Low budget yet good quality tires

**1D4LV** · July 31st, 2015 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by baludoy

anyone know where achilles or gt tires are available in las pinas?

may nakasubok na dito ng turkish made petlas tires?

and ask ko lang din kung mas maingay ba generally ang unidirectional tires kesa sa ordinary tires?

i bought achilles before sa minerva westgate alabang pre....

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Originally Posted by baludoy

anyone know where achilles or gt tires are available in las pinas?

may nakasubok na dito ng turkish made petlas tires?

and ask ko lang din kung mas maingay ba generally ang unidirectional tires kesa sa ordinary tires?

i bought achilles before sa minerva westgate alabang pre....

**kai s.** · August 3rd, 2015 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by Kestana

I got mine at Big A Wheels in Evangelista. 5.9K Php per tire (235/40/ZR19). 17" sizes should be around 3 to 4K Php per tire. 205/45/R17 is 3.2K Php which is what they recommended for my Swift. Most of the shops there have Accelera as well including more popular shops like Hotwheels. Problem was the size I was looking for was pretty rare and only Big A had them at the time.

I'm very surprised nga with these tires. It's my first time trying out a budget brand, mainly because 19" tires are usually high-end models from big brands and they cost an arm and a leg (20K++ per tire

). The biggest surprise for me was the comfort level because bigger rims = less rubber between the car and the road. I downgraded from 205/55/R16 to 235/40/R19 which means my sidewall was reduced by around 0.74 inches/18.8 mm. Also considering cheaper tyres have harder compounds for longer tread life and less rolling resistance, I couldn't understand why it was more comfortable than anything else up until around twice its price (mostly mid-range models from big brands at twice the Accelera's price). Not as comfortable as high-end models I've tried though, namely Michelin PilotSport 2 and Hankook Ventus V12. But considering the price of these Accelera tires I believe they're excellent value for comfort. The only thing I don't like about these tires is that no matter how much tire black I put on it, it doesn't stay looking slick/wet.

At least now I can tell some of my snobby family and friends (especially my brand snob of a dad) that some of the cheaper tire brands are actually good. The only cheap brand they agree that's good is Federal and they don't think they're particularly comfortable. Now deciding between Federal 595 Evo and Sailun Atrezzo Z4+AS for my Swift. Actually wanted Achilles 123s to make the Swift even more fun to drive but they're too noisy for me. Road noise was very apparent on a friend's Civic FD with Achilles 123s.

Thanks for the review! The stores I asked quoted the same price for the Accelera tires. Thinking now whether to go with 215 or 205

**nowitzki41** · August 3rd, 2015 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by Kestana

Aside from the tread pattern, I don't know the difference. I've never tried the Alpha before.

I see...because my car has the Alpha's. 😀 and same as you, i was surprised as well about their performance on the road.

**Kestana** · August 3rd, 2015 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by nowitzki41

I see...because my car has the Alpha's. �� and same as you, i was surprised as well about their performance on the road.

Are the Alphas quiet though? Because the Alpha has a unidirectional V-tread design which is normally noisier, but better braking and wet grip. The Phi has an asymmetrical tread pattern usually associated with quiet models like the Michelin PilotSport, Hankook S1 Noble and Continental ContisportContact which are for touring (comfort oriented). Difference is those tires have softer compound and wear out fast. The Phi on the other hand has a very hard compound but still offers a soft ride and low road noise, which is why I'm surprised.

I've decided to get either Achilles 2233 or ATR Sport 2 for my Swift this weekend. The ATR Sport 2's tread design is interesting.

**nowitzki41** · August 3rd, 2015 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by Kestana

Are the Alphas quiet though? Because the Alpha has a unidirectional V-tread design which is normally noisier, but better braking and wet grip. The Phi has an asymmetrical tread pattern usually associated with quiet models like the Michelin PilotSport, Hankook S1 Noble and Continental ContisportContact which are for touring (comfort oriented). Difference is those tires have softer compound and wear out fast. The Phi on the other hand has a very hard compound but still offers a soft ride and low road noise, which is why I'm surprised.

I've decided to get either Achilles 2233 or ATR Sport 2 for my Swift this weekend. The ATR Sport 2's tread design is interesting.

Suprisingly, they're much more quiet than the original kumho tires of my car. As to the wear and tear, all i can say is that they still look pretty much new even after a year of driving and accumulating 20k+ kms..

**jut703** · August 3rd, 2015 05:39 PM

Good choice on the Achilles 2233. Can't believe how grippy it is compared to my stock Dunlops.

Even when on the limit of grip, it transitions to understeer in a predictable manner. If anything, it doesn't squeal a lot so you really have to feel through the steering wheel if you're losing traction.

I'm pleasantly surprised that tires with a treadwear rating of 400 can grip this nicely. Performance in the rain is also good. I've intentionally tried to make it aquaplane on the highway but it stays planted despite running at triple digit speeds over puddles of water.

**Kestana** · August 3rd, 2015 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by jut703

Good choice on the Achilles 2233. Can't believe how grippy it is compared to my stock Dunlops.

Even when on the limit of grip, it transitions to understeer in a predictable manner. If anything, it doesn't squeal a lot so you really have to feel through the steering wheel if you're losing traction.

I'm pleasantly surprised that tires with a treadwear rating of 400 can grip this nicely. Performance in the rain is also good. I've intentionally tried to make it aquaplane on the highway but it stays planted despite running at triple digit speeds over puddles of water.

I got good feedback regarding the Achilles 2233 from other people during my visit to Evangelista last Saturday, but they weren't too particular about the details. I also noticed the tread pattern is asymmetrical like the Phi, PilotSport, and other touring tires. I'm expecting this to be comfort-oriented too, both ride quality, vibration and road noise. The stock tires on my Swift are 185/65/R15 Goodyear DuraPlus. Road noisy is very apparent. I can also feel the body roll during cornering. I hate it. I already rode a Swift with Yokohama tires (didn't notice the model) that were far more quiet so I know the tires can make a big difference.

Still interested in the ATR Sport 2 though. Unique tread design and I read feedback about how grippy and comfortable they are after a bit of Googling. The Swift isn't touring car material anyway, like most superminis and subcompacts. It's more like a go kart imo which needs more responsive tires. But I still hate excessive road noise. So I may get the ATR Sport 2 over the 2233.

Btw, may I know what car your Achilles 2233 is on and what pressure are you using?

Stats for my Accelera Phi:
Car: 2013 Kia Soul 1.6 AT, curb weight approx 2600 lbs
Tires: Accelera Phi 235/40/R19, both front and rear
Front: 19x8" rims, tire pressure 35 PSI
Rear: 19x8.5" rims, tire pressure 35 PSI

Stats for my Goodyear Duraplus:
Car: 2015 Suzuki Swift 1.2 AT, curb weight approx 2100 lbs
Tires: Goodyear Duraplus 185/65/R15, both front and rear
Front: 15x6" rims, tire pressure 34 PSI
Rear: 15x6" rims, tire pressure 32 PSI

**kai s.** · August 3rd, 2015 06:31 PM

^ Aren't you overinflating your tires? The instructions on the driver's side door recommend 29 PSI. I read somewhere here that +/- PSI is safe, but not beyond that.

**Kestana** · August 3rd, 2015 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by kai s.

^ Aren't you overinflating your tires? The instructions on the driver's side door recommend 29 PSI. I read somewhere here that +/- PSI is safe, but not beyond that.

The Swift came to me with like 40 PSI off the factory. lol. I can only assume they did it to preserve the tires during the delivery. Currently lowering it little by little but 34 front, 32 rear works best for me. It's comfortable enough. I don't think it's overinflated because the tire's surface is more or less even. No bulge. Also, I personally prefer higher tire pressure so I can go over potholes and humps more easily. The tire pressure affects ride, but noise not much, from experience.

I think the reason why the recommended PSI is so low is because the suspension is relatively heavy duty (Indian market CBU, so understandable) and the stock tires are so thick. 185/65/R15 on 15x6" alloy rims. The sidewall is 120 mm/4.72 in. That's almost as thick as the stock tires on many CUVs like the Subaru XV (225/55/R17, 124 mm sidewall) and Mitsubishi ASX (215/60/R17, 129 mm sidewall) and the Swift weighs much less than these cars.