Hi Guys, Sorry if this video isn't quite as polished as the other recent videos :( We were meant to shoot over 2 days, but due to poor weather we only had one day which meant all the testing then filming was rushed, plus we couldn't get the drone in the air, so it's only ground shots. The results are still super interesting. The budget tyres really were good in numbers, and priced extremely well too, but numbers only tell half the story. When compared to the Continental premium tyres, the budget tyres were extremely difficult to drive quickly, and prone to surprise understeer or oversteer, not what you want on the road.

Tyres are the one thing you shouldn't cheap out on. If they save you from one crash, even a small one, they will pay for themselves.

Test budget tyres on a 10year old Fiesta, the true market for such tyres. If you have a Merc AMG and fit budget tyres you're mad... I replaced old cheap Chinese tyres on my secondhand Cmax, with reasonably priced Firestones, and the car was transformed, for £200 all round. Theres cheap and budget.

As someone else pointed out, this is a powerful expensive car, would my nan in her fiesta 1.25 zetec notice any difference, or for that matter the 90% of drivers who drive well within the capabilities of their vehicles. Would be interesting to see if budget tyres are the best option for the majority, or if premium tyres still offer enough benefits to justify the extra cost 🤔🙃🙂

7:40 - mirror folded, 7:43 - mirror unfolded xD

Could you make the same video, but the test car is a 60hp Skoda Fabia?

Since very few of us will ever be on a F1 race track the quastion is " do the budget tires suffice for normal driving conditions?"

Thanks for the video's. Could you guys make one about tire pressure and the difference it makes driving with regular and lower pressure due to neglection!

My uncle had a BMW 740i years ago. He put budget tyres and guess what, he crashed the BMW exiting a roundabout under the rain. Myself, when I was a young worker, I didn't have a lot of money and I put budget tyres on my first car. One wet sunday morning, going to work, I lost steering, went on the banking, and the car made one roll. Dead. Now, I don't look at budget tyres, I always buy the best after watching a lot of reviews and tests. It's even more important for my motorbike...

The real question is: "Is it worth saving a few hundred bucks to risk a much greater chance of crashing your car, ending up with an EXPENSIVE repair bill, AND ruining your life because someone got injured or killed?

One of the few times where being a "brand snob" could be justified. Michelin, Pirelli, Continental, Bridgestone, Goodyear etc. are famous names for tires for a very good reason. They have the technologies, tread patterns, rubber compounds & engineering to make even a simple 'everyday' tire significantly better than some no-name brand tire.

Just changed from from Conti Premium Contact 2 to a Michelin Primacy 4 on a 07 Mercedes 180k and the difference is amazing. Much better even when driven hard. The upgrade is huge, it's quieter, softer over the bumps and has way more grip in every situation and I have really pushed it. I have Michelin Pilot Sport 4 on my Volvo C30 T5 and they are mind blowing. I had the previous PS3 before that. The only brand of tire I will go for now is Michelin, even the budget XM2 Energy on my 95 Opel Astra are incredible. I have had Sport Contacts 1, 2 and 3, Dunlop, Goodyear, etc. Nothing compares to Michelin in performance and safety. They are 15% more expensive but they last 30% longer in milage and I have noticed a better fuel consumption. My only regret with Michelin is a not knowing sooner. I won't touch anything else but if I had to it would be: Michelin Continental Goodyear Riding my bicycle Walking

Love these videos! Has my mind totally made up for my car plans now ... Sticking with 17 inch wheels and putting premium tyres (Goodyear asymmetric 3's) on them 👌🏼

Thanks for the upload, as I always find your reviews and articles extremely interesting. How did the two tyres hold up in terms of wear from the punishment of the testing, as the Contis are quite notorious for wearing down quickly. Also, you're a pretty capable driver. Do you race at all? I'm interested as to where you learned your trade.

Never though I will say this, but it can be very bad with bad tires. I am still sure we humans are very subjective so I do not believe what people say most of the time while driving their Golfs, Fiestas and Megans, but objectively some cheap tires can make a car feel so squishy and wobbly, squirmy and gummy bears like, even if they have reasonably amount of grip. The worst thing about it is that you can not know how the tires feel subjectively by looking at them as many tires can feel bad subjectively no matter the price, but having you and your reviews makes things so much easier. Thanks. 😃👍

Just bought a 2015 Lexus IS 350 F-Sport last week. Currently has 225/40/18 (Fronts) and 255/35/18 (Rears), with Continental DW06’s. Swapping those out for 255/35/18 (Fronts) and 275/35/18 (Rears), with Michelin Pilot 4’s. Sooo excited to experience the difference! I get that this was a budget vs premium tire video, but I just wanted to share. Love the content.

Neutral and predictable handling is very important for safety and also fun. The suspension setup plays a pretty big role in this just as well as tires.

just bought the RU01 s pace for my BMW E91 325D with 350hp 700nm. 235/35 R19. 275/30 R19. no complaints so far

I do have a question? What will you put on a BMW series 3 sedan E90 2011 320D RW between Goodyear efficient grip 205/55/R16 W and Michelin primacy 205/55/R16 V. Summer tires run flat. Thanks

this video pretty much sum it up me every time it rains when im driving my 350z it came with budget tyre cant wait to get some Continentals

You can just never go cheap on tyres. Coming from a country where monsoon rain is very common. A lot of budget tyres do quite well in the dry. But in a light, skinny tyred car, cheap ones will just NOT grip at all. That feeling of stress not knowing when is the car going to snap is just terrible. Just swapped the Silverstones out for Michelins and boy do they transform the car!

Yep , they're very different ... But do you have to push it in the wet at each and every corner on public roads ?

I bought a used Porsche 944S years ago and when it came time to replace the tires I went with a set of Yokohama A008Ps, instead of replacing the cheap tires that were on the car with another cheap set. With the new tires, I had a four-wheel alignment done to a mild competition setup with slightly more negative wheel camber. The difference in handling was a vast improvement, even with my inexpert driving skills. By tweaking the tire pressures and rotating at 5K mile intervals, I was able to get perfectly even treadwear across the tires and get well over 32K miles on them. This was far more than what everybody in the tire shops and Porsche community said I would get and the tires were still perfectly driveable on dry roads with no tread, I just had to be alert and careful to water that might have runoff on the road. The only reason that I replaced the tires was that my wife threw a fit and insisted that I get new tires🙄 The actual total cost of owning those more expensive tires was really not much more than it would have cost if I had gone with cheap tires. The replacement tires that I got on the car were somewhat cheaper Dunlop D-40 M2s and while they weren't bad tires they were nowhere nearly as good as the Yokohamas.

Subscribed! Thank you for your Channel mate. You are fortunate enough to have access to an amazing track near you and making these video's available to us is priceless, thank you again. Sub well deserved

Absolutely correct 👍🏻🙌🏻 Makes NO difference between a Bimmer M3 or a basic KIA subcompact as rubber at all 4 corners r d object to make FIRST contact with roads. Strangely, I've seen people spending lots of dollars to upgrade their cars in terms of performance n looks but choose to use budget wide tires instead of proven brands. 4 decades ago, I already used Michelin on my used Jensen Healy convertible (doc with dual carbs) simply because my pal whom taught me how to 'properly' drive a stick shift (double clutch action) told me nothing counts more importantly than good tires on safe n performance driving 😎

Braking test without mentioning the speed was a bit pointless. If you brake from ie 120mph, the difference must be huge.

Just found your videos. LIke the style, and as performance user on motorcycles and autos, I swear by best tires you can find, its your LIFE.

March 2018 This was a very informative video .Does nt have to be a work of art in editing.The information is the pearl. Thank you

Couldn't agree more.. I brought budget chinese tyres unipass 235/40/18 for $340 for my mitsubishi evo6 TME road wheels and they are absolutely scary in the wet. They tramline, aquaplain and change lanes by themselves like crazy and in 100km/ph zones I get overtaken by grandma's in grocery getters. Whereas my rx7 with Bridgestone 245-275/30/20, s15 silvia with stretched dunlop 235/35-245/40/19, galant vr4 with toyo 215/35/18 and holden ss with pirelli 245/40/18 all feel more sure footed and confidence inspiring in all conditions. My evo should be the best in all conditions being awd but is by far the worst. I tend to think my semi's may fare better in the wet but am unwilling to try lol

Depends on your financials. You can change your tyres twice as often on the budgets. A bald premium tyre is going to lose against a new budget tyre.

I have a question and you can help me. a wider tire is better for rain / aquaplaning or thinner tires.

Another excellent review!

Hi! Love the videos, great knowledge. I have a question I would hope you could answer. What road legal tyre should I fit on the 2017 Focus Rs for daily driving but with the purpose of gravel/dirt rally? Thanks

Tyres are the most important of an car (In my option). As there in direct contact with the road

For the track day can we use 2 slick tyres on the front in a fwd car?

Four tiny points of contact with the road,buy the best you can afford it may be the difference between getting home safely,getting home via an ambulance/hospital or not getting home ever again.

In science and engineering courses, 5% is the difference between an acceptable and an unacceptable test statistic. So the results of these tires in this video makes sense.

@4:00 that was enough for me to get the point lol, the frustration was real!

For all those wondering about (relatively) low powered FrontWD vehicles. I recently purchased an Alfa Giulietta QV (235HP Manual - please...no mocking comments), on which the previous owner put $80 AUD (42 GBP) tyres to pass registration. I took it out once (and once only) on a wet and twisty B road equivalent. EVERY slightly fast corner was downright scary - I had to slow down for the tradie-vans to pass (embarrassing much). This is was no fun at all. Needless to say they were replaced with proper tyres (Eagle F1-Supersports) for $190 each (100 GBP) the following week. The difference is phenomenal - it's like a completely different car. That said I have purchased more expensive Chinese tyres (220 AUD / 110 GBP) in the past because I simply could not swallow the 600 AUD / 310 GBP asking price per corner for a P-Zero or PS4 SUV at the time and they were actually pretty damn good on a 350HP/800nM Q7 V8 Diesel, sure I might have mowed down the odd granny crossing the road due to slightly extended wet braking but hey ....there has to be some trade-off....right?

Hey! I have been watching few of your videos and have a question: Have you tried these tyres and if you can compare them and tell me what you think: Hankook Ventus V2 concept 2 and Ventus S1 noble 2. The Ventus 2 Concept 2 are still on my car which came with them. Just want to find out which one to pick

Few people understand this concept: Brakes stop the wheels, Tyres stop the car! My Ford Escape comes with premium continental contisport contact and guess what my next tyre will be? The same. They are amazing tyres especially in the wet grip.

Awesome video man...I've successfully ruined my fiesta ST by putting cheap budget tires on it..I hate them every time I drive...its amazing how much tires really make a difference in overall driving pleasure...never again will I buy budget tires..

I used to run (slightly) cheap tires on a z06 corvette for practice autocross days. saves thousands of dollars. Yes much slower but it wasn’t out of control or anything. good times

Amazing explanation, thanks a lot. You're the best!

Great review. Not sure why someone would put crappy tires an an AMG anything lol. Fun to watch.

I liked the video. And I have to congratulate you for your effort. You do really good work on this channel. But, honestly, the person who chooses a budget tyres, would not have a powerful car. Meaning, the budget tyre would not be under so much stress, due to the amount of torque applied by the engine (and this C63 AMG has a lot of it), and not under the stress of those kinds of speeds and G-forces put it through (which increases heat). On my Peugeot 106 (~60hp 1.1L Petrol), I have used budget tires, as it does not have much power, low stopping power, and does not handle high cornering speeds. On my Renault Megane III Sportstour (110hp 1.5L Diesel), I have placed Michelin Primacy 4, as it will deal with more weight (which increases the stress under cornering), and will face more torque (not much, unfortunetly). Furthermore, the stopping capabilities are there, to take advantage of the more expensive tyre. I think this test should be done on a budget car. Like the Citroen C1, the Ford Fiesta, the Renault Megane, or the Peugeot 508. These are the budget segments people are more likely to purchase budget tyres. By using these cars, in my opinion, the weight, torque, and speed applied to the tyres would be more realistic.

I’m late to the party on this video but great content and delivery as always. Would’ve been good to see a mid range set of tyres tested along with the higher end versus budget to give each buyer/user a good idea. Great stuff as always. 👍🏼

Hi, can i check whether dunlop sport maxx 050+ are considered premium tyres? In my location and for my tyre size (245/45R20), its price is closer to half that of the equivalent michelin or pirelli’s.

Budget rear tyres on the C63 last 500km while the premium only 150. :D

Nobody in there right mind would put budget tyres on a car like that???? Why didn't you use a normal everyday car?

Nice video ! I'd add that some recent high performance cars are developped with high performance tires, and yes you are free to use anything (depends if the size is still homologated for your car, insurance wise blablabla) but with very complex chassis and everything tires are the only thing touching the road, and even the dealer can't sell you anything. Modern cars tends to be very demanding with tires, because of the weight and the complexity of the chassis. It also depends on what you do with your car, my 325 e30 is slighty optimised in the chassis, and I've bought 4 new potenza re002, nice and sticky, it's a joy to drive, nice, safe, sharp and it's a dream, you can really trust the car even in the rain. My 525e e28, is old, worn bushings at the moment until I can fix that, auto tranny, I've bought 2 nexen because the car is slow, I go to work from time to time, she cruises low and slow so it didn't need really good and expensive rubber,budget tires when they are new are not that bad for a second car. Last thing are drivers, I drive old stuff so I'm used to the feeling, less grip, I don't rely on driving aids cause I don't have any, so I'm more focused when it rains, I'm not an idiot with my old 5 and I just drive carrefully, people today rely a lot on driving aids, they make cars safer for sure, but when their kids buy older cars, with cheap tires, kids forget that it's not mom's and dad's 2017 connected shoe box, so I think it's important to educate people on what they are buying and doing, to suit their needs, their budget and their safety too :)

Even with tyres in the same price bracket there can be a big difference, my meagre old MG Metro had a choice of Michelin or Dunlop back in the day, the Michelins were decent in the dry but shockingly bad in the wet, whereas the Dunlops were brilliant all round, grippy enough to get the car up on 2 wheels and easily retain control (not something I recommend on public roads !!!), there was only about £4 price difference between the 2. The Metro wasn't an especially quick car but it was still dangerous in the wet on poor tyres. These days with my hot hatches I stick with Michelin Pilot Sport, they're brilliant

I used the cheapest chinese tyres for my bmw f30 for 2,5 years. After 50.000km it still had a lot of rubber on it. It would have lasted for 70.000km for sure. Never had an issue, did a lot of high speeding. Only on roundabouts i was carefull

BUT budget tires are not too bad the first two months or so, you should try 1 year old budget tyres vs premium (with normal thread ofc). Tried budget tires then bought Michelin pilot sport 4 (they are almost 3x more expensive) and I'm never ever again going for budget ones (225/40 R18)

Can you do a video about tire width in snow? I'm buying snow tires for my GTI. I'm planning to mount them on the 17's from my old TDI. (17" is smallest wheel that fits over the brakes with performance pack) My 17's fit 225/45/R17, but VW's oem winter wheel takes 205/50/R17. Is this a big deal? Is there good reason to buy narrower wheels instead of using the somewhat wider wheels I already have?

When I was a young and unexperienced driver, in my 1984 fwd Opel Ascona 1,6l 85bhp (Vauxhall Cavalier) I was able to try som cheap Asian tyres, coming from somewhat worn out 'premium' tyre. It was HORRIBLE in the wet and completely surprised me. Since then I've ALWAYS checked tests and reviews and bought premium, focusing on wet braking and subjective 'handling feel'. I remember once I called around to ask for prices and one seller wanted me to buy a cheap variant, with the argument: "It's only in extreme situations the premiums would be better".... (sigh). Doesn't matter if you have a Yaris or a 911, the tyres are the only thing connecting you to the ground.

what about noise level, fuel consumption and longevity?

I still can't comprehend how people are willing to put their life and their family's life at risk just to save some money. Tyres are the only thing that keeps our car on the road, and yet some people still believe they are yet another annoying expense

What type of mount are you using for the tablet that I see at 3:20 that goes from the windshield to the floor? I have been looking for something similar. Thanks!!

Thanks, The other thing to consider is how long do both tyres last, probably find the budget tyres might not last as long as the premium tyres so may even work out more.

I had no idea tires made such a difference, ive been purchasing budget tires thinking they were good because they were new XD

dude nobody is going to be drifting on the way to work

I drive a Mercedes CLS320CDI when I bought my car it had budget tyres lets say with around 382ft lb of torque going through the rears in the wet was scary fronts aquaplaned badly the second I updated to Goodyear F1 asymmetric 3's oh boy what a difference yes bloody expensive tyres but really worth it.

I usually put dirt cheap budget tyres on rearaxle for my rear wheel drive cars because no matter what quality or brand they will wear out in almost one season :D in street use at normal speeds there are actually really good budget tyres for normal 140-250bhp cars.

5:03 RIP, hood cam (bonnet cam)

did you test using premium on the front and the budget at the back and vice versa... Because I have never seen that test on youtube

mine started cracking (dry rot) after about 3 years with minimal driving, i dont use any products on my tires either , i found this video looking to see if Rotalla s were bad or if i was just unlucky

I bought a car that came with cheap tires and tbh its been great, my last car had yokohamas on and i can’t tell the difference, i used to live in louisiana where it pours rain literally everyday, then i move to Arizona i drove 24 hours without any issue at all, I guess when it comes to agresive driving yes it matters, but if you drive normally you shouldn’t have any issue at all, (braking its great as well) i was surprised when i saw how much this tires worth i’m definitely buying another set whenever is necessary

The problem with most people is all they know about tires (sorry , I'm American) is R,R,and R! Round ,Rubber , and Rolls! On my '99 Hyundai Accent I have economy tires. But being small and 18 years old there's not much car to support and it's primarily used for to and from work. However, on my '13 Hyundai Sonata (i45 in Europe) that I use for business I have top of the line Michelins! It never ceases to amaze me how many Mercedes and BMWs I see with China cheapie tires!

I'd like to see some scientific numbers and comparisons. Otherwise, great video!

How many miles have people had premium and rear set on the same car lasting

How much closer will the tires be on a AWD car like the Subaru STi or Ford RS

Saving a 200-300 euros/dollars/pounds what ever is nothing when you crash and possibly die because of it. Probably not the the smartest move to buy the best and most expensive set for a daily drive, but at least, buy something decent. Not all about the safety but also the tire noise, worse fuel consumption and comfort (less grippy and harder rubber).

How about premium on the front, and budget on the rear? I would expect less understeer and more oversteer. Sounds fun.

When looking frame by frame you will also notice the shots are not all in one go. Most notable the wet braking test. If you pay attention during the slowmo parts you'll see the "dummy" land about 3 different ways.

Is there a difference if we install it in a low-power car and not go crazy like on the track?

Budget are fine for going back and forth to work we don't all drift to work every day

I tell people that cheap tyres will work ok for normal driving. But when it comes to an emergency manoeuvres that's when it's safer having better tyres. Spend the money, just incase

Can you do a video on best price/performance tyres?

What is your opinion on tires Nexen N'blue HD Plus. Have you tried, to tell me your opinion. ?? Thank you sir. !!!! 👍

Good video but not a fair match. Budget B’s versus premium A’s. You should try budget A vs Premium A

Since im poor and cant even afford budget tires, do a video on which material works best to make homemade tires.

Interesting, what about tyre pressures, would changing psi slightly make any difference.?

Hi - I drive an Infinity m30d - big luxury cruiser. Whilst I like to drive briskly, what's more important to me is comfort and refinement on my long motorway commutes. Ive got Dunlop sport maxx's on at the moment but they're getting ready to be changed in a couple of thousand miles. Im researching the tyre that would best fit my need. Id value comfort and refinement over handing/grip capabilities, as Im up and down the motorway everyday. I also want something that's going to have a long tread life. Any particular brand you wold recommend? Many Thanks

Tyres are the only thing that touch the ground. Why even have decent car if you save on tyres?

What is the whole purpose of this test? If I wanted to drift a car I would buy drifting tyres more over, rear wheel drive high performance cars are all vulnerable in wet conditions and cannot be driven hard unless one fits 100 percent wet tyres anyway and if I wanted to drive the car on the track I would fit track tyres anyway so not sure what the whole purpose of this test. If you drive an AMG and worried about saving 250£ on tyres you cannot afford the car period.

My rule of thumb is use the tyres for the car type. If it's a budget car put on budget tyres. If it's a sport's car use sport tyres. If it is a premium car use premium tyres. There's no point owning a 70K car and skipping on tyres to save 500.

I subscribe because I appreciate your honesty & impartiality. Thank you for your reviews 👍

OK and now on a car that someones is actually likely to put budgets on?

I commute through Dover, UK. Occasionally that means going through large diesel spillages. Cheap tyres are like sponges, they soak it all up and don't grip properly until it's all worked out. One time I nearly crashed into an 11t truck because of this. We were both going the same speed (around 25) and both braked at the same time. I just slid and slid. NEVER AGAIN. Plus, so maybe you save £20 on a cheap tyre but it only goes for half the miles. It's just the worst kind of false economy. Plus they feel bad.

Driving an AMG on cheap tires is the same as having private jet but can't afford to fuel it ,all show nothing more ,same as most AMG drivers

Issue if Cross climate 2 ate A/ B certificated and 100 euro cheaper Pirelli A/B allseason tyres what the difference??? ,so confused

Moral of the story, get the best tires you can afford. It is the only thing that connects the car to the road. Shit tires massively affect the handling characteristics of a car. However, if you have a shit car then obviously you are poor and none of this matters and you should just buy some nangkangs.

Please can we just have a supercut of the small awkward noises you make whilst drifting Whoorrr Ohhh Brrrr

What about older premium used vs new premium? I could get a P-Zero PZ4 in an alright condition, like 6.5-6mm for let's say $400 and in comparison new Sport Contact 7s would be around $900. More that 2 times difference in price for lastest and greatest, but it's not worth it, is it?

Good guy foam block. It closes your mirror when crashing but then is nice enough to reopen it XD

Test would have been more useful if it was done using one of the most common vehicles in the country like a Ford Focus, not a performance one like a AMG. One test that I would like to see is brake test comparison on a high end, mid range and budget tyres... On dry, slightly moist and wet surface condition. This is a situation that nobody is exempt from regardless you drive a fiesta or a M3.

Great video and you can handle a car alright but not really a true comparison in the sense that most people don't drift up the high street, but I'm glad you thought the budget tyre was crap but not quite as crap as you thought. Great video though.

I bought 2 new expensive tires and 2 new budget tires both same size but thread on the expensive one is like almost twice the thread on budget ones

Even on an average old family car. the difference is massive. As the reviewer pointed out the budget tires are a softer compound in order to match braking performance. But handling suffers big time. They tend to be also noisier. Much much noisier than branded. Not all cheap/budget are the same though.