Evening guys, I'm sure this has probably been asked a million times before but I can't seem to find a definitive answer.

I bought a MY07 S/C last week and its a great car although it seems to have a huge amount of tyre noise, more than I or my other half were expecting. It has some General Grabbers AT's on at the moment which look pretty knobbly compared to what I'm used to.

The noise is directly related to speed and really sounds like tyre roar rather than anything more sinister. She drives perfectly and it varies depending on the road surface but considering how quiet they are supposed to be I'm sure its the tyres.

They are far from done but not new either so I'm trying to look at the best options for fitting replacements. Currently they are a 275/45/20 which I know is not the OEM size which I believe is 255/50/20. Having used an online comparison between the sizes I can see that what I have at the moment the 275's are slight smaller in diameter than the OEM Size.

I have noticed some L405 wheels for sale with 255/55/20 tyres. I was considering buying them for the tyres and selling the bare alloys on to recoup some cost.

I will be replacing them as a 4 and probably leave the spare as the best of the 275's as it would only be for emergency use. Am I best going for 255/50/20's? Would the 255/55/20's cause me any issues other than essentially gearing her up (bigger overall wheel diameter). Should I stay with the 275/45/20 - I imagine the 275's do provide a greater grip and probably look more aggressive?

Has anyone any thoughts on brands, on the P38 forums Nexan Roadians were well thought of or some sort of Pirelli Scorpion Verde (had these on the last P38). I will only be doing around 5k a year in the car, it will be used mainly for good/longer distance road driving. I won't be towing anything of importance, potentially a single axle tip trailer from time to time or at absolute worst a car trailer once/twice a year. The most offroad it will see will be a damp field! 2005 E60 M5
2006 L322 4.2 SC
2020 Tesla Model S Long Range
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2004 L322 4.4 Vogue, 2019 NP300 Navara, 2016 NP300 Navara, 2002 L322 4.4 HSE, 2006 (MY07) L322 S/C ,2001 330Ci Sport Track Car, 2005 650i Coupe, 2001 P38 Vogue, 2003 530i Sport Touring, 1999 P38 4.6 HSE, 2002 E39 M5, 1995 300zx TT Slicktop, 1997 M3 Evo, 1992 300zx TT Targa, 1998 323i Coupe

I have tried the Nexian rodians as they used to be cheaper than better known brands but I found them too soft in the sidewall for my comfort. just mounting a kerb would cause the tyre to indent to a worrying degree.

my last couple of sets of tyres have been Scorpions and I'm happy to say that in my opinion they are a far better ride and seem to suit the driving styles of the car far more.

also these days it's easy to get them at the same price or cheaper than the Nexian things. also get a 4 wheel alignment done if you are new to the car.

it may cost the best part of a hundred quid but it will sort your ride out and extend your tyre life.
ymmv

275/45/20 and 235/50/20 have the same rolling radius, in theory by calculation, 255/55/20 are @ +3%

I have just fitted General Grabber AT3's (recently launched)275/45/20's not suffering fro intrusive road noise, what have you got on AT2's? Regards
Royston

2008 4.2 Supercharged Autobiography
1994 Classic Vogue SE
1999 Rover BRM
1987 Rover Vitesse Twin Plenum

I think mine are just General Grabber AT's so AT 1's possibly?

I have dirt cheap Chinese Winrun HTs on 19s and USA made cooper AT3s on an 18" set of wheels. The HTs are much quieter and grippy on the road. The Coopera are an all round tyre, but make a whiring noise up to about 60kmh. ______________________________
Vogue tdv8 08MY poverty pack - wow

Cheers guys, I have ordered some Scorpion Verde's to try. I very foolishly had put this topic in the wrong place and I've done some reading, it looks like many people have gone to a 255/55/20 with no downside just an increase in comfort. Which sounds good to me. I will be selling the Grabbers if anyone is interested as they are still in fairly good condition but just not for me. 2005 E60 M5
2006 L322 4.2 SC
2020 Tesla Model S Long Range
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2004 L322 4.4 Vogue, 2019 NP300 Navara, 2016 NP300 Navara, 2002 L322 4.4 HSE, 2006 (MY07) L322 S/C ,2001 330Ci Sport Track Car, 2005 650i Coupe, 2001 P38 Vogue, 2003 530i Sport Touring, 1999 P38 4.6 HSE, 2002 E39 M5, 1995 300zx TT Slicktop, 1997 M3 Evo, 1992 300zx TT Targa, 1998 323i Coupe

I used to run stock size diamaris and liked them .
I'm now running 275/50/20 Michelin latitudes , and I'm happy with them .

Although i can be called a senior member (just over 50) i think ive come accross a lot of problems with my cars over the years
Tyre noise is a subject thats a bit like a fault reader. It can be many things. I do a shed load of miles and have 3 cars to ensure me and the wife can be sure to have wheels when we need them
I have a bimmer 5 series estate and the tyre noise was terrible. So bad i changed them for ones i knew were quiet. They where quiet for a while then the noise came back and you cold here the car coming from a distance . I asked the tyre fitter to check wheel bearing or anything else that might cause it. Every thing is fine he told me.
To cut a long story short i took apart the front suspension and it turns out to be a noisy wheel bearing, but not the usual rough bearing sound but like loud tyre noise.
Even cheap tyres these days are quiet and have a noise rating on them. You can see this on the label and compare before you buy.

But also bear in mind cheap tyres are less likely to stay quiet during their lifetime , with some going noises after 100 miles .
Even more expensive tyres can change carachteristics as they wear significantly ...
This is one of the reasons I stick with latitudes .