The process for shopping for tyres, like shopping for anything, is evolving. Sure, you can always head down to your local tyre shop and they will recommend a tyre for you, mount it, and you’ll be on your way. While this is the most convenient option, newer options are now available that ensure you can make the best decision for you and your car.
As online shopping continues to grow, our options become limitless. This is great, but with all the options can come information overload. So, how do you comb through that information and decide what’s best for you? That’s where we come in.
To dive in, let’s start with what’s universally important.
Price
Tire price, for many, is the first and last thing people consider when buying tyres. While it is crucial to establish a budget and to stick with it, there are more things to consider. When deciding on a budget for your new set of tyres, it's a good idea to know what features are important to you and what you can live without.
The price of tyres can be set based on several factors: brand recognition, performance, life longevity, warranty, composition, and design to name a few.
When purchasing a set of tyres, it's important to decide what factors are important to you and weighing them against the price and value of the tyre. The good news is, with the growing popularity of online shopping, this information is at your fingertips. It has never been easier to find the best deal for the best tyre for your car.
Tyre Size
One of the ultimate limiting factors when purchasing your tyre is knowing your tire size and understanding what it means. To quickly break it down the first three-digit number you see will indicate the width of the tyre, the second number will indicate the height of the tyre’s sidewall, and the third will indicate the wheel’s diameter that the tyre can be mounted to. This will ultimately help you narrow to a few specific tyres that will work for your car or truck.
Tyre Category
The tyre category indicates whether the tyre was engineered for a passenger car or a light truck (not an 18-wheeler). Most of the time, this will be indicated by a P or an LT after the tyre size on the sidewall. The reason this is important is that it will showcase whether the tyre is designed for comfort and high-speed performance, or heavier weights, stability, and durability. Sometimes the category won't be marked on the sidewall, but if you have any doubts you can always ask the tyre retailer you are shopping with.
Composition and Design
Many tyres are designed to specifically cater to the needs of the driver. Most drivers are looking for great tyres that will help them get from point A to point B safely, and comfortably. However, some drivers are looking for high-performance tyres that will sacrifice some comfort and longevity for grip and control. For instance, you may see some tyres labelled as Ultra-High Performance (UHP) or Race (R)-Compound tyres. These tyres are specifically designed for high-speed performance that can be used on a track or spirited driving on the street.
Some LT tyres will be labelled as a Mudd-Terrain (MT), Highway-Terrain (HT), or All-Terrain (AT). These will indicate that the tyres were designed to be driven primarily off-road, on-road, or a combination of the two.
No matter what kind of tyre you are looking for, it is important to understand the composition and design of the tyres to appropriately pick out the right one for how you drive.
The Warranty
Almost every tyre manufacturer has a tyre warranty, however, not all tyre warranties are created equal. When selecting a tyre, you should read the warranty with a fine-tooth comb to know what you get with your purchase.
Most warranties cover manufacturer defects up to a certain mileage, the average is 30,000 miles but some go up to 80,000 miles plus. Some also include road-side hazards. These are the ones to look at for, it’s always good to have your bases covered, especially with an investment as important tyres. The last thing you need is an unexpected blowout to set you back a few hundred.
A lot of manufacturers also include a uniformity warranty which basically states that if a tyre isn’t the same as the rest of the set, they will replace it. However, it is worth noting that tyre manufacturers have a very strict quality control process, and most of the time will only replace one tyre out of the set due to the belief that errors are very few and far between.
Some retailers, like Tire Streets, offer a 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee. This offers people the ability to drive on the tyres for up to 30 days, and if they aren’t satisfied, they simply return them for a refund.
As mentioned above, warranties vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, retailer to retailer. It’s up to you to decide which warranties most align with you concerns and needs. Most tyre manufacturers list their warranties in detail on their websites.
The Final Word.
This article isn’t designed to be a one-stop knowledge dump for you to figure out what tire is right for you, but rather a jumping-off point to have a better understanding of what you need to be looking for when comparing options.
Summing it up, there are many considerations to make when purchasing tyres. It’s not a cheap purchase, and it can ultimately impact your safety and performance on and off the road. With this knowledge, you can take the power back from the retailers and make the best decisions for your car.