What 26,834 Tire Prices Reveal About Premium, Quality, and Budget
"Premium", "Quality", "Budget" – every tire dealer uses these words, but hardly anyone says what they mean. We've created our own catalog: 25,462 active tires, 72 brands, every price collected on the same day. The result is surprisingly clear on one point and uncomfortable on another.
How we calculated
All 26,834 active tires in the VANTIQ catalog on August 19, 2026, were evaluated. The lowest variant price per tire, including VAT, was used. Extreme prices above four times the median for the respective size were excluded from the price ranges.
The three segments
| Segment | Items | Lower Quartile | Median | Upper Quartile | Index Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | 10,916 | CHF 141 | CHF 184 | CHF 249 | 80 |
| Quality | 8,182 | CHF 98 | CHF 122 | CHF 157 | 73 |
| Budget | 7,736 | CHF 75 | CHF 95 | CHF 118 | 59 |
The segments continue to show clear differences in price levels. Premium tires have a median price of CHF 184, Quality tires CHF 122, and Budget tires CHF 95. At the same time, the ranges overlap because size and design strongly influence the price.
Size has at least as strong an effect
| Inches | Items | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 14" | 275 | CHF 65 |
| 15" | 2,850 | CHF 80 |
| 16" | 4,715 | CHF 103 |
| 17" | 4,761 | CHF 116 |
| 18" | 4,889 | CHF 139 |
| 19" | 4,159 | CHF 168 |
| 20" | 3,275 | CHF 216 |
| 21" | 1,402 | CHF 262 |
| 22" | 468 | CHF 295 |
Between 14 and 22 inches, the median rises from CHF 65 to CHF 295. A budget tire in a large SUV dimension can therefore cost more than a premium tire in a small dimension.
What the VANTIQ Index adds
The median of the VANTIQ Index is currently 80 for Premium, 73 for Quality, and 59 for Budget. This confirms the general grading but does not replace considering the specific model and intended use.
What you should take away from this
- Always compare prices within the same complete dimension.
- Use the segment as a guide, not as an automatic quality rating.
- Check season, wet grip, load index, and test results before the brand.
- An unusually high price can be due to OE approval or special technology — or simply a data error.
Further reading: How the VANTIQ Index is created · The most common sizes · All tires
Sources and Status
Catalog data: own active tire inventory, retrieved on August 19, 2026 via the Shopify Admin API. Total population: 26,834 tires in 309 sizes. Prices are per tire including VAT.
The VANTIQ Index is an editorial classification and not its own physical measurement.
The catalog is constantly changing. Inventory and prices on the respective product page are therefore decisive for ordering.
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