Top 5 tips to choose the right tyre for your car

Written by 
Bill Tsouvalas
Bill Tsouvalas is the managing director and a key company spokesperson at Savvy. As a personal finance expert, he often shares his insights on a range of topics, being featured on leading news outlets including News Corp publications such as the Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun, Fairfax Media publications such as the Australian Financial Review, the Seven Network and more. Bill has over 15 years of experience working in the finance industry and founded Savvy in 2010 with a vision to provide affordable and accessible finance options to all Australians. He has built Savvy from a small asset finance brokerage into a financial comparison website which now attracts close to 2 million Aussies per year and was included in the BRW’s Fast 100 in 2015 as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country. He’s passionate about helping Australians make financially savvy decisions and reviews content across the brand to ensure its accuracy. You can follow Bill on LinkedIn.
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, updated on June 9th, 2023       

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Demand for SUVs remains high in Australia

Choosing the right tyre for your car is important, as it’s an aspect that assures the safety of your car while maximising its performance. However, there is a wide range of tyre options, with prices ranging from low to high. Still, what basic tips should you consider when choosing the right tyre for your vehicle?

Take into account your car type

When buying a new tyre, you need to consider your car type and how you drive. For instance, if you’re driving an SUV, you ought to look at SUV tyres that are ideally created for this kind of vehicles. On the other hand, if you own a sports car, then the high-speed tyres are designed for such driving conditions. Moreover, your driving is also significant – you need to determine your priorities. Whether you’re performing long-distance drives or, on the contrary, short-distance drives around the town, this is an important aspect.

Tyre size

Being informed concerning your tyre size is not optional. To get acquainted with the accurate size of your tyre, you need to check out your owner’s manual. Changing your tyre size may detrimentally influence the right functioning of your vehicle. For instance, smaller sized tyres than you actually need may decrease your vehicle’s safety while driving. Thus, if you consider changing your tyre size, you ought to check this aspect with your mechanic first, to make sure you won’t be dealing with other potential problems.

Consider fuel economy

This aspect is of great significance when browsing for a new tyre. The type of tyre determines 20 percent of your car's fuel consumption. Besides providing decreased fuel consumption, energy-saving tyres also include a diminished pollution level. However, they offer lower rolling resistance.

Thus, this is why not all consumers are willing to exchange fuel economy with rolling resistance. In this view, you should know that not all tyres available on the market include this economic feature.

Do your research

Research is never old fashioned. Thus, it applies when it comes to purchasing a new tyre as well. Reading customers’ reviews concerning a wide range of tyres will increase your knowledge on the subject and possibly prevent you from buying the wrong tyre. With this mind, you should consider paying attention to any information regarding the quality of the tyre and its lifespan. Also, look for indicators such as its level of noise.

Research is going to help you narrow down your choices and make an informed decision.

Tyre longevity

Tyre longevity depends on some factors – your driving style, road condition, weather, etc. For instance, when buying regular all-season tyres, you might expect them to be effective for a couple of years if the driving conditions are favourable. Moreover, in order to maintain your tyre, you need to look out for possible cuts or defects that may occur during driving. Proper maintenance will undoubtedly increase your tyre longevity and performance, so pay extra attention to that.

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