Cars

Car tyres

Updated 28 Jul 2011
Car-tyres-hero

Introduction

Find out all you need to know to make the right tyre choice with our report and test results for over 40 car tyres.

We've tested 16 new 175/65 R14 tyres to add to our our database of tyres suitable for small, medium or large cars. We also explain the types of tyres available and provide tips on making your tyres last longer.

Video: Tyre testing
See our tyres test in action on a closed racetrack with our tyre testing video.

Tyres we tested

This report contains test results and recommendations for the following tyres:

Our 2011 test of 175/65R14 car tyres suitable for small cars.

  • BFGoodrich Sport T/A
  • Bridgestone Ecopia EP100
  • Continental Conti Comfort Contact CC5
  • Dunlop SP Sport 300E
  • Firestone TZ700
  • Goodride Radial SP06
  • Goodyear Assurance
  • GT Radial Champiro 128
  • Hankook Optimo K415
  • Kumho Solus KH17
  • Maxxis MA-P1
  • Michelin Energy XM1+
  • Pirelli P6
  • Sime Astar 100
  • Toyo Teo Plus Eco
  • Yokohama A.drive

Our 2010 test of 195/65R15 car tyres suitable for medium-sized cars. Availability was checked in June 2011.

  • BFGoodrich Sport T/A
  • Bridgestone Turanza AR10
  • Dunlop SP Sport 300E
  • Firestone Firehawk TZ100
  • Goodyear Assurance
  • GT Radial Champiro 228
  • Hankook Enfren H430
  • Kumho Solus KH15
  • Maxxis MA-P1
  • Michelin Energy XM1+
  • Pirelli P7
  • Toyo TEO Plus
  • Yokohama A.drive

Our 2009 test of 215/60R16 car tyres suitable for large saloon cars. Availability was checked in June 2011.

  • BF Goodrich Sport T/A
  • Continental ComfortContact-1
  • Firestone Firehawk TZ100
  • Goodyear Assurance
  • Goodyear Excellence
  • GT Radial Champiro 228
  • Hankook Optimo K415
  • Kumho Solus KH15
  • Michelin Energy XM1 Plus
  • Sime Astar 300
  • Supercat SPCZ 812
  • Toyo TEO Plus Eco
     

Our 2006 test of 205/65R15 car tyres suitable for large cars. Availability was checked in June 2011.

  • Bridgestone RE92
  • Firestone Firehawk TZ100 
  • GT Radial Champiro 128
  • Michelin Energy XM1

 

Tyre care

Some users get exceptional distances out of their tyres. How? They look after them.

Tyre pressure

  • A 20 percent drop in pressure (from 26psi to 21psi) increases the rate of wear by 20 percent. Severe over-inflation also causes wear, but a 10 percent increase has a very small effect.
  • The AA found that tyres under-inflated by around 20 percent increased a car's fuel consumption by 8 percent.
  • As well as wearing faster and using more fuel, soft (under-inflated) tyres have an unstable hold on the road. And if your tyre pressures are uneven (with different levels of inflation), you could end up out of control on a corner.
  • Keep the pressures at the manufacturer's recommended levels, and remember to adjust upwards for heavy loads or prolonged high-speed driving. You should be able to find the manufacturer's recommendations in your car's handbook, or on a sticker that's often on or near the driver's door. Otherwise, ask your car dealer or a tyre company what the recommended levels are.
  • Buy your own gauge. Petrol station gauges are often inaccurate. And don't forget to check the spare.

Run straight

  • Have the wheels balanced and aligned when you fit new tyres.
  • Have the alignment checked if you have a severe impact with a kerb or very large pothole or rock, or notice wear and/or feathering of the edges when you check your tyre pressures.

Steady does it

  • Go gently through bends and avoid heavy braking.
Tread depth gauge 

Rotate

  • It's normal for front-wheel-drive cars to wear the front tyres more rapidly. Rotate the tyres every 10,000km to even out the wear. The legal minimum is 1.5mm in all principal grooves around the circumference of the tyre (it used to be 1.5mm of tread over 75 percent of the tyre). The tread wear indicators will guide you, or you can use a tread-depth gauge (pictured, right) to keep track. They cost around $10. Tyre dealers usually do free checks. 
  • If your tyres are wearing rapidly or unevenly, or if the steering pulls to the side, have the wheel balance and alignment checked (cost: usually around $60).

Given good operating conditions, regular rotation and a conservative driving style, a set of new premium steel-belt radials should last for 50,000km or more. Expect less from around-town use with lots of turning and braking, or high-speed use with hard cornering and braking. 

Which last longest?

We're often asked which tyres last longest. We don't test for tyre wear, because of cost. And there are no other reliable indicators - some tyres have a tread-wear rating on their sidewalls, but local tyre-makers say the ratings often have little relevance to New Zealand conditions.

And long-lasting tyres may not be a good thing. The US consumer organisation Consumer Reports says tyres that last too long may pose a safety risk, because rubber-compounds deteriorate with age. Some major car manufacturers have recommended throwing away tyres after 6 years, regardless of wear.

Tyres are usually date-coded, so a tyre dealer can work out if a tyre is really old. In New Zealand tyre wear is fairly rapid, so 6-year-old tyres aren't common - except for imported second-hand tyres. If long life is your priority, ask your tyre dealer for a model with a good tread life. Just be aware that long tread-life and good grip don't always go together.

How to buy

To get the most even performance, it's best to replace car tyres as a set. But if cost or convenience reasons make this unrealistic, there are some simple rules.

  • Replace a single tyre with the same type and size (a different brand is acceptable in an emergency). Don't mix an old cross-ply type with a radial, or a steel belt with a fabric-belt tyre on the same vehicle. This can make the vehicle too difficult to handle safely and is against the law.
  • Put the tyres with the best grip on the rear.
  • If you change from one tyre or size to another, change at least both the tyres on the axle. The WOF rules say you can fit tyres that are no more than five percent larger or smaller in diameter. If they are wider, the tread must not extend outside the body panels and the vehicle's track must not vary by more than 25mm. Anything bigger in diameter or wider will require a modified certificate. 
  • Phone around. Ask about the price difference between budget and premium tyres, and about extra benefits like road hazard warranties.

We found large variations in tyre prices. Retailers running specials were able to sell some models around $100 cheaper per tyre than others. So make sure you shop around as you could save a fortune.

How to read a tyre

Each tyre has standard markings that allow you to pick the right type for your car. It's a confusing mix of letters and numbers, and of measurements in mm and inches. Here's what it all means.

Size and speed ratings

All new tyres are marked with a size and speed rating. Our photo shows one marked 185/65R14 86H.

Here's what this means...

Symbol What it means
P Passenger tyre (not always shown).
185 The tyre width (across the tyre) in millimetres when fitted to the correct rim and inflated. A larger number means a wider tyre.
65 The profile or aspect ratio. In this case, the height is 65 percent of the width.
R Radial construction.
14 Rim diameter (inches). This can be metric, but very rarely.
86 A load index, which allows you to calculate the maximum load from a table. Tyre dealers have copies. 86 means this tyre can support a maximum load of 530kg. Not always shown on older tyres.
H The speed rating. This is the maximum speed the tyre will withstand at the rated load, in this case 210km/h. Speed ratings are typically from Q (160km/h) to Y (300km/h). Retreads have the speed rating removed, but those made to NZS 5423 are capable of speeds of at least 100km/h.

Older tyres may have the figures and letters in a different order (185 SR13) but they mean the same thing. Use the size and speed ratings when checking prices, to ensure you are comparing like with like. Replacement tyres should always have the same or better ratings.

What's the use of all this info? To keep the tyre grip evenly balanced when cornering, a car must have the same size and type of tyre on the left and right wheels on an axle (and usually the same size all round). Marking the size means WOF inspectors can easily check that your car has the right-sized tyres.

It also helps you. When you're looking for the best price on a replacement tyre you need to be able to quote the size (and sometimes the load and speed ratings).

Tread Wear Indicator
Tread wear indicator

The triangle on the sidewall points to a small bar in the tread grooves (pictured, right), which shows the minimum tread depth. The letters "TWI" or the maker's logo are alternative sidewall markings for the indicator.

Standard markings

Standard markings can reveal the tyre's origin. All tyres (except some Australian-made ones) should have at least one of these marks.

Symbol What it means
E European, plus an approval number.
DOT American, plus an approval number.
JIS Japanese.
NZS 5453 New Zealand Standard for locally made tyres.

There may also be information about the construction: number of plies and ply material, tubeless rating and information about suitable uses, or how to correctly mount the tyre (see Directional tyres).

Snow-tyre danger

The characteristic tread of a snow tyre.

Used snow tyres are found on some Japanese-import used cars, and are also imported and sold by used-tyre dealers.

Snow tyres are easily identified: they have a characteristic block pattern (pictured right). Recent snow tyres often have a snow symbol on the sidewall (pictured below right). If you're in any doubt, ask a tyre dealer to check.

  • Snow tyres should only be used where they are needed - in alpine areas during winter.
  • They should always be used in sets of four, and replaced before they get old and worn.
  • Never mix snow tyres with normal tyres, even in matched pairs on one axle. If the spare is a snow tyre, only use it at low speeds. Better still, have a normal tyre fitted.
    Snow tyre symbol

4WD vehicles often have M&S (mud and snow) tyres fitted. These are suitable for all-season road use, as well as for mud and snow. But it's still best practice to fit M&S tyres in matched sets of four. Note that snow tyres for cars are often rated M&S.

Changes to snow-tyre rules

Since April 2010 if you need snow tyres, they must be fitted to all wheels of the vehicle. They also must have a minimum tread depth of 4mm – more than twice the 1.5 mm depth for normal tyres.

This change was brought about by the deaths of four people in accidents involving cars with snow tyres fitted only to the rear wheels. Tests later showed this combination was highly unstable in certain conditions. We called in 2008 for the rule to be changed and fortunately there have been have been no further deaths as far as we know.

We think snow or winter tyres should only be used in the conditions they’re designed for: on snow and ice in winter.  

4WD tyres

The trouble with 4WD is that tyres designed for serious off-road use do not usually perform well when braking on wet roads, and will also wear out more quickly if regularly driven on hard surfaces. Given the cost of 4WD tyres - $200 to over $500 - it's well worth thinking about.

Tyre companies offer a compromise: 4WD tyres designed for the road. They don't have the macho tractor-tread look and won't be so useful in the mud, but they'll last longer and give better braking on wet tarseal.

However, if you drive a 4WD that never leaves the road, you still need tyres that are designed for the vehicle. That's usually because of the extra weight involved.

When buying, it's useful to know 4WD tyres frequently have their sizes measured in old fashioned inches. The alternative is metric - the same way as car tyres.Yes, it just adds to the confusion!

Reading a 4WD tyre sidewall

Our photo (above) shows a 4WD tyre marked 31 x 10.50 R15 LT M/S 109Q.

Here's what this means ...

Symbol What it means
31 The overall diameter (31 inches). Not always shown.
10.50 The tyre width (across the tyre). 4WD tyres often show this in inches (10.5) when fitted to the correct rim and inflated. A larger number means a wider tyre. It could also be metric, and include the profile (eg, 265/70).
R Radial construction.
15 Rim diameter (inches).
LT Light truck, includes 4WD. Not always shown.
M/S Mud and snow. Can be M+S.
109 The load index. 109 means this tyre can support a maximum load of 950kg.
Q The speed rating, in this case 160km/h.
10PR The ply rating. Shown as an alternative to load index and speed rating on older designs.

Video: Tyre testing

Our tyres tests are carried out jointly with the Australian consumer organisation Choice, on a closed racetrack in Australia.

The video below shows the Choice test car in action.
 

 

Cornering tests were to drive into a tight right-hand corner (with traction control turned off) and track how far the car deviated off line. Each set of tyres was tested 3 times at speeds of 75km/h and then 80km/h in the same conditions.

For braking, each set of tyres was tested 5 times for braking distances at speeds of 50km/h and 80km/h.