How to Compare the Value on Tyres

If you are like most Australians or New Zealanders, you'd spend a lot of time researching for a new TV or a new car, but when it comes to tyres, we seem to skip the research all together. Well, you could be making a costly mistake. What make look like a good deal now, may cost you hundreds of dollars in the long run.

As consumers, we’ve never had more information to help us compare the value of a product. We can now walk through a shop door knowing exactly what we want and what it’s worth. When you’re researching an appliance like a TV or Fridge you can compare the energy rating. In a supermarket, you can compare unit pricing, is it better value to buy the the unit or in bulk? Even burger joints have the calories and nutritional ratings on display.

Well, here’s the good news, there is a system that tells you how long a tyre is expected to last. It’s called Treadwear rating and it’s on the side of your tyre. You can use this rating to compare value and see what a tyre is really worth, so you can compare tread life and grip and really see how the different brands stack up.

Treadwear is a great indicator of how long a tyre will last, the higher the number the better. Used in the same vehicle under the same conditions a tyre with a high rating of around 800 will last twice as long as a tyre with a 400 rating. Watch the video above to see how a Prado driver could save hundreds of dollars.

Learn more about Treadwear and UTQG ratings.

Ask your tyre retailer to look up the Treadwear ratings of the SUV/Car tyres you're considering and compare the results.

Because of their intended off road use, 4WD and light truck tyres are exempt from the treadwear testing but you can still measure their life expectancy by comparing tread depth.

The more tread, the longer your tyre will last.

Watch the video below to see how to measure the tread depth. In the example, you will see that the original equipment tyre has 54% less tread than the equivalent Cooper tyre.

Ask your tyre retailer to measure the Tread depth of all the 4WD tyres you're considering and compare the results.