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Choosing the right tyres for your car
Buying a good quality tyre that's right for your car could mean the difference between stopping in time and skidding into a crash.
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4 min read
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Buying a good quality tyre that's right for your car could mean the difference between stopping in time and skidding into a crash.
Published
4 min read
Text size
Published
Text size
Because many cars now have crash avoidance braking features like Antilock Braking Systems and Emergency Brake Assist, to make the most of these features it’s important to fit good-quality tyres and to also fit the right tyres for your car.
For safety and performance, you should only use the tyres recommended for your vehicle by the vehicle manufacturer.
Details about your tyre’s specifications can be found on the tyre placard, which is found in either your glovebox, the driver’s side door pillar, inside the fuel cap, or under the bonnet. The details are also in your car’s owner’s manual.
Here’s what to consider when buying new tyres.
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Buy in pairs so you won't have issues with uneven wear or alignment problems. If you’re replacing just two tyres it's recommended that you put the new tyres on the same axle. Most of your braking, steering and handling is on the front wheels.
If you only need one tyre and it’s one of the front tyres make sure it matches the brand and specifications of the other front tyre. You also need to make sure all tyres match the tyre specifications for your vehicle.
This is dependent on the type of driving you do (country/city), how far you travel and what you use your vehicle for. RAC Tyres can recommend tyres to suit your needs and provide the options of Basic, Recommended and Premium to suit your budget.
If your car uses run-flat tyres then you’ll need to replace your tyres with those that use run flat technology. Run flat tyres are designed to keep the car moving for a limited distance even after a puncture has occurred, so you won’t need to stop where you are and have the tyre immediately replaced.
The same goes for tyres on commercial vehicles – only fit tyres that are suitable for that type of vehicle to make sure the loading is correct.
The tyre's brand, tread pattern, and rubber mix all affect its suitability for your car.
The performance of a tyre on wet road surfaces is an important safety consideration when choosing new tyres. Tyres with excellent wet grip have a shorter braking distance in wet conditions and offer more stable handling.
Each tyre varies in its tread pattern and rubber mix, and there is a compromise between a number of requirements, such as grip and durability.
Generally, a soft tyre provides better grip but also leaves more rubber on the road, so it won’t last as long as a harder tyre. Racing tyres are an extreme example: they’re very soft and practically glue the car to the track, but generally only last for part of the race.
A comfortable tyre will have minimal noise and wobbling, so look out for how the vehicle behaves with the tyres on.
Tyres will impact the fuel economy of the vehicle so find a tyre with low rolling resistance (LRR) and use the correct tyre pressure for it.
On the side wall of your tyre, you’ll find important tyre specifications.
Check your car’s manual for the correct tyre pressure and then look for the pressure specifications on your tyre’s sidewall.
There are also three numbers embossed onto the sidewall that provide the tyre size, width, profile and rim size.
You can also use RAC’s online vehicle registration look-up, enter your car registration number and it will show the correct tyre options for your car.
Most importantly, stick with what the manufacturer recommends, that means the same tyre size, load rating, and speed rating.
There are around 50 types of tyres that come in a variety of sizes, specifically designed to fit cars, four-wheel drives, light trucks, utes and vans.
If you’re having new tyres fitted, it’s recommended that you have wheel alignment and wheel balancing done at the same time. Wheel alignment ensures your tyres can move with less resistance on the road, which improves vehicle handling, such as helping ensure the steering doesn’t pull in one direction. It also reduces excessive wear on your tyres. Wheel balancing balances out even the slightest difference in weight distribution between the wheels, which can result in vibration and shaking when driving.
Different tyre brands have different handling characteristics, which is why the same brand is often recommended for all four tyres. It’s recommended that your two front tyres are the same brand so that your steering, handling and braking remain stable on your vehicle.
