Accelera PHI R

The Accelera PHI R is a High Performance Summer tyre designed to be fitted to Passenger Cars.

This tyre replaced the Accelera PHI.

Dry Grip 76%
Wet Grip 52%
Road Feedback 68%
Handling 68%
Wear 64%
Comfort 73%
Buy again 46%

Tyre review data from 27 tyre reviews averaging 64% over 215,419 miles driven.

The PHI R is ranked 127th of 201 Summer High Performance tyres.

Latest Tyre Test Results

2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test - 49th of 49 tyres

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2020 Tyre Tests

  • 49th: 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test (245/45 R18)
  • Size Fuel Wet Noise Weight
    225/35 R18 87Y XL   E C 72 9.00kgs
    245/35 R18 92Y XL   E C 72 11.00kgs
    205/40 R18 86Y   F E 74 9.00kgs
    235/45 R18 98Y XL   E C 72 11.00kgs
    245/45 R18 100Y   E C 72 12.00kgs
    235/50 R18 101Y   E C 72 12.00kgs
    255/35 R19 96Y   E C 72 12.00kgs
    255/35 R20 97Y   E C 72 12.00kgs
    245/40 R20 99Y   E C 72 12.00kgs

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    Size Price Range  
    205/40 R17 £67.58 - £67.58 (1 Prices) Compare Prices >>
    205/40 R18 £73.85 - £76.20 (2 Prices) Compare Prices >>
    205/45 R16 £67.06 - £67.06 (1 Prices) Compare Prices >>
    235/45 R17 £79.82 - £79.82 (1 Prices) Compare Prices >>
    235/45 R18 £83.11 - £83.11 (1 Prices) Compare Prices >>
    Available in 49 tyre sizes - View all.

    Top 3 Accelera PHI R Reviews

    Given 86% while driving a Peugeot 405 (205/60 R14 H) on mostly country roads for 0 spirited miles
    these are the best tires for my budget
    Comfortable, good handling, good dry grip, and i cant hear any noise, and surely buy again.
    Helpful 139 - tyre reviewed on July 4, 2018
    Given 10% while driving a Jaguar XJ (X351) LWB 5.0L Supercharged (275/35 R20) on mostly country roads for 9,000 average miles
    If you would like to accelerate your demise, then Accelera are the tyres for you!

    Dry grip: These tyres are acceptable for the price given they are extremely cheap compared to their competition. In the dry the tyres do have a tendency to under steer but feedback is alright, if perhaps a bit vague on uneven surfaces. The braking distance isn’t as good as the Michelin PS3s I had on a previous car, but this car is also significantly heavier (600kg), so it’s like comparing apples to oranges.

    Wet grip: If you do not value your life, the lives of your passengers or those in surrounding vehicles, go for a drive in the wet. These are LETHAL! My car is rear wheel drive and in the wet these tyres would regularly cause the car to spin out and oversteer. On one occasion I complained to my passenger that the wet grip was appalling and proved my point at the next roundabout by doing a three lap continued power slide! The other drivers waiting to join the roundabout must’ve been rather confused watching a 2 ton, 17 foot lump of long wheelbase Jaaaaag do what you’d expect to see Jeremy Clarkson do, but it did perfectly illustrate my point - these tyres have absolutely no grip in the wet! The aquaplaning resistance is non-existent and the tyres will lose traction in the smallest amount of standing water imaginable; on numerous occasions the rear end lost control and spun out when confronted with patches of standing water - as you can imagine, I drove home in silence afterwards with heavily soiled underpants! These were not at high speeds, but rather 40mph on the unlit A27 between Lewes and Brighton. If you are building a track / drift car, then ironically I’d recommend these tyres.

    Road feedback: You can definitely tell that these tyres are made from cheap, hard rubber (almost plastic like) as opposed to a soft compound. The result of this is that the road feedback is harsh, though this does provide a somewhat sporty feel. Unfortunately, the lack of grip means you don’t want to drive the car in a hard / spirited manner. When the vehicle is changing direction in the wet, or driving through standing water, it is not clear what the wheels are doing at all - you only know you’ve lost traction when the rear end slides out and you end up doing a 180 degree turn!

    Handling: In the dry these handle fine if all you’re doing is driving your typical family hatchback to the supermarket and back in slow, town-style surroundings. Once the car is on an A or B road, they start to feel a bit out of their depth - they don’t inspire a significant amount of confidence on bends and leave you wondering what the wheels are doing. The result of this is that in the dry they do what you’d expect for the money, ie the bare minimum, but in the wet they are terrifying. The car had a tendency to under steer in the dry and oversteer in the wet, so be prepared to wrestle with the steering wheel.

    Wear: I purchased the car used with these on the front and rear wheels with both axels having approximately 6mm of tread left after being put on a month before. In the 9 months of driving and covering approximately 9,000 miles of mixed A and B roads, the tread was down to 3mm on the rear and 4mm on the front. In contrast, my previous Peugeot 208 GTI had Michelin Pilot Sport 3 tyres all round and covered 44,000 miles before needing replacement! When considering these tyres are approximately £120 each for this size, if you’re only getting around 10,000-12,000 miles (assuming you change them at the 2.5mm-3mm mark), then you’d surely get better value for money by purchasing a set of Hankook / Falken / Yokohama for approximately £200 each and getting 25,000 - 30,000 miles of wear. The grip level drops dramatically at the 4mm mark so be warned.

    Comfort: Roar! Yes, these tyres roar! I will concede that the tyre noise is more pronounced on some road surfaces than others, but compared to the Michelin PS3, Michelin Cross Climate, Michelin Cross Climate 2, and Continental “ContieContact5” that I have had on previous vehicles, these really do drone on. I had the displeasure of driving along the concrete paved A12 on these and for the entire duration I felt as if my head was in a blender. The adaptive air suspension on the car does a good job when it comes to masking small imperfections in the road surface but it struggles with the larger potholes / dips in the road. If a long wheel base barge with air suspension has a dreadful ride when fitted with these, then I dread to think what a Nissan Micra that’s ran on a shoe string will ride like! The car also has a tendency to tramline on tarmac where layers have flaked away / degraded which can cause steering vibrations. The replacement Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 tyres provide a much quieter and supple ride which is infinitely better than these. Buy again: No. Nein. Non. Nyet. Do you get the picture? These tyres are appalling death traps and you couldn’t pay me to drive on these tyres. Your tyres are the only thing holding you onto the road, so don’t risk your life and that of your passengers for the sake of saving a few quid. If you’re looking for a tyre that is an excellent all rounder and we’ll priced, then Hankook is a much better, albeit slightly more expensive alternative.

    Summary: As I purchased the car in February 2022, I thought I’d best eat through these in the spring and summer with the view of replacing them in the autumn - it seemed silly to waste what were effectively brand new tyres. As the tread depth diminished, however, it became apparent that they would need replacing and I am glad I did in December 2022. Yes, they did still have quite a bit of tread left on them, but if that tread wasn’t doing anything to make me feel confident in the car’s safety then what was the point?! The replacement Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3 tyres have a significantly shorter braking distance in both the dry and wet, they’re quieter and provide a softer ride, and don’t cause irritating under steer or terrifying oversteer! These tyres are well and truly awful and should be avoided at all costs.
    Helpful 38 - tyre reviewed on December 10, 2022
    Given 74% while driving a MINI (205/45 R17) on a combination of roads for 25 average miles
    I purchased these for my 2012 Mini Cooper S. The tires lasted about 25,000 before they completely wore out. The car was aligned after the tire installation and rotated every 5,000 miles. While installed, they handled great, including in the rain. I will not purchase it again as I would prefer a tire that lasts longer.
    Helpful 23 - tyre reviewed on September 20, 2023
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    Latest Accelera PHI R Reviews

    Given 40% while driving a Vauxhall Adam S (225/35 R18) on a combination of roads for 3,000 spirited miles
    Dry Grip - given the price of the tyre, just £61.99 a corner, you really cannot ask for more grip than what it has on offer. What these tyres can offer in the dry for the price is nothing short of very impressive

    Wet Grip - I cannot even put in to words just how dreadful these are in the wet. It feels like I am driving on slicks. I think just about the only positive thing I can say it is the back end doesn't want to come around when lifting off the throttle, but that is likely only because of the utterly insane amount of understeer these have. Even at a normal road driving pace, going around roundabouts it wants to send you in to the curb. It will push wide if you even look at the throttle the wrong way. In the UK considering it rains as much as it does, they are bloody dangerous.

    Road Feedback - really just doesn't talk to me at all. Am I understeering? How much grip is left? Am I about to run out? Who knows, because these tyres have their lips sealed. Coupled with the atrocious wet grip, you don't really know you are about to or are already understeering until it is about to send you in to the curb. In the dry it is good enough, but it just doesn't really tell me what it's limits are making it hard to really press on.

    Wear - I can't comment on this, they were so bad in the wet that I had to take them off after just 3000 miles

    Comfort - it is a 225/35 18 tyre so it is only bound to be so comfortable. The side wall does feel very stiff, it jitters about and big bumps are back breaking. It reminds me a bit of run-flats.

    Buy again - if we lived in a dry world and I was on a tight budget, honestly for anyone not eeking out every percent of their vehicle and really looking for a dynamic drive, these are brilliant. Downright groundbreaking for £61.99 a tyre dare I say. But unfortunately that isn't the real world, and a tyre where I fear the poor weather as if I have to avoid an accident these will likely fail miserably, it is not fun to own.

    Not only that but they were so bad that if the weather forecast said rain it would genuinely ruin my drive, any slight dampness on the road would mean fun out of the window and a fight for not understeering in to a ditch. Just to give some perspective, my new Continental Sport Contact 7's are a joy to drive. If anything I get excited for some rain every now and then as it means grip limits are lower, meaning more playing about with the chassis without the risk factors being as high.
    Helpful 2 - tyre reviewed on March 19, 2024
    Given 65% while driving a Saab Automobile 9 3 Turbo X 280bhp XWD (225/45 R17) on a combination of roads for 22,500 easy going miles
    These tires covered roughly 22,500 miles.

    The car is a South Western United States car, so driving in the wet is rather uncommon and therefore not going to be covered very thoroughly in this review.

    Dry grip, however, is solid. I do not currently have another tire to compare to, so this will stand as my baseline.
    The tire has a very stiff sidewall, which does not offer much in terms of body roll. This does, however, add to road noise and ride stiffness by a fair amount.
    Daily driving on this tire is rather unremarkable. It does all that is necessary and nothing more. It's gotten me through the thick of standing water on a freeway in Arizona during monsoon season, so wet grip within limits is good.
    The Turbo X is a manual sedan, and by default a rather front heavy car, so the shoulders of this tire wore very quickly during spirited driving. It grips all the way to the limit, and then begins to step out right outside of my comfortable driving pace. I usually lose the rear prior to the front when pushing it to my limits. Understeer is horrendous, but that is more likely due to my driving style.

    All in all, a well rounded tire and can't complain about the price.

    (Note: this review does not cover snow or ice grip)
    Helpful 7 - tyre reviewed on January 17, 2024
    What to know the BEST All Season Tyres for 2024? Click to find out!
    Given 100% while driving a Volkswagen Passat 2.0TDI (235/45 R18) on mostly town for 50,000 average miles
    Have run these on the rear of my 2.0 TDI Passat for 2 years, no problems at all in wet or dry conditions. So far done 50k miles and they are still legal but about due for a change. Would certainly buy again for rears but I go for higher quality for fronts as it is a FWD car and they do all the heavy lifting, lets face it at regular speeds and civilised driving all the rears do on a FWD car is roll along.
    Helpful 14 - tyre reviewed on November 21, 2023
    Given 34% while driving a DS3 Performance (205/40 R18) on a combination of roads for 4,000 average miles
    These were fitted by the dealer on a new car and they are probably the worst tyres I've ever used. They're about average for grip in the dry and probably acceptable for the price, but in the wet they are absolutely terrifying.

    On a motorway in the rain, they feel as if you could aquaplane at any moment and changing lanes is a genuinely scary experience even at low speeds. Under braking when wet, they just don't want to stop and the car feels floaty and squirrely, especially down hill. Pulling away from junctions and roundabouts when the roads are damp is fun as well.

    If it wasn't for the fact I couldn't bring myself to throw away four new tyres, they'd have been binned off right away. However, I thought I'd wear them down over the summer then swap them out for some PS5s when the weather turned. Luckily I've done over 4000 miles with them and the fronts don't seem to be wearing great so I won't feel too guilty about getting rid of them soon!
    Helpful 18 - tyre reviewed on October 7, 2023
    Given 29% while driving a BMW 120d e82 (230/35 R19) on mostly country roads for 8,000 average miles
    Fitted to BMW 120d e82. Car is 230bhp remapped and rwd.

    Use to drive ventus primes tyres and the difference is very noticeable. The accelera has no grip, the car spins its wheels in 3rd when before, the car did not spin at all. Wet weather is very unstable. The car use to glide in the rain and feel in control at 160km/h easy, now it feels dangerous at 100km/hr.

    Driving on country roads is also hairy. Any bump in the road will throw the balance out and the tyres are unpredictable. Sometimes it understeers, other times it oversteer. You cannot feel the car like with the higher tier tyre. Would be fine on a city car not doing long motorway mikes or fast country roads and on a small city car with no power, however in the BMW it’s a definite no go. Will be switching back to a premium tyres asap
    Helpful 18 - tyre reviewed on July 22, 2023
    Given 78% while driving a MINI Cooper S (205/40 R18) on for 0 miles
    I really don't see the issue with these tyres, they are fine for what you pay. Unless you are a track driver, paying more than double for branded tyres sounds like overkill. This is fine for 95% of driving. I got these after getting 2 punctures in 3 months from very badly built UK roads, and getting fed up of paying so much for a new tyre only to have it destroyed on a pothole.
    Helpful 27 - tyre reviewed on March 26, 2023
    Given 100% while driving a Toyota Yaris (205/55 R15) on mostly town for 500 average miles
    Excellent dry grip. I had no problems in the wet. In comparison to the tires that were replaced, I noticed improvements while driving, immediately. The road noise is a lot quieter. These tires are comfortable. I enjoy how much smoother my ride is. These budget tires are awesome! I got good value for my money. I would definitely buy a set of these tires again. I daily drive on the streets mainly. But also on the freeway. The Accelera Phi-R tires are better than the Toyo tires I had.
    Helpful 19 - tyre reviewed on March 21, 2023
    Given 46% while driving a BMW M140i (245/35 R18) on a combination of roads for 500 average miles
    I got these tyres on my car when i picked it up form the dealership all had over 6mm tread so plan on using them till there toast. in the dry there ok nothing compared to Michelin or other premium brands but as a budget its ok, however in the wet they are shocking, slight mist of rain and the back end just slips out. in my honest opinion as tires are one of the biggest contributing factors for keeping you on the road and getting you form A - B safely i would highly recommend getting something like a Michelin or equivalent
    Helpful 30 - tyre reviewed on July 28, 2022
    Given 47% while driving a Honda Brio RS 2017 (195/55 R15) on a combination of roads for 6,000 average miles
    Really dissapointed with these tyre, eventought they r perfomance tyre, the performance itself is really bad. Drr grip good for 6000 mile, after that really awful. Wetgrip so so. Aquaplaning mostly skiding. Noisy and hard
    Helpful 28 - tyre reviewed on January 19, 2022
    Given 100% while driving a MINI Cooper S (205/45 R17 W) on a combination of roads for 2 average miles
    I recently purchased four Accelera Phi R 205/40 R17 tires for my 2012 Mini Cooper S, and have driven on them now for about 2,000 miles. I decided to make the switch from the expensive, original run-flat OEM tires and thought I would experiment with a non-run-flat, off-brand, budget tire. The total cost for the four tires with professional installation, road hazard warranty, and an alignment was less than $425 US. This is a bargain compared to run-flat or even non-run flat brand name tires. I also purchased a spare tire that I obtained from a Mini Cooper non-S from a local junkyard at about the same time for less than $20 since the Mini Cooper S does not come with a spare tire, and the non-S does. The first thing I noticed is that the ride is quieter and less harsh. I do have a sport package trim so a harsh ride is unavoidable. I am used to this since my last vehicle was an E90 BMW with a sport package, and the ride is similar. I will trade a smooth ride for a better handling vehicle in this scenario. They handle great on dry terrain and surprised me in the first rainstorm. I do not understand how people are claiming they have no traction in the rain. I experienced no hydroplaning issues accelerating and stopping quickly on them was no problem. Perhaps when I put more miles on them they will lose their wet grip. I cannot recommend if I would buy these again in the future since I have not had them for very long, but so far so good.
    Helpful 44 - tyre reviewed on December 13, 2020
    Given 69% while driving a (205/40 R17) on a combination of roads for 1,000 average miles
    These tyres came fitted to the car and are brand new. would never buy budget tyres out of choice as had a bad experience with an old mx5 fitted with autogrip tyres. Was thinking i would have to get them changed asap but so far they have surprised me and performed well . In the dry they grip well with plenty of feedback and no issues . They are quite noisy tyres but not uncomfortable. Surprised by their ability in the wet thought they would be scrabbling for grip and understeering but no They seem well planted and so far not had any scary experiences either in heavy rain or when the roads are greasy. Weirdly they are marked as all season tyres - Not sure if they will be staying on as if the car handles this well with budget tyres i imagine it would be even better with premium rubber fitted but for the price they seem a bargin.
    Helpful 34 - tyre reviewed on November 21, 2020
    Given 47% while driving a Nissan 200sx (235/45 R17) on mostly town for 500 average miles
    These tyres cane on my car when I purchased it and worked fine in the dry nothing special but on wet roads they have little to no traction and would slip out very easily
    Helpful 35 - tyre reviewed on November 5, 2020