To start with; The Turanza T005 comes with less thread from the factory (only 6mm instead of the more standard 8). I couldn't find clear proof that the T006 does the same, but it is likely as apparently they don't differ too much. Then there’s the chance you get charged more on the retail side of things because it is an OE fitment tyre. Bridgestone would’ve sold them extremely cheaply to MG, hoping people will just replace like for like, and that’s where they recoup that initial hit. Which is why I wouldn't bother with like-for-like OE tyres. On a personal note, I also don't like the wet weather performance of the Turanza, but that is subjective of course.
In terms of brands, you can never go wrong with a Michelin, the Primacy is a good tyre, or if you have a heavy foot and like a spirited drive, perhaps the Pilot Sport 4 or 5 suits a little better (taking into consideration the extra torque the ER has).
There is also a Pirelli P Zero E if you wanted to upgrade to a run-flat, considering the car does not have a spare tyre. This may affect the drive though, as the run flat tyres will flex less.
These are of course top brands that do a lot of marketing, and in the end you pay for that. A few brands that are a little less known are Toyo, Falken, and Kumho. Toyo does the Proxes CR1, which offers a good level of grip and durability. Falken does the FK520, which is Michelin level performance and has grip for days (I run the FK510's on my RCZ and absolutely love them) but the softer compound (which is how they grip)
may mean they'll wear a little quicker. The FK520 is
not optimised for EV though. Kumho does the Ecsta PS71, which is supposed to be an all-rounder, but in my experience they focus a bit more on durability over the rest, so more kilometers, but less performance. I had Ecstas on my Peugeot 308, and didn't really like them.
I don't have much experience with the Yokohama, we used to use them for some niche sized off road tyres, or some semi slicks for people who wanted to drive their cars to the track. Some feedback I've found online stated they have amazing efficiency, but are horrible for grip. That's just what a stranger on-line said though. I wouldn't be against trying Yokohamas on my own car, just never have.
After these brands you get in the ranges of Maxxis and other budget brands. Maxxis probably hovers a little in between the mid range and the "they're black and round" range, but I wouldn't expect great durability out of them. The "round and black" brands will either offer no grip and be hard as rock to last as long as possible, or they have such soft compounds the will grip and wear down quick. A mechanic once sold some Delmax tyres to a friend to go drifting, and they gripped so much the car effectively lost the ability to drift. Cheap tyres, like so many things in life, will end up costing you more in the long run.
I think the only time we recommended Maxxis tyres was for a mining company that drove their utes over some crazy sharp edged rocks (the one they mined) and their tyres never wore out because the sidewalls would get slashed before that could happen. After trying the toughest (and very expensive) sidewalls they could find, they ended up just going cheap and heaps.
On a final note, "buy 3 get 1 free" isn't always the best deal, as it tends to be a discount to the tyre merchant, who will still charge you for fitting all 4 tyres. If the tyres you want are on special, that's great luck, but I wouldn't change my mind to go with something on special over what I want.
Thank you for enduring my Ted Talk, I'll be in town to answer any other questions that may arise.
. For the same Bridgestones I have been quoted $415 per tyre. An equiv maxxis EV tyre is around $350 each but I have zero knowledge or experience of Maxxis on cars. All and any input welcome. My main requirements are excellent wear and a quiet tyre.
