Bearing in mind I know absolutely naff all about tyres (at present anyway), can anyone tell me if the Pirelli P7s that came on my second hand (but still under warranty) 03 from my local dealer are better/worse/different in some other way to the stock Bridgestones?

And how they might compare with the other popular UK choices around, ie F1, Yokos etc

Ta

Just in case it makes a difference, the numbers are :

Pirelli DOT XT BK B800
Front 205/55R 16 91W
Rear 225/50R 16 92W

 

Your car will handle better (in the dry) if you stick S02's on or replace the rears with 245's.
It's generally accepted that the S02 footprint is closer to 245 than 225 (narrower rain channels).

Don't recall anyone running Pirelli's, but I'm sure I'll be contradicted.

I've always stuck to S02's and RE050's so can't comment on whats best.

 

Eek, 225 non stocks on the back could be interesting if you drive quickly around corners....

Personally I am a stock tyre man and have enjoyed a trouble free - all weather 37000 miles, and I'm on my 5th set of rears. The SO2's are very good, but need care in bad weather.

Toyo's are an excellent non-stock choice IMO, but make sure you go 245 on the rears.

 

What!!!! A Honda dealer supplied you with an S without the tyres that was designed for the vehicle. Go back and have a word!

Thats like fitting the car with the wrong air filter, it would work but not correctly!

Honda recomend if you do fit other tyres you should have 215's on the front and 245's on the back.

 

Okie doke, I'll give em an earful tomorrow.

Presumably I can only request stock tyres as a replacement?

Oh and the wheels as well - they're not badly scarred, the previous owner didn't kerb em or anything, but there are some lumps of crap on them that seem to have welded themselves on and the odd scrape/scratch. Any recourse on those? Or is that not applicable as I bought the car "sight seen" as it were and it was just that bubbling lacquer issue that was being done on warranty?

I'll sort some pics out tomorrow.

 

If the wheels are naff from other than kerbing, then they should be sorted under warranty.


I reckon I will always use the S02's, as i'd rather have the dry weather grip.

 

Not true

Honda don't recommend anything with the tyres on this car. They used to recommend that you only use the ES02JZ, but they seemed to have given up on that now.

Also, the front size of 205 is correct for any make of tyre, and I've never heard Honda recommend increasing the size of the rear to 245 (although we know that 245 is the best way to keep the grip up to S02 levels)

 

Nope, they're fine.

I've always run 225 S03s on the back of mine.

Now that they are no longer available I've put S02s on the front. Even with the supposedly stickier S02s on the front, and the narrower 225 S03s on the back, it's fine - still nicely balanced, and not the oversteery, uncontrollable monster that people on here would have you believe..

 

Ah but you have the advantage of having driven that tango twin engined beast!!

 

when i bought my car it had the correct s02's on the front and 225 s03's on the back. i basck end would drift on roundabouts at what i thought were fairly fast speeds. i soon replaced them with the correct s02's and found i could go round the same roundabout significantly quicker with the correct rear tyres.

those who say they are happy with non s02 225's on the rear generally haven't tried the proper rubber.

all in my humble opinion of course.