Why it doesn’t pay to economise on tyres

Tyres are a distress purchase for many car owners, so when the time comes to replace them it’s no surprise that many motorists shop on price. But a recent tyre test revealed that fitting budget tyres can seriously affect the way a car copes in wet weather.

Imported tyres from China and Taiwan currently account for 20% of all tyres sold in the UK, and although these pass the minimum ECE R30 high-speed test, there are no statutory tests for braking, handling or aquaplaning performance – and even the R30 test is considered inadequate by many car makers.

Five leading budget brands – the GT Radial, Linglong, Nankang, Triangle and Wanli – were tested against an established premium tyre from Continental. The researchers conducted its own tests for wet handling and braking, dry handling and braking and aquaplaning, plus a more stringent high-speed test.

Braking from 50mph, the Continental stopped in the shortest distance, followed by the Nankang, GT Radial, Wanli, and Triangle, with the Linglongs taking the longest to stop.  Shod with the Linglongs, the car that was used for its tests was still doing 27.8mph at the point where it had stopped on the Continentals.  

Overall the Continentals won easily, scoring top marks in all but one test. A consistent performance earned the GT Radials second place, but a wet lap time 3.4sec adrift of the Continentals indicated just how far even it falls short.