Where the Rubber Meets the Road
Buying tires can be confusing. Major influences on tire life are how the tire is used, your driving style, the type of car you drive, where you drive and tire maintenance.
However, there are several things you can do to select the best tires.
HOW TO BUY THE RIGHT TIRE
Size: The vehicle owner’s manual, or the label inside the glove box or on the door post, lists the tire size. Putting an undersized tire on your car can overheat or overload the tire, while an oversized tire can rub parts of the car.
Type: This information is listed in the owner’s manual or a dealer can tell you. Almost all vehicles today come with radial tires. Generally, radial tires provide better performance and durability than bias-ply and bias belted.
Tread: There are several kinds. “Mud and snow” tires are all-season tires, capable of providing good traction in snow, slush, rain and mud. Standard highway treads are for normal driving conditions. Ask your tire dealer for advice on the best tread for your type of driving.
TIRE QUALITY GRADING
Tires must meet federal safety standards. New tires--except snow tires, temporary-use spares and tires for off-road use--have three ratings on a paper label and molded on the tire sidewall: treadwear, traction and temperature resistance.
The grading system helps buyers make relative comparisons among tires. It is not a safety rating and not a guarantee that a tire will last for a prescribed number of miles or perform a certain way. It gives buyers additional information to combine with other considerations, such as price, brand loyalty and dealer recommendations.
Quality grades can be used to pick the best tire for your needs. Grades are assigned by manufacturers after performing government-designed tests.
Tire dealers are required to provide a booklet explaining these grades and showing the grades of the tires they sell.
Treadwear: This grade lets you compare how long various tires would last if driven by the same person under the same road conditions and maintained properly. A tire rated 100 will last about twice as long as one rated 50.
Traction: This rating, scored A, B or C, tells you how well the tires stop your vehicle on wet roads. An “A” has the best traction.
Temperature resistance: This rating, also scored A, B or C, measures how well the tire resists overheating during sustained high speed. In general, the lower the running temperature, the less likely the tire will fail. A tire graded “A” represents the best performance.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
