Like so many people I bought the car and these were the tyres that came with it, I didn't specify them or ask for different ones, these are what it came with, originally, 25 years ago. These tyres were over 25 years old when I bought the car in 2014 and it's 2018 now.
The tyres in question are Avon CR27 Turbospeed 255/65 on 15" wheels and the car is a 1998 Bentley Turbo R.
Now the car only had 98,000 miles on it so mileage isn't the problem, it's the cracks and the price of replacements.
The MoT allows cracked tyres to pass as long as the canvas isn't visible but that does not give me that warm and fuzzy feeling I'm looking for so even though they passed the test just 3 weeks ago, I'm turning them in and calling an end before someone gets hurt.
Avon appears to be the only company who make this size tyre, but of course, other tyre sizes will fit and therefore other manufacturers are available. The premium Avon charge seems too high to my way of thinking. They are not really quiet and they're no more comfortable than any other manufacturer.
As for the grip, well, that's a combination of factors, largely concerned with the car's mechanicals. But, it breaks traction a bit too easily when pulling away from junctions when the conditions are dry and there is no gravel. I don't drive it hard, so I have never heard a squeak out of the tyres except for the occassional 'chirp' as I pull off. While the feedback at the wheel on anything other than billiard table smooth asphalt is not what you might expect from the Bentley stable, honestly, the Renault Espace I own was smoother and it was on Continentals.
On a positive note, the weight of the car means only the deepest standing water gets noticed at the wheel and the spray coming up from the back on wet roads suggests that they are moving quite a bit of water.
But it keeps coming back to price and at prices ranging from £250 - £1037 per corner I think I will try the Continental ContiCrossContact. I have also noticed that the cheaper options for the Avons are all older stock which means they are as susceptible to cracking as the ones I already have - so it is worth checking those manufacturing dates.
The tyres in question are Avon CR27 Turbospeed 255/65 on 15" wheels and the car is a 1998 Bentley Turbo R.
Now the car only had 98,000 miles on it so mileage isn't the problem, it's the cracks and the price of replacements.
The MoT allows cracked tyres to pass as long as the canvas isn't visible but that does not give me that warm and fuzzy feeling I'm looking for so even though they passed the test just 3 weeks ago, I'm turning them in and calling an end before someone gets hurt.
Avon appears to be the only company who make this size tyre, but of course, other tyre sizes will fit and therefore other manufacturers are available. The premium Avon charge seems too high to my way of thinking. They are not really quiet and they're no more comfortable than any other manufacturer.
As for the grip, well, that's a combination of factors, largely concerned with the car's mechanicals. But, it breaks traction a bit too easily when pulling away from junctions when the conditions are dry and there is no gravel. I don't drive it hard, so I have never heard a squeak out of the tyres except for the occassional 'chirp' as I pull off. While the feedback at the wheel on anything other than billiard table smooth asphalt is not what you might expect from the Bentley stable, honestly, the Renault Espace I own was smoother and it was on Continentals.
On a positive note, the weight of the car means only the deepest standing water gets noticed at the wheel and the spray coming up from the back on wet roads suggests that they are moving quite a bit of water.
But it keeps coming back to price and at prices ranging from £250 - £1037 per corner I think I will try the Continental ContiCrossContact. I have also noticed that the cheaper options for the Avons are all older stock which means they are as susceptible to cracking as the ones I already have - so it is worth checking those manufacturing dates.