Cheap Tyres v. Expensive Tyres

[renault12ts]

OK...take my car. Which is best:

A. Standard size cheap tyres.
B. Standard size premium tyres.
C. Premium tyres, on 18" wheels...staggered.

 

[Dieselman]

OK...take my car. Which is best:

A. Standard size cheap tyres.
B. Standard size premium tyres.
C. Premium tyres, on 18" wheels...staggered.

Personally, I would go for standard size decent brand tyres.

 

[renault12ts]

Personally, I would go for standard size decent brand tyres.

That wasn't really the question.

If it can be argued that B is better than A, and C is better than B...shouldn't we all be on 18" with premium tyres?

 

[Will]

That wasn't really the question.

If it can be argued that B is better than A, and C is better than B...shouldn't we all be on 18" with premium tyres?

This argument 'for' cheap tyres seems to keep getting skewed.

All things being equal (tyre size, fitment etc), as a general rule premium tyres will always be better.

You buy premium tyres for their quality, you only buy cheap tyres for their price.

You generally get what you pay for

 

[Benzowner]

My last car, S320 Petrol, I paid about £60ea for 245/45/18's really cheap. Road holding was fine, I don't drive it like its been stolen, far from it, sound was very quiet, problem is, I can't remember the brand. Had to stop quick once but not a two footed job so never really tested them for real emergency stopping.

 

[renault12ts]

This argument 'for' cheap tyres seems to keep getting skewed.

All things being equal (tyre size, fitment etc), as a general rule premium tyres will always be better.

You buy premium tyres for their quality, you only buy cheap tyres for their price.

You generally get what you pay for

Why not answer my question. Is B better than A, and C better than B?

 

[Will]

Why not answer my question. Is B better than A, and C better than B?

Needs more detail really.

Best for what?

Obviously A is worst, because cheap tyres are rubbish!

B would be best for ride comfort with decent grip, and C would be best for a performance car with less sidewall flex etc.

All things being equal (tyre size) the better tyres would obviously be best for either application

 

[renault12ts]

Needs more detail really.

Best for what?

Obviously A is worst, because cheap tyres are rubbish!

B would be best for ride comfort with decent grip, and C would be best for a performance car with less sidewall flex etc.

All things being equal (tyre size) the better tyres would obviously be best for either application

Would C brake quicker than B?

Would C go round corners better than B?

Assume everything else remains the same.

I'm trying (non scientifically) to establish whether A is to B, as B is to C.

 

[Dieselman]

That wasn't really the question.

If it can be argued that B is better than A, and C is better than B...shouldn't we all be on 18" with premium tyres?

Wider tyres have their own problems, greater wear, more noise transfer, greater risk of aquaplaning and rubbish in snow.


Ok..forget the last point...

On balance, I think I answered you query fully.

 

[Will]

Would C brake quicker than B?

Would C go round corners better than B?

Assume everything else remains the same.

I'm trying (non scientifically) to establish whether A is to B, as B is to C.

In warm, dry weather C probably would

However, if you were to fit cheap tyres to 18" wheels and premium tyres to standard sized wheels, the standard setup could quite possibly perform better

In all examples, the premium tyres are the better choice.

 

[renault12ts]

My view is that if A is to B, as B is to C...then why is everyone with standard premium tyres so smug?

If safety (not cost) and nothing else but safety mattered...then 18s with premium is the only way to go.

 

[Will]

My view is that if A is to B, as B is to C...then why is everyone with standard premium tyres so smug?

If safety (not cost) and nothing else but safety mattered...then 18s with premium is the only way to go.

I don't think people are smug with their choices.

It's just that people seem to think that because tyres are black, round and look similar, when buying cheap ones you're somehow getting the same thing for less money.

You're not, you're buying cheap tyres and getting what you pay for

Fitting the best quality of tyre for each fitment will always be a better choice than using poor quality ones.

I don't think your comparison is useful as you're changing two variables - with a constant tyre size, the better tyres will always be better.

As has already been said - tyre size/width/profiles are selected for a number of reasons depending on the application, so you select the correct fitment and then fit suitable tyres. Bigger tyre sizes and lower profiles are not always better.

 

[renault12ts]

If stopping distance is the main criterion ( and this has been stated many time in this thread), then I think my question is valid. Which is best A, B or C?

It is too dismissive to say A is rubbish, when in fact B is (may be) just as rubbish compared to C.

 

[Will]

It's going round in circles.

Short answer - A is the worst choice!

 

[renault12ts]

And C is best?

I suspect I will not get a clear answer, because unless B and C are the same, the moral high ground is lost.

 

[Dieselman]

And C is best?

I and Will have already answered that one.
In dry conditions wide tyres work well, but still have some drawbacks, in wet conditions thinner tyres work better.

 

[renault12ts]

I and Will have already answered that one.
In dry conditions wide tyres work well, but still have some drawbacks, in wet conditions thinner tyres work better.

I'm sounding like a pedant now. But, that means those with wide tyres,as opposed to standard tyres, are in the same place as those on cheap tyres...in the wet.

 

[Dieselman]

I'm sounding like a pedant now. But, that means those with wide tyres,as opposed to standard tyres, are in the same place as those on cheap tyres...in the wet.

Even worse in the snow...

It depends on whether there is enough water to lift the tread off the road surface.
If the speed is low enough and the tyre remains in contact then the wider quality tyre will perform better, but the speed at which aquaplaning happens is likely to be lower, which then probably means that car is in much less control than one on thinner cheaper tyres, hence my suggestion for regular width wheels using premium tyres.

Wide, cheap tyres are probably the worst combination for wet weather driving.


Complex, innitt...!!

 

[Will]

You're trying to make a skewed point.

The answer is that, like for like, good quality tyres are better than poor quality ones in every application, size, fitment, weather condition etc.

And slightly wider wheels with good quality tyres are most likely still better than poor quality standard sized ones in the wet

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Generally, going for the tyres specified on the wheel size specified on the highest performance variant is close to as good as you'll get for all round performance.

renault12ts - What is the tyre width and aspect ratio in scenarios 1, 2 and 3?