Choosing the Right Tyre Brand: Important Factors to Consider
When it comes to purchasing new tyres for your vehicle, you may be wondering whether it matters which tyre brand you choose. The short answer is yes, it does matter. The tyre brand you choose can have a significant impact on your driving experience and the safety of you, your passengers and other road users.
There are many factors to consider when choosing a tyre brand, including performance, durability, and price. In this article, we will explore these factors in more detail and the differences between budget tyres, mid-range tyres and premium tyres with a few interesting FAQs many customers have asked.
Why Tyre Brand Matters
The tyre brand you choose can have a big impact on the performance and safety of your vehicle. Tyres are made from different materials and constructed in different ways, so even if two tyres appear to be the same size and model, they may still offer different levels of performance. The tyres you choose will affect the grip and handling of your vehicle, as well as the noise levels and fuel economy. With that in mind, let’s take look at the different classification of tyres.
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Budget Tyres vs Mid-Range Tyres vs Premium Tyres
When choosing a tyre brand, you need to consider your budget and driving requirements. Although budget tyres are great for those looking to save money, they often don’t perform as well as mid-range or premium tyres in terms of handling, especially in adverse conditions.
Mid-range tyres typically provide better grip than budget tyres but may not last as long or perform as well as premium tyres, which offer enhanced grip and handling. Mid-range and premium tyres can improve the driving comfort while helping to improve fuel economy.
What Is A Budget Tyre Brand?
Budget or economy car tyres are a cheaper alternative to mid-range and premium brands. There’s nothing wrong with buying economy tyres, especially if you don’t travel often and don’t embark on long-distance journeys. The choice of tyre brand will depend on how much punishment your tyres will be exposed to.
If you are on a tight budget, then Sailwin/Antares economy tyres from Elite Garages could be the perfect fit to quickly replace worn treads or punctured tyres. You should also consider Rapid Tyres as they might be a budget tyre brand but such is the quality that they are classified as a Premium Economy.
Whatever you do, try to avoid buying part-worn tyres as they will cost you dearly in the long run as you don’t know what type of driving they were subject to.
What Are Mid-Range Tyres?
Opting for mid-range tyres provides a great balance between cost and performance. While cheaper than premium tyres, they are more durable than economy car tires. However, these don’t handle punishment well nor perform as excellently in comparison to a top tier tyre brand.
If your driving needs are modest and you don’t rely too much on your car, then mid-range tyres are more than good enough. Just remember to take note of your driving habits and routine as they can change quickly. Always make sure that the tyres you buy can handle what is asked of them!
What Is A Premium Tyre Brand?
Premium tyres have a higher price tag due to the use of premium materials and advanced construction processes, which provide superior performance. They are designed to offer better grip and handling in both wet and dry conditions as well as improved fuel economy compared to mid-range or budget tyres. In addition, they also tend to last longer too so you can enjoy better value for your money in the long run.
The leading tyre manufacturers, such as Michelin, Pirelli, Goodyear, Bridgestone and Continental continuously invest in research and development to produce top quality tyres. All of their product lines are rigorously tested to give car owners peace of mind that their tyre brand will perform well under any driving conditions.
Factors To Consider When Choosing A Tyre Brand
Choosing the right tyre brand is an important decision that can affect both your safety and driving comfort. It may be tempting to go for budget tyres, but if you value performance and depend on your car, then it’s worth investing in mid-range or premium tyres. Here are FOUR of the most important considerations when choosing a tyre brand.
Performance
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a tyre brand is performance. The performance of your tyres can impact your vehicle’s handling, braking, and overall driving experience. Different tyre brands have different performance characteristics, so it is important to choose a brand that is well-suited to your vehicle and driving style.
For example, if you drive a sports car and enjoy spirited driving, you may want to choose a tyre brand that is known for its high-performance tyres. These tyres are designed to provide excellent handling and grip, even at high speeds and during aggressive driving manoeuvres.
On the other hand, if you drive a family sedan and prioritise comfort and fuel efficiency over performance, you may want to choose a tyre brand that specialises in eco-friendly tyres. These tyres are designed to provide a smooth and comfortable ride, while also helping to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
Durability
Another important factor to consider when choosing a tyre brand is durability. The durability of your tyres can impact how often you need to replace them, as well as how much money you will spend on tyre maintenance over the lifetime of your vehicle.
High-quality tyre brands are typically made with premium materials and construction methods, which can result in longer-lasting tyres. Additionally, many high-quality tyre brands offer warranties or guarantees on their products, giving you peace of mind and protection in case of defects or premature wear and tear.
Comfort
Premium tyres provide a significantly smoother ride compared to cheaper alternatives on the market. This is due to the use of high-quality materials and advanced construction techniques. Thicker rubber in premium tyres helps to navigate bumps and potholes on the road more comfortably.
In contrast, cheaper tyres have less material between you and the road, resulting in a harsher driving experience. This can cause reverberations throughout the vehicle, leading to premature wear and tear of the suspension system, as well as your shocks and springs. Additionally, cheaper tyres tend to be noisier than their premium counterparts, which can be a dangerous distraction while driving.
Price
Of course, price is also an important consideration when choosing a tyre brand. While it may be tempting to opt for a cheaper, lower-quality brand, this can actually end up costing you more money in the long run.
Low-quality tyres may wear out more quickly, requiring more frequent replacements and increasing your overall tyre maintenance costs. Additionally, cheap tyres may not provide the same level of performance, safety, or durability as higher-quality brands.
Overall, it is important to consider the long-term value and benefits of investing in a high-quality tyre brand, rather than simply looking for the lowest price.
How To Choose The Best Tyre Brand For Your Car
When purchasing a new set of tyres, make sure you consider the following factors:
- The type of vehicle you drive
- Your driving style and regular routes
- The type of roads you usually travel on
- Your budget
- The weather conditions in your area
- The durability and performance ratings of the tyre brands.
By taking all these points into consideration, you can make an informed decision and choose the best tyre brand for your car. With premium tyres, you can enjoy better performance, safety, and comfort – all while saving money in the long run as you won’t need to replace them as often and they often last a lot longer. To give you a better idea about tyre treads, here’s a short video with a great explanation:
Should I Replace All My Tyres At The Same?
To ensure your safety and that of other road users, leading tyre manufacturers strongly recommend replacing all four tyres simultaneously. If, for some reason, you can only replace one or two tyres, we recommend fitting the new tyres on the rear axle of your vehicle regardless whether it’s front or rear wheel drive.
When you fit new tyres on the front and worn tyres at the rear, your vehicle’s handling performance will significantly change – especially in wet or damp conditions. This could lead to something called oversteer, which is when the rear wheels unexpectedly lose traction and slide outwards towards the outside of a turn when braking or cornering.
For optimal performance, it’s best to not combine different tread patterns on the same axle or to fit a new tyre on one side with a worn tyre on the opposing end.
Tyre Brand Breakdown At Elite Garages
Be sure to consult our tyre experts at Elite Garages before purchasing your new set of tyres. They will be able to provide advice on the best tyre brands for your vehicle and driving style. You can also book other services including wheel alignment and wheel balancing, tyre puncture repairs and free tyre safety checks among others.
Our budget tyre range includes Sailwin/Antares and Rapid Tyres, although the latter is known as a premium economy tyre. Below we’ve listed some of the mid-range tyres for sale at Elite Garages:
Here are some of the premium tyres for sale at Elite Garages:
Tyre Brand FAQs
Click the + to read any answer or visit our most FAQ page to review the most frequently asked questions across all our Elite Locations.
If you click on a ‘Category’ or ‘Tag’ link, the page will ‘refresh’ and reload the page showing the top of the page first, you’ll then just need to scroll down to the FAQ section to see the results for the Category or Tag you selected.
Category: Tyre Brand
It is highly recommended that front and rear tyres match in terms of type, size and tread pattern. If you only need to replace one tyre, it should be fitted on the rear axle regardless of whether your vehicle is front or rear wheel drive. Additionally, you should never mix tread patterns on the same axle as this can lead to poor handling performance.
Category: Tyre Brand
Ultimately, this will depend on the type of car you have and your driving style. While expensive tyres (premium tyres) may cost more upfront, they usually last longer with better performance levels compared to budget tyres or mid-range tyres, providing better value for money in the long run.
Category: Tyre Brand
Mixing tyre brands on a car is not recommended as it can affect the overall performance of your vehicle. If you need to replace more than one tyre, we recommend fitting all four so that they’re from the same brand and have consistent tread patterns.
Category: Tyre Brand
The main difference between budget and expensive tyres is quality. Budget tyres are often made with lower-grade materials that wear out more quickly, reducing performance, safety and comfort when driving. Additionally, they may not provide the same level of grip in wet or icy conditions compared to more expensive tyres.
