Volkswagen Golf 5 GTI Tires

On this page you will find the best real world tire reviews from owners of the Volkswagen Golf 5 GTI.

Do you Drive a Volkswagen Golf 5 GTI? Why not add your own tire review and help other owners pick the right tire! After all, who knows what the best tire for a Golf 5 GTI better than the owners?

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Tire Reviewed Dry Grip Wet Grip Feedback Handling Wear Comfort
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 (243) 93% 90% 86% 88% 79% 81%
Nexen N Fera SU4 (72) 91% 88% 84% 79% 80% 88%
Michelin Pilot Sport 5 (67) 91% 93% 81% 82% 82% 84%
Bridgestone Potenza Sport (104) 92% 87% 90% 91% 62% 72%
Sava Eskimo HP2 (28) 83% 79% 76% 75% 81% 78%
Dunlop Direzza DZ03 (7) 94% 66% 89% 89% 71% 47%
Nankang AR 1 (36) 91% 46% 85% 88% 70% 66%
Uniroyal RainSport 5 (68) 77% 86% 70% 69% 75% 80%
Nitto Invo (19) 79% 67% 73% 75% 65% 67%
Hankook Ventus TD Z221 (3) 97% 57% 93% 97% 17% 20%
Barum Polaris 5 (11) 70% 71% 66% 66% 68% 73%
Goodride SA37 (24) 74% 67% 64% 63% 57% 63%
Federal 595EVO (40) 74% 46% 69% 65% 72% 55%

Volkswagen Golf 5 GTI Tire Review Highlights

Writing about the Bridgestone Potenza Sport given 69% (225-40-18-)
Driving on a combination of roads for 20 spirited miles
The tires were definitely great. Overall, there is plenty of grip in the dry, and pretty good feedback. Things change a bit in the rain, I would say that grip could be better, but it could also be down to the setup. One thing to really watch out for is the wear. In my experience, they have worn quite quickly, getting to the wear marker after about 20,000km. I have to admit, I drive quite quickly, but I would have expected a bit more mileage out of these tires. For the price, I would still recommend these tires. They offer great value for money.
tire reviewed on 2024-10-11 14:18:52
Writing about the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 given 88% (225-45-17-)
Driving on mostly country roads for 3000 spirited miles
Got a set of pilot sport 5 for my tuned Mk 5 golf Gti after I watched the tire review youtube video. Best tire I've ever had on the car , came with Dunlop Sport max which where terrible in the wet .Got a set of Yokohama not sure the model of Tire sorry but they where even worse .The pilot sport are fantastic in the dry car goes round corners like its on tracks only down side is , there is a bit of road noise not bad but a small price to pay i suppose . I've only done roughly 3000 miles so cant say what overall ware is like . But if you are looking for a Tire that grips has good feedback and not much sidewall roll pilot sport 5 is definition worth consideration.
tire reviewed on 2024-04-18 03:24:42
Writing about the Hankook Ventus TD Z221 given 76% (235-40-18-)
Driving on a combination of roads for 4500 spirited miles
Yes, it is still me... I find it surprising that more people haven't discovered the quality of these tires.
Having upgraded to an Mk5 Golf GTI (150kw at the wheel), I am happy to report that after more than three years of daily use with different cars, these tires offer excellent value for the price.

When the ground is dry, these tires provide exceptional performance with little to no understeer or oversteer. They also last a bit longer if you could behave yourself and not do any 'Traffic Light Grand Prix'... Learnt that from an expensive experience.

As far as tire noise is concerned, I find it acceptable. While noticeable, the noise level is not excessive and is unlikely to cause a headache. If you upgrade your car's exhaust system, you may find the noise becomes less noticeable. ;)

Regrettably, a recent fire at the Hankook tire factory has made it impossible to obtain TDs in the short term, prompting me to upgrade to the Yokohama Advan a050 semi-slicks. I must say, these tires are addictive. Once you try them, there's no going back.

I hope all three of my reviews helped!


FYI - While I fitted Hankook Ventus TD on my Golf Mk5 GTI (Front wheel drive), they lasted an average of 5000km at the front and 7000km at the rear.
tire reviewed on 2023-05-14 07:55:29
Writing about the Nankang AR 1 given 33% (225-40-18-)
Driving on a combination of roads for 5000 spirited miles
I initially opted to fit the AR1 semi-slicks at the rear of my vehicle while waiting for the a050 to become available again. To my surprise, the AR1s provided a lifespan of over 7000 km on the rear, which is impressive for a front-wheel drive car. Upon first use, the tires performed as expected for semi-slicks, offering a satisfactory driving experience. However, towards the end of their lifespan, I experienced an unpleasant increase in tire noise, drone and vibration, which was unusual compared to my experiences with other brands of semi-slicks.

When it comes to wet performance, the AR1s were the worst semi-slicks I have used. They lacked progression when breaking traction, and I consider myself lucky to have avoided any incidents on wet roads. I ultimately decided to swap back to the a050 tires once they became available again, as they provide a better driving experience in both wet and dry conditions.
tire reviewed on 2023-05-14 07:14:26
Writing about the Federal 595EVO given 86% (225-45-17-)
Driving on mostly motorways for 50000 spirited miles
I bought these tires in 2014 and I believe that 2023 will be their last season. For all the time of operation, they did not let me down. No significant damage, they swallow any holes and potholes of Russian roads. They have very powerful sides, I saw it on the tire fitter's face, he suffered when he put them (was new) on a new set of rims Their clutch is enough to break the drive of a VW GOLF gti on a hot day (I did that, I didn't like it). During their use, they gave me only positive and confidence on the road. Someone is talking about aquaplaning, but even during the May snowfall they did not lose their grip in the snow porridge They can make you blush when you try to show off in front of your friends and take a turn in a sideways skid, but they don't let you, they bite into the asphalt and hold on to it. A definite plus, when burnout, they do not squeal like victims. Wonderful peasant tires, real bro. I write a review and wipe away tears of happiness for the years that we spent together (and how much money they saved me, because they held on for so long). On the highway at high speed definitely noisy.
tire reviewed on 2023-04-20 07:03:01
Writing about the Dunlop Direzza DZ03 given 80% (225-45-17-)
Driving on track for 1500 spirited miles
No comments left
tire reviewed on 2021-04-08 11:02:50
Writing about the Nitto Invo given 93% (225-45-17-)
Driving on a combination of roads for 30000 spirited miles
Very great road manners, not much road noise (to be fair i am straight piped), done super well with mileage and no weird wear.
tire reviewed on 2021-03-04 19:49:50
Writing about the Barum Polaris 5 given 90% (205-55-16-)
Driving on a combination of roads for 0 average miles
No comments left
tire reviewed on 2021-01-08 11:59:54
Writing about the Nexen N Fera SU4 given 82% (225-40-18-W)
Driving on mostly town for 100 spirited miles
Fitted on a golf gti after my bridgestone potenzas finally wore off. Immediately noticed how much more comfortable these tires are and half the price. I was surprised at the amount of grip they offer and offer incredible handling for a hot hatchback. However, the feedback is not as precise and car feels less darty as a more expensive tirr
tire reviewed on 2020-11-14 16:16:50
Writing about the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 given 83% (225-45-17-)
Driving on mostly motorways for 4000 spirited miles
Bought these for fast road and has always delivered and really feels just as comfy as any standard premium tire. Had these on track recently at llandow which is a tight technical track that can easily overheat tires, was in a standard 200 hp golf gti and frankly they felt very surprisingly consistent only on one or 2 occasions did i feel them to overheat and then it was very progressive and just a required a couple cool down laps. Overall if you want a good daily tire then get them, if you do the occasional track day as well like me and you don't have anything any more powerful or track focused than me they will still manage fine on track if needed.
tire reviewed on 2020-08-23 02:45:57
Writing about the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 given 83% (225-40-18-)
Driving on mostly country roads for 1200 spirited miles
No comments left
tire reviewed on 2020-06-27 12:48:56
Writing about the Uniroyal RainSport 5 given 50% (225-40-18-W)
Driving on a combination of roads for 300 spirited miles
Shocking tires, just had a set of 225/40/18s put on. Side walls are really soft, causing the car to feel like a boat, I upped the PSI to 40 all way round to see if it would help and it’s only made it worse don’t buy!
tire reviewed on 2020-05-30 10:44:11
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