Long-term update: Our Chrysler 300 SRT gets the wider Nitto Invo tyres it deserves
Between the headache of our FCA door trim falling off every few months and our S2000 going missing briefly, we forgot to write an update on the new tyres we got for our Chrysler 300 SRT. It made a massive difference.
In all of FCA’s cheapskate glory, the 485 hp Chrysler 300 SRT comes with standard tyres thinner than the Mitsubishi Pajero. With the stock 245/45 rubbers on the 20-inch alloys, the car is a bit of a handful as it likes to squeal its rear tyres at even the slightest touch of the throttle, even with the ESP turned on. Inexperienced owners (of these and similar Dodge Charger SRTs) have crashed because they couldn’t handle the occasional unintended oversteer, although we turned it into a little game, spinning the rear wheels to make tighter turns into parking spaces and what not. What’s annoying is the random tyre squeals could get you in trouble with the law, so we started driving the car in Eco mode — and it still spun its tyres.
So after a ton of research on owner forums and spec sheets, we figured out that the Charger Hellcats already come with wider 275/40 tyres but they also have slightly wider wheels. On the other hand, 300 SRT owners have installed 275/40 tyres with no rubbing issues (even though it looks like it might rub components when the car is hoisted on a lift and the suspension is hanging in the air). Be advised though, the non-SRT 300 does have rubbing issues and cannot have tyres this wide.
We were still on the fence about the upgrade, but then found a site called tyresonline.ae that was selling 275/40 Nitto Invo high-performance tyres for a lower price than the stock 245/45 tyres, both a year old. The list price for four tyres was Dhs 2164, but we ended up paying Dhs 1590 after discount, in June last year. You have to go to the site’s nearest designated installer to have them put on, or pay extra to have a van come over.
https://www.facebook.com/drivearabia/videos/692056131361442/
The difference is night and day. There is far less wheelspin on throttle application unless you really gun it, and we can finally drive in Normal mode again without fear of a fine. The car can accelerate better from a stop as well, without inducing wheelspin too early. The car also corners far more confidently now, and we can hold a higher speed on long curves before mild understeer sets in. The fuel consumption is slightly higher, but this could just be a coincidence related to not driving in Eco mode all the time now. The trade-off is worth it for the boost in performance and safety.
On another note, the door trim on all four doors fell off again months ago, and we’re waiting to do the warranty dance to replace them yet again.
Original Mileage When Bought: 9,010 km
Latest Mileage To Date: 22,250 km
Latest Average Fuel Economy: 16.5 litres/100 km
Cost of Latest Problems: Dhs 0
Cost of Latest Maintenance: Dhs 1590Total Non-Fuel Running Cost Since Bought: Dhs 8379
Comments
Mohammad
Had those before, horrid tires and unbearable noise just a few thousand km into it. Made the mistake of replacing the Michelin pilot super sport with these. Save yourself some headache next year and go with the Yokohama advan sport, bit pricier but way better and super comfy with barely and road noise, superb grip as well.