If automakers could sell cars without tires, we’re pretty sure the bean counters in accounting would do exactly that. They probably wouldn’t even think twice about it. Since they can’t get away with that, though, all new cars come with tires, and it would be easy to assume that because the tires that come on your car were chosen by the manufacturer, they’d be the best tires you can get for that particular model. But as our friends over at Tyre Reviews recently pointed out, that’s not necessarily the case.
Now to be clear, they’re not claiming that the tires that come on your new car are trash. That might be the case if you’re shopping for used cars at a Buy Here, Pay Here lot, but even Mitsubishi is going to give you decent tires with the least expensive Mirage on the lot. And we highly doubt that anyone is seriously complaining about the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber on their new sports car. The point Tyre Reviews makes, though, is that it’s all about priorities, and the manufacturer may not have the same priorities that you do.
For example, rolling resistance impacts gas mileage (or range if you have an EV), so automakers are incentivized to choose tires with a low rolling resistance to attract buyers who also care about gas mileage or range. If you’re willing to give up a few MPGs in pursuit of better handling, you’re probably going to want to skip the OEM tire in favor of something grippier.
Similarly, especially when it comes to performance cars, most outlets test their cars handling on a dry skidpad, so manufacturers are incentivized to sell their cars with tires that have a lot of grip in dry conditions. If you live in an area that gets a lot of rain, it might make sense to go with a set of tires that offer better handling in wet conditions. Odds are, the stock tires won’t be dangerous in a rainstorm, but there may be better options out there for your particular use case.
It is, of course, a little more complicated than simply Googling “best tire for 2017 Honda Civic Si Coupe manual Hondata tune,” so we highly recommend watching the entire video below.