Pirelli P-7

...brand this time was Pirelli P7s. I was reminded of the fact that mine being sixteen inch, were a little more expensive than fifteens, or even seventeens! Apparently this is due to supply and demand, they don't make quite so many sixteen inch tyres.

These were fitted on Vauxhall alloys, and all balancing weights were on the inside, where they should be, why is it most fitters put them on the outside?

I have shopped around, ...
...would like to visit the Pirelli website, take a look here:-
http://www.pirelli.co.uk/web/default.page

New tyres require running in, and then checked as often as you can, both for pressure, and also wear. The modern trend is not to rotate your tyres onto different axles, and while this does even out the wear, and make tyres last longer, the problem is that all of your tyres will wear out at the same time, and most people prefer ... more

Twice now, in a fairly short space of time, I have acquired a full set of tyres for my car, and the particular brand this time was Pirelli P7s. I was reminded of the fact that mine being sixteen inch, were a little more expensive than fifteens, or even seventeens! Apparently this is due to supply and demand, they don't make quite so many sixteen inch tyres.

These were fitted on Vauxhall alloys, and all balancing weights were on the inside, where they should be, why is it most fitters put them on the outside?

I have shopped around, in local tyre fitters as well as on the net, and I know that there are many places selling bargain price tyres, but you also have to pay for delivery, and fitting, then balancing, plus a new valve, and there is a charge for disposal of your old tyres. I decided the saving just wasn't worth the hassle.

A decent tyre fitter is worth his weight in gold, and mine always runs his hand across the tread before doing anything else. Immediately he knows if the steering geometry is out, in some cases this can save premature wear on new tyres, and thus save the customer a fortune, never mind compromising safety.

The P7 range of tyres were designed as a Sport oriented tyre for the latest generation of high-performance saloons and estates. They have an Asymmetric Design, and Extra Low Rolling Resistance, this gives flexibility and smoothness while the overall weight is reduced as well as integrity being optimised.
They are made for good handling in both dry and wet conditions.
The tyres also feature something called "STEP" - short for "Safety from Technically Engineered Profile" which according to the sales blurb is "giving a more harmonious interaction between the various components of the tyre: the result is a new profile that reduces deformation in the critical tyre areas, producing greater reliability and structural resistance. In essence, less rigidity without reducing resistance during use and thus less wear in the critical areas." I do hope you are following this, OK, I will not do any more quotes.

If you would like to visit the Pirelli website, take a look here:-
http://www.pirelli.co.uk/web/default.page

New tyres require running in, and then checked as often as you can, both for pressure, and also wear. The modern trend is not to rotate your tyres onto different axles, and while this does even out the wear, and make tyres last longer, the problem is that all of your tyres will wear out at the same time, and most people prefer to change two at a time.

As for grip, they do seem to grip better in the wet than most others, and in my opinion this is when you really need the grip.

I don't "do" designer tread, and I firmly believe a lot of tyres have tread designed more for looks rather than function. These may not gave modern "cool" tread, but I do think they look good, not only when they are brand new, but after a lot of wear.

My Pirelli's which are fitted to highly polished alloy wheels, look the business.

Many tyres nowadays have a "direction of rotation" on them, signified by an arrow on the sidewall, these don't, however, they do have "outside" marked in a prominent position, so make sure yours are fitted the right way round. Also, do you know what your pressures should be? What it says in the handbook may not always be correct. This is due to the fact that they have to state a pressure suitable for the average driver with an average load. Yours may be much different, so it is best to have a decent tyre fitter's opinion after a while, you may well find yours are wearing on the middle for instance, indicating too much pressure, even though it is exactly what it says in the book.

That is just my opinion, these look good, they are affordable, they grip very well, and don't wear out too quickly. They offer everything a tyre should to me.

I must just mention that Pirelli is the same firm that does the famous calendars, I will not go on about these as they are not relevant in this review, however, if you wish to see the calendar website, it is here:- http://www.pirellical.com/thecal/home.html

I must also mention that tyres will look better for longer if you use tyre slick, this gives your rubber a wet look, but also protects against extremes of weather.

Right, just for interest, there is a tyre site that allows you to look up any vehicle, just by typing in the registration,. It will give you the make, model, and colour, plus of course the recommended tyre size. Have a go with your own reg number:-
http://www.tyre-shopper.co.uk/tyre-search.asp

I would normally give the RRP, but in this case, it obviously depends on the size, there are plenty of outlets, and websites, just be careful about delivery prices, and allow for fitting.

Thank you for reading, and remember to check your tyres for wear and pressure.
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