Ask an expert
We've been ringing around tyre shops for a Volvo XC70 (4wd station wagon), 2003, NZ new - and we know we're out of our depth with choosing a good tyre from the info they've been telling us. What is a good safe tyre for a young family using the car on roads only (mix of city and highway, no off-road)? Above average without going silly? We ask because we’ve previously had some pretty slippery tyres after so-called good advice from the main tyre shops.
The list we've so far accumulated is (and price indication, FYI):
Firestone Destination RE01 [too basic?] ($190)
Bridgestone Dueler HP Sport / 687 / 693 / 684
Firestone Assurance Fuel Max ($210)
Goodyear Assurance [same thing as above?] ($240)
Yokohama HTSport ($210)
Eagle NCT5 ($260)
Dunlop Sport 270 ($310)
Optilife ($250)
Pirelli Scorpion ($330)
Generally, where is the best place to go to find which are the most suitable tyres for a car?
And, (last question), can / does an answer to this question apply to other mid-sized / large cars?
There are a lot of good tyres in the market like the Bridgestone Potenza RE002 or the sporty Bridgestone RE050A but the problem is the size tyre you are looking for is not normally found in these tyres. The size tyre you are looking for are more common on SUV's, vans and ute's and that is possibly the reason why you have tyres on your vehicle that is not suited to your needs. You need car-like tyres. Tyres like the Goodyear Assurance, Eagle NCT5 and the Dunlop sport 270 might be a better option. The best place to find suitable advice on tyres is tyre shops but you need to be clear on what you are looking for and you should also shop around. At the end of the day you get what you pay for, performance tyres normally cost more than the run of the mill tyres. You would need to replace all four tyres at the same time as it is an AWD vehicle and ensure that the correct load and speed rated tyres as well as the standard recommended size tyre is fitted to your vehicle - confirm this with the tyre shop. You can also speak to Volvo, possibly they have been down this road before and can offer some good advice.