Wheels/tyres for a new Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon
 

Dear Alfa Romeo friends,

I am a happy owner of a new (4 months old now) Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon
2.0 JTS ("Distinctive": best equipped version). I have the
"Sport" (Niveaumatic), not TI, suspension option. The car came with
"Sport" version 6.5J x 16 light metal alloy wheels with Firestone 205/55
16 tyres. I live in Norway, and since it gets fairly snowy and icy in
the winter, M+S tyres is a must. The Norwegian importer recommends
205/55 16 M+S tyres (Conti is regarded as the best winter tyre brand in
Norway).

I am faced with the following dilemma: Should I buy a new set of 6.5 J x
16 wheels, or should I put the new winter tyres on the "old" 6.5 J x 16
wheels, and purchase a new set of 7J x 17 wheels with 215/45 17 tyres in
the spring?? How big is the difference between 215/45 17 and 205/55 16
tyres when it comes to a.) road/curve behaviour b.) road behaviour in
rainy weather and c.) comfort (suspension/road noise)??

I like sporty driving, and Norway has a lot of curvy roads to offer.
However, I also am very fond of the firm, but not too hard suspension of
my Alfa 156, which I think strikes the ideal balance between being
firm/sporty and comfortable. My previous car was an Audi A3 "Ambition",
but I chose the Alfa in favour of the new Audi A3 and the new A4 Avant.
One of the main reasons for this (apart from the beauty of the Alfa, the
better engine etc.) was that the sport versions of the Audis are too
noisy and have an "Eisenbett" (iron bed) suspension quality.

Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated.

With regards


Cato A. Guldberg

"Cato A. Guldberg" > schreef in bericht
...
> Dear Alfa Romeo friends,
>
> The Norwegian importer recommends 205/55 16 M+S tyres (Conti is regarded
> as the best winter tyre brand in Norway).
>
As a rule I hate Conti's but I lack any experience on winter tyres.
I wouldn't believe the importer automatically, but check the internet for
winter tyre tests and go for the best one.
Grip will be the only important factor I guess.

> I am faced with the following dilemma: Should I buy a new set of 6.5 J x
> 16 wheels, or should I put the new winter tyres on the "old" 6.5 J x 16
> wheels, and purchase a new set of 7J x 17 wheels with 215/45 17 tyres in
> the spring??

If you have plans to switch to 17", this is the moment!

> How big is the difference between 215/45 17 and 205/55 16 tyres when it
> comes to a.) road/curve behaviour b.) road behaviour in rainy weather and
> c.) comfort (suspension/road noise)??
>

Here too it is very important to check the various tyre tests.
Compare handling and braking in wet & dry, roll resistance, noise and
comfort as well as mileage.
Value the points you feel are important and make your choice.
In general I would say that the handling will improve in the dry, but will
worsten in the wet.
In respect to comfort you will go back just a little, but noise is directly
brand dependent.
I.e. Pirelli is very noisy! But I like them!
I have very good experience on my 156SW with Pirelli P7000, Dunlop SP9000
and Goodyear Eagle F1
On all my earlier Alfa's I favored Michelin's.
Rather expensive but high mileage.
You must realize that personal choice is very important with tyres.
However, when you calculate all different tyre brands per km/mile, you will
see very little difference, so go for YOUR best tyre!!

> I like sporty driving, and Norway has a lot of curvy roads to offer.
> However, I also am very fond of the firm, but not too hard suspension of
> my Alfa 156, which I think strikes the ideal balance between being
> firm/sporty and comfortable. My previous car was an Audi A3 "Ambition",
> but I chose the Alfa in favour of the new Audi A3 and the new A4 Avant.
> One of the main reasons for this (apart from the beauty of the Alfa, the
> better engine etc.) was that the sport versions of the Audis are too noisy
> and have an "Eisenbett" (iron bed) suspension quality.
>

I fully agree. It's a f**** shame Audi & BMW make their sporty suspensions
hard as a brick!
Looking at the new 147 introduced a few weeks ago, Alfa went even further to
the comfort side without loosing any points in respect of handling and
sportiness.

> Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated.
>

Your welcome!

--
Ciao from Holland
AlfistaGJ (Gert-Jan)
Alfa red 156 SW 1.8 Madeno tuned (2000) (soon: GT 2.0JTS)
Golden Montreal 1428700 (1973/4)