Motoring Discussion > Tyre time Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Rudedog Replies: 25
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 Thu 8 Dec 16 21:54 
 Tyre time - Rudedog
I'm at the point where I need a new set of tyres, I know what I want (decided to change from my usual Contis to Michelin), recently I've used mobile units but looking around the cheapest deals to me are at Kwik-Fit!

I haven't been anywhere near their depots after being put off by a bad experience many years ago.

I just want a set of tyres.

No extras, no kid telling me my car is a death trap..

So my question is have they changed??
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 Thu 8 Dec 16 22:17 
 Tyre time - Bromptonaut
Last used them about a year ago having hit a pothole and knacked a tyre on my week old (to me) Roomster.

Pirelli Cinturatos fitted on time and for good price. No hassle over 'work needed'.

If there had been I'd have politely asked them to show me component in question. On examination I'd formed a judgement and said one from (i) you're right, sort it (ii) Hmmm, I'll look at it and speak to supplying dealer/my local indie or (iii) you're pulling my plonker, can I see the manager.

Now I'm male, 50+, confident and probably use language that indicates (a) I understand how cars work and (b) I know my rights. Excepting offers to check tracking I've not had a fast fit outfit try it on since early nineties.

If one were female, dippy and in twenties experience might differ.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Thu 8 Dec 16 at 22:19
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 Thu 8 Dec 16 22:40 
 Tyre time - bathtub tom
It varies from branch to branch. My widowed sister-in-law took a flat tyre to one and they recognised a bent rim, removed tyre, hammered the rim back and re-fitted tyre for the cost of re-balancing.

I'm still reluctant to use my local one!
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 Thu 8 Dec 16 22:58 
 Tyre time - Stuu
I have used Kwik Fit mobile service and found them to be very efficient and have them booked to do some tyres next week, second time ive used them.

The last time I used them he forgot to cable tie the wheel trim back on and it fell off, but Kwik Fit customer services refunded me the cost of the wheel trim, no quibble.
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 Thu 8 Dec 16 23:19 
 Tyre time - Roger.
Check Halford's Autocentres: they were the cheapest s & f (including the likes of Black Circles) last August, when I bought the Michelin Energy Savers for our Jazz.

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 Thu 8 Dec 16 23:33 
 Tyre time - mikeyb
I've used etyres before and found them good, but they are franchises so I believe they can vary. Our local chap has owned the franchise for years and used to manage a kwik fit type outfit but decided to go it alone.

That said I got a new set a couple of weeks ago from Costco. Michelin Energy+ 205/55/16's £195 all in.
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 Thu 8 Dec 16 23:56 
 Tyre time - Rudedog
Many thanks guys..

I think I'm going to give them a go because for the tyre I've picked they are about £15 per tyre cheaper at the moment.

On that note, I've never ever had Michelin tyres all of my motoring years, they've always been promoted as the 'daddy' of tyre brands, with a discount I'm paying the same as I would for my Conti's, so will I be impressed?

Forgot to say I'm looking at the Primacy HP (225/45 −17").

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 Fri 9 Dec 16 08:27 
 Tyre time - legacylad
Myself & friends use Black Circles... Then use their recommended local fitting agent who gives excellent service.
My Michelin Cross Climates are good.... Not as good as other 'all season' tyres according to some tyre tests, but I was also v impressed with my previous Michelin Alpins as fitted to my BMW.
I had change from £300 for a full set of X Climates ( fitted) 205/55 R16 on my Focus.
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 Fri 9 Dec 16 09:31 
 Tyre time - martin aston
I priced up 205/55 r16 recently and Blackcircles (BC) were slightly dearer than my local ATS for Cross climates and Halfords were also a tad cheaper. On the other hand BC were more than a tenner cheaper per tyre than the online competition for Goodyears. The prices vary daily so yesterday's bargain may not be around today.

There is no hard and fast rule as to who is cheaper, it depends on what you want and timing. I can't see anyone online who can beat the OPs Kwik fit price for that particular tyre.

On the other hand BC are a safe bet if you can't be bothered to shop around. You will never pay top whack and they will often be cheapest

Finally some of the online firms charge for fitting at £12.50 or more per tyre (I've seen an isolated £18 per tyre for one local fitter they use).
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 Fri 9 Dec 16 09:49 
 Tyre time - Crankcase
I think I posted before that at my last tyre swap, it was coincidentally about the time for my service at the main dealer.

I thought it would be ridiculous to think about getting them to do it, but the guy pulled up the internet whilst I was there in the morning, we looked together for the cheapest online price and he matched it - actually I faintly remember he undercut it slightly.

Made life a lot easier for me at that point - all done when I picked it up that night and no worries about back street tyre places either. I know they did it in house.

I nearly always have Michelins, having tried a few brands over the years. They seem to last better for me than anything else.
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 Fri 9 Dec 16 09:50 
 Tyre time - DP
A mate of mine recently bought four tyres from Kwik Fit online (fitted by appointment at a branch), and the price he got was staggering. I've always seen them as a bit of a joke to be honest after a couple of bad experiences back in the day, and prices that have generally been half as much again as some of the competition, but it seems this is an outdated view.

When he told me where he'd bought them and what he'd paid, I had a scout online, and couldn't get within a fiver a tyre of what he'd paid. And it was all in, fitted and balanced, something again that they used to quote separately for, and which used to irritate me.
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 Fri 9 Dec 16 09:56 
 Tyre time - legacylad
I couldn't agree more ma
I shopped around, both online and a couple of tyre places I've used previously. This was early summer when I had just got the Focus diseasal ( it came shod with 4 almost new Chinese ditchfinders of 3 different makes). I think I paid £286 all inclusive for the Michelins, which after the BMW 18" rims was very cheap.
Coincidentally, they are the same size as the tyres fitted to my brothers Octavia, so when I come to sell the Focus ( please Lord, soon) I can always retro fit the ditchies if I cannot obtain a half decent price privately or p/ex somewhere like Motorpoint.
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 Fri 9 Dec 16 10:42 
 Tyre time - VxFan
>> Myself & friends use Black Circles...

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I've yet to receive a competitive quote from BC.
Whenever I've searched for new tyres, they've generally been more expensive than other on-line tyre suppliers.

I tend to now stick to (in no particular order)
www.merityre.co.uk
www.bestbuytyres.co.uk
www.camskill.co.uk (need to arrange separate fitting yourself)
www.mytyres.co.uk
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 Fri 9 Dec 16 10:57 
 Tyre time - DP
I got a cracking deal from BC way back when I had my S60 in the late noughties. Four P6000s, fitted and balanced, for £240. Nowadays I tend to use Micheldever Tyres which are a 25 minute drive away, and have excellent prices and service. Part of the Protyre Group, IIRC.

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 Fri 16 Dec 16 15:52 
 Tyre time - Rudedog
Just as an update..

I'm having the tyres fitted tomorrow, I think this has been asked before but considering where I'm going I don't want to be confronted with a question I can't answer.

The tyre I have chosen is marked as MO which means Mercedes recommend them, I take it I can fit it to my VW?

Speed rating and size is all correct for my model.
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 Sat 17 Dec 16 11:07 
 Tyre time - Rudedog
Guess what, I'm here in the depot and they are not happy to fit these tyres to my car!! I did look on tyre sites and even the manufacturer says it's OK, tried to sell me a different set of tyres (non Michelin).
Held firm and said I was happy even though they weren't, if this was so bad why doesn't it stop me buying them in the first place?
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 Sat 17 Dec 16 11:18 
 Tyre time - Bromptonaut
What was the issue about which they were unhappy?
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 Sat 17 Dec 16 11:47 
 Tyre time - Rudedog
They wouldn’t elaborate, just that it's against KFs policy?? I'm just waiting here so see what else they can say needs doing!! Loads of other punters in here and I can't believe what they are agreeing to, brake pads then become brake discs then add on a fluid change and guess what a four wheel alignment.

We shall see.
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 Sat 17 Dec 16 12:00 
 Tyre time - sherlock47
We shall see. .... Sounds like standar KF practice. There are some good Branches out there, but they may be few and far between.
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 Sat 17 Dec 16 13:04 
 Tyre time - Old Navy
I'm so glad there is an old school tyre fitting company yards from the local KF.
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 Sat 17 Dec 16 13:35 
 Tyre time - Dog
>> Loads of other punters in here and I can't believe what they are agreeing to, brake pads then become brake discs then add on a fluid change and guess what a four wheel alignment.

A leopard doesn't change its spots.
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 Sat 17 Dec 16 14:03 
 Tyre time - henry k
>>A leopard doesn't change its spots.
But a Jaguar can experience a rip off!

Diskusting treatment?
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 Sat 17 Dec 16 14:24 
 Tyre time - Bromptonaut
>> They wouldn’t elaborate, just that it's against KFs policy??

A policy they won't elaborate on? I'd have struggled to get away with that answer as a Civil Servant!!!

If it's a safety issue eg speed or load rating you must be told. I it's something else directional tyres for example you still have right to know and discuss.

I'd be asking for their complaints process.
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 Sat 17 Dec 16 15:54 
 Tyre time - mikeyb
I guess its more that they are scared of litigation should you have an issue later. I'v no idea what the difference is, but there must be a reason that MB have their own fitment tyres
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 Sat 17 Dec 16 17:54 
 Tyre time - Bromptonaut
Found this after a bit of Googling:

'MO' notation:
These tyres have been fine tuned to provide optimum performance on specific
Mercedes vehicles.
Please do not mix MO with non-MO tyres on an axle.

Stated to be text from reply when question of meaning of MO raised with Michelin.

If the 'fine tuning' or mixing MO/non MO on an axle was issue I'd expect KF to explain it.

Plenty of links to Mich MO tyre prices with supplies/fitters, including national chains, that don't have any suggestion they're Merc only.
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 Sat 17 Dec 16 18:28 
 Tyre time - Rudedog
I had all four changed so no mixing of MO and non-MO, I got the impression that KF took the MO as meaning Mercedes ONLY and not Option.

Are KF linked to Goodyear? they seemed very keen on pushing them as an alternative to the Michelins.

Sad to see so many drivers making 'distress' purchases on items which they probably could have done better by shopping around.

Agree that there was no warning when I placed my order online, they had my reg number so know the make/model of my car, would have been easy to flash up a warning if it was dangerous (only chose the MO tyre because they worked out £9 per tyre cheaper for exactly the same rating/size).
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