In this climate we are all trying to save a little extra cash here and there. Replacement tyres can be costly, especially depending on what suits your vehicle best. Safety is seems comes with a hefty price tag, so more and more drivers are opting to buy part worn tyres.

Four new tyres can cost anything up to £1,000, which is a hefty price tag for anyone. At estimated 4 million part-worn tyres are brought by motorists every year – and that’s a figure which is continuing to grow. On the surface it seems like motorists are getting a great deal and half the price. But the reality is much different.

Part-worn tyres are causing a stir in the black market, and despite being illegal, they aren’t selling in secret. For the general public, little is really known about tyre safety, and many consumers are sadly mistaken when purchasing replacement tyres.

You tyre shoppers out there are very clever people. With our pockets being pillaged by utility companies and petrol station tills you are looking all over for a deal to save a few quid here and there.

At a recent trade show in the Middle East, a speaker reported on ‘the emergence of budget tyres’ and that over 50% of UK tyre sales were now on budget brands. This is an even bigger than we had expected. The bigger brands spend a lot of money getting into your hearts and minds with clever advertising across all the media platforms, but it may be falling on deaf ears. Sure enough, when we looked at our own figures, more and more of you are scrolling down the list of tyres towards the cheaper end of the scale when you search our own site for replacement tyres. As a result we have increased the representation of budget brands on our database, to give you a bigger selection of options at the lower end of the tyre price range.

Is there anything to worry about with cheaper budget tyres?

The tyre industry is highly regulated and European legislation means that all tyres are safe for your vehicles. All we must say is that you make sure you buy the right size tyres and always buy new tyres, rather ‘part-worn’ tyres.  Saving money is one thing and buying budget brands is a sensible way to do so, but compromising on safety by buying tyres that have already been fitted to a different vehicle and/or damaged in the process is just foolhardy.

However, if you are doing a lot of miles, budget brands may not save you money as they could wear out a good bit quicker than some more expensive brands like Bridgestone and Pirelli.  You are much better off buying one good set of tyres that will last 12 months than a set that lasts 6 months and therefore requiring the inconvenience and expense of an extra tyre fitting.

If you have any experiences good or bad of budget brand tyres, please write to us at help@tyrequote.com, likewise if you ever need helping selecting the right tyres for your car.

James