You're Paying 17% More For Michelin Tires: Here's Why That Math Actually Works Out

When you are shopping for tires, you will almost certainly come to the conclusion that Michelin tires, which recently reached a milestone with its 106th J.D. Power award, tend to cost more than other brands. You may also wonder whether paying the additional money for a set of Michelins is worth it. Some independent sources have done the necessary research and have determined that the math of paying more for Michelin tires can actually work out in your favor.

One of these sources is none other than Consumer Reports, which published an article entitled "Tires That Last the Longest." In it, CR compared a $254 Michelin CrossClimate2 tire to a $184 Vredestein HiTrac tire. The Michelin tire was expected to last for 95,000 miles, while the Vredestein tire had an expected life of 60,000 miles. Dividing the expected mileage of each tire by its cost, the Michelin came out costing 26.7 cents per 100 miles, while the Vredestein was actually a more expensive tire, costing you 30.7 cents per 100 miles of driving. In fact, Michelin is the most-purchased tire brand among CR members, and there are also numerous Michelin tires with great treadwear ratings.

Another source that backs up CR is PerformancePlusTire.com, a tire and wheel retailer which recently published an article on why Michelin tires tend to be more expensive, and it also compared a selected Michelin tire against its competitors to determine any major differences. The results are pretty interesting.

As far as why Michelin tires cost more, PerformancePlusTire.com suggests several reasons, from Michelin tires' complex components, longer lifespans, higher mileages, and RFID tags, to Michelin's 2.2 billion Euro (over $2.5 billion) annual R&D budget. After all, the company invented the radial tire in 1946, changing the tire world for good.

PerformancePlusTire.com then analyzed the differences between one particular Michelin tire, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, and its direct competitors from Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, Pirelli, and Yokohama. They looked at real-world performance, and broke down the overall tire cost vs. its cost per mile.

What PerformancePlusTire.com found was that while the Michelin tires cost more, their expected lifespan of 35,000-40,000 miles brought their cost down to $0.027-$0.031 per mile, similar to some cheaper tires that didn't last as long. The Michelin tires were compared to the cheaper but short-lived Bridgestone tires tested, which came in at a higher cost $0.029-$0.033 per mile. The less expensive but long-wearing Continentals slightly undercut the Michelins at a per-mile price of $0.025-$0.029, while the Goodyears came in at a similar cost of $0.025-$0.028 per mile. 

The Pirellis cost nearly as much as the Michelins but didn't last very long, bringing their cost per mile to $0.038-$0.042, the highest of the test. Interestingly, the Yokohamas tested cost much less, but lasted even longer than the Michelins, hitting the lowest cost of $0.017-$0.019 per mile, making them a great option for budget conscious buyers. Still, there's a reason why Michelin tires consistently perform so well.