What is it?

Michelin, the famous tyre brand, has launched a new range of tailored car mats. Sold exclusively through CarMats4U, the made-to-measure mats are available for thousands of makes and models. Handily, you can quickly search using your registration number. They mats are made in the UK and delivered next day.

There are three designs available - standard, luxury and luxury rubber mats. The standard mats have a thickness of 1580g total weight per m2 but opting for the luxury ups this to a thicker 2200g. All versions included an integrated heavy-duty rubber heel pad based on a Michelin tyre tread. It's full width on the luxury and rubber versions or rectangular on the standard.

The Michelin mats come with an anti-slip, water-resistant backing and are fitted using the correct OEM manufacturer fixing systems. You can also choose the colour of the mats (essentially there are four shades of grey and black) plus the colour of the edging trim and even the stitching on the luxury mats. There's no additional charge for this either.

What are they like?

We're testing the Michelin mats on our 2013 Audi Q7, which still had its original mats fitted, albeit past their best after more than 10 years of use. We've opted for the Michelin luxury mats in black with a grey leatherette trim and blue stitching. One oddity is that there's no red option for the edging or stitching, which we think would be very popular.

The total cost was £49.99 for all four mats (front and back) and that currently includes premium stain protection as part of the price - it's normally a £6.95 extra. That's pretty good value when you consider that Audi OEM mats would cost close to £90 just for the fronts.

They arrived via next day delivery and fitting them is a doddle. We simply removed out our old mats and the new Michelin ones fitted perfectly on the existing fittings, there's no need to mess around with extra clips or screw mounts. Comparing them with the original Audi mats, they are a perfect match for shape and size. 

Given the Michelin brand, we had high expectations for these mats and they don't disappoint. The quality is excellent and while not as soft as our old Audi mats, they certainly feel thicker and more hardwearing. The rubber heel pad on the driver's mat, designed to look like a Michelin tyre, is the best feature in our opinion. This is a common place for mats to wear, as had happened on our car a long time ago, so the durable rubber section should see these lasting the distance.

The leatherette trim with its contrasting blue stitching looks smart but more importantly is well finished. There are no rough edges or loose stitching here. The mats sit well too and don't move around thanks to the grippy backing that's fitted. 

Our car is our family workhorse so deals with school runs, muddy dog walks and a toddler who insists on splashing in any puddle he sees. The mats have coped well with everything that's been thrown at them and thanks to the stain protection, look as good as new after a quick vacuum clean.

Should I buy them?

There's no shortage of car mats around from various suppliers, but the Michelin car mats stand out as something that's a cut above the usual. As well as the recognition of the brand name, they genuinely feel like high quality tailored car mats. The fit is perfect - as good as OEM - while the fact you can choose your own trim colours means you can put your own stamp on them.

It's the durability which stands out. The thickness of the weave along with the rubber heel pad on the driver's mat means these should last a long time. Yes you can get cheaper tailored mats, but none can match the quality of the Michelin mats. As a result, they're excellent value for money and highly recommended.