10 Best Tire Brands for 2023 – Car Talk

How to Choose the Best Tire Brand

Choosing the best tire brand for you is a personal decision which depends entirely on how you drive, where you drive, the vehicle you have and your budget. If you have a Jeep Wrangler and you take it off roading on the trails in the winter, then you need a reliable, durable tire with the strength to endure your travels. If you’re kind of an indoor cat, live in a city, work at home and barely use your vehicle, then you’ll need an entirely different, less rugged tire. Price, availability, longevity and treadlife all come into play.

Ratings and consumer reviews are a great place to start. Doing the research to decide which type of tire fits your needs, and then begin the process of shopping around for the best brands and prices. Once you decide on the tire that fits your needs, make certain to check tire shops near you for inventory as well as online tire outlets for the best prices, as many of them will price match.

Original Equipment vs. Replacement Tires

When the manufacturer decides on the original equipment tires (OEM) for each of the vehicles they make, they do so based on a mixture of cost, reliability, treadlife and capability. The tires that your car comes with, directly from the manufacturer, will be relatively good.

Depending on how long you have the vehicle, how much mileage you put on it, and the type of driver you are, replacing the OEM tires may be a good step. If you hit the trails on rainy winter nights, then you might want to opt for a more sturdy, off road or all terrain tire.

What is a Tire Warranty and What Does It Cover?

One criteria which should be considered when shopping for tires is the warranty offered by the manufacturer. A good tire will have a reasonable warranty which will cover a certain amount of time from the date of purchase, treadlife considerations and mileage estimates.

Warranty types include:

• Treadlife Warranty (also called Mileage Warranty)
• Workmanship and Materials Warranty
• Uniformity Warranty
• Road Hazard Warranty
• Special Manufacturer Warranty

Reading a Tire Size

Learning how to read a tire can be a very helpful skill, specifically when shopping for the right tire for your vehicle. When shopping for tires, it’s important to understand what the numbers printed on the sidewall actually mean.

For example, this typical truck tire size 265/70R17 115T All-Season tires means the following:

• 265 indicates the width of the tire from one sidewall to the other in millimeters. This tire is 265 millimeters wide.
• 70 indicates the aspect ratio, or sidewall height, as a percentage of the tire’s width. In this case, it’s 70 percent or of the tire’s width.
• R means radial tires. Radials are the most common type of automotive tire and have fabric woven in at various angles with tread that is strengthened with additional layers of rubber.
• 17 indicates the wheel diameter.
• 115 is the tire’s load rating.
• T is the tire’s speed rating. T-rated tires have a maximum top speed of 118 mph.

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