How to Choose the Right Tyres for Your Car
Tread carefully when it comes to your vehicle’s wheels. How to Choose the Right Tyres for Your Car
You wouldn’t buy yourself a poor-quality pair of shoes, so why settle for sub-par tyres? As the only part touching the road, it’s their job to carry you safely and smoothly from A to B.
In Australia, there are countless tyre brands to choose from. Bridgestone. Goodyear. Michelin. Pirelli. Dunlop. Apollo. MRF. Continental. Yokohama. Hankook. You name it, you can buy it. But which one is best for your vehicle?
It’s hard to know where to start, so here’s some advice to help you make the right choice.
1. Firstly, identify the right time to change your tyres.
One of the best times to research the best next set is when your old tyres are due for replacement. Driving with old or worn tyres can be dangerous, particularly in wet conditions, which is why it’s so critical to be able to identify when their journey is over.
One clear sign your tyres need replacing is a tread depth lower than 1.5 mm. This is the absolute minimum tread your tyres need to function at the lowest safety level. To assess your tread depth, all you need to do is stick a ruler in one of the grooves and see if it measures up.
Other signs include a change in driving comfort. Are you noticing strange road noises or vibrations in your steering wheel? Are you finding it hard to keep your car straight? If so, it’s a sign you need new tyres.
Similarly, if you can see bulges or blisters, cracks in the sidewall, or objects embedded in the rubber, it’s definitely time to upgrade your tyres.
Lastly, no matter how good your tread or performance is, if your tyres are older then five years, they need replacing. If you don’t know how old your tyres are, look for a string of numbers after the word ‘DOT’ on your tyre’s sidewall. The last two letters represent the year the tyres were manufactured. So in 2023, you’re looking for numbers above 19. Anything less means it’s time for a change, or else the compounds in your tyres will start to break down.
2. Check your tyre size.
Choosing the best tyres for your car starts with knowing the correct size. Take a look at your existing tyres, if they’re the ones your car left the factory floor with then you’ll want to adopt the same tyre specs in your hunt for the next set. If they’re replacement tyres, simply confirm that the information displayed on your sidewall is reflected in the tyre manufacturer’s specs commonly found in your vehicle manual.
The string of numbers and digits you find will correspond with the tyre size, load rating and speed rating your replacement tyres need to abide by.
3. Check the UTQG ratings and EU label.
Knowing these will help you make an informed choice about your next set. The UTQG ratings measure treadwear (how long your tyres will last on a scale of 100-1000), traction (how quickly the tyre will stop in wet conditions, from the highest AA grade down to C), and temperature resistance (its ability to dissipate heat at variating speeds, rated from A to C).
Meanwhile, the EU label tells you a whole lot more. This includes fuel efficiency, wet braking, noise level, snow traction, and the tyre’s ability to navigate extreme weather conditions.
Analysing the ratings on your current tyres can help you assess whether they’re right for you.
4. Keep in mind your vehicle type and driving needs.
You’d be forgiven for assuming that all tyres are made equal. The reality is that SUVs, vans, utes, sports cars, 4x4s and sedans have different needs and requirements, which means their tyres all differ. An off-road, all-terrain ute will require tyres with a little more grit than those of a small town car, for example.
Similarly, consider how you use your car. Do you spend most of your time behind the wheel in the city or on highways? Does it rain frequently where you live or often reach high temperatures? These are important factors to keep in mind when assessing your options.
5. Let the professionals choose for you.
By now you can probably tell that choosing tyres is a complicated and highly nuanced process. It’s important that they tick all the right boxes when it comes to quality and durability, but they also need to meet your unique vehicle and lifestyle needs.
If you’re in Brisbane, your best bet is to put your new tyres in the hands of Accelerate Automotive. Our qualified team knows the ins and outs of tyre care and replacement, as well as the best tyre manufacturers on the market. We can make an expert decision about what will best suit your vehicle so you can drive away with complete peace of mind, at your next service.
