Tyres

[Worsley]

I have a 250 UX   2020 registration             16000 miles  , have noticed I have Bridgstones  on the front and Dunlop's on the rear , is its normal practice to mix brands  front and

rear  

Bought the car with 12800. miles on it from Main Dealer 

 

[steve2006]

Personally I prefer the same tyre brand on all 4 wheels but acceptable to have the same on just axles.

It’s when you have 3 or 4 different brands mixed when it becomes more concerning.

The drive axle tyres tend to wear faster so require more frequent replacement, perhaps the same brand were unavailable at the time but providing they meet specification and legal requirements I wouldn’t worry.

When it comes to replacements you need to make the decision between Bridgestone and Dunlop or replace all 4 of another brand

[LenT]

13 minutes ago, Worsley said:

I have a 250 UX   2020 registration             16000 miles  , have noticed I have Bridgstones  on the front and Dunlop's on the rear , is its normal practice to mix brands  front and

rear  

Bought the car with 12800. miles on it from Main Dealer 

 

I would regard it as an unacceptable practice by any Dealer.

Did they not notice or simply not care?

Unlike mixing tyres on the same axle, I don’t think it’s illegal.  And if you only ever practice sedate driving in excellent conditions, then it may never be a problem.  But tyres with different tread patterns and compounds will react differently under load and when facing more challenging conditions.

And you don’t want to be there when it happens!

I would suggest going back to the Dealer and getting them to match the least worn set with new tyres.

[Spock66]

7 minutes ago, LenT said:

And if you only ever practice sedate driving in excellent conditions, then it may never be a problem.  But tyres with different tread patterns and compounds will react differently under load and when facing more challenging conditions.

But that could just as easily happen with 4 identical tyres fitted new at the same time, typically the driving wheels will wear more so at 10,000 miles or so they will perform differently. Also manufacturers constantly update their products, so it may not be possible to get a pair of tyres that match if you are only replacing one axle.

[LenT]

44 minutes ago, Spock66 said:

But that could just as easily happen with 4 identical tyres fitted new at the same time, typically the driving wheels will wear more so at 10,000 miles or so they will perform differently. 

It’s certainly a factor that identical tyres may well wear differently for a variety of reasons.  But at least these are factors that can be controlled.

In any case, I’ve always followed the tyre makers’ recommendation to replace the tyre when the tread depth reaches 3mm, irrespective of mileage. That is apparently when tyre performance starts to deteriorate rapidly. 
And while it’s true that manufacturers make changes to their products,   normally they would surely just be small, incremental improvements.

Having said that, it does look as though the new Michelin CrossClimate 2 is almost a new tyre compared with its predecessor.  In which case it probably would be best to renew it as a set!