What type of tyre is best

The best tire brands have been in the game for a long, long time so they know how to make the best possible tires at the most cost effective level. Get the right tires for your vehicle and you're looking at not only a more road-hugging drive with safer handling, but also more efficiency that could save you on gas and more.

Find the right model from the best tire brands and it could last you a lot longer than a more budget option which could mean you end up saving money over the longer term. Generally speaking all weather tires are the ideal option for most, driving on the highway or in cities. But there are specialist options for snow, sport and wet weather that you might want to consider too. Tirerack is a service that will arrange fitting with a local supplier. It sells all the best tire brands and other accessories itself too, so you can get all you need in one place.

You can either get the tires and install them yourself or have a local garage source and install them for you. Either way it pays to know the brand you want, the size you need and the pressure for your car.

Most of those details are found in your car's manual or online. In this guide you'll find the best tire brands that are most trusted with a selection of options from each to suit many needs. So you should be able to find the best tires for your vehicle right now. When done with that it might also be worth thinking about the best roadside assistance services , and a look at the best car GPS systems, so you're all set for anything.

Michelin performs exceptionally well in almost every category of tire. It ranks top across both reader satisfaction surveys, expert reviews and very well in user reviews too, and it's our best tire brand overall.

There's not just one great model either, Michelin ranks top across multiple categories making it a safe bet, even if it's not the cheapest around. It has five major brands - Pilot, Primacy, X, Latitude and Energy - representing 38 different models of tire. We've selected the top three Michelin tire models to choose from below.

More than just a safe pair of hands, Defender tires come with a huge warranty of up to 90, miles, and have consistently topped the charts as the ultimate all-season tire.

Competitively priced, the Defender range is also competent in all-weather conditions, even snow and ice. View at Amazon. Nexen Tires is the budget king when it comes to car and truck tires. That doesn't mean it's the cheapest around, but it combines decent quality with a wallet-friendly price.

In some cases, its tires are better than the competition at a fraction of the cost, so if you're looking to save money, this is the best tire brand for you. Not all its tire models are worth considering, but the ones that are, like the Aria AH7, perform brilliantly and often undercut the competition on price.

The Aria is an all-season tire that really does perform well in all weather. It also comes in plenty of sizes so the chances are there is a set to fit your car. The Nexen Winguard Sport 2 is regarded as one of the best winter tires on the market, and great value to boot.

Excelling in ice braking, noise and resistance to hydroplaning, it sets the benchmark for the other tires in the Winguard range, as well as for budget winter tires. That's not all, one in every three new cars is fitted with Continental tires. As the world's oldest tire manufacturer it's no surprise that Continental ranks highly in both consumer surveys and expert reviews, in most cases coming just behind Michelin and the more high-performance Pirelli.

The General Altimax RT43 is one of the best all-season tires you can buy right now. They rate highly in both consumer surveys, user reviews and expert reviews and beat even the Michelin Defender when you factor in price, and you should as the price is low and tread-life massive. The ExtremeContact Sport summer tire is a great option for performance cars. The only downside is that rolling resistance and ride comfort could be better. Pirelli designs high-performance tires for high-performance cars and SUVs.

If you're looking for a set of tires for your run-around then look elsewhere, but if you've got a powerful sports car or powerful SUV then Pirelli could be the best tire brand for you.

It ranks highly in both customer and expert reviews, but has slipped a little in recent years and been pipped to the post by Michelin even in the performance categories.

Nevertheless, Pirelli remains one of the best tire brands out there. The latter is surprisingly competitive in pricing, for a Pirelli. It's quiet, resistant to hydroplaning and performs well in almost all conditions. The only downside is the average ice-braking. Still this is a top SUV tire. The price is a nice surprise for Pirelli, which is not known for bargain tires. It runs great in the snow, is quiet, runs flat and has impressively low rolling resistance, saving you extra money on your gas costs.

Goodyear is a good tire company with a rich history in the US. The Goodyear blimp is almost as famous as the Michelin Man, but there's a lot more to Goodyear than hot air. Goodyear ranks in the top three of almost every tire category and while it doesn't top any, almost all its tires are well-worth considering.

This reliable level of quality, coupled with its racing pedigree, means Goodyear is a tire brand many people have a special place in their hearts for. There are three particular brands of Goodyear tires we recommend: the Assurance CS Fuel Max for fuel efficiency, the Eagle Exhilarate for high-performance cars and the Wrangler for all-terrain driving.

It works well in all conditions, even snow, but not ice. The premium tires handle brilliantly in the wet and dry and even brake well on ice. There are 12 varieties of the all-terrain Wrangler. All are good, but the Wrangler Fortitude is the best of the lot and is available for trucks and SUVs. It also has surprisingly low rolling resistance. There are plenty of tire brands out there, many of which actually belong to a bigger manufacturer.

There are also some big tire brands that we've reviewed that didn't quite make the cut for this guide. That doesn't mean they're bad, in fact, they may have specific models that perform very well. The Bridgestone Driveguard RFT is an incredibly versatile Run Flat option that is designed to alleviate the pain point of shorter tread wear. Additionally, it offers excellent performance on wet and dry roads and optimal fuel economy.

When it comes to Run Flat technology, Bridgestone leads the way in extended mobility to ensure you are confident on the road in managing unwanted surprises. However, as a flat tire can happen at any time or place, there are certainly some situations that fully justify spending the extra money on Run Flat tires. Another huge factor to consider is the weather. Higher temperatures can cause the air in your tires to expand.

This creates more internal pressure and increases the chances of a leak. Buying the best Run Flat tires will all come down to how well you understand your unique situation and the potential of tire punctures.

Generally speaking, if you frequently drive on rough city streets, this type of tire will certainly come in handy sooner or later. Most vehicles can benefit quite a bit by investing in highway tires. As the name implies, these tires are meant for long drives on paved roads.

Highway tires are designed with independent tread blocks and multiple sipes meant for excellent on-road performance in reasonable conditions.

The construction of these tires are meant for extra-long mileage, smooth rides, and comfort. Being as how the terrain aspect will essentially be the same, the weather you typically experience will need to play a key role in choosing highway tires.

The Dunlop Grandtrak ST30 is one of the best highway tire lines on the market. The construction of this tire also features the innovative Multi-Pitch Tread Design Technology to reduce noise while driving at high speeds. As the cherry on top, the black serrated sidewall and raised letter design add a trendy look to the tire. For those who live in places that frequently experience both extreme hot and cold bouts, highway tires with Dynamic Range Technology are the ideal choice.

This technology uses a silica tread compound and asymmetric design for better tolerance in severe temperatures. The tread compound is meant to withstand both sub-zero and severely hot temperatures and maintain flexibility.

Depending on how many miles you typically put on your vehicle during highway commutes, highway tires can be a great investment. In general, the more time you spend on the highway, the more you should splurge on a good set of tires. Touring tires , primarily meant for cars and CUVs, are built with asymmetric tread patterns to provide balanced handling, exceptional tread wear, and a quiet, comfortable ride.

Most of the touring tires sold in North America have all-season capability, with adequate performance on snow and ice. From an overview perspective, fuel efficiency is where most of the emphasis is placed nowadays when manufacturing these types of tires. Touring tires are designed to handle just about all of your on-road driving needs. Many praise these tires for their long distance capability and predictable handling.

Take your daily drive into consideration here. If you typically drive on less-than-ideal roads or terrains, you might want to look into a more versatile option.

For this purpose, the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring Tire is an excellent all-season line that offers great performance on wet and dry roads, as well as long tread life. The internal belt construction is designed to offer superior flexibility to manage road irregularities with ease. Now, if you typically spend a good amount of time driving on rough, unpaved roads in extreme conditions, an all-terrain tire might be more ideal. If you are purely looking for handling capability and high speed ratings, high performance tires are going to be a step above your average touring tire.

They will not give you the same all-season capability as a touring tire. Additionally, due to the stiff, low profile sidewalls, you would have to compromise on the quiet and comfortable ride you would get from touring tires. The close attention to detail throughout the design and manufacturing process provides unbeatable quality for drivers wanting extra performance capability without sacrificing comfort! Buying the perfect set of tires will require a unique process for every single driver.

In regards to the terrain, you need to critically assess your average day, potential obstacles, and how you can get the best bang for your buck. If you need more assistance finding the optimal selection for your needs, feel free to reach out to our knowledgeable staff here at Tires Easy. The tires you select need to account for everything including: The types of weather conditions you drive in.

How climate changes throughout the year. The roads you typically drive on. The jobs you need to do. The driving experience you want. Terminology When you are buying tires, you need to understand the common terminology and how it relates to your needs.

Here are the major terms to familiarize yourself with: Tread Tread is perhaps the most important factor differentiating various types of tires. Lugs The lugs are the part of the tread that makes contact with the ground. Grooves Grooves are the large gaps in the tire tread patterns and are designed to channel water and slush away from the tire.

Voids Voids refer to the space in which the lugs are allowed to shift and flex. Sipes Sipes are the cuts that run perpendicular to the grooves on a tire and give the lugs more room to flex. This information is typically located on the outer edge of the tire: Snow and winter tires are not required to have UTQG ratings.

Tire Maintenance Longer-lasting tires make safety checks more critical than ever. Tire Brands. Based in Tokyo, Bridgestone is one of the three largest tire manufacturers in the world. The corporation manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone, Dayton, and Fuzion tires, as well as other brands. It supplies tires for most applications in the U. Continental is in a distant fourth place in North American and global sales, behind Goodyear, Bridgestone, and Michelin.

Still, it offers a full complement of original and replacement tires. Continental, based in Germany, is a top automotive supplier of brake systems and various vehicle components, in addition to tires.

The U. The company sells the Continental and General tire brands. One of the last independent tire manufacturers in the U. Cooper tires are most often sold by independent dealers, though they can also be found online. Goodyear is expected to acquire Cooper in mid Firestone was founded by Harvey Samuel Firestone in In , Firestone was sold to Japan-based Bridgestone, and it continues to be a major brand in the original-equipment and replacement-tire markets. Goodyear claims to be the best-selling tire maker in North America, and it is one of the leading tire manufacturers in the world.

Based in Akron, Ohio, Goodyear is a major supplier of original and replacement tires and sells tires for most applications. Founded in , Goodyear owns the Dunlop and Kelly brands of tires sold in the U. And it is expected to add Cooper to its portfolio in As a global tire maker, it offers tires for almost all applications. Founded in , Michelin first introduced the radial tire, and the company continues to be a pioneer in tire technologies.

Michelin tires generally perform impressively in our all-weather tests, and many models offer low rolling resistance and long tread life. Founded in , Nitto shares facilities and some technology with Toyo.

The brand caters to car and truck enthusiasts. Tire lines focus on ultra-high-performance tires, and tires for pickups and SUVs. ChemChina has a controlling interest in famed Italian brand Pirelli. The company currently has a U. Pirelli caters to the high-end market, with its tires commonly found on luxury and sports cars.

It has a stronger presence in Europe than in the U. It is an original-equipment supplier to the domestic car manufacturers on selected car models. This tyre manufacturer from France is another global player in the industry, providing tyres to more than countries. Michelin was incorporated in with their initial efforts being centred around creating a pneumatic bicycle tyre that did not need to be glued to the rim. The company has been an innovator in the industry and was behind the design and development of the radial tyre.

The company has had a heavy involvement in motorsport and are currently the sole tyre provider for the MotoGP. Today, as well as manufacturing tyres for cars, Michelin cover everything from bicycles to space shuttles!

Oh, and if you are looking for the very best place to scoff some posh food - Michelin is the company behind that star rating system you may have heard about. Established , Goodyear began by manufacturing bicycle and carriage tyres. Less than years later, they were making tyres used on the moon by NASA. Goodyear has had heavy involvement as a tyre supplier in F1 and still retains the mantle of most successful F1 tyre supplier, despite last being involved in Their tyres are the staple in team garages and have been since when F1 decided to introduce a control tyre for every team.

Pirelli are currently locked in to be the tyre provider for F1 until the end of the season. Founded in , Pirelli is recognised the cutting edge technology and high-end quality of its products. Apollo tyres. Apollo tyres is the first brand in our list without an extensive motorsport history and, having been founded in , is relatively young compared to other big tyre players.