Import From China - Budget Or Branded Tires?

In Britain, when you take your car in to have new tires fitted, do you buy a brand name or do you buy a budget tire? What is the difference? To the average motorist, a budget tire might sound like an inferior product that does not have the same quality specification or endurance as that of a branded tire, tires made by famous manufacturers with long-standing histories.

Either way, it will depend upon how much you are prepared to pay, or your personal preference from past experience. Nearly all the tires available today in the average tire fitting bays are imported. That may not be such an issue because some brands are, by their very name, of European or Japanese origin, and therefore accepted as part of what they are; high quality, foreign, branded tires. However the same cannot be said for the budget tire. Whilst some of these brands originate from Europe, a vast majority come in from the Eastern-Bloc, China and the Far East.

Are tires imported from, say, China of inferior quality to those manufactured in Europe? No, not necessarily. If, like me, your perception were that branded tires were made in their original factories and that Budgets were just that, then you would be mistaken. I recently went to have a tire fitted on my car and the retailer was very kind enough to show me their tire stock room. I was amazed to find my favourite branded tires that I thought would have been made in Italy, instead stamped with 'Made In China'. I was doubly shocked to learn that you can buy two identical tires by the same manufacturer, to the same engineering specification, but have different country of origins.

One set I looked at found one was made in Spain, while its twin was made in China both under the same brand name. This again is hardly surprising with many global companies today multi-sourcing or setting up manufacturing cells around the World. The retailer also went on to explain that, to some drivers, simply getting the same tire specification and tread for each wheel, is not good enough. According to the retailer, since it has been seen that branded tires can have different origins, it is not uncommon for drivers to insist that their chosen brand be not only from the same country but also carry the same date stamp and batch number. All this detail is readily available to those wishing to look for it, albeit in very small text on the wall of the tire. All you have to do is ask.

It is a fact that many tire retailers would have to search their stocks to ensure that tires can be matched in this way, or order them in specially. For the rest of us, whether buying a budget tire, or a branded tire we may be content on simply having the same tread all round, irrespective of where the tire came from.