The Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q8, BMW X5, and Mercedes-Benz GLE are the country’s most desirable premium-luxury SUVs on sale today.
These SUVs epitomise style, performance, and luxury for well-heeled buyers – and depending on the variant, they are some of the fastest cars on the roads.
The only thing putting down their power to the road is a tyre contact patch which is roughly the size of an adult’s palm.
Therefore, it goes without saying that large 3-ton-plus SUVs require some meaty rubber to keep them glued to the road.
In most cases, these SUVs wear tyres specially-developed with the brand’s engineers to deliver optimal an ride and handling.
And while not required, it is advised that tyres be replaced with their OEM equivalents to ensure that everything performs within specification.
In most cases, though, the original tyres the cars are delivered with are not readily available locally.
Tyre sizes and prices
If you thought your last trip to the tyre fitment centre was an expensive exercise, the cost of replacement tyres for these premium SUVs might make your eyes water.
Owners will likely need to replace tyres at least once every several years of ownership -and we looked at the SUVs below to determine how much replacing four tyres will hit one’s pocket.
- BMW X5 3.0D M Sport
- Porsche Cayenne S
- Mercedes-Benz GLE 450
- Audi Q8 55 TFSI Quattro
For consistency, these models were all configured with a 20-inch-wheel option.
The Audi and Mercedes-Benz were then both equipped with the same tyres on the front and rear – 275/50 R20.
The BMW and Porsche feature a staggered setup: the rear tyres are wider – 305/40 R20 – than the front – 275/45/R20.
The average replacement cost for a set of four tyres – excluding wheel alignment – is listed below.
Mercedes-Benz GLE
- Continental SportContact 5 SUV – R20,916
Audi Q8
- Pirelli Scorpion Verde – R28,680
Porsche Cayenne S
- Michelin Pilot Sport 4 – R19,320
BMW X5
- Bridgestone Alenza 001 SUV – R24,254
Good to remember
An owner’s driving style and most frequently-used roads will affect your tyres’ average lifespan.
Unlike service and maintenance plans included with these cars, the cost of replacing a set of tyres needs to be budgeted for to avoid any nasty surprises.
While it might be of little concern to the first owner, buyers picking these cars up second-hand must carefully consider these costs to avoid encountering a nasty surprise.
Tyres, after all, should not be skimped on.
Keyword: How much it costs to replace tyres on a BMW X5, Audi Q8, and Porsche Cayenne