Given
60%
while driving a
Audi A4
(205/55 R16 V) on
mostly motorways
for 1,000
average miles
Although I've only had the NCT5s on for a month, they are A LOT better than the awful Dunlop Sp6060 (an indigenous Dunlop made in South Africa)
The NCT5s are noticeably quieter on the freeways and B roads i travel. They are less twitchy and actually have more grip than the Dunlops. My Audi has the 310NM engine, and almost every time i pulled away the ASC light would wink at me with the slippery dunlops. But the Eagles grip better. They are not a performance tire, and the sidewall is realtively soft in comparrison to Conti Sport Contacts i had on a BMW E46. But they are more comfortable. They show no tramlining, offer predictable turn in, and I have only made then squel (momentarily) off the line before the ASC intervened.
But I'm interested in good mielage, comfort, quietness and safe predictable handling. The NCT5 is an old, but proven design. Yes, there are better tires out there, but the NCT5 is a trusted design. Goodyear has apparently stopped making them, in favour of the more technologically advanced Efficient Grip, but they are still available, and I only paid about 65 Pounds (R730) for each. And they 2010 manufactured according to the DOT age.
I could've gone for a harder, noisier more sporty tire, but my Audi is not a sports car. It is my daily commute, where safety, comfort and easy of drive take precidence. That's why i traded the 31b Beemer in for the A4.
Don't buy the Eagle NCT5 if you're an aggressive, 'Hamilton' wannabee. They are for Joe average. Good balance of features, and I've noticed a slight drop in fuel consuption over the Dunlops i had on before. Also more comfortable, and the harsh, often jarring road irregularities, are more absorbent with the NCT5s (I pump the front to 2.5Bar, the rear to 2.4Bar)
One other thing, the NCT5 seems quite good in the Wet, not brilliant, but safe, I went through about 20mm of standing water today at about 100kph, and the car tracked true, with only a little wiggle, and no drama, i noramlly don't blast through standing water, but i couldn't judge how much of there was. Okay,. the tires are only 1000km old, and the tread is still 8mm deep, but they felt composed, and progressive, and never leerly in the wet today.
Quite satisfied, and my Dad, who was a passenger recently, said they felt smoother and more absorbent thanthe GY Excellence he has on an E39 BMW 528. I'll let him drive my Audi Diesel when he remembers to use the clutch to change gears (he drives only AUTOS LOL!)