Staying under £100 a corner I would look at Uniroyal Rainsport 2's which I currently have myself and am more than happy with, read up if you like.  Also I would look at Hankook S1's and Hankook V12's, both seem to fair well.

Slightly over your budget will allow a few more premium brands of which I can recommend:
Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta
Continental SC3


Tyres aren't an area I like to skimp on, don't ever want to think "could this have been avoided if I spent a little more on my tyres?".

twiglet wrote on 12. Apr 2011 at 23:01:

Trouble is, we all have different priorities.

Tunnie, for example, is the slowest driver I know. Being a useless student, he is also the tightest person I know. Therefore he demands durability/cost above all else. So you'll find him either on cheap budget tyres. If they are made of concrete, so much the better.

GayBoyGixer is the fussiest person I know. His pet tyre hates are instability and noise, and demands a certain level of perfromance. So he tends to go for the mainstream, quality branded tyre. Which doesn't include Falken 912s 

For me, the tyre is vital, so I find one I like, and stick to it like brown stuff to a blanket. Until the muppets stop making it, then I spend months choosing. My demands are grip. Lots of grip. Not track-soft grip, as I still expect 10k from them.

TheBoy wrote on 13. Apr 2011 at 19:30:


As we have discussed before, I think the differences are based on what people expect from a tyre. But don't always specify those expectations when asking the question "wants the best tyre?" to which the answer should be another question, what do you mean by best? Best on price? Grip level? Mileage? Etc. It's very easy to make a the wrong choice. After all a tyre is a tyre, right?  Wrong IMO.

Must say I've rarely encountered such a range of bad symptoms with tyres on a car. Omega seems very sensitive to tyres, set up, suspension faults etc etc ime. All these thing conspire to bag of tits in the corners... And in a straight line even more so.

Btw, I am convinced Michelin must make a tyre that suits TB. Must do...? For those who desire a tyre to last, at the expense of some grip, TB's tyres will be right for them. You see my point...?

chrisgixer wrote on 14. Apr 2011 at 00:59:


Agreed. Other points to bear in mind are that tyre recommendations depend on the driver too, and are therefore not worth listening to unless you know that driver has similar expectation to yourself. Many (perhaps most?) drivers will never approach the limits of the tyre's grip in any conditions, so might rate a tyre as Ok when in fact the level of grip is rubbish.

Car type and condition comes into it as well. You won't tell the difference between a good and a bad tyre if you've got shot wishbone bushes and a 200k car on original suspension components.

Kevin

Kevin Wood wrote on 14. Apr 2011 at 15:06:


agreed.. so the only trustable source is tire tests..

Thanks to everyone for your advice.  At least I know which tyres to avoid, and have a few ones to research before making my choice!

All my new bushes have been ordered, and will be fitted within the next week.... my wheels are away being refurbished as we speak.... and the car will be booked in at WIM tomorrow....

Yes, agree with all the above, thoroughly subjective. The answer to 'are your wheel bearings OK' in relation to the Falken FK452 and Pirelli P7 noise comment, yes absolutely, I've replaced them! and the front and rear springs.  The qualifier for the noise is that it happens towards the end of life of these tyres and I am sensitive to that sort of noise so it annoys me.  As for outright grip, I should say that the vast majority of my driving is done on motorways and on cruise control, but I merge from M40 to M42 without changing speed in the outside lane (larger radius corner) and also M42 to M6 again without changing speed (around 75) the tyres I rated as grippy do not protest to this, nor should they frankly, but some feel decidely nervy and the steering has a tendency to go light and feel as though the tyres are about to fold under you.  I also agree that the stiffer tyres (I'm using 99XL right now) do hold up better.  I also learned that the Mohawk (possible Chinese ditch finders) are actually Hankooks second brand and made by Goodyear, not that that is a benefit, but the carcass will probably be OK.  I also note that these tyres need less in the way of balance weights and roll very smoothly.

So I don't need track day type grip, I do need low noise and I do so many miles that I like to have good life expectancy.  A balance that I have found with what I have tried and with the Hankooks and Nexens, though the Hankooks are better IMO. The Falkens were so soft that I have to overinflate the front tyres to get any stability or grip, at stock pressures they were shocking. I also like to know the car is still under me in the wet esp. as the M6 in the rain between J6 and J9 is like a lake in places, the Nexens are good when new but hopeless when down to around 3mm, the Hankooks are good as well, the Pirellis frigtened me, and I couldn't get the Contis (SP2) to stop spinning at the rear off the line in the wet, not good.

Strangely I quite like the Yokohamas which seem better in the wet than the dry but a bit pricey. I also like Dunlop Sp01s but they don't last me much more than 12K.

There is a compromise for everyone, it just has to be found by the individual and be right for them. I'd love to use the outright grippiest / best in the wet / longest life / quitest  tyre, but I don't think it exists yet.

I also read the whatcar and which tyre tests and the last one I read rated a no-name Chinese ditch finder as the best tyre out there and ahead of the mainstream big brands.  Wierd!