Tyre brands explained: premium, mid-range and budget

The division into three classes is not an official standard but a common ranking in the tyre trade, based on price, development and who makes the tyre. A premium brand develops and tests its own tyres, supplies them to car manufacturers as original equipment and charges the highest price for them. A budget brand competes mainly on price. The mid-range sits in between. Some mid-range brands belong to a premium group, such as Uniroyal to Continental.

Ranking according to common usage in the trade. Test verdicts: ANWB tyre tests 2025 and 2026.

So the brand name says something about the chance of a good tyre, not about the tyre itself. That is why we look per size at the test results and at the EU tyre label, and not only at the brand. How to read that label is explained in EU tyre label explained.

In the summer tyre test 2026 in the size 225/50 R17 W, three tyres received the final verdict good, all from premium brands. Below them were mid-range brands with a good pass, while a premium tyre from Michelin in this size got no further than a pass. The three tyres with the lowest price finished at the bottom.

Source: ANWB, Zomerbandentest 2026, 225/50 R17 W, consulted 6 November 2026. Price according to the ANWB is an indication of the average price including fitting, balancing, disposal fee and VAT. Selection from 16 tyres tested.

The winter tyre test of 22 September 2025 was the sharpest in years. The ANWB tested 31 tyres and found that of the fourteen budget tyres, eleven performed poorly. The difference in braking distance on a wet road ran up to 47.1 metres for a poor tyre against 31.7 metres for a good one. That is more than 15 metres. Some cheap tyres lasted 34,000 km, a premium tyre up to 75,000 km. The ANWB concluded: cheap can turn out expensive, and looking at price alone is not wise with tyres.

In that same test the ANWB named as standouts the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 (strong on wet roads, life 76,500 km), the Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 (strong on dry roads, 67,000 km), the Hankook i*cept evo3 W330 (lowest cost per kilometre, 72,400 km) and the Continental WinterContact TS 870 P (most economical and quietest tyre). So a mid-range brand can be the most economical choice per kilometre.

Source: ANWB, Winterbandentest 2026, 185/65 R15 T, consulted 6 November 2026. Selection from 16 tyres tested.

In this small size, according to the ANWB, only the Continental and the Michelin met the standard for handling and safety. Two budget tyres scored a pass, a premium tyre from Bridgestone a marginal fail. Whether a winter tyre or an all-season tyre is the better choice for a Dutch winter is explained in all-season or winter tyres.

In the all-season test of 22 June 2026 in the size 185/65 R15, 8 of the 16 tyres received a positive buying recommendation. The Continental AllSeasonContact 2 was the only tyre with the final verdict good. The test also shows that a premium name is no certainty: the Bridgestone Weather Control A005 Evo finished with the verdict very poor, among the budget tyres.

Source: ANWB, Allseasonbandentest 2026, 185/65 R15, consulted 6 November 2026. Selection from 16 tyres tested.

The ANWB pointed out in this test that all-season tyres in this small size scored less well than in the 16 and 17 inch sizes. So a test result applies to one size and one type. The same tyre in a different size can turn out differently.

Often the more expensive tyre. In its tests the ANWB calculates the cost per kilometre: the purchase price divided by the measured life, plus the difference in fuel consumption. In the all-season test of 2026 the Continental, one of the most expensive tyres in the test, came out with the lowest cost per kilometre. The GT Radial had the lowest purchase price, but was less favourable per kilometre. In its all-season tyre test of 22 June 2026, the ANWB found that of the eight recommended tyres, the one with the lowest purchase price is not the most economical choice.

What that means for your wallet is worked out in what tyre replacement costs including fitting. More about consumption and range is in fuel efficient tyres: how much do they save?.

We are not a tyre shop. We are the garage that chooses, fits and checks your tyres. You call us with your registration number (kenteken), we look up the sizes approved for your car and you choose from three price classes: budget, mid-range and premium. In each class we pick a tyre that scores well on wet grip in the ANWB tests or on the EU label. A tyre that brakes poorly in a test is not one we recommend, even if it is cheap.

Our advice depends on your car, your mileage and your driving style. We tell you in advance, together with one price.

We tell you one price in advance based on your registration number. That price includes the tyres, fitting, balancing and disposal of the old tyres. If anything needs adding, we tell you first. We supply all brands and sizes, from affordable brands to Michelin, Continental, Bridgestone, Pirelli and Goodyear, also for electric cars, vans and motorhomes up to 3,500 kg. As an indication: on 22 September 2026 the ANWB quoted € 32 to € 38 per tyre for fitting and balancing at the large tyre chains. Everything about how we work is on tyre replacement and seasonal changes in Rotterdam.

That differs per size and per type of tyre. In the ANWB tests of 2026 Continental came top in the summer, winter and all-season tests, with Michelin close behind in the winter and all-season tests. In the summer test 225/50 R17 the Michelin Primacy 5 got no further than a pass. So look at the test result in your size, not only at the brand.

Not by definition, but the chance of a poor tyre is high. In the winter tyre test of 2025, according to the ANWB, eleven of the fourteen budget tyres performed poorly, with a braking distance on a wet road of up to 47.1 metres against 31.7 metres for a good tyre. In the tests of 2026 a few budget tyres scored a pass. Only choose a budget tyre with a positive test verdict.

Because it lasts longer and uses less fuel. In the winter tyre test of 2026 the ANWB measured that some tyres last 32,000 km and a premium tyre almost 60,000 km. On top of that comes a difference in consumption of up to 0.6 litres per 100 km. In the all-season test of 2026 the ANWB calculated that the most expensive Continental had the lowest cost per kilometre.

Yes, often. In the ANWB tests of 2026 Vredestein and Hankook scored a pass in the all-season test, and Hankook in the winter test too. In the summer test Firestone and Falken received a good pass. In 2025 the Hankook i*cept evo3 had the lowest cost per kilometre of all winter tyres. The verdict differs per tyre and per size.

No, that is not compulsory. The RDW APK manual only requires the tyres on one axle to have the same size marking (the RDW is the Dutch vehicle authority and the APK (MOT) is the compulsory Dutch vehicle inspection). Tyre manufacturers do advise fitting the same brand and type per axle, so the car brakes and steers the same on the left and the right. Ideally you have four identical tyres.

Yes. We supply and fit summer, winter and all-season tyres of all brands and in all sizes. You call us with your registration number and choose from budget, mid-range and premium. We tell you one price in advance, including fitting, balancing and disposal of the old tyres. Waiting while the tyres are fitted is not possible, you bring the car and we call you when it is ready.

• ANWB: Zomerbandentest 2026: 225/50 R17 W
• ANWB: Winterbandentest 2026: 185/65 R15 T
• ANWB: All seasonbandentest 2026: 185/65 R15
• ANWB: Winter tyre test 2025: budget winter tyres often unsafe (22 September 2025)
• ANWB: All-season tyre test 2026: small tyres perform less well (22 June 2026)
• ANWB: All-season tyre cheaper than winter tyre (22 September 2026)