Are you planning to purchase a new set of tires and do you want to learn more about the worst tire brands that are out there? If this is the case, then you are at the right place because there will be a lot to cover on this topic.
Picking the right tire brand is key if you don’t want to get bad tires. Any tire will do the job. But not any tire can do the job as it should. Every tire manufacturer uses different compounds of different quality. Also, some manufacturers are investing a lot in research and development while some of them are not.
And this is important because this market is always changing and car manufacturers are competing fiercely in every market segment out there. Starting from cheap tires and up to the most expensive ones that you can get. That’s why the quality since recent years has improved immensely. But there are still some tires brands that can be qualified as the worst tire brands. But you shouldn’t worry because we are going to cover everything you need to know when it comes to this.
First, we will learn what are tires in general and all of the segments that make a tire a good performer. Then we will discuss the different tiers of tire manufacturers that are out there on the market and we will give out examples for each of these categories.
After, we will discuss the worst tire brands and what makes them so bad in general. We will also point out what tires to buy instead and make sure that you don’t end up with tires that are a complete disaster. So, if you want to learn more, follow along.
Automobile Tires – Worst Tire Brands
Before we dive into the worst tire brands. Let’s first discuss some of the basics. Automobile tires also known as car tires are one of the oldest inventions that we still use today. They allow us to roll on the roads without any bigger discomfort and enjoy our driving.
In the past, tires were made out of iron and were used on wagons. But engineers back in the day, saw that this is really uncomfortable for the passengers and something had to be invented to tackle this problem.
So, John Boyd Dunlop in 1888 has created the first practical pneumatic tire. All this to help his 10-year-old son to help to ride his bicycle more comfortably. And here everything has begun and tires quickly have entered our lives.
First, included in bicycles and then in vehicles with internal combustion engines like cars and airplanes. But it was up until 1946 when the first Radial tire was introduced by Michelin. The radial tire method is the one that we still use to this day.
But in the US it took more than 30 years to implement this radial design and by being so later in the game. They lost a great amount of market share from the European and Japanese tire brands. But what are the worst tire brands? Well, we will get there, let’s first discuss the important factors that are telling a lot about the tire performance. This will be quite handy if you are on the market for a new set of tires.
Important Factors That Tell About The Tire Performance
Now before we dive deeper into the worst tire brands. Let’s focus on the important factors that are telling us a lot about tire performance in general. These are the things that everyone should know and understanding this stuff will make your purchasing process quite easier and you will be able to tell a good tire from a bad one. In the following few chapters, we are going to cover precisely that factor and see what makes a good tire.
Brake Distance
The first and most important thing that you need to know when it comes to purchasing tires is the brake distance of these tires. Not all of the tires are equal and this is a clear way to learn the worst tire brands from the good ones.
What is rather good though, is that a lot of tire manufacturers have improved in recent years and even in the mid-class tire market. There are tires that perform excellently under braking.
Still, not all tires are good performers and that’s why you need to read a lot of reviews before purchasing that specific tire.
From personal experience, a good tire brakes very soon without ABS. A bad tire will activate the ABS quite more often and will make you feel uncomfortable and also drive you into an accident much easier than a tire that performs well. When you have a tire like this then it is sure that this is not one of the worst tire brands.
How The Tire Behaves On Wet And Dry, How It Grips
Another important aspect that differentiates the worst tire brands from good ones is the grip of the tire. As you know, if the tire brakes well it also grips well.
But this isn’t always the case, especially in wet. Some tires are excellent performers in the dry and deliver unmatched performance. But where they fail is on the wet. When the road gets wet, their braking distance gets a hit in the head.
Some tires simply do not perform very well in the wet. That’s why it is very important for you to learn the wet performance of the tire and see some reviews on how this tire is tackling water, mud, and other situations that might come up while you are driving. By doing this you will learn how also to avoid the worst tire brands that we are going to discuss more a bit later in the article.
What is sad though, is that some of the worst tire brands do not even perform that well in the dry. Meaning that this tire only looks like a tire. But when it comes to performance it is quite poor and it shouldn’t be on a car.
Snow & Mud Performance
When it comes to the worst tire brands, observing the performance of the tire in the snow or mud will tell you quite a bit about whether the tire brand is good or not.
This aspect is only important when it comes to winter tires. Summer tires are not required to perform well in these situations. On tires that are qualified for mud and snow, you will notice the M+S sign on the tire sidewall.
This is information that the tires are good for mud and snow. Here the tread of the tire plays a big role as well as the materials used on this specific tire. Meaning that to perform well, it also needs to have these characteristics.
Imagine that you have purchased winter tires from one of the worst tire brands. The snow is falling and you need to go to work. The car simply doesn’t want grip and the threads get filled with snow and you are done. This is a poor winter tire. A tire that you don’t want. But what are the worst tire brands? We’ll get there in a bit.
Overall Wear And Tear
When it comes to the worst tire brands and picking a new set of tires, wear and tear is also an important aspect.
This is the case because some tire manufacturers are selling tires that are too soft. They might perform well on wet, snow, ice, and all that. But the wear and tear on these tires are significantly greater than on harder tires.
Some manufacturers even on summer tires perform badly when it comes to wear and tear. And you might want to avoid these tires if you want to get tires that will last for a longer period. We understand that finding a tire that performs excellently in every aspect is extremely difficult. But when it comes to wear and tear, we think that this aspect is not one of the most important.
Because it is better to get a tire that performs well and replace it sooner than a tire from the worst tire brands that don’t perform well.
Comfort Of The Worst Tire Brands
And the last aspect that we are going to cover when it comes to purchasing a new set of tires is comfort. And this is the aspect where most of these worst tire brands are lacking and don’t deliver a good performance.
Some of these tire makers are not able to design a good tread pattern that will perform well and not be that noisy in the process.
Worst tire brands also are lacking the ability to design a tire that will deliver a good fuel economy in the process. Most of these cheap tires often make the fuel economy worsen and do not deliver you a good performance overall. Meaning the tires are noisy as hell and also do not perform well and ruin your fuel economy. These are the worst tires that you can get.
But what about the worst tire brands? We’ll get there, let’s first learn more about understanding the different tiers of tire manufacturers.
Understanding The Tiers Of Tire Makers – Which Brands Are Worst From The Worst?
For you to understand the worst tires and worst tire brands, you first need to understand the different tiers of tire makers.
The tire industry is tiered. Meaning that there are different levels of tires and brands that target a separate audience. The market is crowded by brands but knowing how to differentiate them will give you that extra edge when it comes to knowing what are the right tires for your budget.
In the following couple of chapters, we are going to learn these specific tiers and we will learn each of the representatives of these tiers and their most important characteristics.
Tier 1 Tires
The tier 1 tires are also known as premium tires. These are the tires that have the biggest marketing and the biggest investment in research and development for new compounds and materials that can be used and improve the driving characteristics of the tire.
So, there are probably not the worst tire brands out there. These are the good ones. Which are the manufacturers that can be considered to be Tier 1? Well, there are a few of them. Namely, Michelin, Bridgestone, Goodyear, Continental. These tire makers target the top of line clients and applications. When people want to purchase their tires, they don’t care much about money and how expensive these tires are.
Tier 2 Tires
Tier 2 tires are not much far behind the tier one tire makers. And also they are definitely not one of the worst tire brands out there. That’s for sure.
These are the tire brands that also invest a ton of money into research and development and marketing. What is different with their tires is that they value them slightly below the premium tier 1 brands.
Tier 2 tire makers are brands like Dunlop, Yokohama, Toyo, BFGoodrich, Pirelli, Hankook, Firestone. These are the brands that you will look at when you still have some money to throw for a set of tires, but still, the premium ones are seeming quite expensive. But luckily for you. The tier 3 brands are probably also quite an interesting market if you want to save and not end up with the worst tire brands.
Tier 3 Tires
The tier 3 tires are also not the worst tire brands. These are the tires that offer great value for what you pay. Meaning that when you get one of these tires. You want the best for your buck.
These are the tires that offer good performance for a good price. There are still some corners that had to be cut to deliver these tires for this price range. But you will have to live with it if you want to save money and still be able to run new tires on your car. So, what are these brands?
These brands are usually sub-brands from the premium brand tires. Namely, Uniroyal, General Tire, Kumho, Nokian, Nexen, Cooper Tires. So what are the worst tire brands? Well, that’s what we are going to learn in the following chapters.
Tier 4 Tires
And in the last tier of tires are all the other tire brands out there. Namely, Kelly Tires, Kenda, Nankang, Alliance, and other low-quality brands are available for the cheapest prices out there. Still, there are some good tires from these manufacturers. But what are the worst tire brands? Well, that’s what we are going to cover in the following chapter and learn more about the worst from the worst when it comes to tires and tire brands in general.
What Are The Worst Tire Brands?
So what are the worst tire brands out there? Research that was made has shown that Chinese tire manufacturers are one of the worst that you can get. The ones that we listed in the tier 4 tires are actually good and still can deliver a good performance.
When it comes to the worst of the worst, it is worth mentioning a few brands that you need to stay away from. These are Chaoyang, Goodride, Pegasus Advanta, Compass Tires, Telluride, AKS Tires, Autogreen Tires, GeoStar Tires, Westlake Tires. Also, stay away from some US brands. Namely, Carlisle.
All these tires makers produce one of the cheapest tires that you can get and these tires are often performing quite badly and are not safe.
What is bad about some of these tires is that they are known to disintegrate. Meaning the tire would destroy itself. Especially if it’s driven hard and fast.
In addition to this. Most of these tires don’t have quality material but some feature poor quality rubber. This rubber is relatively hard to the touch and basically does not feel like rubber. When you drive the car on the street the car will not brake well. The ABS will be notorious to turn on in every situation.
You basically don’t want to get a tire from these worst tire brands. They might be cheap. But you will not get a good performance on your car at all. So, you need to focus on other tire brands that are out there and are making better quality rubber. And that’s what we are going to cover next.
What Tires To Buy Instead?
We covered the worst tire brands. Now let’s learn what tires to purchase instead? What are the best tire brands out there that deliver good performance for a relatively cheap price?
If you want to get tires on a budget. You need to focus on our list of tier 3 and tier 4 brands. The tier 3 brands are better and can deliver an excellent performance. Even though you pay relatively less. The tier 4 brands are slightly worse than the tier 3. But still not that bad after all.
Our favorite tire brand when it comes to good value tires would probably be General Tire, Kumho, or Uniroyal. Especially Uniroyal knows to deliver an excellent tire to the market. Namely, their Tiger Paw model which is one of the best performers in the wet.
Also, Nexen makes really good tires. Namely, the Roadian GTX is a great all-season tire that will serve you exceptionally well. Many people on Amazon have praised them for their quietness and also their great grip on snow and rain.
Nexen Roadian GTX All-Season Tire
Another of our favorites is the Nokian ZLINE A/S Performance Radial Tire. These tires are one of the best summer tires out there that deliver excellent performance for a good price.
Nokian ZLINE A/S Performance Radial Tire
Benefits From Avoiding The Worst Tire Brands
We learned what are the worst tire brands and which of these brands should be avoided at any cost. We also discussed what tires to purchase instead of the worst tire brands.
Now, let’s discuss something else and that are the benefits of avoiding the worst tire brands. As you know. Avoiding these tires will deliver you some perks as well.
Namely, you will get a better tire in general. These tires are well-engineered and manufactured from quality rubber that will not feel plastic to the touch.
Their tread will also be well designed and you will not experience a lot of road noise while you are driving them.
Not to mention the overall performance of the tire in wet and dry conditions. It will be unmatched by the worst tire brands. Overall safety and a good experience while driving the car are the strongest perks.
The last thing that is important is the resale value. Branded tires often have a higher resale value than old tires. Meaning that you will be able to get some money back if you decide to sell them and replace them with new tires. Something that is not the case with the tires that are from cheap Chinese brands.
Do I Need An Alignment After Tire Install?
We learned the worst tire brands. Now let’s see if you need an alignment after tire installation? The answer is yes. Doing an alignment is recommended. But not essential if you did an alignment recently. What is important is to balance your tires.
The new tires should not greatly affect the alignment of the vehicle but only slightly. So, it’s up to you if you want to perform an alignment to your vehicle.
And considering that an alignment is done for like $50 or so at some places like Walmart. You should do it. Still, there could be some of these cases of uneven thread wear and your tires could wear unevenly. That’s why to make an alignment whenever you change something on your suspension.
Tire Facts: Identifying and Avoiding Bad Tires
- Tires are an essential part of any car, with the critical task of cornering, braking, keeping you in a straight line, and accelerating safely.
- There are three types of tires available in the market, premium, mid-range, and cheap, with boundaries sometimes not too clear due to newer technologies.
- A bad tire is one that isn’t designed correctly and did not pass serious safety checks before being sold.
- Durability plays a massive part in how good or bad a tire is, with an exploding tire while driving being extremely dangerous.
- The worst tires on the market have untested compounds and tread designs and are often made by manufacturers that don’t invest much in research and development.
- You should avoid bad tires to ensure safe driving, as they can cause a lack of grip, traction, and understeer or spinouts.
- The worst tire brands to avoid include Chaoyang, Geostar, Triangle, Goodride, Westlake Tires, Accelera, AKS Tires, Compass, Sunfull Tires, and Trazano.
- Chinese tire manufacturers often produce subpar tires, but some non-Chinese brands, such as Accelera, are also considered bad.
- To identify a bad tire, you can read reviews, but it can be challenging to find trustworthy information. Avoid relying on review sections on the website that sells them.
- Uneven wear, long stopping distances, and weak wet performance are signs of a bad tire. It’s best to purchase tires from reputable brands to ensure quality and safety.
Conclusion To Worst Tire Brands
In this article, we have covered quite a bit when it comes to the worst tire brands. First, we learned more about tires in general and what are the key aspects when purchasing a new tire. As we learned these are the performance in wet and dry. Also, comfort and other small aspects are key for purchasing new tires.
Then we learned all four tiers of tire manufacturers and learned which are the best and which are the worst tire brands. Then we learned what tires to get instead and the benefits of running these tires. Choosing value tires is probably your best option to get the best from both worlds. Price and performance-wise.
