TYRES

The Best Brands

The best tyres on the market, in no particular order are listed below.

* Bridgestone: One of the largest tyre companies in the world. Owns the Firestone brand and a range of mid range to economy brands. Bridgestone tyres are costly. Good wet grip and very good dry grip capabilities.

*Goodyear Dunlop: Goodyear owns Dunlop and also makes the Fulda, Kelly and Sava brands. Goes head to head with Bridgestone and Michelin. Good wet and very good dry grip and handling capabilities. Costly tyres.

*Pirelli: Italian manufacturer. Range of tyres made for all purposes. Economy brands such as ‘C’, Courier and Ceat also manufactured. Good dry and wet grip, with very good handling in both conditions. Quite costly.

*Continental: Europe’s most prominent tyre makers. Owns Uniroyal and Semperit, as well as mid-range economy brands such as Barum, Mabor and Viking. Relatively costly, excellent dry grip, very good wet grip. The latest Continental design is tagged with a 5 [example, Continental EcoContact5].

*Michelin: A contender for the top spot in the world of tyres. Also owns BF Goodrich, Kelber and Riken. Good wet and very good dry grip and handling, resistant to aquaplaning. Michelin is costly.

BF Goodrich is affordable, but has slight weakness under wet conditions. Kelber is moderately priced, with good wet/ dry grip and handling.

Other brands

Other mid-range and economy brands that may be better suited for one’s pocket are available. See list below.

Hankook: Owns other economy tyre brands like Atlas, Aurora and Kingstar. Hankook tyres are expensive in comparison to other makes. Good wet and dry handling and grip capabilities.

Kumho: Owns other economy tyre brands like Roadchamp and Marshall. Kumho tyres are competively priced. Generally, good dry grip and handling. Wet grip is good, not great.

Yokohama: An independent Japanese manufacturer. Tyres are reasonably priced. Good wet grip and handling with aquaplaning resistance. Poor dry grip for some tyres.

Source: Which? Car Care

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