Pirelli and Michelin score highest in J. D. Power satisfaction study

Pirelli's high- and ultra-high-performance tires scored highest in the sport segment of the 2010 J. D. Power and Associates tire customer-satisfaction study with an index score of 742. The segment average was 704.

Mainstream brand Michelin ranked highest in the luxury, passenger-car and truck-utility segments.

By reviewing responses from nearly 30,000 car owners who bought a 2008- or 2009-model-year vehicle, the study measured tire owner satisfaction by four factors: wearability, appearance, traction/handling and ride.

Pirelli's tires--often fitted to high-performance vehicles from makers such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche--did especially well in both the appearance and tire-ride categories.

“A combination of technological features eliminates the previously unavoidable compromises associated with sporty driving--performance and comfort, acceleration and braking, on both road and track, and handling in wet and dry conditions,” Tom Gravalos, Pirelli Tire North America's vice president, said in a statement.

By Izzi Bendall