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There are lots of questions asked about mid-range tyres like;
What is a mid-range tyre? What is the difference between mid-range and premium
tyres? How much are mid-range tyres?
Before we can answer these questions, we will explain what defines premium & economy tyres.
Premium tyres, made by tyre manufacturers such as
Bridgestone, Continental, Michelin, Goodyear, Pirelli & Hankook, are designed
& manufactured with constant research & development (R&D) to find
the best solution to varying stresses & strains the tyre must cope with. The
designs are also constantly reviewed & changed as the vehicles the tyre is
used on also place more demands on the tyre as they evolve.
These demands include the type of terrain the tyre drives on, the constant speeds
they have to endure with subsequent heat build up to overcome, the weight they must
carry & the weather conditions they have to operate in. All of this R&D
is put into producing the best & most optimum tyre for the environment it
is going to be used in.
Research & development is not cheap either, with thousands of pounds being
spent on a single tyre design as well the testing of the tyres over thousands
of hours & miles. Without these tyre manufacturers spending all of this time
& money on their products, tyres would literally be black & round
pieces of rubber & vehicle safety would be significantly compromised in the
process. Because of the level of R&D premium tyre manufacturers employ for
their products, vehicle manufacturers will approach the tyre manufacturer to work
with them to not only produce a tyre specifically for the model of vehicle being
produced, but also to help develop the vehicle too.
Economy tyres are made to a price and because of this
they are usually designed by a process called reverse engineering, whereby the economy
tyre manufacturers will dissect a premium tyre to see how it is made. This
process drastically cuts down the design time & subsequently the cost to
produce a tyre, although not all tyre components can be reverse engineered. Another
cost saving technique employed by some economy tyre manufacturers are in the tyres
rubber compounds they use. Economy tyres don't have, or use, all of the chemicals
employed by premium tyre manufactures which, in a premium tyre, helps them stay
supple in cold weather & durable in hot weather etc. In some cases of
economy tyres there is even a layer of tread bracing (steel re-enforcement) omitted
in an effort to cut the cost of the tyre. The downside of this practice is a
tyre, that at best, will wear quickly on the outer edges, in a similar way a
tyre would wear out if under inflated or the wheel alignment (tracking) being
out & at worst, a tyre that doesn't keep the tread area flat on the road
when corning which will consequently loose grip in a corner.
After saying all of this, there are some exceptions to the rule & at Bush
tyres, we recognise the pitfalls of economy tyres so we don't buy the cheapest
economy range of tyres we can find. With our philosophy of "Quality at all
costs" we look to buy the best quality tyre we can find to fit within the allotted
price range.
So, what are Mid-range tyres & what is the difference between mid-range & premium tyres?
As the term suggests, mid-range tyres are in the price range
between Premium & economy tyres. A lot of premium tyre manufacturers produce
a second or third lines of tyre, or mid-range tyres, which are manufactured to
incorporate some of the technology used on their premium brands but because of
price point, not all of them are used in one mid-range tyre design.
At the other end of the scale there are tyre manufacturers which have started manufacturing
tyres by way of reverse engineering a premium tyre but have then gone on to test
their own tyre to improve them with the results they have gained from their own
tests.
Are mid-range tyres any good?
Our answer to this is yes, they are good tyres. In some cases,
they have surprisingly good results with regards the level of grip they offer,
the quietness of the tyre & their durability.
If your vehicle is used for low annual mileage, but used frequently, then using mid-range tyres vs
premium tyre options is a better a alternative & especially when compared to using economy tyres.
What are the best mid-range tyres?
In the UK, there are more than 300 tyre brands to choose from
covering the Premium, Mid-range & Economy markets & naming all of the
mid-range brands is a substantial list.
To simplify the question of ‘what is a good mid-range tyre brand?' we will, again,
answer this question utilising our philosophy of "Quality & All Costs", and
name a few of our preferred mid-range tyres, which are; Avon, Firestone, Toyo,
Goodride & Rapid.
Adding to the quality of these mid-range tyre brands, Toyo, Goodride &
Rapid all have a Pot Hole or Accidental Damage Warranty to give you peace of
mind knowing you are covered if these tyres are accidentally damaged beyond
repair.