Should my new tyres be OE tyres or aftermarket tyres?

OE is short for Original Equipment, or the equipment and parts originally manufactured for your car. In a nutshell, OE tyres are the default setting for your car, chosen specifically for your vehicle during its design, and are the first tyres fitted.

Since tyres are the only point of contact that a car has with the road, vehicle manufacturers tend to take their choice of tyres very seriously. Most OE tyres – or marked tyres – are the result of a collaborative development between tyre manufacturers and vehicle manufacturers.

They often undergo years of rigorous testing and several stages of development. Michelin is proud to have provided leading car manufacturers with record-breaking tyres, and are continuously looking to develop the tyres of tomorrow.

You can check for OE markings on the sidewall of your car tyres. How they appear depends on the car manufacturer, not the tyre maker.

If you’re getting new tyres, you might want to know the indicators used by some popular car manufacturers:

Find your OE-marked tyres here

You can look up the OE tyre markings for your car with the help of a trusted tyre dealer near you.

Original Equipment tyres are designed to help your vehicle deliver optimum performance. They have been designed to suit your vehicle’s specifications, including its transmission, software systems, rolling resistance requirements, and have even been optimised for the dimensions of the carriage and chassis.

OE tyres are designed for versatility, allowing your vehicle to balance handling, longevity, fuel efficiency, and driving on different terrains while minimising noise.

If you have a high-performance car, Michelin recommends that your new tyres should always be the OE-marked versions. For example, you may want purchase the OE tyres for MERCEDES BENZ sports cars instead of opting for an all-rounder tyre.

This is because high-performance or sports cars are meticulously engineered for exceptional driving, and are fitted with OE tyres designed to deliver superior performance. For example, the Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyre was designed to ensure the Porsche Panamera has superior speed and handling on the track.

Buying new tyres with the correct OE markings ensures that your vehicle performs as close to factory quality as possible. However, we understand that not every driver wants their car to perform at default settings.

You may want to customise your driving experience to match your unique needs with replacement tyres that are designed for specific driving conditions, such as durability for off-roading or higher performance on the track. For example, the OE tyres for BYD cars will be designed to suit the particular needs of that branded vehicle. However, the best tyre dealers in New Zealand will offer tyres that help your EV’s performance respond to what you want.

If you’re looking for Michelin-developed marked tyres, or browse by driving experience, you can search our full range of tyres here.

When choosing between OE and aftermarket tyres, it is important to check with the vehicle manufacturer as not fitting the OE tyres could void the warranty of some manufacturers.