The 13 best tire manufacturers

One of the most important elements of the car, which affects the safety of driving, are tires. The right choice of car tires is not only beneficial to the safety of driving. Driving comfort is improved, fuel consumption is reduced and maintenance intervals are extended. The domestic car market offers an abundance of tires. All major tire companies started to deliver their products to Russia. Rich assortment makes it difficult to choose, so the advice of our experts will help car owners.

How to choose the right car tires

Fitting diameter.Begin the choice of tires experts advise with the planting diameter. It should match the diameter of the wheel on which the tire will be mounted. In the marking this indicator is denoted in inches after the letter R. The most popular drive diameters in passenger cars are in the R13-R17 range.

Seasonality.The next important tire parameter is seasonality. The motorist is offered summer, winter and all-season tires. Experts consider that it is better to have a set of winter and summer tires, although purchasing all-season tires is more economically beneficial. The winter tires should be marked with a snowflake or a combination of the letters M and S (M+S, M.S).

tread pattern.Some users do not focus on the type of tread, which can cause minor problems later. The tread pattern is either symmetrical or asymmetrical, and can be non-directional or directional. The most popular because of the affordable price are symmetric non-directional tires. But if we proceed from the technical parameters, it is better to give preference to directional tread. This tire does the best job of draining water from the contact patch. Asymmetric tread benefits from good water drainage and excellent directional stability. However, wheels with asymmetric directional pattern can only be shifted on one side of the car (front to back or vice versa).

Tire width.The first given in the marking is the tire width in millimeters. Several sizes are available for each rim. Here it is important to consider the following points.

1. The tire tread has a large contact patch with the road surface. Consequently, the grip of wider rubber will be better.
2. But the narrow modifications win in weight, which has a positive impact on fuel consumption.
3. The narrower the tire, the less it is exposed to aquaplaning. In addition, the narrow tire has better handling when driving on snowy roads.

Profile Heights.One of the most confusing characteristics of a car tire is the profile height. It is specified in the marking after the “/” sign. The number denotes the ratio of the profile height (in mm) to the width (in mm), expressed as a percentage. For example, the 185/70 tire is 185 mm wide and to calculate the section height in mm, divide 185 by 100 and multiply by 70. You get 129.5 mm.

1. Tires with a high profile provide the driver with maximum comfort during driving, they are resistant to punctures.
2. Low profile tires provide excellent drivability. These models are worth buying if you often have to travel on good paved roads.
3. The wider the tire (with the same diameter and profile height), the greater will be the height in mm.

Load index. Every tire has a maximum load limit. It is indicated in the marking by a number, which follows the seating diameter. To know the permissible load in kilograms, you will have to look at a special translation table. For example, the number 88 indicates a load limit of 560 kg.

Speed index.Tires have speed limits. This is identified by the literal classification. It is also possible to translate into traditional km/h with the help of the table. Thus, the letter H corresponds to the maximum speed of 210 km/h.

We’ve chosen 13 of the best car tire companies in this review. All of them sell their products on the Russian market. Opinion of the expert community and feedback from domestic motorists were taken into account when allocating the places.

Rating of the best tire companies

Miche

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Rating: 5.0

The American company Goodyear is considered the world’s leading manufacturer of automobile tires. In the age-old history of the brand has many glorious pages. Goodyear was the wheel that drove the first Ford. Since then the search for new technologies did not stop for a minute. The corporate headquarters is still located in the city of St. Petersburg. Akron, where it was built in 1898. The assortment is diverse, allowing both car owners and managers of large haulers to choose tires.

Domestic users are complimentary about the summer rubber. It makes no noise, behaves well on slippery roads, no problems with balancing at the tire fitting. Except that on deep potholes the tires give up, they appear “hernias”, after which the tire has to be replaced.

Advantages

• innovative designs;
• century-old tradition;
• advanced equipment;
• quiet.

Disadvantages

• Tires are afraid of hard knocks.

irel

Rating: 4.8

Tires of South Korean company Hankook are in steady demand among Russian motorists. The brand was founded in 1941, and has had the hard road from a small factory to an international concern… Just recently (2017) was inaugurated factory in the American city of Tennessee. But the manufacturer is not just building production sites, a great deal of attention is paid to research. Experts highlight several advantages of the South Korean rubber, due to which the brand occupies a leading position in the world. It is wear resistance, elasticity and durability.

Domestic car owners appreciate the affordability of tires with decent quality. Of the disadvantages, poor behavior on wet roads is often mentioned, so the brand does not get into the prize three of our rating.

Advantages

• wear resistance;
• elasticity;
• democratic price;
• durability.

Disadvantages

• the rubber behaves badly on wet roads.

Continental

Rating: 4.6

Leading position on the world market of tire products is held by German concern Continental. The annual production volume amazes even the experts, more than 90 million. tires leave the conveyors of production facilities. The brand is the official tire supplier of the largest car plants in Germany, USA and Japan. The manufacturer constantly tests and tests its products and comes up with new designs. That’s why Continental tires outperform their competitors in such categories as braking distance and handling in various road conditions.

Russian motorists praise German tires for their quietness, high quality, excellent traction. The main disadvantage that influenced the position in the ranking is the high price.

Advantages

• German quality;
• innovative design;
• excellent traction;
• quiet.

Disadvantages

• high price.

Nokian

Rating: 4.5

Northern regions are home to Nokian tires. This is Europe’s oldest tire manufacturer, which began operations in 1898. The company created the world’s first winter tire for trucks. A factory has been operating in Russia since 2005, which has made it possible to reduce the price of premium tires. About 14 million roll off the assembly line per year. tires of the highest quality. According to German magazine Focus Money, the Finnish brand produced the best car tire in 2018. Experts note such strengths of the manufacturer as good cross-country ability and stability on slippery and wet roads.

Car owners are pleased with the low noise, good stability, easy balancing. The sixth place in the ranking is due to the high price and short durability.

Advantages

• high quality;
• low noise level;
• stability on slippery and wet roads;
• softness.

Flaws

• high price;
• short durability.

Yokohama

Rating: 4.4

It is symbolic that the Japanese company is one of the seven largest tire manufacturers, occupying the same seventh position in our rating. The company appeared in 1917, by merging the Japanese and American companies. The brand was named after the city in which the cooperation agreement was signed. The first tires were not produced until 1930, and this is what became the priority for the company. The brand tests its products at sporting events. As a result of tests, the tires are supplied to the assembly lines of car giants such as Mercedes Benz, Porsche and Toyota.

Russian car owners appreciate Japanese tires for their good grip, softness and optimal price/quality ratio. Disadvantages include falling out of studs and thin sidewalls.

Advantages

• good traction;
• price-performance ratio;
• durability;
• durability.

Disadvantages

• thin sidewalls;
• studs fall out.

idgestone

Rating: 4.3

Over a century and a half of history, the American Cooper Tire Rubber Company has accumulated great experience. Tires under the Avon, Cooper, Dean, Mastercraft, Roadmaster and Starfire brands are supplied to different countries. The company has been named to the “101 Best Companies in the U.S.” honor roll. Experts have highly estimated the accessible price of rubber and durability (over 100 thousand years) of rubber. km mileage), for which the brand and gets to our rating. The manufacturer has its own test center in the state of Texas. The catalog contains a wide range of tires for cars and trucks.

American tires have received special praise from Russian owners of SUVs. They praise the rubber for quality, affordable price, high passability, durability. Users refer to the disadvantages as noisiness, the lack of tires in the stores of the country.

Advantages

• high quality;
• affordable prices;
• durability;
• good cross-country ability.

Disadvantages

• noisiness;
• they are scarce in stores.

TOYO

Rating: 4.1

Countdown of TOYO brand’s existence began at the end of World War II. At this time there was a merger of two Japanese manufacturers of rubber products. The company has won the respect of car owners around the world. Many experts put the quality of the products as an example. The brand gets into our rating for the precise steering of the car, noiselessness on the road, stable and predictable behavior at any speed. TOYO rubber originally to complete their cars by such automakers as Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, Audi.

Domestic motorists like the Japanese tires for their durability, ride comfort, good traction when driving through the turns. The disadvantages are high price, unsteady rutting and a modest range in Russian stores.

Advantages

• elasticity;
• good traction;
• durability;
• high quality.

Disadvantages

• tires do not like ruts;
• high price.

Sumitomo

Rating: 4.0

By production Sumitomo is one of the three biggest tire companies in Japan. The brand is closely connected with the British concern Dunlop. With the help of Europeans the first Japanese plant for the production of tires and tubes was built in 1909. And in 1984, Sumitomo acquired a controlling stake in the British company and took it under its own control. In 2018 alone, the Japanese concern built large plants in Brazil (capacity of 15,000. tires per day), South Africa (12.5 ths. tires) and Slovenia (rubber products for medicine).

Rather low place of the brand in our rating is explained by the reviews of car owners. The first disadvantage is the high weight, which negatively affects the acceleration dynamics and handling. The second disadvantage is drifting when cornering at speed.

Advantages

• high quality;
• elasticity;
• original tread;
• excellent balancing.

Disadvantages

• high weight;
• drifting in corners.

Nitto

Rating: 3.9

Japanese brand Nitto is known since 1949. Today, it is part of the Toyo tire company. The company’s catalog includes tires for passenger cars and SUVs. Experts believe that the distinctive feature of this rubber is its original tread pattern. Nitto tires are in high demand on the American market. The brand has appeared in Russia recently (end of 2015), but local motorists have already had time to appreciate all the advantages of its products.

Excellent traction on both dry and wet asphalt deserves special praise. Potential buyers are also attracted by the affordable price. As for disadvantages, the choice of rubber is not too wide, also tires do not behave well in aggressive driving style.

Advantages

• good quality;
• excellent traction;
• affordable price;
• original tread pattern.

Disadvantages

• Modest range in Russian stores;
• choppy ride behavior.

Sava

Rating: 3.8

The history of the Slovenian company dates back to 1931. Today the brand is owned by the multinational concern GoodYear. This is why all new models for Sava are developed by the parent company’s designers. The parent company has taken care of the technical re-equipment of the branch. The production site is located in the small town of Kranj, through which the river Sava flows. The annual production volume is 6 million. Tires supplied to various countries of the world. The brand gets into our rating for modernity, high technology and affordable price.

Russian motorists like Slovenian rubber for affordability, softness, good passability and quality manufacturing. The brand needs to work on noise reduction, directional stability, weight reduction.

Advantages

• high quality;
• modern design;
• affordable price;
• elasticity.

Disadvantages

• great weight;
• noisiness.