When it’s time to replace tires, drivers are faced with a choice: Replace with the same original equipment tires, or explore “OE replacement” tire options.
Why Many Dealerships Push for OEM Tire
If you pose that question to vehicle service departments, many will advise that you replace with the same OE tires. Service advisors may offer some nebulous explanation about how the car was designed with a certain tire model, and so best not to undo all of that advanced engineering with an alternative set of tires, blah-blah, etc. etc. In other words, “…just buy these. We have them in stock, and it’s easier for me. Thanks.”
We’re here to tell you that unless you drive a hypercar, chances are that’s a bunch o’ malarkey.
Why OEM Tires Might Not Be the Best Choice
If you’re disappointed in an original equipment set of tires, and your instincts tell you that shopping around for new/alternative tires isn’t a bad idea, you’re probably right.
Furthermore, if you believe that you’ve experienced poor OE tire performance and/or limited longevity, it’s probably not your imagination. The annals of tire history are filled with original equipment tires that were deficient in one way or another, or in myriad ways.
To see if that subpar OE tire trend continues, we had a look at recent original equipment tires for 10 of the top 20 bestselling cars in America. We then compared those OE tires to OE replacement tires offered by the same manufacturer in the same tire category. Here’s what we found:
Breaking Down the Data: OEM Tire Failures & Better Alternatives
Case Study 1: Bridgestone Turanza EL400-02
- Original equipment for: Toyota Camry SE, Mazda Mazda3
- Performance ratings: 20th out of 20 tires in the standard touring all season user rankings at Tire Rack. 3.5/5 stars at TireBuyer.com.
While Bridgestone lacks a standard touring all season alternative to the Turanza EL400-02, tires like the Potenza RE97AS demonstrate Bridgestone’s all season know how. Probably fair to say that the Turanza EL400-02 isn’t imbued with all of that knowhow.
Case Study 2: Firestone Affinity Touring
- Original equipment for: Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Toyota Camry
- Performance ratings: The Affinity Touring is ranked 18th out of 20 tires in the standard touring all season category at Tire Rack, and 3.5/5 stars at TireBuyer.com.
The Firestone Precision Touring, an OE replacement tire, is a category favorite — user rankings of 4th out of 20 at Tire Rack, and 4.5 out of 5 at TireBuyer.com.
- The Precision Touring offers a 70,000 mile treadlife warranty, and 560 treadwear grade. The Affinity Touring has a 50,000 mile treadlife warranty, and 500 treadwear grade.
- The Precision Touring is a less expensive standard touring all season tire than the Affinity Touring.
Case Study 3: Hankook Optimo H426
Original equipment for: Hyundai Sonata
- Performance ratings: 40th out of 41 tires in the grand touring all season tire category per Tire Rack user feedback.
- The Kinergy GT, also a Hankook grand touring all season tire, ranks 13th out of 41 tires per Tire Rack user feedback.
The Optimo H426 has a 400 treadwear grade vs 500-540 for the Kinergy GT.
- The Kinergy GT is just marginally more expensive than the Optimo H426, which is being phased out of production (and is priced accordingly).
Case Study 4: Goodyear Integrity
- Original equipment for: Chevy Impala
- Performance ratings: 9th out of 10 passenger all season tires per Tire Rack user feedback.
The alternative Goodyear Assurance ComforTred ranks 1st out of 10 tires in the passenger all season category.
- The Assurance ComforTred has a 700 treadwear grade vs 460 for the Integrity.
Case Study 5: Continental ContiProContact, ContiProContact SSR
- Original equipment for: Volkswagen Jetta, Nissan Versa, Ford Focus, BMW 3-series
- Performance ratings: 28th out of 41 grand touring all season tires per Tire Rack user feedback.
The alternative Continental PureContact with EcoPlus Technology ranks 4th out of 41 category tires.
- The ContiProContact offers a 400 treadwear grade. VS The PureContact with EcoPlus Technology a 700 treadwear grade.
- The PureContact with EcoPlus Technology is a less expensive tire.
So what’s the takeaway?
The Shocking Reason Why OEM Tires Often Underperform
Well, there’s a pretty compelling case that with some regularity the tire manufacturers are sandbagging on OE tires; that is, they’re delivering less tire performance and longevity than they could with the OE tires, specifically.
Meanwhile, OE replacement tires from the same manufacturer in the same tire category are often the best that the company has to offer.
Why the performance/quality disparity?
Why Car Manufacturers Choose Lower-Quality Tires
In the OE replacement tire market manufacturers have to attract and earn your business on the basis of tire quality, performance and price. When it comes to OE tires, however, it’s the vehicle manufacturers electing to give the tire companies the business, and that brings with it a number of considerations not necessarily having to do with tire quality and longevity.
Whatever the reason(s), the end result is that OE replacement tires regularly surpass OE tires in both objective and subjective (user) evaluation.
The Few Exceptions: High-Quality Factory Tires
All of this is not to say that there aren’t some excellent OE tires. For example, the Michelin Pilot Super Sport is perhaps the best original equipment performance tire of all time.
Final Takeaways & Recommendations
But in our experience, tires like the Pilot Super Sport are the exception to the rule. At minimum, the less-than-stellar record of original equipment tires warrants shopping around, and consideration of OE alternatives when replacing tires for any vehicle.
