You've probably already heard of the famous American firm known as J.D. Power, which specializes in large-scale market research, particularly in the automotive sector. Every year, their various rankings make headlines, as they are generally considered to be fairly representative of a constantly changing sector. This week, I decided to take a look at their OEM consumer satisfaction rankings.
By the way, if you don't know, an OEM, or original equipment manufacturer, is a company that produces parts that go into the manufacture of another consumer product. Here, of course, we're talking about the tires that serve as original equipment on the vehicles that roll off the assembly line. After all, this is Blackcircles.ca! These OEFs include all the well-known names in the industry, but the tire models can sometimes differ from those available on the market.
Michelin, the champion brand
In the passenger and luxury vehicle category, the choice is clear: Michelin is the consumer winner. On a 1,000-point scale, the French brand achieved a record score of 834 for luxury vehicles and 823 for passenger cars. In the former category, however, they are closely followed by Goodyear (812) and Continental (811). This rating takes into account several variables, such as tire comfort, tire wear and, of course, grip.
Even for sporty vehicles, the French manufacturer came out on top with 833 points. While we might have expected strong competition from Pirelli, the Italian came second with a mere 798 points. Please note, however, that this does not represent a score on all products offered by the brand, but only on the original tires on new cars sold in the last two years.
Surprising result for trucks
For trucks and commercial vehicles, it's finally another manufacturer who has won the prize for 2024. Falken, a division of Sumitomo, topped the podium with a score of 818. Michelin remains in the running, however, with a score of 812 for its BFGoodrich brand.
While Michelin's dominance is far from surprising - after all, it's already been 21 consecutive years that the brand has won the luxury vehicle category - the gap between the winner and the rest leaves me a little perplexed. While the products offered by Bridgestone and Pirelli, for example, are perfectly suited to all types of vehicle, both brands are below average in several categories. My personal opinion is that it's difficult to judge a brand simply on its original equipment. It's better to compare and test for yourself!
