When deciding on which new tyres to buy for your vehicle initially it may seem that the biggest difference between premium and budget tyres is the cost. Budget tyres are the cheaper option in the initial outlay; however, they often do not equate to be the most economical tyres over the average life span of the tyre.
Premium tyre brands tend to be subject to additional testing by industry bodies and motoring magazines for performance around braking, handling, cabin noise and aquaplaning – therefore competition to perform in this segment tends to be high. In addition to this, many technologies for handling and performance in the premium arena are also based upon years of experience within motorsport that go on to influence road tyre design.
Overall, premium tyres are designed with high quality materials and technologies designed to influence the wear and lifespan of the tyre. The technology used to design these tyres can also help to maintain the performance and fuel economy of the vehicle.
Premium tyres are reguarly chosen by global vehicle manufacturers as Original Equipment (OE) tyres factory fitted to their vehicles. It takes up to 3 years worth of development and rigorous testing between vehicle and tyre manufacturer to ensure the chosen OE tyres provide the safety, experience and performance characteristics desired by the vehicle manufactuer.
When it comes to replacing the original set of tyres on your vehicle, it is recommended to replace your tyres with the OE tyres. A few reasons for this are:
To understand how to identify an OE tyre for your vehicle, read our article on OE Tyre Markings.
To demonstrate these claims, Jon Benson of Tyre Reviews, put the Goodyear EfficentGrip Performance 2 tyre to the test against the budget Goodride RP28 tyre, both in one of the most popular tyre sizes in the market; 205/55/R16. The tyres were tested against important elements in the aspect of performance:
Tyres tested: Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 and Goodride RP28 in 205/55/R16
Due to the wet conditions seen regularly in the UK, wet braking is an essential part of any tyre test in order to ensure the tyre’s ability to stop when the road is wet to prevent danger or accidents for driver and passengers.
In this test, the Goodyear tyre’s average wet braking distance in meters was around 7.7m shorter than the Goodride tyre – that is nearly two car lengths shorter. This could be the difference between coming to a stop safely in wet weather or an accident.
Tyres tested: Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 and Goodride RP28 in 205/55/R16
Dry braking is measured similarly to the wet braking test – measuring on average how long it takes the vehicle to come to a stop on those tyres from 100km/h. In this test, the Goodyear had a full car length’s advantage of just over 2m of braking over the Goodride tyre.
Tyres tested: Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 and Goodride RP28 in 205/55/R16
To measure wet handling the car is driven on a wet test track and measured against subjective criteria including steering, stability and grip – whilst also being timed around the track to provide an average numerical test value. This is an essential safety test to prove how to vehicle will react on the road on those tyres in wet conditions.
In this test the Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 once again outperformed the budget Goodride tyre taking an advantage of over 6 seconds on average to complete a lap of the wet test circuit – proving to be more predictable for driver response and balance.
Tyres tested: Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 and Goodride RP28 in 205/55/R16
Similar to the wet handling performance test, the dry handling test measures the average time it took the vehicle to complete a dry lap of the test track, whilst also subjectively measuring the stability, steering and grip.
The EfficientGrip Performance 2 lived up to its name in this test, providing outstanding grip and stability to be over 3 seconds faster than the Goodride budget tyre tested to complete a lap of the testing track.
Tyres tested: Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 and Goodride RP28 in 205/55/R16
Aquaplaning is an issue often faced in the UK due to the increasing levels of rainfall which can create surface water on the roads. Surface water becomes an issue when the tyre loses contact with the road if it is unable to clear the water to grip the road. To understand more on the science behind aquaplaning and tips for driving in heavy rainfall, read more here.
In the Tyre Reviews testing, the Goodyear tyre pipped the budget Goodride tyre to the post by 7% on the aquaplaning test, meaning the tyre is better equipped to deal with moving surface water and maintaining contact with the road surface.
Tyres tested: Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 and Goodride RP28 in 205/55/R16
Tyres account for up to 20% of your vehicle’s fuel consumption – therefore choosing tyres with a high fuel efficiency rating will help in terms of long-term economy of the tyre. In order to provide a fuel efficiency rating, the measure of rolling resistance is measured – this is the amount of resistance that occurs when the tyre rolls on a flat surface. The less roll resistance a tyre has, the less fuel it requires.
In this test, the Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 tyre had 17% less rolling resistance than the Goodride budget tyre – meaning it is more fuel efficient.
Tyres tested: Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 and Goodride RP28 in 205/55/R16
Many factors can contribute to noise within the vehicle’s cabin: wind, road conditions, vehicle speed, engine or structural noises and tyres. Tyre noise is caused by the tyre air cavity resonance, which is produced by air vibrating within the tyre that then transmits to the vehicle’s structure which can create additional cabin noise.
The premium Goodyear tyre beat the Goodride tyre once again in the noise element of this test – proving to be 0.5Db quieter, therefore providing a more comfortable ride in terms of cabin noise.
When deciding between budget and premium tyres it is important to consider that although the initial outlay to purchase the tyres may be cheaper, a premium tyre over its lifetime can provide additional handling, technology and performance benefits.
See the full Tyre Reviews Goodyear vs Goodride Tyre Test video where Jon Benson discusses the test and differences between two tyres.
The Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 used in the Tyre Reviews test, has been proven to provide 50% more mileage than the predecessor*, whilst not compromising on handling and safety features.
High tread elasticity and flexibility results in less fractures caused by rough road conditions (over a wide range of temperatures).
High tread elasticity and flexibility results in less fractures caused by rough road conditions (over a wide range of temperatures)
Lower compound stiffness facilitates block bending and wiping out of water. Longer and increased number of gripping edges facilitates water evacuation.
*Internal test. Compared to predecessor EfficientGrip Performance. Tyre size tested: 205/55R16 91V; Test car: VW Golf 7; Test location: open roads in Luxembourg and France.
