CompleteCar
Search Ask Us Anything
Showing 1 - 10 results (out of a total of 183) found for "tyre" in Ask Us Anything

Which spec on a Mercedes GLC to go for?

I'm buying a Mercedes GLC 220 d AMG Line with 20-inch wheels. Are they comfortable enough? They look good with aluminium side skirts. Or am I better getting the 19-inch wheels without side skirt? Also I'm getting the light-grey leather and I have been told it has been coated with a leather product to protect the seats; is this true?

Martin Ryan (Athlone )

Jun 2025 Filed under: choosing new car

Expert answer

Hi Martin,

There's no doubt that the 20-inch wheels and their lower-profile tyres come with a compromise to ride comfort – assuming the car isn't on air suspension. But it might be a compromise you're willing to make for the style. Bear in mind that it is easier to kerb bigger wheels, generally, and that the tyres are likely to be costlier as well. I recommend you test drive examples of both for yourself to make the call.

And yes, Mercedes leather is treated at the factory with a polymer finish to help with wear, tear and staining.


Which new Audi A6 e-tron to buy?

I was living in the North when I bought my last new Audi A7. I saved a considerable sum by shopping around dealers. In RoI, do all Audi dealers stick to the website price or is it worth shopping around?

Audi Ireland only seems to offer a three-year general warranty. Is it possible to buy an extended warranty?

Yours was the best review I have read about the A6 Sportback e-tron. I live on top of a hill two miles from a main road and they do not grit here. I prefer quattro but also want max range - any advice as to how to choose between the quattro and the advance?

Sorry for the three questions!

Michael Duffy (Donegal)

Jun 2025 Filed under: choosing new car

Expert answer

Hi Michael,

New Audi prices may be the same across all its dealers, but each and every one of them will do deals differently, especially when there's a trade-in involved. No harm shopping around.

We know that Audi has an extended warranty, and it's briefly mentioned on Audi Ireland's website, but there's no further information about its cost that we can see. We've sent a message to our contact there to get an answer on that one for you. We'd certainly advocate for extended warranties on high-end cars.

Finally, only you can decide on which of the A6 Sportback e-trons you like, but do you need to absolutely max out the range you can get from the car? Enough to live without the reassurance of quattro four-wheel drive? If so, then perhaps invest in a set of winter tyres and wheels to use when you need them.

I'd just go for the quattro and accept it won't be quite as efficient.


Is the Mazda CX-80 comfortable?

If most of your driving is short journeys on suburban roads around Dublin will the issues with the rear suspension, as you and other reviewers reference, be a deal breaker? Mazda have apparently addressed this problem in the revamped 2025 CX-60, but what about the CX-80?

Tony Cahill (Dublin)

Feb 2025 Filed under: choosing new car

Expert answer

Hi Tony,

The CX-80's suspension was a further development of that in the CX-60 and improvements were made before the larger car was launched, so we have no issue with that car at all. Further changes are coming to the CX-60 later this year.

As with all cars, we'd highly recommend sticking to smaller wheel options, as that means more tyre sidewall to better absorb bumps and poor road surfaces.


Looking to buy a new BMW 1 Series...

Does the new BMW 120 M Sport have low-profile tires and lowered suspension? I’m veering towards the 120 Sport if it’s a higher ride.

Thanks

Phil Rollinson (Barrow In Furness)

Dec 2024 Filed under: choosing new car

Expert answer

Hi Phil,

On the Irish market, the M Sport model rides on 18-inch alloy wheels while the Sport version is on 17-inch rims with higher-profile tyres. As standard they both get the same suspension, but the tyres will make the M Sport model feel 'firmer' on the road for sure. 


Thoughts on my Kia's economy?

Hi,

Just brought a 2022 Kia Sportage 1.6 petrol hybrid 2022 and it averages 7.3 litres per 100km. I thought it would be less.

Kevin Lucey (Cork)

Aug 2024 Filed under: fuel economy and emissions

Expert answer

Hi Kevin,

In our time with that car back in 2022 (assuming you mean the regular hybrid, not the plug-in model), we averaged about 6.2 litres/100km so the car is clearly capable of better. 

Obviously fuel consumption depends on many factors, including driving style, where and how fast you are driving and even how well-maintained the engine is. Make sure you're not carrying around any unnecessary weight in the car, remember that roof/bike racks affect the consumption and check your tyre pressures. 

Other than all that, check how clean the air filter is. 


Thoughts on Japanese imports?

Hi all,

I’m currently in the market for a used car and it’s my understanding that the Irish market is being flooded by cars imported from Japan as it’s cheaper to import from there than the UK. By that I mean ‘Grey’ imports so Japanese versions of BMW, Audi etc.

Would you recommend buying one or steer well clear? Even though they have low mileage I’m concerned over spare parts and unexpected anomalies due to the cars being specced for the Japanese market. What are your thoughts please?

Martin Smith (Dublin)

Mar 2022 Filed under: importing

Expert answer

Hi Martin,

I wouldn't say the market is being flooded with these cars - demand is still far outstripping supply. 

For the most part, these cars represent good value, but go into the deal with your eyes open. If at all possible, get someone in the know to take a detailed look around the car you're looking at, to make sure it's in good condition and that it's identical to a European-market model. 

I'd insist that the car was serviced on Irish soil before taking delivery, and make sure the tyres are ok as well, as these cars could have spent quite a bit of time at sea and at docks here in Japan.

Other than that, check out your insurance before you commit to buying, as insurers can be a little odd about imports at times. 


Which front-wheel-drive electric SUV for us?

Thinking of making the move to an electric car for our main family vehicle, but quite hilly where we live and concerned about rear-wheel drive only in some of the options, and all-wheel-drive electric cars are very expensive at the moment. Thinking of an SUV or crossover - what would be the recommended front-wheel-drive make/model in this scenario?

Willing to put on winter tyres etc.

John Paul (Letterkenny)

Nov 2021 Filed under: choosing new car

Expert answer

Hi John Paul,

You’re dead right in that four-wheel-drive EVs are currently rather expensive — the best value ones around at the moment are the Volkswagen ID.4 GTX, the Skoda Enyaq Sportline iV 80x and the Tesla Model 3 Long Range, all of which are in the region of €57,000 to €59.000.  Which is quite a lot of money, even if all three are excellent cars.

If you want to go front-wheel drive, but keep the SUV body shape, then there are still some very good options all the same. The Kia e-Niro, the Kia e-Soul and the Hyundai Kona Electric all share the same battery, electric motor and front-wheel-drive platform, and all are excellent cars. The Niro is fractionally the more practical, the Soul arguably the best to drive and the Kona a pretty good compromise between the two.

Or you could try the MG ZS if you want something a bit cheaper, but bear in mind that a new, longer-range model is coming in the new year that will bump up its price from €28,995 to €31,000. 

Mind you, you’ve said you’re happy to put winter tyres on, and this should really bring the various rear-wheel-drive models back into play. With the right tyres, and given the hefty two-tonne weight of larger models such as the ID.4 and Enyaq, you’re unlikely to experience any major traction issues, so don’t count those models out. 


Looking for outright comfort in a car...

I am trying to identify the car that will provide the best possible ride quality for my wife who suffers from chronic pain due to multiple injuries.

So far she has found an Audi A3 and Audi A4 too hard, a Mercedes A 220 much better but with a seat that pushes her neck forward, a Volvo V40 R-Design with the best seat for her so far but too harsh a ride.

Perhaps you cannot say precisely what brand and model of car might be more suitable but the factors that overall might offer the best solution. Under consideration at the moment are a Volvo XC40 or XC60 and a Subaru Forester.

Thanks.

Seamus - Dublin 14

Seamus Connolly (Dublin 14)

Mar 2021 Filed under: comfort

Expert answer

Hi Seamus,

This is obviously a tricky decision, and we wish your wife all the best in coping with this. When it comes to ride quality, the most important factors are the stiffness, overall, of the suspension, the size of the wheels, and the sidewall depth of the tyres. Basically, smaller wheels and normal suspension is the rule of thumb if you’re trying to get a car with a soft ride quality.

SUVs are actually generally quite bad for ride quality. That sounds counter-intuitive, because of course they’re taller and have longer-travel suspension, but the problem is that the springs and dampers have to be stiffened up to prevent the higher centre of gravity from inducing too much body roll. I would therefore suggest that keeping away from SUVs would be a good bet.

That said, the Subaru Forester you’ve mentioned below does indeed have a soft ride quality, again as long as you avoid the larger alloy wheel options. Ditto the smaller Subaru XV, which is helpfully lower to the ground and can get away with slightly softer suspension rates. Citroen, of course, is famed for having pillowy-soft ride quality, and the current C5 Aircross is pretty soft and springy, and has great seats into the bargain. You should definitely look at a Toyota Camry as well (very soft, and again with great seats) and the Skoda Superb.

Avoid anything that has a sporty designation (S line, R-Line, M Sport etc) as that will almost automatically have stiffer springs and bigger wheels.

Hope that helps. Below are links to our reviews of the cars mentioned above:

Subaru Forester reviews

Citroen C5 Aircross reviews

Subaru XV reviews

Toyota Camry reviews

Skoda Superb reviews


Are 2018 tyres still ok as new?

Hi there,

Purchased “new” tyres only to discover that they were actually manufactured in 2018 and have been told that this is perfectly legal. I wonder how many people realise this. Find this rather troubling to think that a product can sit for two years if not more and still be described as new when it has been stored for a period of time.

Surely there is deterioration in the product as a result of the passage of time?

Sarah Murray (Drogheda)

Oct 2020 Filed under: tyres

Expert answer

Hi Sarah,

This shouldn't be anything to worry about and is not unusual. The only thing to watch for is that the NCT centre may draw your attention to their age when they are six years old, if they've not worn out by then, so from that point of view it's better for you to have more recently manufactured tyres, but there should be no safety issue with these.


Where is the Skoda Yeti's spare wheel?

Where’s the spare wheel housed on the Skoda Yeti Outdoor?

Tony Keating (Carlow Rep Of Ireland)

May 2020 Filed under: tyres

Expert answer

Hi Tony,

It will depend on the spec of your Yeti, and the year of production. Many Yetis came only with a puncture repair and inflate kit as standard. Some came with a space-saver wheel (actually using a conventional tyre, but smaller and narrower than the standard Yeti wheel, meaning that it was restricted on speed, but not on distance travelled), while a full-size spare was a cost option, and greatly reduced boot space. If it has one, it'll be accessible inside the boot, under the floor.


-->