Go beyond pricing and brand loyalty when shopping for tyres

With so many, often unfamiliar-sounding, brands of tyres on sale today, how do I choose the best tyre for my car?

This is not an easy question to answer, as the right choice involves far more than just brand loyalty and pricing.

Besides the type of car, there are various parameters that need to be considered when deciding on the exact size, brand and model of tyres. Foremost is your personal driving style, which is further complicated if you factor in your most typical journey.

For most Singaporeans, the usual daily trip is short and generally at low average speeds. The priority would, therefore, be comfort and perhaps longevity. However, rain is a frequent occurrence here and it can range from a light drizzle to a heavy storm. As such, wet road grip and resistance to aquaplaning become important considerations.

If you drive frequently to Malaysia, there are additional specifications and performance parameters to consider. These include speed and load ratings, plus personal preference on handling capabilities on wet or dry roads when rounding corners.

Only after you have sorted all that out, then you can talk about tyre brands.

The big news here is that it is not just the familiar names, but also fairly new brands that are scoring very well in independent tyre tests.

Much like the highly sought-after EV brands, the new players in the tyre industry hail from China. These brands manufacture tyres with high-level engineering and some offer superior performance, providing excellent value compared with established names.

So far, they have yet to emerge at the very top of the class across all tyre test categories, but some do excel in specific areas, like braking performance in the wet.

As with consumer products, the tyre brands tend to prioritise some characteristics over others. There are various online resources that publish detailed tyre tests. Most of these independent tests are conducted to determine tyre performance at different speeds, dry and wet road surface conditions and varying driving manoeuvres. They would also include information on how the tyres fare in terms of ride comfort, road noise and even rolling resistance.

Using the test results and your experience as a motorist, you can tabulate your own ratings for the tyres to zoom in on the best tyre for you.