It is an undisputed fact that tyres are integral parts of the engine and keeps your vehicle grounded to the road with balance despite the weather or the terrain. Selecting the right tyres for your car becomes crucial to your car’s performance and durability. It reduces the risk of accidents, enhances acceleration and braking, gives more control on handling your car and provides you with comfort and peace of mind. Your tyres also need periodic replacement for an average of every 50,000 kilometres that you drive. There are different brands of tyres in India catering to hatchbacks, SUVs, sedans, commercial and heavy vehicles. Smaller cars need frequent replacement of tyres as they wear off sooner.

How to pick the right tyre?

High performance tyres have features that focus on driving dynamics and driving pleasure with a handling that is sporty yet filled with basic safety designs like wet braking. Other types of tyres are less sporty and more for everyday use. They have smaller wheel sizes and come with key safety features, emit lesser noise, consume less fuel and enhance your comfort.  

Customers always love to purchase original equipment manufacturers (OEM) tyres from authorized tyre stores. Research shows that customers consider the tyre appearance (tread design and wheel/rim styling) while buying their tyres. However, you may want to choose a tyre that is smooth, quiet, safe and resistant to damages. It has to enhance fuel-efficiency (low rolling resistance) and provide longevity.    

Things to consider while choosing a tyre

Source: caraaj.com

The size of a tyre is learnt through the following main parts: the width of the tyre tread, size of the rim, the sidewalls of the tyre, the wheel diameter, the outer tyre diameter. If the rim is larger than the tyre, it will negatively affect the quality of the ride. A wider tread width is stylish but to get more fuel mileage, you have to opt for a normal width for the tyre.

The tyre’s tread pattern, be it unidirectional, conventional or asymmetrical, will decide your driving experience in various weather conditions. Conventional/symmetrical tread tyres run in both directions and perform well in waterlogged areas. Unidirectional tread is used for rotating the tyres in one direction. Asymmetrical tread helps the car in high-speed cornering. With regards to performance, especially on highways for high speed, a simple tyre that lowers road noise, gives a good road grip and has a unidirectional tread would be best.  

Source: tyremarket.com

Tubeless tyres are much more advanced than tube-type tyres as they suit both steel and alloy wheels properly. The rubber materials used in the tyre determines the traction, road grip, speed and treadwear characteristics of the tyre. Usually the “softness” or the “hardness” of the rubber compound determines how well the tyre can give traction, grip, speed and the desired tread. Hard compound tyres last longer than soft compound tyres. Soft compound tyres provide more speed and grip than hard compound ones but lack durability.

Car tyre brands

There are many premium and mainstream manufacturers like Bridgestone, Michelin and MRF. There are other brands that are also available in the market such as Goodyear, Continental, Apollo, CEAT, Pirelli, Yokohama, Dunlop etc. that closely follow the list. Some may be expensive and some may fit your budget. While there are a handful of tyre brands to suit your specific needs, the following are tried-and-tested brands that can give value for your money and are good for Indian roads.

Michelin

Michelin, based in France, has gradually established a niche for itself in its 130 years as part of the tyre manufacturing sector and stands as the best tyre manufacturer as of 2018. It manufactures tyres for cars, motorcycles, scooters, SUVs, trucks, buses, bicycles, space shuttles, aircrafts etc. The pricing range of the tyres in India is between INR 3000 and INR 18000. They have a good reputation for designing high-performance tyres with good grip and handling. These tyres are available for cars and bikes. Some of the popular models are Michelin Energy, Michelin Primacy, Michelin Latitude, Michelin Pilot.

Bridgestone

Named after the founder Shojiro Ishibashi, Tokyo-based Bridgestone is competing with Michelin to make it to the top of the ranks as the best tyre manufacturer in the world. The company manufactures tyres for different types of automobiles. They specialize in designing tyres for agriculture and forestry as well as winter tyres for snow and icy conditions with retractable studs. These tyres are not available for bikes. The pricing range of the tyres in India is between INR 2000 and INR 29000. Bridgestone also owns a subsidiary called Firestone. Some of the popular models are Bridgestone Ecopia, Bridgestone Potenza, Bridgestone ER300, Bridgestone B290, Bridgestone B390, Bridgestone B250, Firestone FR500

MRF

Chennai-based MRF (Madras Rubber Factory) that was established in 1946, remains the largest tyre manufacturer in India. The brand ranks globally among the top 20 automotive tyre manufacturers. MRF manufactures tyres that are only sold through authorized dealers for two-wheelers, cars, SUV, LCV, Trucks, Tractors, OTR that provide stability and safety at economical rates. The pricing range of the tyres is between INR 1500 and INR 28000. Some of the popular models are MRF Zapper Q, MRF ZVTS, MRF Wanderer Sport, MRF NyloGrip FE, MRF Revz Y, MRF ZGP, MRF VTM, MRF Super Trekker, MRF Legend and MRF Estate.