The credit crunch is putting a strain on household budgets, but anyone who scrimps on tyres could pay a heavy price further down the road, according to a leading car magazine.

Buying budget tyres from the Far East may save a few pounds to start with, but they can seriously affect the way a car copes in wet weather, a report in Autocar has revealed.

Autocar tested five leading budget brands – the GT Radial, Linglong, Nankang, Triangle and Wanli – against an established premium tyre from Continental. The magazine conducted its own tests for wet handling and braking, dry handling and braking and aquaplaning, plus a more stringent high-speed test.

A test revealed that a VW Golf fitted with Continental tyres - costing around £75 each - had the shortest stopping distance when braking at 50 mph on wet roads compared to the cheaper Chinese and Taiwanese imports.

Tyres from Linglong came last in the trial, slowing to 27.8 mph at the spot where the Continental-equipped car had stopped.

Senior tester Jamie Corstorphine said: ‘We expected the bargain tyres in this test to fall short of the Continental, but we were not prepared for just how poorly some performed.’

Imported tyres from China and Taiwan currently account for one-fifth of all tyres sold in the UK, and although these pass the minimum ECE R30 high-speed test, there are no statutory tests for braking, handling or aquaplaning performance, and even the R30 test is considered inadequate by many car makers.

TV’s car consumer champion Quentin Willson recently recommended shopping around for the best price and singled out etyres where customers could buy tyres at lower prices without compromising on quality and have them fitted at work or home for free.

A customer took her car in for a service and was told she needed 4 new tyres. Fortunately, she had the sense to walk away and shop around on the internet for the best deal on a whole new set of tyres, which led her to place her order with us.

But when our fitter in Dartford turned up to fit the replacements she’d ordered, he was staggered to see she still had 6mm tread left on each tyre! Obviously we didn’t charge the lady and we left with her promising to call us back in a few months!

Her garage must have been really hard up for business to have tried to pull a fast one like this.

etyres urges vehicle owners to be wary of garages telling them they need all new tyres.  The minimum tread depth is 1.6mm and if you are not sure ask a friend or relative for a second opinion.

And don’t be swayed by the ‘4 for the price of 3′ or ‘buy 1 get 1 free’ offers - it’s like handbags, they are only a bargain if you need them in the first place.

Kerri, National Call Centre

The super-frugal Ibiza Ecomotive has just celebrated its 1000^th registration in the UK where it is proving to be a runaway success with car buyers.

Special low rolling resistance 14” tyres from Dunlop help reduce road friction along with other measures taken to achieve its green status.

Spanish car maker SEAT launched the super-mini here last year and it is becoming a firm favourite with buyers looking to maximise economy, while minimising emissions of CO2.

Exceptional fuel economy of up to 88.3 mpg (extra urban) and CO2 emissions of just 99 g/km also make it Road Tax-exempt.  But engineers have also worked to make it an engaging driving experience.

The Ibiza Ecomotive boasts a punchy 80 PS turbo diesel engine capable of powering it from rest to 62mph in only 12.8 seconds and carrying it on, where legal, to a stop speed of 109mph.

This is SEATs first foray into the increasingly important area of ultra-low emissions motoring and Steve Robertson, head of marketing in the UK, said: ‘The undoubted appeal of the existing Ibiza Ecomotive is obvious.

‘In delivering a car capable of such impressive economy we have managed to retain SEAT’s trademark sporty character and generous levels of standard equipment.

‘Add ultra-competitive pricing [current Ibiza Ecomotive costs from £10,765 RRP] and it’s easy to see why sales have streaked to the 1,000 mark in such a short time.’

Dunlop tyres probably never thought they’d find themselves sandwiched between Kylie Minogue and the Diet Coke hunk, but that’s showbiz for you.

The tyres manufacturer came fourth in the best cinema commercial of all time poll for Digital Cinema Media.

It’s hardly surprising Kylie is sitting pretty in the number one slot with her raunchy ad for lingerie firm Agent Provocateur and the Diet Coke builder grabbed 6^th position for his topless performance.

But Dunlop tyres 1994 stunningly surreal ‘Tested for the Unexpected’ ad, which was apparently given a limitless budget, made a lasting impression on cinema goers. 

An absolutely stunning ad with the perfect soundtrack - The Velvet Underground’s ‘Venus in Furs’ - it was the work of uncompromising director Tony Kaye was apparently given a limitless budget and sent away to shoot whatever he wanted.

The owner of a 56-plate BMW 5-series has written to the Sunday Times motoring pages about his run-flat tyres deflating 12 times in 3 months.  Surprisingly, the dealership can’t find anything wrong with the tyres. 

At etyres we find it inconceivable that the problem couldn’t be diagnosed.  Of course over a long period of time air seeps out of tyres, but not at this rate.

If you’re reading this BMW owner, give etyres a ring and we’ll see if we can solve the mystery.

For those wondering what all the fuss over run-flat tyres is about, here’s a quick run-down - they are becoming increasingly commonplace on the roads of the UK as more car manufacturers fit these advanced tyres as standard equipment or as an optional extra. However, there are still some misconceptions surrounding the fitment and use of this new type of tyre.

Run-flat tyres, or self supporting run-flat tyres to give them their correct title, should not be fitted to a vehicle not designed to accept them or without a pressure monitoring system. Equally they should not be mixed with conventional tyres as the handling and performance characteristics of the two types of tyres are quite different. Mixing of different brands of SST tyres may also not be advisable and the motorist should check with the manufacturer of the tyre or vehicle for advice. It is recommended that the same make and type of SST tyre be fitted across the same axle.

No-nonsense TV presenter Eamonn Holmes, who tells consumers why it is better to buy tyres online with etyres, is turning his focus on to ‘spare tyres’ for a new TV show.

The popular Sky News anchorman is fronting a new ITV series called the Feelgood Factor, aimed at helping viewers shift excess weight and feel better about themselves, while also raising money for charity.

Eamonn is well-known for his down-to-earth approach, which is why he is a natural choice to explain that etyres is up to 40% cheaper than leading tyre depots because it’s an-internet based, mobile fitting service, with no expensive depots or large overheads so the lower operating costs mean cheaper prices for customers.

But now he is aiming to lose his own ‘spare tyre’, pledging to try and drop at least 20lbs through sensible eating and exercise.

And along the way there could be some harsh words aimed at food manufactures who label ready meals ‘healthy’.

After taking home a prawn and spinach ready meal from a supermarket’s ‘healthy range’, he got a double helping of abuse from his lovely wife Ruth when she read the label.

‘Well, you’d have thought I’d confessed to having an affair,’ he told the Daily Mail.  ‘She went off on one about the fat content.  It baffled me.  I failed my maths O-level twice, which was why I had to become a journalist – but it made me angry too.  How are we supposed to know what is good for us?

‘Why don’t they ditch the price and just say, ‘Good for you’, ‘Bad for you’.  Anyway, we had a huge barney about it.’

 The Feelgood Factor, ITV1, 31 January at 5.45pm.

An £80 million tyres recycling plant is poised to be up and running on Teeside by next year.

Around 60,000 tonnes – or 7.5 million used tyres – will be recycled annually at the plant, which will also make the region a European leader in new technology.

London-based company PYReco has announced that plans are going through for the new facility to be based at South Tees Eco Park (Step) in Middlesbrough and will create 90 new jobs.

PYReco uses a novel process called pyrolysis, which harnesses heat to degrade used tyres without producing waste or harmful emissions.  Traditionally, tyres have proved difficult to recycle and have been burnt in cement kilns, but the pyrolysis process allows them to be broken down into component parts for reuse.

PYReco chairman, Anthony Carter, said: “This represents the conclusion of a long-lasting quest to find a viable solution to one of the UK and Europe’s most difficult recycling problems.

“It provides a highly effective and ‘green’ way of dealing with used tyres. It is a project of global importance and with Teesside’s long history of expertise in petro-chemicals, it is only fitting that our business will be based here.”

Once planning permission  has been approved, the plant will turn Teesside into a pioneering area for use of the pyrolysis technology in Europe.

The system will produce oil and gas, which PYReco says will produce up to 17MW of electricity when the plant is fully operational.

Refined carbon black and high tensile steel gathered from the recycling process will be sold to industry for reuse.

When the wives of our forces lads need help with their tyres, etyres is a popular choice to come to their rescue.

One happy customer, who works for the forces magazine, sent us an e-mail to say: ‘I have used your services twice in the last two weeks, I had 2 tyres on my car and 3 tyres on my daughter’s car.  I would just like to say what an excellent service we received again.

‘I would be totally lost without your services and I am sure the forces wives would feel the same.’

‘Take good care of your car,’ says Dan Robinson, head of Green Flag breakdown service ‘and it will be far less likely to let you down.’

The breakdown service boss also recommends regular checks on everything from tyres to coolant to help keep cars going for longer.  He told readers of Natwest Bank’s Sense magazine they should follow the following basic advice for checking tyres:

Daily - check for cuts, damage or reduction in pressure which will need urgent attention.

Weekly - check tyres pressure and, if necessary, adjust them to the correct level set by the manufacturers and shown in the car’s handbook.  Don’t forget to check the spare tyre too!

Monthly - check tyre tread depths and look for signs of uneven wear, showing suspension problems.  The legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm, but motoring experts recommend tyres be replaced when tread depth is 2mm.

Vehicle owners who spend a few minutes following this advice, could save themselves time spent waiting on the roadside for breakdown recovery.

TV’s car consumer champion Quentin Willson recommends etyres to motorists who want to buy tyres, but still save money.

Offering advice on how to get the best deal on tyres, he said: ‘There’s a company on the internet called etyres.  If you ring them up, they’ll deliver new tyres to your door in their van, then fit them on the driveway.  Their tyres are a lot cheaper than the places on the high street.’

He also told Sense magazine:  ‘Don’t compromise on quality – just look for the best price.’

Quentin first wrote about etyres back in May 2004 when he told readers of his Sunday Mirror motoring column they could buy cheaper tyres without compromising on quality.

‘They can offer such huge savings because they don’t have the overheads of the big boys.’

Nearly five years down the road, consumer car expert Quentin is still championing etyres corner, because the prices speak for themselves.

Etyres is up to 40% cheaper than leading car depots because it doesn’t have expensive depots or flashy showrooms to pay for.  All fittings are carried out at the customer’s home or work, so the savings on overheads are passed directly on to the consumer keeping the price of the tyres low.