Maybe Budget Tyres Aren’t That Bad?
Recently, the tyre team at What Car? carried out a test to demonstrate the differences between premium tyres and budget tyres. The outcome was that budget tyres are quieter, but take longer to stop, so safety is a concern. The headline was ‘Why Budget Tyres Could Kill’. Unsurprisingly, the budget tyre manufacturers were not happy about that!
The budget tyre manufacturers responded by pointing out that the results weren’t that far below those of the premium tyres. If you then take into consideration the lower cost of the budget tyres then comparing price to performance, the budget tyres perform quite well. The key thing to remember as a consumer is that if you choose to buy budget tyres rather than shopping around for great deals on premium tyres, you need to be aware that your stopping distances will increase and you should therefore drive more cautiously.
Michelin also responded expressing alarm at the poor performance of the budget tyres, and commented that clearly the large investment firms like Michelin make in research and development pays off in benefits to drivers, as well as in terms of improved environmental performance, increased fuel efficiency and longevity.