performance and budget tyres
For some people, a tyre is just a thing attached to your wheel that helps get you from A to B, yet for others it’s a highly engineered product that contributes to improving the overall performance your car. With these different attitudes, it can pose the question: why spend hundreds of pounds on a set of premium tyres when you can spend a fraction of the price on a set of budget tyres that essentially do the same job?

Well we’ve come up with the main differences between premium tyres and budget tyres after being put to the test, so you can make an informed decision as to which you think is the best of the two.

Performance tyres

– When travelling at 70mph on a dry surface, the average stopping distance is between 48-50 metres.

– When travelling at 70mph on a wet surface, the average stopping distance is between 59-64 metres.

– When carrying out a lateral grip test, the premium tyre preformed much better and progressively lost grip overtime.

– More fuel efficient and hard-wearing.
Budget tyres

– When travelling at 70mph on a dry surface, the average stopping distance is between 52-53 metres (5 metres more than performance tyres).

– When travelling at 70mph on a wet surface, the average stopping distance is between 68-84 metres (a huge 14metres more than performance tyres!).

– When carrying out a lateral grip test, the budget tyre came out worst and lost grip to the road almost instantly.

– More suited to slower speeds and lower mileage.

– These results may reflect initial assumptions, as general consensus suggests that anything branded ‘premium’ should surely be better?

The main difference between the two types falls in the composition of the tyre, yet with budget tyres mimicking this composition it can make it even harder to differentiate as it’s not something you can spot visually – especially if you’re not in the tyre industry! But having said this, there is nothing wrong with budget tyres, they will still do their job but they are just less economical if you travel at higher speeds and do longer journeys, as they’re more likely to need replacing much sooner than the premium tyre would. Plus a premium tyre can offer you optimum safety on the roads no matter what the weather may throw at you!

So when debating over performance tyres vs budget tyres, the principle is the same for anything you buy. For instance, why buy an Armani watch when you can buy a cheap one from Asda that still does exactly the same job? But the main difference is the quality and the heritage of the product that you are investing your money in. Branded products such as Michelin and Pirelli have the expert knowledge and years of experience that has allowed them to spend millions of pounds on technology, engineering and safety testing in order to refine and develop their products so that you receive the most durable, safe and hardwearing tyres possible.

For any more information about premium or budget tyre fitting, please get in touch with the team at Universal Tyre and Autocentre, where we stock a range of branded tyres, such as Dunlop, Bridgestone, Hankook and many more.