LEASING companies are warning that excessive tyre wear is pushing up the maintenance costs of Volvo's high performance 850 T5. Fleets are reporting replacement periods as low as 4,000 miles for a set of front tyres at a cost of around £400 per pair.

Although the car has proved popular with user-choosers, contract hire companies in particular have expressed concern over the rate at which T5's consume rubber. Part of the reason lies with the Volvo's 225bhp channelled through the front tyres without the benefit of traction control as standard, but the tyres themselves, which are directional Pirelli P Zeros, also cost significantly more than mainstream makes.

A Volvo spokesman said T5 customers tended to wear out their first set of tyres quickly, but then altered their driving style to extend the lives of tyres fitted subsequently.