I am upgrading all four tyres. I know it may come down to personal taste, but Pirelli, Kuhmo or Michellin for an S-type? Has anyone changed and, in hindsight, should have gotten a different brand? Thanks

 

Pirelli it is

 

I fitted Toyo Proxes which seem to suit the car.

 

The original tyres on the STR's were Continental.
I have found that the Pirelli tyres tend to make the STR 'tramline' a bit.
Michellin tyres are far better and they will also last longer, if you do the millage, but they are the most expensive.
I have Michellins on the front.
However, I fitted Grenlander ENRI U08's on the back. These are a budget make, but one that was recomended by a friend and they have proven to be very good indeed.

Mellow

 

Thank you, Steve and Mellow. Never thought of Toyo but considered Continental and Michellins. I am leaning on a mid-price set so I do not feel too bad when I find and can afford to replace the wheels with what they have on STRs. With how I use the car, it may take 3-4 years before they need replacement again. Kuhmos are the cheapest here, but I like the Pirelli (2nd cheapest) profile. I have new Continentals in my other car, and I think they are a little too slippery on our roads. The $ difference between the brands is small anyway. I feel it may come down to whatever the tyre dealer is willing to make a deal, based on price. Thanks, fellows. Unless someone says it is not good to replace the original base model wheels with STR wheels.

 

I've never once regretted Michelin purchases, and I've bought many sets for many different cars. They are expensive though. With that said, I've put 12 of the LTX tires on my wife's SUV. For the Jag I lean towards General Altimax. They work quite well and aren't terrible on the bill. They do wear kinda short but affordable enough to keep in order. Grand Marquis was tough to find sizes with supply chain issues. Chose Hankook and am very disatified.

 

Buying "brands" is a bit woolly. Brand A might currently have a top rated touring tyre but their UHP tyre is only average, etc. If you are looking for a UHP tyre, brand A might not get you the best tyre or deal. Also what we bought a year or two ago and recommend may have been surpassed by a new competitor. I always take a look at the latest tyre tests and try to find a model that is consistently scoring well now. Tyre tech does move on and more recent models from good manufacturers are often near the top too. Have a look here, especially at the comparative tests. Personally, I don't put any weight on user reviews: https://www.tyrereviews.com/

Some tryes that you can safely shortlist if they are available in your geography include:

• Bridgestone Turanza T005
• Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
• Hankook Ventus Prime 4
• Michelin Primacy 4+

If you are looking for a sportier tyre, there are other options but availability might depend on size:

• Michelin Pilot Sport 5
• Continental Sport Contact 7
• Bridgestone Potenza Sport

The old UUHP benchmark Michelin PS4S seems to be in the process of being replaced and supplies are very poor in many sizes. The Continental Sport Contact 7 seems to have overtaken it now too. However, I expect Michelin will be right back up there with the replacement.

Compare any good deals with these and see how they pan out performance-wise.

WARNING - user review that you can ignore if you like
I found that my S-Type is actually happiest on small wheels but I like big wheels and currently have Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 in the 245/40-18 size which for me is an acceptable compromise between looks and adding unnecessary weight. These tyres are a good all-rounder - quite sporty and direct but generally does everything well. The replacement is supposed to be better still and a bit more comfortable and a touch quieter.

How big would the STR wheels/tyres be?

If you give us more of an idea of your preferences, better suggestions could be offered but I hope you have something to start with. Or let us know what tyres are available and looking interesting and we could see what we can find about them.

Also, special offer tyres are often from an earlier vintage. Rubber doesn't mature like a good Bordeaux. Another reason I like buy new models - they are usually as factory fresh as you get. Check before handing over cash

 

Thanks for this Neilr

The thing about my desire for STR wheels depends on what is available locally. But I need new tyres now. I may have to accept that whatever I spend on new ones for the standard wheel will be written off soon as I find sportier wheels requiring a set of new tyres.

 

I see you have series 1 S-type like mine. Even though these don't ride anywhere near as badly as the press suggested they can feel a bit wooden especially at low speeds on badly maintained roads with bigger wheels. You say you have the base wheels. Are they the 16" ones? Mine rides well on those but looks a bit weedy. The 18" Melbourne wheels are rather heavy and modern tyres are getting stiffer but they look better:


If you really are just looking for a stop-gap purchase, you could have a look at what is available from the likes of Falken, Nexen, Vredestein, etc. They have one or two fairly good models, often at much cheaper prices.

 

I switched mine from the standard wheels -

Originals
To 18 inch BBS alloys running 245/45 tyres and I think it looks all the better for it.
Handles well but I don't push it through the twisty bits, most of our roads are like outback tracks now.

 

To me XJ9's and STRs say "elegance". Lord, even the style of the wheels rims have that "spoke" attitude that comes from the days of continental touring around the mountaintop before some fine dining at the coastline surrounded by bicyclists. Heaven knows, Pirelli doesn't understand subdued subtle sidewalls designs, nor does Khumo or other UHP tire makers! Nice brands, but too racy and pimpish looking once you've mounted them on certain cars.

Even Continental is a bit too "artistic" on the sidewalls, and certain Jaguars benefit from a more relaxed looking sidewall that allows your CAR and those spokes to be the star of the show (not the tire-maker).

Nokian Z-line A/S is an excellent all-season tire, sturdy in the cold and ice, not harsh in the summer, and very subtle on its sidewall design. It's also going out of style (not yet discontinued), soon to be replaced by newer sporty looking Nokians. So the price ought to be very reasonable.

Someone else here mentioned Vredestein, and Kudos to them! Vrede's Quatrac-Pro or their Quatrac-5 (dictated by the size tire you're after) are also excellent touring tires with a reputation for being gallant in the snow. Their sidewalls are a tad more eye-catching than say a Nokian, but they are a small, still overlooked tire master, so their prices are usually superbly low.

 

Is snow ability required in Geelong? I would have thought a typical "summer" tyre is all one would need.

 

Thanks, NeilR, NewLester and SteveM. I am just looking for a stop-gap until I can get something like the ones on the 1st photo from NeilR. Are those what you call 18" Melbourne? Are they original Jag or another brand? No snow in Geelong, but summer can be harsh. Some of the brands mentioned are not available here, I don't think, at least from the regular dealers. Looks like 18" is the size. What I have right now is standard 16".


photo is from stock web image, repurposed for display only

 

Yep the ones on my car are the Jaguar option BBS Melbournes 18x8J ET60 two piece wheels. There is a 7.5J version for the X-type which isn't homologated for the S-Type, so in countries such as Germany, it would make the car unroadworthy! Jaguar (and probably other manufacturers too) select wheels that are anyway pretty narrow for their standard tyre choices, probably to minimize weight, so I would not go lower than 8J wheel rim width if you go with the approved 245/40-18" tyre size. The offset on S-Types is very high. Non-S-type wheels can fit but change the scrub radius significantly, which for me spoils the steering and might even make the car instable under certain conditions where you might otherwise still maintain control. Rule of thumb is +/- 5mm from spec.

I believe the wheels you have are the 16x7.5J Dynamic that were the usual fit on the series 1 SE models. Tyre 225/55-16 95W. Your choices seem a bit different to Europe and some newer models don't appear to be available yet.
Something like this should be fine: https://www.tyreright.com.au/product...16-99W_1019331
$800+ fitted if you buy 4. Is that a good deal in OZ?

 

$800+ is just about what Kumhos cost. Pirellis will be @$200 more. Wheels, if I find them will cost @$2500 and tyres for them @1500. It will be annoying to garage $1k worth of tyres.

 

I switched to the 18" when the 16" were heading for replacement. Wasting the price of a full set is painful.
It isn't as easy as it used to be to get new or good used S-Type wheels. Try these guys - even from the UK, they may be doable:https://www.sbwheels.store/wheels-s-type

 

Thanks, Neilr. The tyres you fitted are 245/40-18?

 

Yes, 245/40-18 97Y - pretty standard speed and load ratings for this size. Theoretical minimum is apparently 93W but 95 or 97 is probably a better (stronger) choice anyway.

 

Thank you for your help everyone. I will just replace the wheels and tyres now rather than wait. I ordered 18in BBS Melbourne 8J and the tyres that should go with them. Not exactly sure when I might get the wheels from the UK. Tyres I can get locally. Thanks for helping me decide on this.

 

Glad you got it all sorted. Excellent choice of wheel