hi
I have just got myself a mk3, 2009 and it needs new rubber! came with 4 different and slightly dubious tyres, and i want to get this right. not looking for top end, but the best i can get at a reasonable price.
any help, experiences and confirmations of good purchases very welcome
thanks
Christine
Everyone seems to rave about the Kumho Ecsta which are very reasonable in the 205/45-r17 size. £300 ish for a full set
Michelin Pilot Sports are more expensive but often there will be a buy 4 get money off deal on them which can bring it down a lot. £400 a set if you buy right, £350 if you buy great. They have loads of grip in the wet and dry. They can get a bit slippy in the cold though if you have a lead foot. I have them and like them a lot.
The important thing to remember is that whatever tyre you get, make sure that all 4 are the same make, type and pressure. The 5 is very finnickity when it comes to differences
I have the Kumho and like them. They seem secure wet or dry and are quiet too. Use Blackcircles.com and you should get a good deal.
Ian
2 Likes
As above, I’ll add my love for the Kumho.
Same here for Kumho, got mine through Mytyres eBay site when there was a discount code.
£210 delivered for 4.
which Kuhmo’s do you have, PS71, HS51?
my current tyres are 205/50/ZR16 87W- any idea what the Z or the W is for?
The ‘ZR’ and ‘W’ indicate the speed ratings:
- ZR is a category of speed rating. It was first introduced for speeds over 149/150mph
- W is a subdivision of ZR indicating it is rated to 168mph
More info can be found on Parkers and Black Circles
I have the HS51 the 87W rated ones. 87 is the load range and W the speed rating as Ian.prosser says.
Ian
1 Like
So, Ive been reading more posts on tyres,yes you can overthink, and its a bit of a minefield if you don’t have much experience of MX5s! But…
is it ok to change from 205/50/R16s to 205/55/R16s without too many issues - this size seems to have more choice and are cheaper.
all opinions gratefully received 
1 Like
I have seen it done. Usually with winter tyres. I’ve not heard of any issues. The radius of the tyre is 10mm more on the 55 so your ride height will increase, your ride will probably be softer and your speedo may well under read, Probably not majorly noticeable. You should really tell your insurance company if you fit the wrong size rubber
To offer an alternative I was more than happy with Uniroyal Rainsport 3 tyres shop around
You can get them for about £75 each
I got a 2006 NC in 2015 had different tyre on each corner handling was all over the place kind of like holding a hot potato guy in a tyre shop recommended a tyre called Zeetex HP2000 I had never heard of them, but as I just spent £5000 On this car and was on a tight budget these were £50 each so I went for them thinking I would get shot as soon as payday came round.
Well I didn’t they were not the best tyres but they were a long way from being the worst
better ratings than some of the more expensive brands, I kept them until they needed replacing probably would have got them again but they were out of stock plus the Uniroyal Rainsports were on special offer and I had just put of them on my wife Mini Cooper S, she said “those tyres are f#%ing amazing”
As my above post I have the Kumho they are the KU39, so been on around 3 years. Previously I had Rainsport 2’s on my Mk2, they were very good too, wet grip excellent.
I would certainly consider either again, infact in the next few weeks im going to change my daily drivers tyres for Kumho.
can only find the KY39 in a 205/55 R16 91Y size which again raises the question of whether its on to put a 55 on instead of a 50?
1 Like
It is possible and I wouldn’t expect any rubbing but as @BrilliantBlackBirdy said, the overall radius of the tyre increases resulting in your speedo under reading (62mph would display as 60mph) as well as the handling related changes when a larger sidewall is used.
You should be able to re-calibrate the speedo after the change, although, based on this 2007 manual it is just inside the allowable bounds of the speedo readings
Hi I went to my trusted tyre provider that I have used for years,they recommended NEXEN tyres, mid range for alround use,£250.oo fitted new valves and balancing for 4 tyres. Hope this helps.
You don’t say whether you have 16 or 17” wheels, so my reply is caveated on having 17” fitted. I have just had new tyres fitted to my mk3 - after a fair amount of investigation and reviewing I’ve chosen Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (215/45 R17, not 205). Part of my decision was based on having excellent experience of Michelin sport tyres in the past on a variety of cars. I also think it fair to say that all the major manufacturers do tyres that will behave well on the MX5 - Goodyear’s Asymmetric5 is available in a couple of flavours (87 and 91) - 87 being closest to the Mazda recommended 84 of the OE Bridgestone (I believe this number relates to the weight of the vehicle rather than sidewall stiffness?). Dunlop Sport Maxx2 and Continental Contact Sport also have positive reviews.
I had Toyo T1R, and Kumho PS71 recommended to me, but my car is a daily driver and I wanted something that would perform well in all weathers and also be grippy enough to instill confidence.
1 Like
Yokohama V701 rotational pattern gives great wet weather performance and was the lowest dB so seem much quieter, you’ll need to add in wheel alignment which is about £100, I went for mazda sports setting and it make a great difference, the first week was great before I adapted fully to the new feel
1 Like
Personal choice and tyres like so many other things often come down to that are Uniroyal either Rainsport3 or the newer Rainsport5 - still not in all sizes.
I put 4 x 195/50/15 on NB for under £200 - not premium - maybe but damned good tyres in most conditions, I now run RS3 on 3 vehicles + RS5 on MX5.
2 Likes
Thanks for the advice everyone 
After much deliberation, I had a set of Hankook Ventus Prime 3s fitted on Friday.
Drove down to Devon saturday, back today and I must say I felt extremely confident in them and their road holding abilities in some really rubbish weather conditions.
Now what to change next… 
1 Like