Premium Tyres or Budget Tyres – Does it Really Matter?

They say there is a lot of planning that goes into buying a car. But, strangely, for something as basic yet critical as tyres, things are done in a hurry. Buying one or a set is often the result of an emergency or is done as a compromise. There is also the all-important cost element that plays out in the purchase decision.

Is there a need to shell out a tidy sum for those premium tyres? Can’t those reasonably priced budget tyres do the job too? Let us attempt to answer this difficult question of premium tyres or budget tyres and whether it really matters.

To start with, let us recognise the fact that a set of tyres is the only thing that comes between the car and the tar. A good set of rubber can do full justice to the machine you are driving. Likewise, an average one can also serve to underwhelm the driving experience. The comfort and performance aside, there is an even more serious side to be considered – that of safety.

No doubt the technology, the material used and the quality control measures are much higher and better in premium tyres like Dunlop tyres and Goodyear tyres, over the budget type.

Here is a look at all the aspects in the debate on why premium tyres could serve you better than the budget variant.

The more confident handling of the vehicle is an obvious trait of a premium tyre. Whether it is the ease of handling on good roads or the better grip the tyres give you on the bad ones, the control you have on the car can be reassuring.
In extreme road and driving conditions like high speed, requirement to brake suddenly, cornering and wet conditions, unproven and low cost tyres may not give consistently good and safe results.
Research shows that the ride quality is far superior and sorted even on bad roads with premium tyres, whereas tyres built to a price may fail to do that and, instead, give a wobbly time.
High quality tyres can also prove to be economical in the long run. It has been observed that mileage goes down significantly in tyres at the budget end of the price spectrum.
The other savings when opting for premium tyres can be the longer life these have and the ability to do more miles than budget ones that would need to be replaced more frequently.
Finally, there are certain car manufacturers and models that recommend a particular standard of tyres. Using inferior rubber can be sub optimal and even dangerous for the demanding machinery in higher end cars. An example is the lack of feedback that could filter into the steering.

The advanced technology in the research & development, design and manufacturing of tyres is what you end up paying for. It is this edge that gives you the superior performance and the continued safety that you and your vehicle absolutely need. Also, over and above the better grip, performance and fuel efficiency, premium tyres also last longer over budget ones.