Superb tires at cut price compared to most big brand names. Apparently Matador are a unbranded Continental(i think), made in the same factory but branded Matador to represent the budget line of tires made by the big named company, but in fact these are easilt as good performance wise as my Michelin Pilot 2's i had on my Mk5 Golf Gt Tdi 2.0. 140bhp and 236lbft torque gives tires a very hard time and these lasted way longer than Michelins but delivered superb grip in the dry and wet. At almost half the price of Michelins but with better longevity/lower wear rate its a no brainer. Make sure its the MP46 ones you buy as there are one or two different variances of Matadors.
Profile was 225/45 so quite wide and low profile which did transmit alot of road noise but none more than Michelins.
I think before i sold the car they'd worn from 8mm down to 5.5mm in approx 10k, so looking at maybe 20k from them, and at £57 from camskill.co.uk for 225/45/17 4th Dec 2013 and £5 delivery you'd be mad not to try them.
Highly recommended!

These tires have one an Achilles heel which is a major flaw. They have a very soft tire wall which seems to make them prone to side wall punctures, which seems to be verified by a previous reviewer. The first tire lasted four months (7000 miles) the second which replaced the original Matador five months (9000miles) both suffered side wall punctures. I have been driving 30 years and never before suffered a side wall puncture maybe this was due to me previously buying premium brand tires. I decided to purchase this brand due to favourable reviews on this site and they are manufactured under the Continental umbrella. I agree they performed very well against the premium brands and felt very connected to the road in all conditions, but these failures have made me lose faith with the brand so its back to Michelins for me

Had these on the rears of my 2.5L 3 series for 12 months now. Bit of a cheesy name but not a bad piece of rubber from the Continental stable, no drama in the wet even under duress, quiet ride with 34 psi and does not look overtired for a big boot, sitting on 9J rims with a 35 offset.

I've tried all sorts of different tires over the years and these are amongst the best. They replaced the highly acclaimed Goodyear F1 which were good when new but poor once worn at all. The Matadors on the other hand have been good throughout the tires' life. The current tires have done about 15000 miles and fronts need replacing. I drive hard (225 bhp Subaru) and I have suspension mods which mean that the inside part of the tread wears more quickly than the rest. With normal camber settings the tires would have good for 20000 miles at the front. Wet and dry grip is good and loss of grip is progressive. I wouldn't normally buy budget tires but since I drive 20000 miles a year, I thought that these were worth a go. Highly recommended.

So much better than the Bridgestones that came with the car, much nicer ride and wet grip. XL rated which is good as I have a heavy LPG tank in the rear. Only problem is that I have had to replace three (two today) since I got the set in October 2012 due to side wall failures after arguments with vicious potholes, a problem with low profile tires. Otherwise an excellent tire for the money, low wear rate and cheaper now than a year ago.

Matador does the job !!!
When brand new tire you need go easy for about 100 mls then after you getting plenty of grip in dry and wet, had Sava's before - not even comparable to Matador, Kumho - not recommended as well and most important please NEVER buy a Chinese crap ! Currently bought 2 new Capitol Eco 007 will give it a go (Korean make)

Hello carnt understand above comment I have had matador tires fitted the last two years on my RS focus and they handle very well as good as my conti s i had on previous and rd noise is also great for a mid range tire I cannot fault them and the price is great ,in wet and dry I carnt fault them will be back for more.

Had a blow out on the motorway so called a mobile tire fitter who said the continental sport contact 3's I was running were out of stock and the closest match was the Matadors. I had 2 new rears fitted and the nexr day when I was driving I immediately felt a difference. The rear end seems totally disconnected from the font and at normal motorway speeds a slight bend feels like driving on ice! A bmw driver posted similar findings in the reviews. I am replacing these with the continental sport contact 5's as soon as possible as these tires are dangerous and I have lost all confidence driving on these even below 60 mph. Terrible , they have ruined the handling of my car and I've wasted £240!

BEST MID RANGE TYRES I HAVE FOUND RUN A TAXI COMPANY WILL 40 cars AND HAVE BEEN HAVING THEM FITTED TO ALL AS GREAT HANDLING AND ROAD NOISE SO A GOOD BUY AFTER ALL MADE BY CONTINETAL CART GO WRONG😄😃😃😃😃

Good tire.price, the best choice.
I recommend for those looking for a good and cheap.

im suprized for the gain i got compared with the cost, excelent tire, in wet weather i do not push my luck i drive normaly, for the dry they are excelent, when they are loosing the gri you'll hear them squeal so that is an excelent sign to loosen up a bit :D

very good for the money in the wet and the dry course, the car I do not like and get tires with very soft SIDE these joints have very soft. I their durability is very good and it seems that the matador is under the umbrella of CONTI. will buy again if prices continue to be low.