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OE vs Aftermarket - Is the tyre your vehicle came with always the best tyre?

Name: OE vs Aftermarket - Is the tyre your vehicle came with always the best tyre?
Creator: Tyre Reviews
Published: 2020-09-07

Compare each discipline in the tested size. See the measured result, position and gap to the best tyre, then read the verdict for the trade-offs behind the finishing order.

Tested size: 265/35 R19
Tyres tested: 3
Disciplines: 5

Read the measurements, not just the rank

Lower is better for braking distances and lap times; higher is better for subjective scores and aquaplaning speed. Bars start at zero. Read the gap alongside the position: adjacent tyres can be separated by very different margins.

Positions and gaps always refer to the full test field within each group. Selecting tyres does not recalculate rankings or change the best-in-test benchmark.

Dry

Dry Braking
Position / Tyre	Result	Gap to best
1Michelin Pilot Super Sport	33.93 m	Best
2Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S	34.14 m	+0.21 m
3Giti GitiSport GTR3	35.88 m	+1.95 m

The difference between best and worst was 5.7% (1.95 m ≈ 0.4 Car Lengths).

Dry Handling
Position / Tyre	Result	Gap to best
1Giti GitiSport GTR3	69.99 s	Best
2Michelin Pilot Super Sport	72.1 s	+2.11 s
3Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S	72.34 s	+2.35 s

The difference between best and worst was 3.4% (2.35 s).

Wet

Wet Braking
Position / Tyre	Result	Gap to best
1Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S	27.51 m	Best
2Michelin Pilot Super Sport	29.16 m	+1.65 m
3Giti GitiSport GTR3	31.78 m	+4.27 m

The difference between best and worst was 15.5% (4.27 m ≈ 0.9 Car Lengths).

Wet Handling
Position / Tyre	Result	Gap to best
1Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S	45.48 s	Best
2Michelin Pilot Super Sport	46.35 s	+0.87 s
3Giti GitiSport GTR3	47.57 s	+2.09 s

The difference between best and worst was 4.6% (2.09 s).

Comfort

Subj. Comfort
Position / Tyre	Result	Gap to best
1Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S	10 Points	Best
2Michelin Pilot Super Sport	8.5 Points	-1.50 Points
3Giti GitiSport GTR3	7 Points	-3.00 Points

The difference between best and worst was 30% (3 Points).

Test setup & methodology

The test setting, the conditions recorded and how the results contribute to the score.

Show full testing methodology

Score Weighting

Weights express the scoring priorities, not how much each discipline actually changed the finishing order. The size of the performance gaps matters too. Category weights contribute to the overall score. Within each category, discipline weights divide that category’s share. Published finishing positions also need to be read alongside the editorial verdict.

Test	Within category	Share of overall score
Dry · 39%
Dry Braking	50%	19.5%
Dry Handling	50%	19.5%
Wet · 56%
Wet Braking	50%	28%
Wet Handling	50%	28%
Comfort · 5%
Subj. Comfort	100%	5%

Our standard methods

The conditions above are recorded for this test. The descriptions below explain our standard procedures; measurement windows and run counts can vary by test.

Dry Braking

For dry braking, I drive the test vehicle at an entry speed of 110 km/h and apply full braking effort to a standstill with ABS active on clean, dry asphalt. I typically use an 100–5 km/h measurement window. My standard programme is five runs per tyre set where possible, although the sequence can extend to as many as fifteen runs if conditions and tyre category justify it. I analyse the full set of runs and discard statistical outliers before averaging. Reference tyres are run repeatedly throughout the session to correct for changing conditions.

Dry Handling

For dry handling, I drive at the limit of adhesion around a dedicated handling circuit with ESC disabled where possible so I can assess the tyre's natural balance, transient response, and limit behaviour without electronic intervention masking the result. I usually complete between two and five timed laps per tyre set, depending on the circuit, tyre type, and consistency of conditions. I exclude laps affected by clear driver error or obvious environmental inconsistency. Control runs are carried out frequently throughout the session, and I often use multiple sets of control tyres so that wear on the references does not become a meaningful variable. For more track-focused products, I also do endurance testing, which is a set number of laps at race pace to determine tire wear patterns and heat resistance over longer driving.

Wet Braking

For wet braking, I drive the test vehicle at an entry speed of 88 km/h and apply full braking effort to a standstill with ABS active on an asphalt surface with a controlled water film. I typically use an 80–5 km/h measurement window to isolate tyre performance from variability in the initial brake application. My standard programme is eight runs per tyre set where possible, although the sequence can extend to as many as fifteen runs if conditions and tyre category justify it. I analyse the full set of runs and discard statistical outliers before averaging. To correct for changing conditions, I run reference tyres repeatedly throughout the session — in wet testing, typically every three candidate test sets.

Wet Handling

For wet handling, I drive at the limit of adhesion around a dedicated handling circuit. I generally use specialist wet circuits with kerb-watering systems designed to maintain a consistent surface condition. ESC is disabled where possible so I can assess the tyre's natural balance, transient response, and limit behaviour without electronic intervention masking the result. I usually complete between two and five timed laps per tyre set, depending on the circuit, tyre type, and consistency of conditions. I exclude laps affected by clear driver error or obvious environmental inconsistency. Control runs are carried out frequently throughout the session, and I often use multiple sets of control tyres so that wear on the references does not become a meaningful variable.

Subj. Comfort

To assess comfort, I drive on a wide range of road surfaces (often dedicated comfort tracks at test facilities) at speeds from 50 to 120 km/h, including smooth motorway, coarse surfaces, expansion joints, broken pavement, and sharp-edged obstacles. I evaluate primary ride quality, secondary ride quality, impact harshness, seat-transmitted vibration, and the tyre's ability to absorb sharp inputs. Ratings are assigned on a 1–10 scale relative to the reference tyre.

Read our complete testing methodology →

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