Wondering how a particular tire performed in a tire test? Tire manufacturers and third parties routinely test tires and share the results. But is their data accurate?
The data is accurate, but there is a wrinkle, says Bob Abram, Modern Tire Dealer contributor and B2B product manager for Tire Intelligence LLC. The wrinkle is in understanding what was tested and knowing how to interpret it. And how to use it during the sale process.
Aside from the manufacturers, who else is testing tires?
* Consumer advocacy companies like Consumer Reports, distributors like The Tire Rack that have their own test facilities on site, and enthusiast magazines like Car and Driver that often perform tests on UHP products.
* Periodicals like Popular Mechanics and online sites like About.com frequently test and review tires.
* Retail websites and car/truck forums are loaded with ‘real-world’ tests by actual consumers in the form of online reviews.
Abram has experienced tire testing from the manufacturing side and the third-party side, and he has studied magazine articles and .com postings on the subject.
For his inside perspective, see “What you should know about tire testing” online or in the July digital or print edition of MTD.
