Once a car gets out of the shop, it can be driven. It is fully functional, you don’t need to make any upgrades or twitch to it, unless you want to be extravagant and to show off your vehicle, or maybe you want to modify it into a street car. However, a car, like everything else, gets worn down every time you use it.
Among the things that suffer from highest rates of wear-and-tear, the tires are what you should be wary of. You should know by now that flat tires can happen anytime, and more importantly, anywhere. That is why you see a lot of people have spare tires hung on the back of their cars long before they have any use of them. When you have a flat tire on a bicycle, you can still ride it, albeit in a wiggly kind of way. Once your RV or car gets in the same situation, you either can’t move or move safely anymore.
The thing is, tires can be very expensive. Even the cheapest tire brands are offering tires with the price of mostly around $80 or more. I understand if you think that tires are overpriced products. After all, what makes it so expensive, when it doesn’t look like anything more than a piece of rubber on a metal frame. Truth is, tires are harder to make than people think. Buying a car is an investment for some people, because of how expensive it is. Most cars are made of high quality materials. All kinds of steel, rubber, plastic, or aluminum found in cars are of fine quality. If not, then it wouldn’t go more than a 100m before breaking down. Tires need top quality materials as well.
When choosing tires for your vehicles, model, size and price, and of course, brands, are the four primary criteria. These are all sound criteria, if you are new to finding aftermarket tires, these are what you should consider. Do you know what tire brands are the best nowadays?
Of course, if you did, you wouldn’t be here. Don’t worry, in this article we will inform you of the top tire brands and give some comprehension on these brands, so that you can decide who makes the best tires.
Top 10 Best Tire Companies Ranked
Some of the factors that come into play when assessing the quality of a tire brand includes: tire brand ratings and reviews (by customers), tire quality, tire performance. We will have these tire brands ranked accordingly in top 10.
1. Michelin
This is undoubtedly the most popular tire brand in the world right now. Founded in 1889, it is one of the oldest brands that are still alive and evolving till this day. This French company also has a trademark character called Bibendum, or more widely known as the Michelin Man, as its mascot since 1894. Most of us have seen this character once or more in our lifetimes.
Michelin has won the Golden Wrench award for the best overall tires. The most off-putting aspect of buying a Michelin tire is the price. Michelin certainly produces some of the more expensive tires on the market, ranging from $90 to $520. However, for those who want the best for their vehicles, Michelin tires are the go-to tires.
Having specific tires for different terrains and harsh conditions is a good practice when it comes to safety and tire longevity. Michelin excels in almost every category of tires, be it all season, winter, or if you want tires for your specific model, Michelin has had Golden Wrench winners in their SUV tires, passenger car tires, truck tires, performance tires.
Michelin offers up to 50 different tire models, although this is on the lower end of the spectrum. Focusing less on variety, Michelin never fails to deliver top quality merchandise. Michelin has tons of positive reviews to back it up as well.
In terms of quantity of production, Michelin is the 2nd biggest tire provider in the world as of 2021, claiming Bridgestone’s spot, of course below the one brand. You guessed it, that privilege goes to LEGO and their tiny rubber toy tires! Anyways, when it comes to picking out the best tire brands, this brand is usually the first one people think about.
2. Goodyear
On our list of best tire companies, we cannot leave out one of the tire superpowers that is Goodyear. Out of all the tire companies on this list, Goodyear is relatively “young”. Founded in 1898, this company is still growing stronger than ever.
Its products have received top rankings and reviews from owners, saying that their tires are reliable and safe, with excellent traction on wet, dry, snowy terrains. It is one of the brands you can’t go wrong with. The price is also reasonable, in line with other big names on the list.
The average price for a Goodyear product hovers around $100. With as many as 85 models on their shelves at the moment, Goodyear offers something for everyone. However, there is a bias towards trucks and SUVs, so if you have trucks or SUVs, then you certainly can’t go wrong with a Goodyear tire.
With a combination of a reasonable price range and impressive products, this brand is one of the best tire brands I’ve ever seen.
3. Bridgestone
Bridgestone is destined to appear on this list. It is the biggest tire brand in all of Japan! The sheer multinationality and scope of operation is a testimony of their quality, since you can’t go very far without the approval of the people.
Bridgestone was born in 1931. Bridgestone has acquired many other companies in its history, making the Bridgestone Corporation one of the largest tire manufacturers in the world. Naturally, Bridgestone boasts a huge variety of tires, up to 100 models for customers to choose from. In 2022, you can buy an all-season type tire of excellent quality – the Turanza Quiettrack, for your car at a price of $165.99.
One of the things you will notice, is that, while both Bridgestone and Michelin are the best of the best, Michelin tires’ performance on dry roads beats it out entirely, they give drivers better maneuverability thanks to its responsiveness.
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4. Continental
Continental is a well-established brand. Originated in Germany, this brand is a force to reckon with in either quantity or quality alike.
I feel that Continental and Michelin’s tires are always neck and neck in quality, and this is backed up by many reputed rankings. Both have shown time and time again that they are consistent with their tires, as well as be innovative when they want to.
Continental tires are exceptional, especially when it comes to winter tires. Also if you want high-performance tires for a speedy car, then Continental is more than just a decent choice. There are 59 tire models available in the US right now, so there are a good range of products for all purposes.
However, Continental’s all-terrain and mud-terrain tires are sub-par compared to their competitors. The good thing about this prominent brand is that it offers great quality tires at a lower price than Michelin or Goodyear.
5. Cooper
Cooper tires aren’t well known outside of the US, but it is a really good brand for those who do get to use their products. Best thing about this brand is of course the price range.
There are luxury products for those who have money to spare, but there are also a great many tires under $100 dedicated to the masses. You can find a lot of products on sale on several occasions.
Customers are utterly surprised by the unlikely quality of these tires. They can be absolutely noiseless, capable of handling difficult turns amazingly. This American-made tire company is a totally different beast compared to its competition.
With its growing popularity, I would say that this brand is on its way to become the best brand of tires in the USA in the upcoming years.
6. Yokohama
Yokohama is a tire company founded in 1917 in the city where it got its name. In 1969, the company expanded to the US. While it is relatively “newborn”, Yokohama has certainly climbed the ranks to become one of the most affordable high quality tires on the market.
Its status has been due in large thanks to the ADVAN line of tires, designed for both passenger and performance cars, as well as the Avid all-season/touring tires. You can get access to a whopping 76 tire models that Yokohama offers for very good deals.
A great benefit of Yokohama tires lies in their aptitude for dry stopping. It sounds simple and dispensable, but believe me, this aspect is crucial to a good driving experience as well as safety. On the other hand, these tires won’t perform as well on a rainy day. Still a really good deal for its price range.
7. BFGoodrich
BFGoodrich has been in existence since 1870, and is often referred to as a brand from the family of Michelin. It probably has the smallest breadth of products on this list: only 21 models. Its quality is what makes it a household brand in the US.
Its products are highly rated for the comfort it provides, with its signature products being g-Force ultra-high performance tires, Mud Terrain KM3 and All-Terrain T/A K02.
Most people who own BFGoodrich’s recent advantage tires praise their performance on wet surfaces, nice and smooth handling compared to products of the same class in other brands and their own. You can be assured that these guys know how to elevate their products.
Read more: Understand Trailer Tire Speed Rating
8. Pirelli
The second oldest tire manufacturer on our list is Pirelli, an Italian brand. It has been in existence for 150 years, focusing on making tires for cars, motorcycles and bicycles as well.
As of 2022, it is the 6th largest manufacturer of tires. Like all the other tire companies, Pirelli provides drivers with a wide range of products: All-season, high/ultra-high performance, winter, all-terrain tires.
In total, there are 63 models available for purchase. One of the things that highlights Pirelli’s prestige is that they have been exclusively providing tires for major sports events, for cars as well as bicycles.
Some of these are the World Rally Championship and the Superbike Championships. It is a part of the “big 6” manufacturers, as a result, most of their products don’t come cheap. Those who do get to use these tires are generally satisfied with the quietness, sturdy steering and braking that they provide. You should definitely check them out.
9. Hankook
If I had to describe Hankook tires in two words, they would be: affordable and durable. They do really well in tire brand ratings compared to most brands if I remember correctly.
That is because those two words are just what the general public are looking for in their replacement tires. With the sound absorber technology fully integrated, these tires are less noisy than you think. Not only that, Hankook is gentle with their customers, providing long-term warranty and good customer support.
Hankook Dynapro MT2 is a highly praised all-terrain product, they perform well on muddy, dry and wet terrains (according to reviews). You can get it for $190, which is one hell of a deal to me. You can only get a used Michelin tire for that price if you’re lucky.
10. Firestone
Firestone isn’t the best tire manufacturer on this list, but we included it anyway, since they deliver consistent quality in their products. Their tires are slightly less reliable than Michelin in terms of tread life and aren’t given much treadwear warranty in comparison, but they are evolving.
Some of the best Firestone tires that you can have a look at are: Firestone Destination LE3 (for SUVs/pickup trucks), Firestone Weathergrip (all-season). The top tires made by Firestone guarantee to provide owners with good traction on either wet or dry roads, while producing little to no noise.
Best yet, these tires are super durable and can last up to 5 years of extensive usage depending on the models.
I would definitely recommend these tires since they are affordable. Keep in mind that Firestone is also more geared towards truck and SUV users so you should be a little better off if you have a vehicle of these types.
