Are Brand-Name Tires Really Better?
If there’s an unwritten rule when shopping for a new set of tires, it is that if you’ve never heard of the brand, don’t even bother. Yes, it’s true that opting for renowned brands will ensure a perceived piece of mind. It’s also true that there are an almost infinite amount of cheap tire companies out there that you should stay away from due to their potentially poor quality.
But not all emerging tire manufacturers are created equal. There are some gems in the “no name” tire world that have so far proven just as, if not better than some big-name tire brands out there. One of them is Sailun Tire, which has so far proven that no, you don’t need to pay big bucks for a good set of tires.
Now, before you dismiss Sailun as just some other unknown brand, it’s important to underline that they have been manufacturing quality tires and selling them in North America for nearly two decades. While it’s true that we’ve seen some god-awful fly-by-night tire brands come out of Asia and other parts of the world, what most of you don’t know is that most of the major brands manufacture their tires in China and other regions in Asia too. These days the country of origin is not nearly as important as the quality of the manufacturing, as the Sailun Tire Group has been busy proving wrong to the entire industry that it’s ok to buy cost-conscious tires manufactured in Asia. Above all, it’s proving to consumers and a growing number of retailers that great quality can in fact come at a lower price point.
We’re not going to go as far as to say that Sailun makes a better ultra-high-performance tire than Michelin and its Pilot series, or Nokian’s Hakkapeliitta winter compound. But it does manufacture a solid, yet honest lineup of high-quality tires that work fantastically well for everyday use. And in some cases, some Sailun tire models even come neck and neck or outperform big-name brands costing up to 40% more.
Perhaps, more importantly, Sailun also backs up its products with industry leading tread life warranties for the ultimate peace of mind with up to a 5-year, 120,000 km tread life warranty on the Sailun Inspire all-season tire, as well as a 1-year road hazard protection plan on select products. That’s aggressive and an added bonus for consumers.
The Sailun Inspire is the brand’s flagship all-season touring tire, which makes big strides in tread pattern designed to lower tire noise and improve overall ride comfort. Called SilentTreadtm, the tread pattern uses staggered tuning technology and variable pitch sequence to produce a constant, yet pleasing roll effect. In other words, Sailun Tire engineers manipulate the tread pattern for a quiet drive inside the car’s cabin.
Another key technology put forward on the Inspire is Sailun’s 3D multi-sipe technology that was engineered to expand and expel substances away from the vehicle. Moreover, Sailun expects the tire’s performance to also regenerate with tire wear.
Online reviews about Sailun’s Inspire line have so far proven very positive. Long-term tests have revealed a surprisingly great tire that has long-lasting treadwear and an overall smooth and quiet ride. As a matter of fact, Sailun is so confident in their tires that they organized a head to head blind comparison test event where they put Sailun tires up against major big name brands, but cover the tire names and brands on the sidewalls so that all tires were being equally judged on performance alone and not their brand name. They enlisted the help of 5 pro drivers to test the vehicles that were equipped with Sailun tires, as well as competing major brands. Several performance activities such as acceleration, braking, slalom tests, wet and dry conditions were performed to compare each tire’s performance.
Not only did Sailun Inspire perform just as well as competing brands in braking and slalom exercises, it beat the entire competition in its wet surface overall ranking.
The Sailun brand of surprisingly affordable tires is quickly gaining the trust of tire shops across the country. If you’re looking for an inexpensive, high quality alternative to pricey major brands for your car, truck or SUV, Sailun is definitely one of those upstart names that deserves your attention.
