Pirelli Overtakes Top Spot in AutoPacific Replacement Tire Satisfaction Awards; Firestone Slides into Third Place

TUSTIN, Calif., March 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Tire brands Pirelli and Michelin have held the top two spots in AutoPacific's Replacement Tire Owner Satisfaction Awards since the company's first study was published five years ago, with Michelin ranking 1^st and Pirelli 2^nd. According to the results of the latest installment of AutoPacific's annual Replacement Tire Brand Dynamics and Satisfaction Study, the rankings are now reversed, with Pirelli taking the top spot.

AutoPacific's Replacement Tire Owner Satisfaction Awards measure how satisfied owners are with 17 different tire attributes, ranging from performance and traction to fuel efficiency and price. The satisfaction rating is weighted by the importance rating for each attribute, communicating how well each tire brand performs to the needs and expectations of their owners. "For example," explains George Peterson, president of AutoPacific and author of the study, "Pirelli owners place high importance on performance characteristics like cornering and traction, in addition to the more common attributes of safety, reputation and warranty. To rank at the top in our owner satisfaction awards, it is imperative that Pirelli not just perform well, but perform exceptionally well in areas, like performance, that mean the most to their owners."

Impressively, Firestone, Toyo and GTRadial have all climbed consistently in their rankings since 2013. All three brands are now in the top 10, with Firestone sliding into 3^rd place. "GTRadial's consistent climb in ranking is interesting because the brand has such a high percentage of first time buyers," says Peterson. According to AutoPacific data, brands with a high percentage of buyers who are new to the brand have historically had fluctuating satisfaction ratings, as is the case with Nexen, Fuzion and Nitto. "GTRadial has actually been able to increase their percentage of first time buyers over the years (60% in 2015) and continue to climb in satisfaction rankings by giving buyers what they're looking for: a maintenance-free, reliable tire at a good price."

2015 Overall Winner: Pirelli
2015 Top Car Replacement Tire Brand: Pirelli
2015 Top Truck Replacement Tire Brand: Firestone

AutoPacific's 2015 Replacement Tire Brand Dynamics and Satisfaction Study contains responses from 7,784 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 75,443 respondents.

About AutoPacific
AutoPacific is a future-oriented automotive marketing research and product-consulting firm. Every year AutoPacific publishes a wide variety of syndicated studies on the automotive industry. The firm, founded in 1986, also conducts extensive proprietary research and consulting for auto manufacturers, distributors, marketers and suppliers worldwide. Company headquarters and its state-of-the-art automotive research facility are in Tustin, California, with an affiliate office in the Detroit area. Additional information can be found on AutoPacific's websites: http://www.autopacific.com and http://vehiclevoice.com/

SOURCE AutoPacific

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