Switching to these tyres has saved me a fortune over the premium brands - real world review
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If I was to follow the manufacturer's advice, I'd be buying Bridgestone tyres for my BMW M235i. And they cost a fortune. The car's nearly 10 years old, it doesn't get heavy use, and it never gets driven hard, officer.
But I am a bit fussy about tyres. As a motoring writer I've sat through plenty of demonstrations pitting premium tyres against budget tyres, and the results can be an eye-opener, to say the least.
Then a company called Davanti asked me to try out a set of their performance tyres, which was convenient timing, because my old Bridgestone Potenzas were pretty much ready for retirement anyway.
Importantly, Davanti is not a budget brand. Far from it. But their prices are sensible, given the amount of work and technology that goes into producing their tyres.
Davanti Tyres are available from a selection of local depots - but you can save money buying online
One of our preferred online shops for Davanti is Mytyres.co.uk
An alternative might be eBay - which has a special tyre sourcing service
Enter your tyre size into the eBay Tyres page, and you can find out what’s available
They can then be delivered to one of 3,000 fitting locations - and the depot will arrange a time with you
I've actually got a set of Davanti all-season tyres on my Fiat Panda, but for some reason swapping Bridgestone Potenzas for Davanti's finest tyres still felt like a leap of faith in what is, as my insurance company keeps telling me, a "high-performance car."
But I’ve seen owners suggesting Davanti Protoura Sport tyres are every bit as good as the Bridgestones. For reference, a Bridgestone tyre would cost me at least £180, and Davanti's Protoura Sport would cost around £115. Time for Davanti to put its money where its mouth is, then. Let's give it a go.
So I booked a fitting slot at my favourite local tyre depot, Steve's Tyres and Wheels in Buxton, and the Davantis were fitted.
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The depot's owner Steve is a fan of Davanti, and he has a set on his 500bhp Toyota Supra, he told me. This washed away any lingering doubt I had, as I watched the Bridgestones being removed.
On the drive back, through the twisty A-roads of the Peak District, I'd be lying if I said I noticed a staggering difference. I could tell I was on new rubber, but the Bridgestones still had a fair bit of meat left on them, so it wasn't like swapping from worn tyres to new ones, but grip levels seemed similar, and the car tucked into corners every bit as deftly as it did before.
It felt like there was a slight reduction in road noise, but that might have been psychological, and there were absolutely no detrimental effects to be noticed.
Which, if you think about it, is pretty remarkable. If I was to buy four Bridgestone Potenza tyres for the Bimmer I'd be £720 deep. And this is a car that eats rear tyres, so that'd be a fairly regular bill.
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Whereas with the Davantis, a full set would be less than £500. And that's a saving not to be sniffed at.
Having now tried the Davantis on wet roads as well as dry, I can notice a slightly better performance from the Bridgestones, but there's honestly not much in it. And I do seem to be getting slightly better fuel economy - although there are lots of factors that could be skewing that, least of all the cooler weather after such a sunny spring.
But I feel I need to raise a glass to Davanti, for producing a remarkably good product at a significantly lower price point than the Bridgestones.
Don’t get me wrong, if I took the car out on regular track duty, or if I drove like a proper helmsman through the Peak District on a regular basis, I'd probably consider the premium for the Bridgestones to be worth it, but the Davantis are genuinely good enough for a "performance car" on twisty roads. They're very impressive.
And at a time when everything's getting more expensive, spending a few hundred quid less on tyres without the concerns that come with budget rubber, I'll take that as an easy win.
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