SEAT
(225/40 R18 W) on
a combination of roads
for 24,000
spirited miles
CONS:
Not great at dry braking (pretty similar to wet).
Pretty uncomfortable on rough roads.
Not good at dry maximum acceleration.
ESP goes wild in almost any occasion:
- 1st, 2nd gear accelerations uphill are very hard with and without ESP... Tires keep losing grip constantly.
- Cornering uphill at 15% in 3rd gear doesn't put 100% of the power by keeping loosing grip on the outer wheel.
Wet acceleration under any condition creates wheelspin, on 4th gear also, if the asphalt is irregular (chassi and suspension are alright, but the tires feel like plastic).
Hard braking on 100+MPH speeds is very unstable.
Overly dangerous feel on hydroplaning.
PROS:
Very good at dry and wet cornering.
Going around roundabouts is pretty exciting (tires loose grip but point the car really good)
Superior braking than acceleration capabilities provide a very satisfying and playful experience on mountain roads.
Almost non existing noise/squeal while cornering at high speeds.
Overall look:
Very rough and uncomfortable with a bit harsh noise, but they sure make the car fun to drive. Wouldn't get them again for daily use, but if i ever consider having different wheel sets (17 inches for daily and long trips), these would probably be my choice for slick feeling tires.
OBS:
These are the factory tires, so I can't actually make a proper comparison or evaluation, but have driven similar cars with many different tires as a reference.