville NC.
Greenville Tn. to Asheville on 70. Plus a host of others.
Ride, comfort & handling can't be beat with the 16"s to me along with the Michelins'.
Thanks for this, I'll keep the 16's as well. I do wonder if a different or better suspension setup would keep up with the bigger wheel, but it doesn't really matter as the 16's and the stock suspension seem very compliant.
 

ottomatic

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2008
Location
E. TN
TDI
2015 Golfwagen SE 6MT
Thanks for this, I'll keep the 16's as well. I do wonder if a different or better suspension setup would keep up with the bigger wheel, but it doesn't really matter as the 16's and the stock suspension seem very compliant.
Go with the 60 aspect ratio vs the 55 . Speedometer is only 1mph off per GPS
 
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