Michelin and Pirelli return to the top two spots in AutoPacific's 2017 Replacement Tire Owner Satisfaction Awards after being edged out by Goodyear and Bridgestone last year. The study, now in its 7th year, identifies the most satisfying replacement tire brands using owner ratings for 17 different tire attributes. Released last month, the results place Michelin 1st, followed by Pirelli. Bridgestone and Goodyear drop to 3rd and 4th rank, respectively.

Source: AutoPacific Replacement Tire Brand Dynamics and Satisfaction Study, 2016-2017

AutoPacific's Replacement Tire Owner Satisfaction Awards measure how satisfied owners are with attributes ranging from performance and traction to fuel efficiency and price. The satisfaction scores, which are weighted by the importance rating for each attribute, communicate how well each tire brand performs to the needs and expectations of their owners. "Most consumers place high importance on safety, durability/reliability and performance, which means it's essential that tire manufacturers receive high satisfaction scores in these areas to have a chance at a top spot," explains George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. Other attributes of high importance found to strongly affect scores are wet and dry traction and warranty. "Satisfaction scores begin to fluctuate more between brands for traction and warranty attributes, widening the gap between top and bottom performers," continues Peterson.

Study data also identified several tire attributes, including sporty image, maintenance-free, and good cornering, have increased in importance over the past 3 years. "It's important that tire manufacturers are aware of what their customers are looking for when they shop for replacement tires. Demands and expectations can change over time. Increases in importance can be detrimental to a brand if they are not addressing it in their design and production strategy," says Peterson.

AutoPacific's 2017 Replacement Tire Brand Dynamics and Satisfaction Study contains responses from 7,047 recent replacement tire buyers about their satisfaction with their new tires, as well as many other topics including purchase process, brand image, retailer selection and satisfaction, and media consumption. Brand awareness is captured from 49,157 respondents.

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Michelin, Pirelli tops 2017 Replacement Tire Owner Satisfaction ratings