I will need new tires soon. There are dozens of tire threads, but I have a few specific questions about road noise. Here is some background info first:

I drive my Jag in good weather, spring through fall, not in the winter except around the block for exercise once in a while. I have summer tires on the car, Firestone Firehawk Indy 500’s, stock size. I never push the car very hard, and I rarely drive it in rain unless I happen to get caught in a storm, so I don’t require super high performance tires. Instead, I place a very high priority on low road noise and driving comfort.

When the Indy 500 tires were new, I loved them. They were fairly cheap, quiet, and provided a comfortable ride. As they wear down (about 6/32” tread depth remaining), I still like them but they have gotten considerably noisier as they wear down. There is a much louder hum than there has ever been, depending on the road surface. I will need to replace them before long, so I want to choose the best ones for my needs.

My questions are:
1. Is there an inherent difference between summer and all season tires as to how they sound as they wear down?
2. Is there an inherent difference between summer and all season tires as to which is generally quieter?
3. Is there an appropriate tire that is known for its ride quality and low road noise level? Good rain performance would be my third priority.
4. Based on the above, should I be looking for summer or all season tires? Again, road noise being the priority, not performance.

I would appreciate any recommendations based on your experience with low road noise if possible. For reference, the alignment is perfect, I rotate tires at every oil change, and I measure tread depth at each rotation in several places around each tire. The tires are wearing evenly, no cupping.

Thanks all!

 

I think what you're looking for are Touring tires, whether they be summer or all-season. Most summer tires are Hi-Perf, UHP, or Max. Shop in the Grand Touring All-Season category, V or better speed rating, and narrow it down to the major brands you've heard of and you'll find a nice compromise tire for a Jaguar with low road noise. Touring lines will, I believe, possess more compliant sidewalls/carcasses than their performance counterparts.

 

I'll watch this closely. My wants are the same -- quiet, good handling tires for my '03 VDP next year, price (at least under $200 per unit) and longevity are pretty immaterial to me as I only do 5-6k miles a year. My driving habits are about the same as Aquifer's: I just drive it weekends to farm markets, or an occasional road trip or run to the beach or mountains, mostly for car events. Winter driving is just long enough to warm the tires and engine, mostly with one of two typical market trips. Never, ever in snow, though spring/summer/fall I will drive in the rain if necessary.

I currently have standard size Bridgestone units on the car, Potenza I think. I've had good experience with Continentals on an '06 VDP, and surprisingly with General Altimax, an inexpensive tire, on a '97 300L. The '03 differs from the '97 only by engine size, and the General Altimax keeps coming up on car-specific searches, but I feel a bit squirrely about going that route again. I tried them on the '06 VDP and it was an absolute disaster, leading to near immediate replacement with the Continentals.

I have probably more wind noise than I should but don't want to chase the mostly unobtainable door rubber. Car runs true, no alignment issues I know of. My primary interest is noise.

So, I'll watch what others have to say.

With thanks.

 

I have Penta wheels, as it appears you do as well Eric. They are a 9" wide wheel, which will put you toward the performance category because of the width. But you can find a taller sidewall to give you that comfort ride. I am riding on Michelin Pilot Super Sport 255/40 ZR18. I love these tires, they perform well and I don't have road noise. As a matter of fact, this morning I took her out, with the radio off, and turned her out on the Hwy just to hear the whine of the SC and leg her out. Mind you, I'm in Orlando and we have some very good roads.

Now the issue with this type of tire is the tread pattern ...on lets say, grooved roads and/or roads with anomalies (sunken pavement from heavy trucks, patches, etc...). This tread pattern tends to follow that, thus pulling where the pattern goes. A taller side wall and tighter tread pattern should absorb most of that desire and create a better ride. Perhaps one like a Michelin A/S (all season and tighter pattern, I almost got these), Pirelli P-Zero or BF Goodrich in a 50 sidewall will be more to your liking. I'm don't believe you will find a taller sidewall in a 255 tire, but you never know with new tech.

Keep in mind, tire sellers have certain brands. For example Costco, they have Michelin, Bridgestone and BFGoodrich. Tire Kingdom east coast (affiliates...Big O out west and NTB up North) has 14 brands. I've found Costco to be quite reliable giving tire recommendations. Not for me directly, but sitting in the waiting room and listening to them talk to other customers. Mine even recommended to a customer where to get a pair of tires to match his existing brand ones for his best ride. I'm sure there are plenty of others who are just as good.

One brand I do not like, but others have countered, is Goodyear. I had a set of Eagles and they rode rough, were hard and slid/spun in the rain...I hated them.

 

I purchased the Duchess shod with General Altimax AS-05s, which is General's Ultra High Performance All-Season tire designed for the drivers
of performance sedans, sports cars and sporty coupes who might be seeking a tire that actually blends performance handling in the dry and wet with
fairly confident traction in all seasons, including light snow.
Utilizing an all-season compound molded into an aggressive, asymmetric tread pattern, these tires have never
given me any issue to complain about. While I am certain there are much better tires to be had, the cost\performance
ratio does not make much sense for the type of driving we do. The longevity of these tires is a big plus. The only
drawback to these is their "directional" nature, which means they have to stay on the same side of the car when "rotating".

 

I have this same problem on grooved roads, but I forgot to mention it. Sometimes it's even a little unnerving as the car seems to dart around the lane! I would like to eliminate it if I can, so it makes sense to look for a tire with a tighter tread pattern. Thanks for all the useful info everyone.

 

I have narrowed it down to these three all season tires, in no particular order. All three are available locally, which is important to me also:

1. Continental Extreme Contact DWS 06 Plus
2. Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4
3. Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus

The Continental tires are rated best for noise online, followed by the Michelins and then the Pirelli's, but there isn't much difference between any of them for noise and comfort ratings. Pirelli P Zero was the OEM tire. I'm not sure if this one is the same P Zero from 1998, but I assume that it would still work fine. I think any of these would probably fit my needs. Pirelli appeals to me because they were OEM and might be worth trying, but I am still undecided. I prefer the LOOK of the Michelin and the Pirelli over the Continental, so that might affect my decision a little bit too. Any other comments on these three would be appreciated! Thanks again!

 

Hmmmm.

CONTINENTAL 215/55ZR16 93W FR ExtremeContact DWS06 PLUS" target="_blank">CONTINENTAL 215/55ZR16 93W FR ExtremeContact DWS06 PLUS

CONTINENTAL 215/55ZR16 93W FR ExtremeContact DWS06 PLUS">CONTINENTAL 215/55ZR16 93W FR ExtremeContact DWS06 PLUS" /> CONTINENTAL 215/55ZR16 93W FR ExtremeContact DWS06 PLUS">CONTINENTAL 215/55ZR16 93W FR ExtremeContact DWS06 PLUS

these are only $160 ea. from Amazon with free prime delivery.

I guess Eric doesn't play his sound system much. (just kidding)

 

I have had good results with Coopers and the same Firestones you have: ditto on Goodyears being rough riders. Best for ride is still original Pirellis, but not at your price point.

 

Ya know, I forgot about the Coopers Jim...aren't they made in Ohio as well?

 

Why does Jag recommend 2 psi less in front than in back for the Pirelli P Zero tires? For all other tires, they recommend 44 psi all around. If I go with the P Zero’s, would it be best to run them with 2 psi less in front? Just wondering what the difference is.

I usually go with the manufacturer’s recommendation, but I admit that I run 32 psi all around in the Firehawk tires, mostly so I don’t forget to adjust the pressure when I rotate. And because 44 psi rode like a lumber wagon when I tried it!

Thoughts on why the 2 psi front/rear difference for the P Zero tires? What pressure would you run with my 3 options?

 

44 psi is for winter application...standard is 32fr/34r...higher speeds to 100 mph 26f/28r
The reference to the Pirelli's is 90's tech, I'd disregard it. Today's tire tech has advanced well beyond that. Sidewalls are stiffer, tread patterns different and load dispersion better.

 

I want to toss what may be a dumb question into this discussion based on a lack of understanding of this issue. Apologies in advance. It is premised on seeing most of the responders apparently discussing tires for supercharged cars while mine is not supercharged.

The core question is: all things being sort of equal between two vehicles -- both same body style (standard or L) -- does one tire perform differently on the SC car than on a non-SC car. I know there are suspension and wheel size differences (18" v 19") differences, but my limited understanding has me thinking that vehicle weights are pretty much even within a range that half a tank of fuel would cover so performance should be roughly equivalent. Or, can I apply a tire recommendation on a long wheel base SC car to my plodding '03 VDP and expect roughly the same ride?

The relationship between tire performance, suspensions, weight and handling are sort of like electricity to me ... best left in the hands of practitioners of some dark art.

Thanks in advance for the education. It's one of the things I'm here for.

 

There have been many advancements in the automobile tire industry, and these were the recommendations for 2005 or so.
Unless something has drastically changed in tire construction, I tend toward keeping the factory approved pressures.
Those with supercharged engines may opt for specific tires with more traction, however for most drivers these pressures
would seem to be the most desirable for comfort and noise levels.
Notice the slight difference between maximum comfort and normal.

 

Your wheels are not as wide, as I note in Post #4, as a Penta wheel. Which were a signature of a SC model until '03. Thus, you can get a taller sidewall. In your tire code on the side, the first big number (255 in my case) is the width for the tire for that wheel...255mm. Note my wheel is 9" and the tire is 255mm (10"), thus the tire is 1" wider than the wheel (1/2" ea side) for proper seating out to the lip.

All you have to do is go to your car and see the tire width you have now, and convert that. Then you have a forward slash and two digit number, this is your sidewall aspect to your tire width, ..then 1 or 2 letter code, ...then rim diameter 16, 17, 18, 19, ...then the next code you are wanting, its 2 digits and is your load index (in the 80's to 90' on these cars), ...then a letter designation for max speed rating. A 'Z' rating is for over 150mph for example or LT for Light Truck.

Tons of info on the interweb, just type in tire decoder chart.

 

I have decided to go with the Pirelli’s. I’ll probably run them at 30 psi front and 32 psi rear, or 28 and 30. I was able to get them locally for the same price as tire rack online, so I’m happy. Due to my schedule, I can’t get them installed until Thursday of next week. I’ll take the wheels off myself and take them to the shop. I have a favorite alignment shop that I’ll use afterwards. Thanks again for the help and suggestions!

I’ll try to remember to report my findings sometime on this thread.

 

I think you'll be happy...

 

The Pirelli’s are the choice I would have made also. Those tires are equipped with variable-sized tread elements
to minimize road noise at low and high speeds and the inner blocks are equipped with winter siping technology to
provide good grip on the snow. That lateral siping on the outside shoulder block, is designed to maximize dry grip
and improve cornering performance. This design would improve the overall handling and stability of the Jaguar.
They are not cheap by any means, but it looks like you get what you pay for.

 

The best tires are the ones that grip in the wet when a small child runs out in front of you. Forget noise, longevity, price, everything else.