How To Choose Your Tyres

There are so many tyre brands now it can be daunting when choosing one which suits you and your budget. Here is a guide to help you pick a new tyre for your car.

Tyre Size

Firstly, get your vehicles owner manual to assist in identifying your tyre and specifications. You can also identify it on the tyre wall and will look similar to the below;

195/50 R55 92H

So what does this number mean?

Lets take it section by section which will explain what each number represents. The 195 describes how many millimetres  the section width of the tyre is. The following 50 represents an aspect ratio of the tyres width to the tyres height as a percentage. The R15 represents the size of the rim the tyre can be put on, this is however measured in inches. the 92 represents how much weight each tyre can take in kilograms. However in order to do this you need a table in order to identify exactly how many kilograms. Please use the table below to check this.

Finally the letter at the end is used to show the speed rating of the tyre.  Again you need a table shown below to identify this.

Quality VS Price

Now that you know what tyre you need for your vehicle, you need to make a decision based on your budget and needs for the time of year. All tyres sold in the UK do meet British Standards, but the better the quality, the better for fuel economy, performance and better driving experience.

Premium

Tyres in this category are supported by research, design and technology implemented by the brand. This means that they have also gone through rigorous testing to improve stopping distance, fuel economy, grip and low noise levels. They also generally last for 15,000 to 20,000 miles under normal use. Ones to look at here are Bridgestone, Continental, Dunlop, Goodyear, Michelin or Pirelli.

Mid-range

These brands are not as well known, but have gone through a considerable amount of design has gone in to their development. They are great value for money depending on the type of driving that you are doing. Ones to look out for here are Avon, BF, Goodrich, Falken, Firestone and Hancook to name a few.

Budget

When it comes to summer time, budget tyres can perform as well as premium tyres, but they only generally last between 7,000 to 8,000 miles and do not perform well in wet and wintry conditions. Ones to look for here are Landsail, Goodrich, Evergreen and Autogrip.