Isn’t buying new skins for your car a blast?

Scrolling through TONS of options online.

Shady guys at chain stores attempting to sell you only what brings high sales commissions!

And let’s not forget, your good-intentioned father-in-law who … Wait for it

“Knows a guy.” 

I’ve been a mechanic for close to 30 years, specializing in European cars mainly. I’ve mounted hundreds, if not thousands of tires during my career, plus performed countless vehicle alignments. 

I’ve driven countless cars ~ Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Ferrari, Bentley, Volvo, SAAB, you name it.

I’ve driven them all, after installing fresh tires from all of the major manufacturers. I have a lot of experence with different tire makes models and brands, and I can separate the best from the rest.

Let’s find you some quality tires…

What Are the Best Car Tire Brands For European Vehicles In 2024?

A picture of a car tire and a list of the two best car tire brands. Michelin, and Continental. – jerrypetrillo.com

There are only a couple of car tire brands worth consideration if you expect the best in all-season traction, handling, and wear for your European car. 

  • Michelin
  • Continental

Yes, I know… There are plenty of other websites you’ve scrolled through before landing here. Sites that have bigger and “better” lists than mine, even including all kinds of tires like all-season and winter tires to boot. 

What was the number on the last website? The 10 best? 20 best? how about the 30 best tires ever?

Listen, I have nothing against these websites, but chances are they just have a big list of the most popular brand tires.

You’re here to find the best car tire brand for all-season tires. Not just another long list of successful tire companies and every tire they produce. 

Here’s the deal, although these websites recommend decent tires, they are all more or less designed to get clicks so the site owner gets paid.

Come to think of it, it’s like that shady tire guy in digital form.) Yikes! You’d better turn off your webcam :/

All kidding aside my job is to give you the best, and yes, I want you to click on these options… This article DOES contain affiliate links, (Hey, a man’s gotta eat!)

The difference is I stand by my brand picks with 30 years of experence and expertise and my goal is to end your search right here. 

As your new friend and digital mechanic, I intend to earn your trust, not turn you into a random click, let’s dive in. 

What I look for in a tire brand

A drawing of a mechanic closely inspecting a car tire - jerrypetrillo.com
A drawing of a mechanic closely inspecting a car tire – jerrypetrillo.com

First off, I look for an innovative and effective design.

It’s found in tires that usually cost a little more than the average but guarantee higher performance. Brands that have established their credibility through years of consistent quality production in the tire industry are found on this short, but sweet list. 

Tires I Stand By and Recommend

#1 Michelin

In my opinion, the best round rubber manufacturer in the world is Michelin… hands down.

Known for performance, smooth ride, and slower wear, these are the best of the best.

A drawing of the Michelin man - jerrypetrillo.com
A drawing of the Michelin man – jerrypetrillo.com

American-made and at the leading edge of rubber technology, Michelin is my pick for the best car tires you can buy.

The largest manufacturer in the world, Michelin has earned its keep as a leader, setting the absolute gold standard in tire technology.

In all honesty, Michelin has become the ONLY brand I’ll even consider putting on my cars.

Over and over again Michelins need less weight to balance properly, sometimes by a large amount.

I’ve seen an obvious increase in tread life on my LTX Defenders as compared to other brands for the mileage I’ve driven.

The Key Benefits Of Michelin

  • Smooth ride
  • Superb handling in wet and dry conditions
  • Exceptional tread life 
  • One of the best brands worldwide
  • Top-rated in consumer satisfaction
  • A top choice for car manufacturers
  • Michelin is a all American brand

More expensive? Yes, … Are they worth the extra cost? … Absolutely.

You did want a list of the best car tire brands for your European car… Right?

Why It’s Worth Spending a Little More For Quality

A drawing of cash changing hands - jerrypetrillo.com
A drawing of cash changing hands – jerrypetrillo.com

You are not the average person who just wants any old tire. Quality, a good ride, and no shaking at 65 is what you are all about.

You’re in the right place, keep reading. 

I’m like you, I started looking for better quality to avoid rapid tread wear and a poor ride so I started with installing a set of Pirelli tires on my wife’s car, a Porsche Cayenne. 

The result? …

Well, you get what you pay for.

Tire Rack: Revolutionizing tire buying since 1979.

Avoid headaches…

After rebalancing them countless times and using my Hunter Road Force balancer to index them repeatedly, my Porsche Cayenne was still shaking down the road at highway speed. 

Maybe I got a bad set, it’s not like Pirelli’s aren’t high-performance tires right?

Well, I did think of that… Until a customer showed me the carcass of a Pirelli (that still had much life left) that had blown apart on the highway and almost totaled his Audi on the highway.

After that, he immediately installed a new set of Michelin cross climates on the car and never looked back.

Case closed on Pirelli and cheap no-name tires. Sorry Pirelli guys, but this is my honest experence on the subject, take it or leave it.

The Following Michelin Tires Are Top Options Depending On Your Driving Needs

  • Michelin Pilot Sport all-season 4 (The Cadillac of all-season tires.) 
  • Michelin cross climate 2 (All-season, with severe snow service rating.)
  • Michelin Pilot Sport 4s (best summer performance tire.)

My Final Take on Michelin 

If you want and expect the best ride for your car there is no question that Michelin tires are the best hands down in my opinion.

They are American-made, provide outstanding handling in all conditions, and last longer than a set of cheaper comparable tires. 

#2 Continental

Established in 1871, Continental is a German tire brand that specializes in European tires and other rubber parts, such as engine belts.

A drawing of a Continental car tire - jerrypetrillo.com
A drawing of a Continental car tire – jerrypetrillo.com

One of the oldest tire brands, Continental is a trusted top-selling tire brand.

Used as factory-installed equipment for many makes, Continental is a reliable option that feels right at home on your Euro everyday driver or sports car.

Continental Tire is also based in Germany.

That’s right folks! The same engineering that designed your European car is at work in the Continental factory as well.

The Key Benefits of Continental Tires

  • Fantastic all-season traction
  • Factory installed on many Euro models
  • German-based 
  • Highly rated 
Continental: Get a $110 VISA Prepaid Card by Mail

All in all, I like Conti tires, they ride well and handle nicely, plus they look cool (if that matters.) I have a lot of first-hand experence with this car tire brand. I have installed TONS of these tires at the shop.

Many customers have tires drop shipped to my shop from tire rack, they choose Continental simply because it’s what’s on their car already.

Because of this, I have a lot of first-hand experence with these tires, their standard passenger tire, all-terrain tires, and truck and SUV tires. 

I’ve seen them all.

Continental tires do seem to require more weight to balance out on average compared to Michelin. There seems to be less consistency in tire testing for road force between sets as well.

With that said I’ve maybe had a handful out of 100’s of these tires cause an issue that was noticeable to me, or the customer.

Strangely enough, the tires that are a “little out of round” still ride smooth and true while having great handling in all conditions. 

The Extreme Contact DWS Plus, is an all-season, highly-rated tire that I have a lot of experence driving on.

These sit nicely under vehicles such as the Mercedes E-class, BMW 3 and 5 series, and Audi A-4 through A-8.

The extreme contact DWS Is probably the most popular tire model Continental makes and is found on a LOT of vehicles. 

“DWS” stands for dry-wet-snow. “DWS” is even imprinted on the tire itself as a wear indicator, if you can’t see the “S” the snow handling is out “W” wet, and you guessed it “D” means they are getting ready for the scrap pile. 

I think it’s a pretty cool little touch that allows the average person some insight into the condition of their tires. If the letters wear out you know they are getting worn. 

Continental provides a smooth ride and well-made tires that handle well, especially in bad weather.

I have two gripes about Continental tires, they tend to wear faster than they should, however, proper inflation and a good alignment when installing a new set of these go a long way.

Second, the sidewall tends to bubble if a pothole or bump is hit hard enough resulting in them being junk, granted all tires will do this but Continental seems to be more prone to damage.

The Following Continental Tires Are Top Options Depending On Your Driving Needs

  • Continental Extreme Contact DWS 06 Plus (factory equipment on many European cars.)
  • Continental Pure Contact LS (70,000 mile manufacturer warranty.)
  • Continental Extreme Contact Sport (highly rated by real customers.)

High-Quality Tires Benefit You In Many Ways

The difference between good and great tires needs to be experienced to grasp the full appreciation of the latter.

The ride is so much smoother on good tires. They balance out better, wear better, handle better, and can even increase fuel mileage!

The truth is, that tire feathering, road noise, and fast wear are almost always due to lackluster tires and a lack of general tire maintenance, such as maintaining correct tire pressure.

Another thing to consider is the fact cheap tires wear faster, the money you think you are saving is most likely lost simply because cheap tires wear fast. 

Handling and safety are more important than anything else, but many times taken for granted.

People tend to forget the rubber of your car tires is what keeps you on the road. Bad weather performance is what everyone touts as the most important thing a tire can provide.

The truth is during bad weather you will be more cautious and pay more attention to the road. 

The real danger is the deer who wants to end it all at 11:00 pm while you are on the way home. Or the idiot who just needs to send that text… As they veer into your lane. 

This is when these top-quality tire brands will shine, or even save your bacon. Good tires are designed to handle these situations and offer the best chances of you coming out the other end of an emergency maneuver unscathed.

Sorry, I’m not trying to sound like your grandfather here but it is a harsh reality, things happen, and riding on %$#& tires doesn’t help.

You’ll take time to research the best golf clubs or buy the best designer shoes with your cash, but buying good quality tires for your car seems to go by the wayside. 

Invest in your and your family’s safety and buy your next set of tires from one of these two top car tire brands. 

Wrapping Up

I hope this article sheds some light on tires and explains why these brands are worth getting. Don’t get me wrong here, I realize my approach to tires is a little different than the rest. To me, a list of the best tires should be short, and list the best, not 20 different brand options.  

This doesn’t mean other tires are not good quality, these are just the two brands I recommend from years of experence. 

Q&A

What are the top four tires for best tread wear?

According to Google, the top four car tire brands for best tread wear are …

  • Michelin
  • Bridgestone
  • Continental
  • Toyo
  • Falken
Tire code
Automotive tires are described by an alphanumeric tire code (in North American English) or tyre code (in Commonwealth English), which is generally molded

What are the best 10 brands rated overall according to Google?

  • Michelin
  • Continental
  • Goodyear
  • Bridgestone
  • BF Goodrich
  • Cooper
  • Yokohama
  • Pirelli
  • Falken
  • Hankook

What tires wear faster on your car?

The front tires will wear faster than the rear in most instances. It’s important to perform tire rotations and have your vehicle alignment checked to avoid premature wear. 

Should you replace all four tires? 

Although you can get away with replacing just two of your tires on non-all-wheel drive vehicles, it is not typically recommended.

best car tire brands

Installing two different tires on the front or rear, or installing two new tires while leaving partially worn tires on the front or rear causes the wheels to spin at different speeds. ‘

Although very slight, this adds tremendous stress to the drivetrain components on all-wheel drive vehicles and is not recommended. 

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