What Tyres are Best for My Car? (Specifically for Australia)
Like lots of things these days, when it comes to tyres, there’s so much choice — so trying to work out which are best for your vehicle and budget can seem like a bit of a minefield. Here are a few tips to help you make this important decision, that’s so vital for your vehicle’s performance and your safety on the road.
Get the size right for your car
Making sure you get the right sized tyres for your vehicle, is the best place to start – as it is essential that they fit perfectly onto the wheel. The size of your tyres will be marked on the sidewall of the tyres currently on your vehicle — or check your owner’s manual. An example of a tyre size is 205/65R15. Broken down this is:
- 205: The width of the tyre (in mm)
- 65: Aspect ratio
- R: Type of tyre construction (Radial in this case), and
- 15: Rim size.
Check out this handy video for more information regarding how to read a tyre size: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSQBBPcoouE
Get the right features
There are many types of vehicle with different purposes – so it stands to reason that tyres are manufactured to suit the requirements of these vehicles and conditions. For example, if you are driving a 4×4 off-road, there are specific tyres (such as a mud tyre) which is designed to withstand extreme conditions. Features such as deep tread grooves for self-cleaning and special tread design and patterns for traction in off-road conditions, would be essential aspects of a good 4×4 tyre. The features of a small passenger vehicle tyre that mainly travels on city and suburban roads would be very different – with the tread pattern for these rather focusing on providing a smooth and quiet ride.
Avoid mixing different brands and patterns
Tyres are constructed differently with different patterns and features – and for safety reasons it is not advisable to have tyres by different manufacturers on your vehicle at the same time. It is particularly important that the two front tyres — and two back tyres — are the same.
Do your research before you buy
There’s a huge amount of information available with ongoing testing and comparison of tyres for performance and value as well as for considerations such as fuel efficiency. The results are often reported in Auto industry publications and on comparison sites – so it’s worth checking some of these out for yourself.
Make sure they’re safe
It goes without saying that when buying tyres, ensure they’re good quality and meet safety specifications.
Go Vitora!
Vitora has tyres for every lifestyle – with a range of sizes and features to suit whatever your vehicle and destination.
