My car is remapped to approx. 190 bhp, with a good supply of torque to boot. I put these tyres on the front and moved my Verdestein Ultrac Vorti’s to the back as I found I couldn’t get any grip in 1st, 2nd or 3rd in a straight line, although they were very confident in cornering, wet or dry.
Usually I would read up on my tyres and go for the better performance oriented tyres on the market- however I now use this car as my daily driver after buying an S2000 so my driving style in the Audi is now mostly relaxed (Although I like to rake a bit in new tyres to see what they’re like ïŠ). The Federals were an on the spot purchase at a tyre place near work, needed them to keep me legal and let me away. They were at a fair price for the size. I paid around £78 fitted, whereas I was used to paying around £115-£140 for tyres.
First impressions are they are definitely louder- I had to use the motorway to get to and from the tyre place and it was the first thing I noticed. They feel firm, without offering much feeback- that being said they drive straight and true, unlike Hankook K104/K105's I had in the past where tramlining was a major issue. On spirited cornering I find the tyres feel ‘squishy’ and the car just doesn’t feel like it wants to go the direction I am steering it. I put this down to a weak sidewall.
They It is quite hard to find the limits, as they are not progressive enough- it’s a case of corner hard, grip, then moderately amusing understeer, with no in-between feedback or indication that understeer is approaching. One thing I will say is that they grip quite well in a straight line, I would say on par with more expensive tyres I have had.
That said, although the tyres don’t feel as ‘grippy’ or confidence inspiring to what I’m used to, they do actually perform quite well for everyday use, they brake well, handle ok, comfortable to slightly firm feel. So if you are looking a tyre for an everyday driver at a reasonable price and you aren’t a maniac behind the wheel, these are the ticket. I have scored them for what range they fall into and tried not to compare to tyres that are £50 dearer. Considering the price I would definitely buy these again.