Are these tyres the same?

Current tyre markings are 235/45/17 97W

Need 3 replacements (2 front, one spare) and the ones i want (Goodyear Eagle F1 asymmetric) are marked 235/45/17 97Y XL. I know the X/Y reference is for speed, and that's fine. But the XL marking at the end - is this anything specific? Are they essentially the same tyre?

Hope this makes sense, need to order the tyres by lunchtime!

Just called the Eiretyres hotline and apparently the XL means it is reinforced....this is common in high speed index tyres and is a slightly harder compound. The lady learns somethign new each day!

Winter tyres can finally come off!

XL stands for Extra Load. It means the sidewall of the tyre is reinforced. It has more to do with the weight of the car they are going on than the speed they can travel at.

What car are the tyres for? Is it a Mercedes?

Passat 2.0TDi ..... Currently have Pirelli P0 and P7 on, but went to change tyres on it yesterday from winters and there are 2 that are warped, so need replacing. Find the P0 wear quite a bit, and want to keep premium tyres on due to high mileage with work etc. and the Eagle F1 asymmetric 2 got great reviews form all websites for wet/dry conditions......

Eagle F1's are a brilliant tyre, but to open this up a little, I've just put 4 new Hankook Ventus Evo K110 V12's on a VRS Octavia (225/45/17 Y XL) and the grip is really good, wet and dry. Hankook are now coming as OEM on a lot of new cars.

Price wise, Dave McCann Tyres in Blanchardstown was able to beat Eiretyres hands down, including fitting and balancing.

A neighbour recommended some Hankooks before....i find it a bit overwhelming when trawling through tyre sites looking for reviews, my main focus is safety - gone are the days of being happy with anything on the car as long as it was legal! Keep me updated with how they get on. Swapping my 2 front tyres with the Eagle F1s, and keeping the Pirelli on the back until they need replacing.

Will look at Dave McCann - i'm based in Carlow, so unless driving by for work it's a bit out of the way. Can't find anybody competitive pricewise here...

I paid €440 for the 3 tyres, and local garage will fit them, swap out my winter wheels (i put them on steel rims to make life easier) and do balancing/tracking for €40. Don't think that's too bad.....

Hankooks are expensive due to the currency exchange rates, Very good tyres.

Suppliers will try to tell you that unless they are Michelin Pirrelli etc then they are budget, this is rubbish as they are generally better than these now.

Just an update - had the wheels and tyres swapped over, driving on 3 Eagle F1s. Oh my, the difference is fantastic, lots of confidence in them, sticking me to the road! Have recorded the mileage on the day i swapped them and will monitor the wear.