Best Tyres for the Nissan Note E11

I bought a full set of Maxxis Premitra AP3 tyres to replace the old, worn Nexen summer tyres that came with the car. The improvement was immediate, with better grip and control, and even the sound of the tyres is more appealing. I wouldn’t say they’re quieter, but they do have a more pleasant, lower tone. The water-dispersing ability is vastly superior—where the Nexens made it feel like I was braking every time I drove through a deeper puddle, the Maxxis tyres just glide through without losing speed.

As I’m driving a small, light car at reasonable speeds on narrow country roads, I can’t speak for how boy racers might feel about this product. But for the miserable, wet weather of this Irish summer, I find them perfectly adequate.

These tyres came on all four corners of the car when bought. The Nissan Note E11 is not known for it ability to transmit what is going on the ground to the steering wheel of the driver, unfortunately these tyres generally did not help in unless pushed in the dry. In dry conditions these tyres have excellent grip when braking in a straight line, but when trying to push out of corners the limit can soon be found. In wet conditions the straight line braking is excellent, but handling can be compared to what can be only imagined as steering a hovercraft. Spirited driving in the rain is only advisable for those who are bored of life. The wear rate is great on these tyres but the road noise is a little high for my liking; they offer very average comfort. These tyres are only great is your looking for value for money.

Have had these tires fitted year-round for 4 or 5 years now (I can't remember, and I don't know their mileage -- but they are older than any sane person would have). I don't travel enough to warrant changing between summer and winter tires, but there is enough snow and ice in the winter that all-season rubber is out of the question. Don't remember how much I paid for. The wear has gotten to them in the past year, and it is evident I am going to have to replace them. I had skinnier tires on than the manufacturer recommends -- 185/60 R15. Dry grip was good throughout its lifetime, through twisty B roads, downhill, on the motorway. Wet grip wasn't phenomenal, but they always brought me home safely. Never had problems with aquaplaning, be it on the motorway or the twisties. Snow was a different story -- City slush was no problem, but when it came to actual snow, I had to take it slow, as with any other tire. I've driven a Mercedes C class (2010) with much more expensive tires and it slid around just as much as my little Note on the same snowy road. So +1 there, I suppose, but I still would not feel safe driving over two inch thick snow and ice. The response to the steering wheel is phenomenal even after all these years, but they also don't absorb many bumps in the road. You feel everything, in the hands (good) as well as in your bottom and back (not good). Noise could be lower, but with a car this light (1160 kg -- nearly no sound dampening) no tire is going to help really. In the past year, dry grip was still good, despite having very little tread left. Wet grip was abhorrent, and I'm lucky I know how to drive or else I wouldn't be writing this review today. But again, this is after 4 or 5 years of continuous torture (easily 30.000 km), over ice and snow in the Alps and through the hot weather of the Adriatic. According to the sticker, their fuel consumption is supposed to be very high (E class), but honestly I couldn't tell you if that's true as these are the first tires I ever drove with. For what it's worth, I can get an average of ~5.7L/100km if I drive patiently (official combined spec says 5.5L/100km). I would definitely buy these again, but they are not being produced any longer. I am currently eyeing up their newer brother, the Snowtrac 5, but this time with the correct 185/65 dimensions (40€ apiece). Hopefully they will be a worthy replacement.