Best Tyres for the Skoda 2002 Fabia 1.4 estate

My first all-season tyres, have them fitted for just over a month but apart snow and ice I have already tested them in almost any environment they would appear in (hot, dry and dusty summer, grease after short shower, torrential rain, "normal" dry and wet roads, cold mornings etc.). First impressions: quietest tyres I have had in the past ten years, at least of those fitted on this particular car (Bridgestone ER300, Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance, Nokian Wetproof, Nokian WR D3, Continental TS 860), also lowest fuel consumption.

Handling and safety: I would compare them to both Goodyears and Nokians when those were new in terms of traction and breaking distances in dry or wet conditions; although I would say that both summer tyres had better traction in torrential rain and standing water (I'm not going to break any speed records in those conditions so I don't mind). It might seem to be a strong statement but keep in mind that this is a recent model whereas those summer tyres are quite old but stll sold as new (almost all manufacturers stopped introducing newer models for smaller cars so it is an absolutely valid comparison).

I am not going to expect how long they are going to last and actually I don't care. The winter Continentals are still pefectly OK even after nine years without any signs of deterioration but the Goodyears became dangerous after their third season (cca 20.000 km) and had to go with 6 mm of tread left. Nokians were better, after five years of use and cca 25.000 km they only started showing first signs of losing their original grip at the moment they were replaced (punctured sidewall by a sharp object on two of them). So if I replace them after five years and some 35.000 km because they have worn out without losing grip, I would be absolutely satisfied.

Had them on for more than four years and did over 30.000 km / almost 20.000 miles with 5 mm tread still remaining. It would've been longer if I hadn't hit a kerb to avoid accident (not caused by me) destroying one tyre (collapsed sidewall). Their price has risen a lot, so since a complete set of Nokian Wetproof was available for basically the same price as a pair of Goodyears that was needed, all are going to be replaced. In the beginning they were very quiet and absolutely safe in any conditions, offering excellent fuel economy. As time went by, and I really mean age, not mileage, they were gradually becoming noisier until tyre noise started to be noticeable. Still, there are much noisier tyres, e.g. my former Turanza ER300. It also seems that the compound, despite the "summer" wheel set was properly stored and cared about when "winter" set was on the car, has started to harden, which, sadly, leads to a few problems: small cracks start to appear, slight wheel wobble can be noticed and confidence in braking is dwindling (braking distances have started to increase a bit and the tyres are now in emergency situations slightly prone to wheel-locking). Also traction in colder central-European autumn conditions is far from what it was when they were new. This is, I think, a problem of "ECO-friendliness" and mileage hunting, but, sadly, potential danger too. Winter Continental TS 860s made in and used from the same year are not affected by that (at least not yet). Luckily, grip in the corners or aquaplaning resistance remained unaffected. Fuel economy also remained quite good. Overall? They did a good job, Germans in Fulda who made them can be proud. More suitable for people who can wear their tyres in less than four years.