What are the best Mid-range tyres in 2023?

Mid-range tyres, there are lots of questions asked about about them like; What is a mid-range tyre? What is the difference between mid-range and premium tyres? How much are mid-range tyres?

Before we can answer these questions, we will explain what defines premium & economy tyres.

Premium tyres, made by tyre manufacturers such as Bridgestone, Continental, Michelin, Goodyear, Pirelli & Hankook, are designed& manufactured with constant research & development (R&D) to find the best solution to varying stresses & strains the tyre must cope with. The designs are also constantly reviewed & changed as the vehicles the tyre is used on also place more demands on the tyre as they evolve.
These demands include the type of terrain the tyre drives on, the constant speeds they have to endure with subsequent heat build-up to overcome, the weight they must carry & the weather conditions they have to operate in. All of this R&D is put into producing the best & most optimum tyre for the environment it is going to be used in.

Research & development is not cheap either, with thousands of pounds being spent on a single tyre design as well the testing of the tyres over thousands of hours & miles. Without these tyre manufacturers spending all of this time& money on their products, tyres would literally be black & round pieces of rubber & vehicle safety would be significantly compromised in the process. Because of the level of R&D premium tyre manufacturers employ for their products, vehicle manufacturers will approach the tyre manufacturer to work with them to not only produce a tyre specifically for the model of vehicle being produced but also to help develop the vehicle too.

Economy tyres are made to a price and because of this they are usually designed by a process called reverse engineering, whereby the economy tyre manufacturers will dissect a premium tyre to see how it is made. This process drastically cuts down the design time & subsequently, the cost to produce a tyre, although not all tyre components can be reverse-engineered. Another cost-saving technique employed by some economy tyre manufacturers is in the tyres rubber compounds they use.

Economy tyres don’t have, or use, all of the chemicals employed by premium tyre manufacturers which, in a premium tyre, helps them stay supplied in cold weather & durable in hot weather, etc. In some cases of economy tyres there is even a layer of tread bracing (steel re-enforcement) omitted in an effort to cut the cost of the tyre. The downside of this practice is a tyre, that at best, will wear quickly on the outer edges, in a similar way a tyre would wear out if underinflated or the wheel alignment (tracking) is out & at worst, a tyre that doesn’t keep the tread area flat on the road when corning which will consequently lose grip in a corner.

After saying all of this, there are some exceptions to the rule & at Bush tyres, we recognise the pitfalls of economy tyres so we don’t buy the cheapest economy range of tyres we can find. With our philosophy of “Quality at all costs,” we look to buy the best quality tyre we can find to fit within the allotted price range.

So, what are Mid-range tyres & what is the difference between mid-range & premium tyres?

As the term suggests, mid-range tyres are in the price range between Premium & economy tyres. A lot of premium tyre manufacturers produce second or third lines of tyre, or mid-range tyres, which are manufactured to incorporate some of the technology used on their premium brands but because of price point, not all of them are used in one mid-range tyre design.
At the other end of the scale, there are tyre manufacturers which have started manufacturing tyres by way of reverse engineering a premium tyre but have then gone on to test their own tyre to improve them with the results they have gained from their own tests.

Are Mid-range tyres any good?

Our answer to this is yes, they are good tyres. In some cases, they have surprisingly good results with regard to the level of grip they offer, the quietness of the tyre & their durability.
If your vehicle is used for low annual mileage, but used frequently, then using mid-range tyres vs. premium tyre options is a better alternative & especially when compared to using economy tyres.

What are the best Mid-range tyres?

In the UK, there are more than 300 tyre brands to choose from covering the Premium, Mid-range & Economy markets & naming all of the mid-range brands is a substantial list.
To simplify the question of ‘what is a good mid-range tyre brand?’ we will, again, answer this question utilising our philosophy of “Quality & All Costs”, and name a few of our preferred mid-range tyres, which are; Avon, Firestone, Toyo, Goodride & Rapid.

Adding to the quality of these mid-range tyre brands, Toyo, Goodride & Rapid all have an additional Pot Hole or Accidental Damage Warranty to give you peace of mind knowing you are covered if these tyres are accidentally damaged beyond repair.

To see our range of tyres that will be suitable for your vehicle click the link below.