With the number of different tire brands on the market, you are spoiled for choice when picking a replacement set when the time comes.
It’s hard to find a lousy tire brand, so choosing, for example, Hercules tires vs. Michelin can be a tricky thing to do.
The main difference between Hercules and Michelin tires is that Hercules is a brand that strives to make affordable, long-lasting tires with high performance, while Michelin aims to give consumers the best of the best product.
But a choice certainly has to be made. And it is best done by comparing various characteristics of these brands’ products.
So let’s see how these tires fare against each other in everything that matters to consumers.
Hercules Tires vs. Michelin Comparison
Before we dive into all the details of comparing these two tire brands, let’s take a quick overview of this comparison.
This is also a great point to start if you are impatient to find out the results of our review.
The first thing you will notice is that these brands are targeting different market segments with their pricing. And that really will set the tone of this comparison.
But also, you can notice that one brand truly tries and delivers the best products on the market, while the other has different goals.
To produce tires that will be good enough but last you a very long time while not costing an arm and a leg.
So, let’s get into details, which brand is better, and for who?
Hercules Tires Rating vs. Michelin Tires Rating
Here is a quick table summarizing the rating for both Hercules and Michelin tires.
| Hercules | Michelin | |
| Price | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| Performance | 4.5 | 5.0 |
| Durability | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Variety | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Warranty | 50K-85K miles | 30K-80K miles |
| Overall Rating | 4.625 | 4.75 |
We rated Hercules tires 4.625 out of 5.0 stars. The tires from this brand are quite reasonably priced. They have excellent grip and mileage while offering a good enough range of series & models to choose from.
We rated Michelin tires 4.75 out of 5.0 stars. Michelin tires are still affordable for the most part, but they are typically pricier than a lot of their competitors. The areas where they truly shine are in performance and durability. Michelin is known to have a huge variety of types available as well.
We go more in-depth in the following sections below!
Price
As I’ve said above, these two brands have very different approaches when it comes to pricing their products.
But how is that looking when described with some numbers?
Hercules Tires Prices
Hercules tires prices start at around $70-$85, depending on the particular retailer.
This is a very low starting point and makes these models very affordable.
The most expensive tires for passenger vehicles are around $250-$275 at different retailers. And this price range makes Hercules tires very budget-friendly and among the most affordable tires on the market.
Some of their specialized tires are outside this price range. The UTV and ATV tires can cost as little as $30, which makes them very affordable.
At the same time, commercial tires can go up to $600, which makes them average priced among the comparable type of tires.
Michelin Tires Prices
Michelin tires for passenger vehicles are known to be more expensive than their competition. Their prices range from $90 to $600 per tire, depending on the retailer.
On average, the average price of their tires, Michelin tires are twice the cost of Hercules’ products, but when comparable models are pit against each other, Michelin is more expensive by some 50%-70%.
The comparison of average prices is a bit skewed because Hercules has some very affordable economy-class products, while Michelin has some very expensive UHP tires.
Performance
Comparing performance is made easier by the existence of standardized ratings for the tires.
The Universal Tire Quality Grading (UTQG) is NHTSA standardized system that, in a controlled environment, grades three characteristics of tires:
- grip
- temperature resistance
- treadwear rate
But, first, about the grip and temperature resistance.
The grip is measured by dragging the tire on both wet and dry surfaces. All of the Hercules models are rated A, meaning that they have excellent grip. But Michelin has some models that are rated higher, AA grade.
However, these are UHP models, which Hercules doesn’t have in their portfolio.
When they roll at a constant speed, tires warm, and every tire has a point when it is warm enough for its performance to start deteriorating. In this regard, these two brands are practically the same grade.
Winter tires, with compounds that are flexible at low temps, have a B grade, while all others have a higher grade, the A.
Durability
The durability or treadwear rate of a tire is measured by driving a reference tire side by side with the one that is being rated.
After a certain number of miles, the treadwear is measured and compared.
Reference tire has a rating of 100, while tested is a multiple of how longer-lasting it is expected to be. Three times is 300, or five times is 500, and so on.
The average rating of tires in the market is between 300 and 500.
The majority of Hercules tires are in the range between 500 and 700, with some models having even the 800 ratings.
Michelin tires are a bit higher rated and range between 500 and 850.
Variety
When it comes to the sheer number of various models of products, this tire brand comparison is slightly one-sided.
Hercules currently has 23 tire models available for:
- passenger vehicles
- cars
- SUVs
- CUVs
- light trucks, and so on.
While Michelin has more than twice that number, around 50 models.
But when the size and other dimensions variants are compared, both these brands have a very similar variety within the range of any individual model.
Also, Michelin, within the same market niches, usually has few specialized models, such as fuel economy maximizing tires.
And their models cover a niche that Hercules’ products do not, UHP tires.
Warranty
Warranted miles are basically what a tire-maker is guaranteeing you as the minimum life span of a tire. Though, depending on your driving style, they could last you 20%-30% longer.
Both brands do not offer this warranty for all of their models.
For example, UHP and All-Terrain tires rarely come with a warranty because of their intended harsh use of them.
Hercules tires that come with a warranty have it for between 50 and 85 thousand miles or 36 months.
On the other side, Michelin tires have a slightly smaller range, between 40 and 80 thousand miles for most of their products, while UHP tires have either 30 thousand or none.
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Pros and Cons of Hercules Tires
The main advantage of Hercules tires is that at a very budget-friendly price point, you can buy a very long-lasting product with a better-than-average performance.
They have a product range that covers all segments of the passenger vehicles market.
But if you are looking for some specialized tires, for example, geared toward providing you with maximum fuel economy, you will not find such tires in Hercules’ portfolio.
Also, the performance and subjective perception of it on products of this brand deteriorate with the traveled miles quicker than with products of the other brand.
Pros and Cons of Michelin Tires
There is a reason why practically all luxury and sports car brands have OEM tires made by Michelin. They are simply the best brand of tires there is.
When it comes to performance and consistency over the lifespan of the tire, the products by this French company are second to none.
Especially when driving at the edge of their capabilities.
But, the top performance comes with a top price. Michelin tires are expensive.
Related Posts:
- Nexen vs. Falken Tires (In-Depth Comparison)
- Goodyear vs. General Tires (In-Depth Comparison)
- Achilles Tires vs. Michelin (In-Depth Comparison)
- Arizonian Tires vs. Goodyear (In-Depth Comparison)
Conclusion
Choosing between Hercules tires vs. Michelin products is not an easy task.
Hercules is an excellent choice for daily commuters that do not push their vehicle, aggressively trying to get the most out of their performance from them.
They are affordable and will last you a long time if you are among 90% of car drivers.
But, if you are an owner of a sports car, a supercar, or want to have the absolute best tires that can perform in the absolute worst conditions, and you don’t mind the costs, there isn’t any other choice except Michelin.
Sources
https://www.automoblog.net/hercules-terra-trac-at-ii-tires/
https://www.automoblog.net/michelin-tires/
https://wholesaletirescompany.com/hercules-reviews/
https://www.herculestire.com/see-all-tires
