Thinking about getting into a Discovery Sport

I’ve had a DS for nearly two years and a D4 for just over a week. They’re very different machines, and I’m delighted with both of them.

It’s possible my older D4 with its 6-speed transmission and 165K on the clock isn’t the best example of the type. Still, what I get from that car is strength and capacity, perfect for camping and off-road. The DS is more enjoyable on the road – it’s so much lighter, and you can really feel it.

That said, the D4 was perfectly comfortable for half a thousand road kms this weekend and I’ve had a heap of fun with the DS (slightly modified) on sand and on mountain tracks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mamil

Have since found these online Goodride SL369 SUV OFF-ROAD 245/65R17 107S Tyres - Buy Online Price $166 Good price, and seem to have good reviews. Anyone got any comments good or bad.....?

---

Went for the Goodride A/T tyres and used them for the first time today...

Attachment 130920

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mamil

Went for the Goodride A/T tyres and used them for the first time today...

---

So how did they go?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by guthrie

So how did they go?

---

Performed surprisingly well on the road - as quiet as the original Goodyear Wrangler and a little more cushioning from bumps due to their larger volume. In fact I've left them on to wear in and the wife has been very happy driving around on them them all week. Didn't give them a real workout offroad, just some sandy tracks, but I felt a lot more confident letting the pressures down because of their higher sidewall and also because the rims weren't my 'best' ones. The fitter did comment that it took quite a few weights to balance them, but he said this was common with 'cheaper' tyres not from the main brands, and he got them to balance in the end.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mamil

Performed surprisingly well on the road - as quiet as the original Goodyear Wrangler and a little more cushioning from bumps due to their larger volume. In fact I've left them on to wear in and the wife has been very happy driving around on them them all week. Didn't give them a real workout offroad, just some sandy tracks, but I felt a lot more confident letting the pressures down because of their higher sidewall and also because the rims weren't my 'best' ones. The fitter did comment that it took quite a few weights to balance them, but he said this was common with 'cheaper' tyres not from the main brands, and he got them to balance in the end.

---

Glad they balanced up well Mamil. I have found the DS to be rather sensitive to things that cause wheel vibration. My last couple of offroad runs were in the wet, and returning to the bitumen, excess sand or mud still clinging onto the rims causes violent vibration (twice I have had to pull off the highway and clear the crap off the inside rim). Guess that is the downside to a vehicle that runs so smoothly in normal conditions.
Attachment 131216

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mamil

Performed surprisingly well on the road - as quiet as the original Goodyear Wrangler and a little more cushioning from bumps due to their larger volume. In fact I've left them on to wear in and the wife has been very happy driving around on them them all week. Didn't give them a real workout offroad, just some sandy tracks, but I felt a lot more confident letting the pressures down because of their higher sidewall and also because the rims weren't my 'best' ones. The fitter did comment that it took quite a few weights to balance them, but he said this was common with 'cheaper' tyres not from the main brands, and he got them to balance in the end.

---

So, an update to this. The Goodrides did start to vibrate at freeway speeds so at Tyresales advice I took them to another fitter to be checked over. He had great difficulty re-balancing them, even tried a match balance to no avail, and Tyresales agreed to replace two of the tyres - eventually, after many emails to and fro and me having to quote my consumer rights! However, with my confidence in them now damaged I opted instead to replace all four with BF Goodrich A/T KO2. The KO2s are a tougher tyre altogether, with stronger sidewalls and a 'Light Truck' rating so I feel more confident offroad. However, they are also noisier on the road than both the OEM Wranglers and the Goodrides, and definitely give more of a '4WD' ride than an 'SUV' one, and the wife does not like driving around on them, so I will only be using them for gravel/offroad trips.

Attachment 132342

Attachment 132343

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mamil

, so I will only be using them for gravel/offroad trips.

---

Thought you were going to say you punctured one of them already [wink11]

Yea but now you have street cred with the BFG's ... and an extra couple of stars in the cool factor category.

I'm staying in a Hotel at Double Bay at the moment and it seems to be a hot spot of black Disco Sports and Range Rover Sports. None of them look as good as your car with the K02's though! They are just being used for the coffee and school runs.

Haha! Thanks guys. Yes, they certainly look the biz, and the tyre fitter did comment it's the first time he's fitted BFGs to "a car like that". I'm itching to go for a drive in the dunes to see how they perform, but might have to wait until after Xmas now [bigsad]

So, another update on this. I've had a few of trips on the BFGs over the summer and very pleased with their off-road performance - they've been very sure footed and tough enough to drive over sharp rocks at 20psi without a worry. On the road however they are definitely noisy, particularly between 50-70 km/h but the noise subsides over that speed, which is lucky because I'm cruising at 100 km/h for about four hours to get to my weekend 4WD playground. Also, I'm pretty sure they are adding a litre or two to my fuel consumption as previously I was getting 12L/100Kms towing the caravan, but now I'm getting 13/14. Oh well, can't have everything I suppose and I do take them off for 'normal' driving and only use them when I know I'm going off-road.

Attachment 137720