US tyre buyers satisfied with service levels

ERJ staff report (DS)

Yonkers, New York -- American tyre buyers are a happy lot, with 95 percent reporting they were satisfied with their retail experience, according to a new Consumer Reports survey. However, more than half of tyre shoppers did not research their purchase- an important step - especially when buying a different replacement tyre than the ones the vehicle was originally equipped.

To learn more about how consumers shop for tyres, the Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a random, nationwide telephone survey. In speaking with 2,028 adults, the respondents were filtered down to those who owned a vehicle, bought a tyre in the past year, and were involved in the tyre purchase. A total of 878 full interviews were conducted.

CR found that 44 percent of respondents researched to find the best tyre for their needs overall. However, just 39 percent of those under 35 researched, compared to 49 percent of those aged 55 and over. Significantly, the quality of research varies widely. Women were far more likely to ask a mechanic for advice, while men favored magazine ads for information.

According to Consumer Reports' survey, the most popular research sources were the following: Mechanic: 46 percent, Online reviews/articles: 44 percent, Online ads: 32 percent, Friends/relatives: 30 percent, Newspaper reviews/articles: 20 percent, Newspaper ads: 18 percent, Magazine ads: 9 percent, and TV ads: 8 percent.

Most shoppers purchased fresh rubber at a dedicated tyre store (51 percent). Ranked at a distant second place was car dealerships (11 percent), an option favored more by women. Warehouse stores (9 percent) and department stores (8 percent) round out the popular options. Despite the ubiquitous multi-page ads in car magazines, the online shopping they encourage accounted for just 2 percent of sales.

Tyre shoppers at least 35 years old and those who did not research were more likely to choose the same tyre model they were replacing. Shoppers who changed models were swayed most by price and availability.

There seems to be some confusion as to the tyres' contribution to overall fuel efficiency. While low-rolling-resistance tyres can make a measurable difference, it falls well short of the 8 mpg average that survey respondents expect. In fact, tyre rolling resistance accounts for about 4 percent of a car's fuel use in city driving and perhaps 7 percent on the highway, according to government estimates.

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Press release from Consumer Reports

Full report from Consumer Reports