Before I started a tire, blog I will fully admit I didn’t know all that much about tires. The only thing I knew was it was a pain to have to replace them and I certainly didn’t want to pay premium prices. I was a walk into a tire shop kinda guy and”the name on sidewall doesn’t matter. Well there is certainly a difference between cheap tires and premium tires, but whats the difference between the top tire brands?
Is There any Difference in The Top Tire Brands or are They All The Same Thing?
Below we are going to explore the subtle difference, what each brand is known for, and why you might choose one over the other. Different tires meet different needs, you may be looking for long lasting, or best traction, or all weather, or winter tires for snow and ice , etc. Just picking a top brand, because they market well, is not what you should do. You need to choose a tire that meets your needs.
Let’s get started. These are in order of largest manufacturer to Smallest, hitting the pros and cons of each, and what each top tire brand brings to the market…
Top Tire Brands Pros and Cons
Bridgestone
Bridgestone is a Japanese tire manufacturer and they are the largest tire company in the world. They also own the Firestone brand in the US. Bridgestone is known for innovation in the market and making a high quality tire. Through testing it is shown that Bridgestone tire are made more durable, then other manufacturers and are less prone to blemishes and holes. These factors lead to the tires having good longevity on the road and fewer replacements.
Given the size of the company with 181 production facilities in 24 countries, their products are simply really available in the market. So almost any shop you go into will have an array of Bridgestone’s which makes it easier to tire match. The most common consumer affairs complaints on Bridgestone are related to noise and vibration. These tires tend have high UTQG ratings which means the last long and that makes used Bridgeston’s popular on the second hand market.
Bridgestone Pros and Cons:
- Pros: Durable; Less prone to damage; High availability in stores
- Cons: Noise; Vibration
Michelin
Michelin is french tire manufacturer and they are second largest in the world. They also own the budget tire brand Uni-Royal which is popular in the US. Michelin makes a range of tires that meet different needs for cars and trucks in a variety of conditions and seasons.
People who buy Michelin, continually show brand loyalty because they have good tread life and they are reliable. The two tires that stand out are the all-seasons and the winter tires. The all seasons are adaptable to any climate, and the winter tires have high rated stopping ability on snow and ice. Because of these are long lasting and durable, used Michelin tires are popular on the secondary tire market
What sets Michelin apart from other top tire brands is they have a warranty on their tires. This covers a 60 day satisfaction guarantee, 3 year roadside assistance, and a a limited mileage warranty for tread wear, as well as a limited warranty which covers defects in workmanship and materials for the life of the original usable tread. While that is awesome, many people complain on consumer affairs about the ability to make a claim against it.
Michelin Pros and Cons
- Pros: Reliable; Long lasting treads; Warranty
- Cons: The warranty requires very specific conditions to met to claim it
Goodyear
Goodyear is an American tire company and is third largest in the world. They have been around for over 120 years. They make tires for every style of vehicle including: automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, motorcycles, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment, and more. This is what makes them a consistent choice for choice for people who need all-terrain option to drive on different surface types.
The most popular model of Goodyear is the all-season season tire. These are noted for good traction, long tread life, in various road conditions. They are known to be reliable and help stave off the need for replacements. The customer complaints on Goodyear tires vary: some complain of blowouts, while others complain about not making the mileage to 70,000 that Goodyear advertises on certain models. This may explain why there are often a lot of used Goodyear tires on the secondary market, as customers feel they won’t make it to the full term Goodyear promised.
Goodyear Pros and Cons
- Pros: Make tires for many terrains and vehicle types
- Cons: May not make it to manufacturer tread life estimates
Continental
Continental is a German tire manufacturer and is the fourth largest in the world. They have a wide variety of tires that meet a variety of applications. What makes them so popular is that among the top tire brands these are the most affordable.
Most consumers note that these tires offer a smoother ride then other premium brands. The knock on them from consumer affairs however seems to be they don’t last as long as other top tire brands. If you consider the lower price for a premium tire, perhaps the longevity maybe worth the sacrifice. You can also find plenty of used Continental tires on the second hand market, with even more bargain prices then it’s competitors, since they are already affordable new.
Continental Pros and Cons
- Pros: Affordable; Smooth ride
- Cons: Tread life
Sumitomo
Sumitomo is a Japanese tire manufacturer and the fifth largest in the world. This brand also includes a few other top tire brands in the industry such as Falken and Dunlop. Much of what they produced is focused on Motorsport tires for racing and drifting.
For consumers they make different models to fit different driving styles. Most find these tires to be a good combination of quality and value. While there prices seem competitive, there seem to be questions about how they grip in wet conditions and how long they will last.
Sumitomo Pros and Cons
- Pros: Affordable;
- Cons: Tread life; Grip in wet conditions
Hankook
Hankook is a Korean tire manufacturer and is the sixth largest manufacturer worldwide. They are known for making an affordable all season tires. They often advertise like high performance tires, but certainly take a bake seat to a brand like Pirelli in that regard, despite the fact the sponsor many Motorsport events.
While they do make various tires for touring and seasonal, their all season tires tend to be the most popular. They are noted for their durability, low noise, and ride comfort. One of the cool features they have is the wear indicator, which a quick way to know if you need replacements. Several reviews indicate that they could perform better on ice.
Hankook Pros and Cons
- Pros: Affordable; Smooth ride; low noise; durable
- Cons: Not as High Performance as competitors; Not ideal for winter
Pirelli
Pirelli is an Italian manufacturer and they are the seventh largest in the world. They make tires for cars, motorcycles, and bicycles. When it comes to cars though the brand markets to sport and luxury vehicle owners and are known for high-performance engineering.
Most of their product line is designed for all-weather, but their best selling tire is a summer tire. The drawback of Pirelli’s is certainly the price, which is what keeps the average consumer from purchasing them. Those who do buy Pirelli’s speak to their outstanding ability to grip the road and improve the driving performance of the vehicle. Of all the manufacturers they may own the longest lasting model: the Pirelli P4 Four Seasons Plus claim 90,000 miles, and Consumer Reports estimates they’ll go 100,000.
The biggest drawback of Perelli’s is the price. They charge a lot for a premium tire and they market to those who can pay for it. They deserve to be a top tire brand through performance and engineering, but they know it and want you to pay for the pedigree.
Pirelli Pros and Cons
- Pros: Excellent traction,; Ideal for sport and luxury
- Cons: Expensive
Nokian
Nokian is a Finnish tire manufacturer who specializes in winter tires. While they are not ranked amongst the top tire manufacturers they make our list because what they do, they do brilliantly. They are the only manufacturer who maintains a permanent winter tire testing facility worldwide. They make tires for cars, trucks, buses, and heavy-duty equipment.
These are the premier set of winter tires and out perform the other top tire brands on snow and ice. People who purchase these typically get them and change out the tires seasonally. They do all make summer tires and all-season tires, but those are more on par with the rest of the market. The knock on Nokian is availability. They purposefully don’t target the new car market and they often have limited selection if any at your local tire shops.
Nokian pros and Cons
- Pros: Best Winter tires
- Cons: Availability
Vogue
Vogue is an American tire manufacturer. They aren’t ranked amongst the giants, but are considered a premium brand. for their custom high-end luxury tires. The are the inventors of the white wall tire and the gold stripe in the 1960’s. Many people choose these on vintage cars to pair with a flashy rim. These tires are all aesthetics and the tire choice for celebrities like Snoop Dogg on his flashy 1967 Fleetwood Cadillac.
They are an expensive choice, which is also due to the fact the some models like Vogue Radials have Kevlar integrated into them. These tires are not built for high mileage, traction, or everyday driving. These are show room tires that make a statement of luxury. Since these tires are so expensive used Vogue tires are highly sought out in the secondary markets.
Vogue Pros and Cons
- Pros: White Walls,;Good for showroom cars
- Cons: Expensive; not for functional use
Does it Actually Matter What Brand of Tire I Own?
In my opinion technically no. As long as you are using a tire, that meets your needs, you are good. Many of these brands are household names and truthfully you couldn’t go wrong with any of them.
Any of the large tire manufacturers like Bridgestone, Michelin, Goodyear, or Continental are gonna give you a high quality safe tire. They are all great choices.
Do I Need One of the Top Tire Brands?
Yes. I believe the tire brand does make a difference. Tires are expensive, some what because of brand advertising and name recognition, but also because of technology and engineering. The larger companies have bigger R&D budgets and test the heck out of the tires in various conditions. This means safety.
Smaller brands, smaller budgets, lower quality rubber…you get what you pay for.
Using UTQG Ratings to Compare Top Tire Brands
Figuring out how tires compare to each other can be difficult. The uTQG rating, while not a perfect system is a good place to start to quantify the differences between makes and models of tires.
UTQG stands for Uniform Tire Quality Grading. It is a rating of a tires tread life, temperature, and traction. The tradlife is measure numerically while the traction and temperature are graded with the letters A, B, and C. UTQG was created by the NHTSA and the Department of Transportation as a way to compare tires. The probelem is there is no standard or independent 3rd party that does the grading. Each manufacturer creates their own score.
Still though you can use it as a loose means of comparing tire quality across brands. A tire rated 300 is supposed to last 3X longer then a tire rated 100. The temperature and traction grades are letters with A being the highest.
When you compare tires based on UTQG ratings you can at least partially compare things based on a rating. Choose the tire with the higher grade. For more info on UTQG ratings, see this chart.
Difference in the Top Tire Brands – Conclusion
As you can see all the top tire brands have a lot in common. Some though are geared for the average driver while others specialize in vehicle types, seasons, or terrains. While I reference consumer reports here, do bear in mind, that this is where people go to say negative things and not many nice things. Every tire manufacturer has complaints about blowouts and tread wear. This being a used tire blog, no one appreciates a long lasting tire more then us. We love finding the top tire brands on the secondary market and looking for value. If you are considering a premium tire, look for brands known for longevity in tread life.