Used Premium Tires vs. New Budget Tires: The Verdict

No one has ever doubted that Michelin, Dunlop, Yokohama, Continental, or Bridgestone are great tires and provide great bang for the buck.

However, the used premium tires vs. new budget tires debate occasionally pops up when tires are discussed with the argument tilted either in favor of new budget tires or used premium options – depending on who’s presenting the argument.

Today, I’m going to put an end to the argument, once and for all.

Curiously, I’m not going to do this traditionally by pitching to a side that appeals to me and simply pouring out ‘points’ like some (auto) maniac.

Instead, what I’ll be doing will be simple and straight to the point: I’ll be pitching these options against each other (as a first-hand user of both), bringing their strengths and weaknesses to the fore, and finally, wrapping up on the superiority (or inferiority) of each.

I’m eager to share!

First Things First…

In my several decades of motoring, no one has ever voiced out that new budget tires are better than new premium tires (like Michelin).

That they are cheaper, YES. That they are sometimes said to be ‘the same’ with premium options, YES.

However, no one has ever said they’re BETTER.

With that out of the way, let’s carefully explore this delicate subject and let’s see if new budget tires are better than used premium options, vice versa, or are simply the same thing.

Before I get to that, however, what’s the philosophy of premium tires?

The Philosophy of Premium Tires

The idea of premium tires is hinged on the concept of ‘nothing but the best‘.

Usually deploying premium materials and better-processed rubber, these tires usually promise something that the budget ones do not.

What they promise could be the ability to stop better in adverse weather, quieter rides, longer service life, etc – or a combination of all these, packed together.

Think of premium tires as a Mercedes ‘S’ class and budget tires as a Toyota Corolla.

You get the drift?

My Recent Experience with Premium Tires

I recently (read: 4 years ago) bought four pieces of brand new Michelins (Primacy 4). The tires, through the years I used them, never once disappointed, removing the occasional sharp objects and resulting leaks.

With the tires, I traveled on ‘freeways’ that were as good as off-road situations and sometimes, drove at speeds exceeding 120 miles an hour.

Yet, never did I experience a blowout or had reason to regret my purchase. The tires were also reasonably quiet and did not budge at all, right through the years of service.

Summary? They served well – and I won’t hesitate to buy Michelins again.

The Philosophy of Budget Tires

Budget tires (sometimes called ‘Chinese tires’), on the other hand, are the exact opposite of premium tires; they are meant to serve as basic, affordable options but that’s where the story ends.

With budget tires, don’t expect to get the best grip during the rains, the quietest rides as you drive around, or generally, longevity.

What these tires do (and do well) is simply to offer you the means to move around, safely, and on a budget – nothing more or fancy.

Budget tires can be likened to a Yaris or Prius when compared to the Lexus LS; sensible, practical, and at an affordable cost but, nothing special beyond that.

My Recent Experience with Budget Tires

Recently (read: two years ago), I bought four pieces of Trazano tires, a popular Chinese brand for a vehicle I used in hauling goods within the city.

Unlike the Lexus that is driven on the freeway all the time, the Corolla wagon I slapped the Trazanos on DOES NOT see action on the freeway and generally, doesn’t ever get to 60 mph.

My theory then was that, if the tires failed prematurely, I wouldn’t be in the middle of nowhere and I would lose nothing more than the time/money it would take to replace the bad tire(s).

To my shock, despite the load that the Corolla hurls every day (and how much the tires are taxed), they have worn evenly and there’s no mark of inferiority in their quality over time.

I’d also have loved to point out that since the Trazanos never see the highway, extreme speed, and very bad roads, the comparison I’ll be making here won’t be exactly fair.

But, heck, are any two uses the same or even remotely similar?

The Attraction of Used Tires

Ordinarily, when tires are used, they are disposed of – as they are a wear and tear item.

However, sometimes, a vehicle crashes with almost brand-new tires and it makes no sense to send it to the boneyard with its tires in place, especially if the owner doesn’t have another vehicle where those tire size(s) would fit.

Some folks are also safety obsessed – and will gladly thrash tires that have as much as done a year on their vehicles, even when the wear indicated haven’t said anything yet.

Finally, there are some folks who because of some financial constraints, can’t afford new tires for their vehicles at the moment and look toward used options as a viable alternative.

This last category provides the market for such tires, majorly while the first two, are largely the source.

So, where does that lead us, safety-wise?

How Tire Safety Works

The safety of a vehicle traveling at high speeds is largely in the hands of the tires (since they are the only components of the vehicle that make contact with the road, all the time).

Unfortunately, this very important reality isn’t factored in when tire safety is discussed; instead, largely, the discussion takes the new/used tire pattern or the premium/budget tire trajectory.

This is how it all plays out.

Understanding Vehicle Tires and Why They Serve (or Fail To)

Besides a tire’s width, ratio, and diameter (eg. 215/55R17), there are the load and speed indexes (eg. 94V) and this is a much-neglected factor when choosing tires.

So, how do these play out in the grand scheme of safety?

Load Index

The load index indicates how much weight a vehicle tire can handle when inflated to its maximum (safe) pressure. The numbers here range from 70 to 126 and are usually multiplied by four (the number of tires on most vehicles) and compared against a vehicle’s gross weight.

Here’s the summary.

Vehicle Tire Load Index

Load Index	Load (lbs)	Load Index	Load (lbs)	Load Index	Load (lbs)
0	99	50	419	100	1764
1	102	51	430	101	1819
2	105	52	441	102	1874
3	107	53	454	103	1929
4	110	54	467	104	1984
5	114	55	481	105	2039
6	117	56	494	106	2094
7	120	57	507	107	2149
8	123	58	520	108	2205
9	128	59	536	109	2271
10	132	60	551	110	2337
11	136	61	567	111	2403
12	139	62	584	112	2469
13	143	63	600	113	2535
14	148	64	617	114	2601
15	152	65	639	115	2679
16	157	66	639	116	2756
17	161	67	677	117	2833
18	165	68	694	118	2910
19	171	69	716	119	2998
20	176	70	739	120	3086
21	182	71	761	121	3197
22	187	72	783	122	3307
23	193	73	805	123	3417
24	198	74	827	124	3527
25	204	75	852	125	3638
26	209	76	882	126	3748
27	215	77	908	127	3858
28	220	78	937	128	3968
29	227	79	963	129	4079
30	234	80	992	130	4189
31	240	81	1019	131	4289
32	247	82	1047	132	4409
33	254	83	1074	133	4541
34	260	84	1102	134	4674
35	267	85	1135	135	4806
36	276	86	1168	136	4938
37	282	87	1201	137	5071
38	291	88	1235	138	5203
39	300	89	1279	139	5357
40	309	90	1323	140	5512
41	320	91	1356	141	5677
42	331	92	1389	142	5842
43	342	93	1433	143	6008
44	353	94	1477	144	6173
45	364	95	1521	145	6393
46	375	96	1565	146	6614
47	386	97	1609	147	6779
48	397	98	1653	148	6844
49	408	99	1709	149	7165
				150	7385

From the above, a tire set with all four units having a load index of 99 is designed for a vehicle whose gross weight won’t exceed 1709 lbs; a load index of 94 indicates a maximum vehicle gross of 1477 lbs; a load index of 105 indicates a maximum gross of 2039 (in that manner).

So, what about the speed rating (which naturally accompanies the load index)?

Speed Rating

The speed rating of a vehicle tire is the tire’s maximum (safe) speed capability. Usually the last character after the load index, it spans from A1 right through Y.

Vehicle Tire Speed Rating

Speed Rating Symbol	Speed (mph)	Speed (km/h)
A1-A8	<25 mph	<40 km/h
B	31 mph	50 km/h
C	37 mph	60 km/h
D	40 mph	65 km/h
E	43 mph	70 km/h
F	50 mph	80 km/h
G	56 mph	90 km/h
J	62 mph	100 km/h
K	68 mph	110 km/h
L	75 mph	120 km/h
M	81 mph	130 km/h
N	87 mph	140 km/h
P	94 mph	150 km/h
Q	100 mph	160 km/h
R	106 mph	170 km/h
S	112 mph	180 km/h
T	118 mph	190 km/h
U	124 mph	200 km/h
H	130 mph	210 km/h
V	149 mph	240 km/h
ZR	Above 168 mph	Above 270 km/h
W	168 mph	270 km/h
Y	186 mph	300 km/h
(Y)	Above 186 mph	Above 300 km/h

From the above, a tire-rated ‘V’ can safely travel up to 149 mph (240 km/h), assuming the load rating is right.

A Practical Example

My daily driver is a 2006 Lexus ES330 – and its stock wheels (which I’ve kept) are 215/55R17. But, this is just the general stock wheel information.

The vehicle is designed for five passengers and has a curb weight of 3,472 lbs. and an estimated gross weight of about 4,540 lbs. according to Edmunds.

This means a Michelin or Trazano tire labeled as 215/55R17 94V will be a great tire option for the vehicle given that it has a max load index of 1477 lbs per tire and can handle speeds of up to 240 km/h or 149 mph, more than the maximum the vehicle is capable of.

This is how it translates:

215/55R17 94V translates to a maximum load index of 1477 lbs per tire (94 according to the chart above) X 4 tires = 5908 max lbs – more than the vehicle’s average gross weight of 4540 lbs.

When Used Premium Tires Will Serve Better…

• If you do only limited city driving and change your tires regularly, used premium tires will work great for you, given that even a failure won’t prove catastrophic.
• If you change tires frequently, used premium tires will serve you better.
• If comfort, handling, and low road noise are important to you, premium (used) tires it is.
• If you drive mostly in the rain or other demanding road conditions, premium used tires will serve better.

When New Budget Tires Will Serve Better…

• If you can’t stand an unexpected tire failure, you should consider new budget tires instead.
• If you plan on keeping your tires for long (5 years or more), new budget options are best.
• If you don’t mind a little more road noise and aren’t bent on the best handling possible, new budget tires it is.
• If your driving is more of regular, dry, paved roads, new budget tires will do the magic.

Used Premium Tires vs. New Budget Tires: The Verdict

If safety, reasonable longevity, and utility are all you’re looking for in a tire, it doesn’t matter if you opt for used premium tires or budget new – they’ll give you the same thing (subject to the use case).

What is (more) important is the load index and speed ratings of the tires and how these apply to the vehicle you intend to slap them on.

That said, it’s also very important to look at the production dates of used tires and pick out options that are as fresh as possible, with options two years (or less) post-production being the best.

It also makes sense to know how these tires are sourced, transported, and importantly, stored.

At the end, it all boils down to information and knowledge.

Love the Above? Subscribe for More