I'd say so. When out walking the dog, I see literally every car, once the original tyres are gone, got ditch finder cheap trash tyres on them, mismatched to the back. Have a look in supermarked parked cars too. Same dice. One guy a few miles from me, got mismatched ditch finders on the front (different ditch finder brands on each side), and on the back a winter tyre one side, and an all season the other lol Still, he seems to arrive home every night just fine.
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Tyres Different tires front pair to back pair
- Thread starter 6ixxer
- Start date
Thought that rather odd seeing as she hated themThere’s a time and a place for the PZeros. Baking hot weather and twisty roads.
Wearing out at circa 6000 miles of driving in dreary Britain and waking up to that bloody awful wheel hop on full lock is not a good look. lol The looks I used to get in carparks whilst manoeuvring. No my cars not broken, it’s these godawful tyres.
I was a bit sceptical that the wheel hop would magically disappear with the PS5’s, but they absolutely did. Silence is golden.
and @_Emma replacing PZeros with PZeros.
but didn’t say anything but now you have anyways 
I don’t do any motorway miles that’s probably why mine only did 4k all hard b roads only..
I‘m in agreement p-zeros bloody lethal
4k?!? Jesus
I like to waste money on crap, but definitely never willingly purchased pzeros unless they were on a brand new carThere’s a time and a place for the PZeros. Baking hot weather and twisty roads.
Wearing out at circa 6000 miles of driving in dreary Britain and waking up to that bloody awful wheel hop on full lock is not a good look. lol The looks I used to get in carparks whilst manoeuvring. No my cars not broken, it’s these godawful tyres.
I was a bit sceptical that the wheel hop would magically disappear with the PS5’s, but they absolutely did. Silence is golden.
and @_Emma replacing PZeros with PZeros.
I’d seriously reconsidered buying a new car that came on p-zeros unless the dealership could replace them with something else before collection.I like to waste money on crap, but definitely never willingly purchased pzeros unless they were on a brand new car
4k Jesus is literally what I said when I saw the state of the fronts,followed by thank the lord I’m getting shot…
I tried to get the dealership to swap them for me, even to swap my tyres from my old i30n over and they wouldn’t entertain it at all. They wanted me to pay something obscene like £2k for them to put PS4s on. Probably new my trade in was worth less with brand new pzeros on itI’d seriously reconsidered buying a new car that came on p-zeros unless the dealership could replace them with something else before collection.
4k Jesus is literally what I said when I saw the state of the fronts,followed by thank the lord I’m getting shot…
I know it comes down to pricing from the tyre manufacturer; but I've not had a good thing to say about cars with OEM pirelli's on them.
The mustang came over with US spec rubber (pirelli) and they were awful - even on a dry road I'd fight understeer & oversteer on anything but the flattest & widest diameter corners. Hell one time on the motorway I changed lane gently at 50mph in 5th in the rain and had to put on opposite lock... Swapped to top end vredistan's as I couldn't afford (or get my hands on) ps4's at the time and it transformed the car.
The mustang came over with US spec rubber (pirelli) and they were awful - even on a dry road I'd fight understeer & oversteer on anything but the flattest & widest diameter corners. Hell one time on the motorway I changed lane gently at 50mph in 5th in the rain and had to put on opposite lock... Swapped to top end vredistan's as I couldn't afford (or get my hands on) ps4's at the time and it transformed the car.
Had vredestein ultrac sessanta tyres on my rx8 gorgeous looking tyre and transformed the very twitchy front end as described by JC back in 2003
great choice of tyre.
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The LSD has my OEM tyres pretty average at 5K. Swapped the fronts onto the rears at the service to get a little longer before I change to something else.
I was originally thinking Goodyear Asym 6, then wondered if Michelin PS5 would be ok and better value, and now i'm wondering if theres some other option here...
225 sc7 best I’ve had 100%
Got ps4 on the ST definitely not as good as the contis probably fit hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3 next time around when it gets serviced and mot’d,also gets good reviews.
Michelin PS5’s are much better than ‘ok’ lol. Ive got them on mine. Great grip in the wet and dry with decent longevity. (I stuck to the oe size,215)
I've had the Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 on other cars and I like them, too.
Other than the price, I really can’t say anything bad at all about the PS5’s.
While i havent driven low profile PS5, i have driven PS4 on other cars and they are definitely 'not-shit'.
As for whether they could be consdered a great tyre, i dont know.
I'm not a tyre reviewer so all i can really rate them on is, they havent nearly sent me off the road.
I have however had low profile Goodyear eagle F1 that were awesome on the car they were on. Thats possibly making me lean towards the asym 6.
I was honestly considering the conti sc7, i just dont have experience with them and they cost a bit more.
as6 225_40r18 ~225
sc7 225_40r18 ~245
As for whether they could be consdered a great tyre, i dont know.
I'm not a tyre reviewer so all i can really rate them on is, they havent nearly sent me off the road.
I have however had low profile Goodyear eagle F1 that were awesome on the car they were on. Thats possibly making me lean towards the asym 6.
I was honestly considering the conti sc7, i just dont have experience with them and they cost a bit more.
as6 225_40r18 ~225
sc7 225_40r18 ~245
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Here is how Copilot replied quite informatively to the question "Can you achieve better performance or longevity by using different types or brands of tyre on the front to on the rear of an i20N?"
Short answer: no — not on an i20N.
Long answer: it’s one of those ideas that sounds clever, but once you dig into how the i20N behaves, it almost always makes the car worse, not better.
Hyundai set up the i20N with a very specific balance:
When you mix tyres, you change that balance in ways you can’t fully predict. Even small differences in compound, carcass stiffness, or tread pattern can shift the car toward understeer or snap oversteer depending on which end has more grip.
On a front‑wheel‑drive hot hatch, that’s not something you want to gamble with.
Either way, you’re compromising the car’s natural strengths.
Not really.
If you put a harder or cheaper tyre on the front to “save money,” you end up with:
If you put the harder tyre on the rear, you get:
The only reliable way to increase longevity is:
This is rare, but worth mentioning:
Some FWD track cars run:
This is done to increase rotation and reduce understeer.
But on the i20N, this is:
For street use, it’s a no-go.
If your goal is performance, longevity, or comfort, the best setup is:
Given Melbourne’s climate and your interest in balancing performance with refinement, something like the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport or Michelin PS5 gives you the best all‑round result without compromising safety or balance.
If you want, I can break down which tyres give the best longevity, wet grip, comfort, or value specifically for the i20N.
Short answer: no — not on an i20N.
Long answer: it’s one of those ideas that sounds clever, but once you dig into how the i20N behaves, it almost always makes the car worse, not better.
Why mixing tyres front/rear is a bad idea on an i20N
1. The i20N’s chassis is tuned around equal grip
Hyundai set up the i20N with a very specific balance:
- strong front-end bite
- predictable lift-off rotation
- stable high‑speed behaviour
When you mix tyres, you change that balance in ways you can’t fully predict. Even small differences in compound, carcass stiffness, or tread pattern can shift the car toward understeer or snap oversteer depending on which end has more grip.
On a front‑wheel‑drive hot hatch, that’s not something you want to gamble with.
Performance: why mixing usually reduces it
If the front tyres are grippier than the rear
- Turn‑in feels sharp at first
- But the rear becomes nervous, especially in wet conditions
- Lift‑off oversteer becomes abrupt rather than progressive
- ESC intervenes more often, slowing you down
If the rear tyres are grippier than the front
- The car pushes wide on corner entry
- Torque steer feels worse
- Braking stability suffers because the front tyres lock earlier
- You lose the i20N’s playful rotation
Either way, you’re compromising the car’s natural strengths.
Longevity: does mixing help tyres last longer?
Not really.
Front tyres wear faster on the i20N because:
- FWD puts power through the front
- The car has aggressive factory alignment
- The LSD loads the outside front heavily
- The car is relatively light in the rear
If you put a harder or cheaper tyre on the front to “save money,” you end up with:
- worse braking
- worse wet grip
- inconsistent handling
- more noise
- uneven wear patterns
If you put the harder tyre on the rear, you get:
- unpredictable rear‑end behaviour
- reduced stability in emergency manoeuvres
The only reliable way to increase longevity is:
- choose a tyre with good wear characteristics
- rotate tyres every 5,000–7,000 km
- run correct pressures
- avoid excessive toe‑out
The only time mixing tyres can make sense
This is rare, but worth mentioning:
Track-only setups
Some FWD track cars run:
- semi‑slicks on the front
- road tyres on the rear
This is done to increase rotation and reduce understeer.
But on the i20N, this is:
- twitchy
- risky in the wet
- not suitable for the road
- not recommended unless you’re an experienced track driver who understands the consequences
For street use, it’s a no-go.
The best real-world approach for an i20N
If your goal is performance, longevity, or comfort, the best setup is:
✔ Same tyre model on all four corners
✔ Regular rotations
✔ A tyre that suits your priorities (grip vs wear vs comfort)
Given Melbourne’s climate and your interest in balancing performance with refinement, something like the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport or Michelin PS5 gives you the best all‑round result without compromising safety or balance.
If you want, I can break down which tyres give the best longevity, wet grip, comfort, or value specifically for the i20N.
I must admit it made me somewhat nervous having the massive new level of grip at the front end with the sc7s and very nervous about still having the unpredictable p-zeros on the back at a narrower size,never quite sure where the balance was,and with the addition of more grip upfront could actually make the handling worse to some degree.
I don't know whether it's due to the heat here but I'm loving the performance of my pzeros. Wear is still an unknown as I'm only 13k km in.
I tried a set of hankooks on my old ws fiesta, outright grip was slightly lower, more noticeably in the wet, but for the price they were really good.
I tried a set of hankooks on my old ws fiesta, outright grip was slightly lower, more noticeably in the wet, but for the price they were really good.
I have definitely read somewhere that the rear tyres make a big difference to the steering feel. I suppose it makes sense but would be interested in anybody’s opinions on this.
In the latest Evo magazine podcast they are talking about a big new tyre test they have just completed. I presume this will be published in the next Evo magazine so I look forward to their findings.
In their 2025 test they had the Bridgestone Potenza Sport as the best tyre so that is currently top of my list.
I am getting the last thousand or so miles out of my OEM Pirellis at the moment. Been cornering very hard in the dry recently and I have found them to be fantastic. Around a 180 degree slip road near me I can make myself feel light headed if I hold it in 2nd gear and give it some welly
In the latest Evo magazine podcast they are talking about a big new tyre test they have just completed. I presume this will be published in the next Evo magazine so I look forward to their findings.
In their 2025 test they had the Bridgestone Potenza Sport as the best tyre so that is currently top of my list.
I am getting the last thousand or so miles out of my OEM Pirellis at the moment. Been cornering very hard in the dry recently and I have found them to be fantastic. Around a 180 degree slip road near me I can make myself feel light headed if I hold it in 2nd gear and give it some welly
Do you happen to have a G-Suit on hand - hope you don't pass out when corneringI have definitely read somewhere that the rear tyres make a big difference to the steering feel. I suppose it makes sense but would be interested in anybody’s opinions on this.
In the latest Evo magazine podcast they are talking about a big new tyre test they have just completed. I presume this will be published in the next Evo magazine so I look forward to their findings.
In their 2025 test they had the Bridgestone Potenza Sport as the best tyre so that is currently top of my list.
I am getting the last thousand or so miles out of my OEM Pirellis at the moment. Been cornering very hard in the dry recently and I have found them to be fantastic. Around a 180 degree slip road near me I can make myself feel light headed if I hold it in 2nd gear and give it some welly
i've seen a few sources that say they want the rear to move more on turning and suggest a tight rear swaybar.
I suppose theres a noteworthy difference between swaybar+matchy-tires vs a set of cheap/shitty rears...
I suppose it just depends on whether the difference is measured in small number of turning degrees vs spinning and heading off the road tail first...
not familiar with the publication, but are their tests done on front, rear or awd vehicle?
I prefer when their tests are the same drive type as mine, so their results are more relevant to me.
I've heard of someone liking bridgestone potenza tires (that i hated on my front drive) and turns out they had them on an awd.
I prefer a pretty active rear on my cars, I find it makes them more adjustable for me in cornering. You definitely need to be able to trust those rear tyres though. I would rather have less grip with more predictability than vice versa. I'm fully with you on direct comparisons of drivetrain 6ixxer, i find the Tyre Reviews youtube channel really good when he uses his golf, but the M2 not so much. His latest tyre comparison was a real eye opener on wet handling with the new potenza Race. The temperatures he references for summer testing seem closer to our winter day temps so there's always non local considerations to be taken into account.