Tyre Trouble

[Fusspot]

Driving my new '06 focus the other day and managed to pick up a KEY thru a rear tyre. Put a decent tear in it and rapidly deflated . My CL with smooth pack runs Goodyear 195/65 NCT5 tyres. Put on the space saver thinking a matching new tyre would be easy enough to aquire. WRONG !
Went to three different tyre places to find this is not a common tyre and seems peculiar to Ford and would take four weeks to get one in from down south (I am in Brisbane). Who wants to drive on a space saver for four weeks. The third place made a call and tracked one down at a fourth place (Bob Jane)that had been ordered in for another Focus driver who had renegged; probably at the price of $160. Any way the new tyre is on but am dismayed by turn of events. If it happens again Iguess I try to find something comparable in another perhaps cheaper brand. This car while nice to drive is turning out to be more expensive to run than I thought (have to use 95 RON also).
Sooo watch out if you get a puncture.

Theres a reason why no one stocks NCT5s.

Are you looking at replacing the wheels for a larger diameter anytime soon.

[Zetec20]

The fuldas in the same size are muuuuuuch better and around $35 cheaper per tyre

[zetec]

Regarding tyres, the old model zetec was over $200 per tyre for the 16 inch, so you're better off than we ever were. The price of a Goodyear Eagle NCT5 Eco for a Focus, or the Dunlop Sport 200E's for Astra and Corolla (both exactly the same size in 195/60R15) are almost exactly the same dollar for dollar.

I just did a random sample of some Beaurepaires Dealers and here's what I got..

Dunlop SP Sport 2020E 195/60R15 - $196 each fitted and balanced, but he'd go as low as $170.

Goodyear Excellence 195/60R15 - $155 each fitted and balanced

Goodyear Eacgle NCT5 Eco 195/60R15 - $185 each fitted and balanced but he'd go to about $160 each and was willing to go cheaper on balance/alignment when I mentioned he needed to sharpend his pencil.

So this proves your price of $160 was a good one firstly. Secondly, it also proves that the size is common between Astra, Corolla and Focus, which pretty much covers the entire popular small/medium market (apart from Mazda3, not sure what size that is). It also proves that the Eagles are both well priced compared to the stock Astra and Corolla Tyre (the Dunlop 200) and that there's a cheaper alternative in the Excellence for future needs should you be replacing the whole set. Bit of homework pays off in this case, proves that the Focus is in fact one of the cheaper cars to replace tyres for in this class on a random sample of Beaurepaires Dealers.

Rearding the fuel, just because the fuel is more expensive per litre doesn't mean it's more expensive to run the car. Have you considered the fact that you get more power and go further per litre of premium versus regular fuel, meaning you may in fact be travelling further per dollar and thus not actually paying more at all. Just because it costs more up front doesn't mean it's more expensive to run. Do the calculations and see how it stacks up per dollar.

To prove the point, my 2002 Zetec has to run on 95 RON, fine, no choice in the matter. I actually run it on Vortex 98 and to be honest, it get an extra 30km's per tank on the stuff, which means I travel 6% further for running a more expensive fuel! Considering I pay about 3-4c/litre more for the 98 over the 95 RON Premium, let's do the maths...

50 litres of 95 RON at $1.14/L = $57.00. I travel 500km on 50 litres average (hard driving in peak hour) I get roughly 8.77km per dollar spent.

50 litres of 98 RON at $1.18/L = $59.00. I travel 530km on 50 litres average (same conditions exactly) I get roughly 8.98km per dollar spent.

Annually I drive 25,000km, meaning (let's use this average price assuming it doesn't change) I pay roughly $2,851 only on 95 RON and $2,784 on 98 RON.

Therefore I save $67 per year on 98 RON fuel per year... not quite what you expected!!! Bonus of the better fuel is I get better power, my engine runs cleaner from the additives in the fuel and I can fund the Helium tank for next year's Small Ford Sunday. Or I can whack the $67 in a savings account and earn 6% interest and come out with about $75 at the end of the year. You get my point.

If you car is tuned for premium but can also run regular (and it simply detunes itself via the knock sensors) then I suggest you run 3 tanks on regular to determine the average then 3 tanks on premium to see which one actually goes further per dollar, if you're interested. I may be wrong, but this may be different for your car. Worth trying before you automatically assume that more expensive fuel is more expensive to run.

Hope this helps a few of you anyway, in seeing beyond the stereotypes.

I most certinaly recommend that LR Zetec owners run 98 RON at any rate!!!!!