Noticed I need new tyres. Went online to order and found that the tyres I have on the car nearly doubled in price since the last purchase some 3 years ago. Being clueless about cars, I usually cave in and get something that is marked as "Premium" (currently have Continental and Pirelli). But is this really justified for very standard commuting? In a bid to find out, I googled it and found: 1) Tyre shopping guides explaining that "Premium" are the best and most expensive, "Budget" are the cheapest and "Mid Range" are somewhere in between (huge thanks, that's really useful to know!); or 2) Guides and video by the manufacturers of premium tyres, explaining that anything other than what they make is a death wish. I realise this is a coffee forum, but I know there are some sensible folk here, including a few vehicle experts, so before I buy expensive tyres again, that I may or may not need, I wondered what people here think about, say, getting a mid-range tyre instead of the best known brands? And a secondary question: there doesn't seem to be a huge choice for the tyre size I need (18/50 R16). Most of the available tyres are marked as either "Summer" or "Winter", and not many "All seasons" ones. Given that I'm not going to change the tyres often - how important is it to get "All seasons" tyres? If it's not important, is it better to get Summer or Winter tyres to use year round in the UK?

Car tyres help request (premium/mid/budget) - (winter/summer/all season)

Igm45

Whilst I personally tend to have a loyalty towards Michelin tyres midrange tyres will be perfectly safe for you.

Interestingly, as is often the case, some of the midrange tyres are actually manufactured by the ‘premium’ brands:

https://www.tyrereviews.com/Article/who-owns-what-tyre-brands.htm

Doram

Thank you to everyone who have answered, this was helpful

Igm45 Interestingly, as is often the case, some of the midrange tyres are actually manufactured by the ‘premium’ brands:

https://www.tyrereviews.com/Article/who-owns-what-tyre-

I wasn’t aware of that, and this was also super helpful, as it provides some reassurance to know which brands are owned by the well known names.

DavecUK Doram Is the size really 18 wide???

Anyway, go for budget tyres, as they will work fine…and cost 2 to 3 x less than premium brands. I just use summer tyres, Unless you drive like a madman, they are fine all year round in the UK.

You are right, of course - the tyre is 185/50 R16 (not 18…).

Just before seeing your message, I ordered a pair of mid-range all-season tyres (Falken, owned by Goodyear Dunlop according to @Igm45’s list) - £90 each fitted with some coupon.

This needed some courage from me coming down from from always getting premium (Continental were £140-160 per tyre for all seasons for this size, three years ago I got a pair for £170 fitted…). Next time, if I haven’t killed myself, crushed the car or just felt any difference, I will hopefully be ready to take the next step and go for a budget, summer tyre.

Somehow it feels similar to shopping in the supermarket: price hikes encourage a move to the lesser or non-brand, only to discover that the top-brand was never justified.

Cuprajake

i run winters all year round now, as lets face it the temps are shite,

when i had performance cars i had michelin pilot sport 4, but any mid range will be fine,

HarveyMushman

I’m no expert and not a car guy at all, nor do I do huge mileage but mine came with Bridgestones from new which I thought were great.

When they wore out I went to an independent garage and the guy there spun me a yarn about these ‘budget/midrange’ tyres I hadn’t heard of which were apparently amazing. Not long after I kept getting the tyre pressure warning flash up despite never locating a puncture, and they lasted half as long as the Bridgestones.

Maybe I just had a bad experience but I’ll always go for big brands now, probably just whatever the car manufacturer recommends.

DavecUK

Doram Is the size really 18 wide???

Anyway, go for budget tyres, as they will work fine…and cost 2 to 3 x less than premium brands. I just use summer tyres, Unless you drive like a madman, they are fine all year round in the UK.

DavecUK

Doram Just before seeing your message, I ordered a pair of mid-range all-season tyres (Falken, owned by Goodyear Dunlop according to @Igm45’s list) - £90 each fitted with some coupon.

I checked out that size at Asda tyres, as I assumed it would be 185…from memory it was £57 per wheel fitted, balanced and disposal. I’d have chosen the Grenlanders 😁cos I’m cheap.

Giphy - The Simpsons GIF by FOX TV

John_Yossarian

I usually go All Seasons, and for the front wheels I do buy premium tyres, looking for markings for economy and how slippery they are when it rains. They usually go strong for quite some time. I have had Michelin (all four wheels) of their energy efficient range, that gave me 40,000 miles problem free driving. On my wife’s car I always go for the least slippery version (every little help). Bridgestone, Continental, Michelin have good midrange tyres too.
I usually google it and once I end up with the tyres I want then I look for the cheapest option.
I am afraid not big help, but good luck with your search.

Doram

DavecUK I checked out that size at Asda tyres, as I assumed it would be 185…from memory it was £57 per wheel fitted, balanced and disposal. I’d have chosen the Grenlanders 😁cos I’m cheap.

Ha! This would have saved me, and they also come to you to fit (I ended up booking to go to a local garage to fit because I couldn’t find a reasonable all seasons one that comes to me). Oh well, there’s always the next time.

Cuprajake

Black circles have a sale on the premium stuff

Black circles is ats who I believe is Michelin

Tal

Personally I would never entertain the idea of budget tyres, I’ve had some downright scary experiences with them and they don’t tend to last long. When I met my wife she put her little VW Polo in for MOT at the same garage each year. She did about 4 to 5k a year, every year at least 2 tyres were replaced, often 3, always budget Jinyus or whatever they are called. On an old lexus is200 I had, that would eat cheap Chinese tyres in under 5k miles. Just not worth the few quid savings, cost more in the long run.

I’ll more often than not go for a decent manufacturer, but choose their eco tyre option. At one point I was doing a lot of miles and really liked Michelin Primacys, got good milage out of them on my old A6 (15 to 25k on front. 40k on rear) and always felt safe in crap conditions.

I would also happily go for mid range like Kuhmo, Toyo, or Falken etc if I don’t want those spend a fortune.

DavecUK

Tal She did about 4 to 5k a year, every year at least 2 tyres were replaced, often 3, always budget Jinyus or whatever they are called. On an old lexus is200 I had, that would eat cheap Chinese tyres in under 5k miles. Just not worth the few quid savings, cost more in the long run.

I have been buying budget tyres for decades and have never had a tyre wear in 5K miles on any car I have owned, absolutely never! usually you expect to get around 28K+ miles from them, even on heavy front engine diesels front tyres.

The maximum I have achieved on a new cars original front tyres (front engine) was 41K miles. However, most of this was motorway work and I don’t tend to drive at the speed limit, or drive harshly. Usually premium brands wear at around 33K miles.

They are made to the same safety standard as all tyres have to meet, but may last less miles due to the rubber used (apparently). The main thing is, regardless of the mileage car tyres have a limited life of around 6 years where they are safe and regardless of mileage/tread remaining should be changed. I used to do tyre fitting when I was younger, so I know of what I speak.

If someone is just driving normally and safely, tyres with a slightly high performance or winter tyres etc.. are not really necessary in the UK. More important is regularly checking tyre pressures and ensuring they are correct, which a lot of people don’t do, although TPM makes that less of an issue nowadays.

Tal

DavecUK

I imagine the variability of budget tyres out there is huge, maybe my experiences are jaded by the very bottom of the barrel examples. Who knows.

I agree though that I don’t think all weather tyres are necessary, for the very little frost we get here in the south west it’s unlikely to ever be worth the premium, or the hassle of having spare sets of wheels/tyres for each season.

Cuprajake

ONLY TIME I DID FRONT TYRES WAS IN A 225BHP LEON CUPRA R PZERO ROSSO IN 3.5K LOL

DavecUK

Tal There was a time when some of the “premium” tyres were considered to be budget…Hankook if I remember were the cheapest tyre around…not now though.

MattH

Always have the premium tbh - usually michelin… they are the only thing inn contact with the road 😂

Usually buy drive and forget til the need replacing (unless my tracking decides to wear out the inside edge) - had one set when I was in the garage for a service one wheel was down to the metal mesh under the wire 😂

MediumRoastSteam

I just had rear tyres fitted. 17” wheels. Yokohoma. Chap from the tyre shop which I have been going since forever offered those instead of the usual Michelin’s I’d fit - they were half the price too at £99 each, fitted. I’ll let you know who they fared in 6 years time when they will likely need changing. 🤣🤪🍿