How to compare tyres?

To ensure effectiveness, tyres need to deliver numerous, often conflicting, performance characteristics. Improving one of these performances must not be to the detriment of the others.

Traction or grip

Remember – the tyres are the only contact your vehicle has with the road, so their grip plays an essential role in your safety. Your ability to brake, to turn, to accelerate or to stay stable at higher speeds all depend on your tyre’s grip. Each type of tyre is designed to provide grip in specific types of weather and road conditions. That’s why it’s so important to think about how and where you will be driving and what type of grip you’ll need when you choose your tyres.

Longevity

Energy efficiency

Handling

Comfort and Noise

Robustness

Long lasting performance

Each of our tyre lines is made in a selection of sizes to fit appropriate vehicles.

Sometimes a tyre line will have several versions of the same tyre size but with different technical specifications such as :

• Speed ratings (ex: S, T, H, V, W, Y, etc.),

• Load index (ex : 91, 94, XL, etc.),

• OE markings (Original Equipment).

These technical specifications are important details that can determine whether or not that version is compatible with your vehicle and the way you drive.

If several versions are compatible with your vehicle, we recommend that you choose the version with the same specifications as your original equipment tyres, including the correct OE marking.
The OE marking concerns tyres developed in cooperation with car manufacturers that meet more specific requirements, proper to each car brand. For example, the "MO" marking means that the tyre is approved by Mercedes for its vehicles.
However, the OE marking is not a requirement as long as the size, speed, and load indexes are respected.
You can also safely select a version with higher speed rating or load index; however, higher speed or load capability can negatively impact tread life and ride comfort.

Independent tyre testers such as specialized magazines or professional organisations can help you for your tyre comparison.
Each year, these independent testers use very strict criteria to assess the performance of tyres by testing them on different surfaces. They evaluate various aspects such as braking, handling, rolling resistance, noise, etc…

European labelling is designed to help you compare different tyre models (from different brands or within the same brand) on objective criteria.

For example, if you want a MICHELIN summer tyre, you may be hesitating between the MICHELIN Primacy 4 and the MICHELIN e·Primacy. The labelling will indicate that the MICHELIN e·Primacy has a better rolling resistance, which helps to reduce your fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. If you are sensitive to these concerns, the labelling will then lead you to the MICHELIN e·Primacy.

Labelling can therefore be an aid to decision-making. However, you should be aware that it is limited to a few criteria and that it only measures tyres when they are new, which does not tell you everything about a tyre's performance.

Using tyre comparison sites can be helpful, but it is important to remember that their comparisons are generally based on new tyres which means that they do not put the tested tyres into perspective beyond a certain level of wear (once they have covered a few thousand miles).

Yet some tyre performances become less effective with wear, particularly on wet roads and especially when braking. Therefore, it is also important, when comparing tyres, to assess the performance of tyres once they start to wear.