When to Replace Your Tires
How to determine whether the tires on your car, SUV, or truck need to be replaced—before they fail
You’re driving at 65 mph with the kids in the back and the rain pouring down when a deer dashes across the highway. You nail the brakes and . . . what? Do you stop in time? Hit the deer?
What happens in that situation can hinge on how worn your tires are. And it isn’t the time to realize you need new ones.
Too many drivers don’t think about their tires until they have to swerve or brake suddenly, or they have a flat—often with serious consequences. On average, about 11,000 motor vehicle crashes are tire-related, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and more than 600 people will die in those crashes. Many of those crashes could be prevented just with proper tire maintenance.
See the best tire values.
Tire-Buying Basics
Before you start shopping, it’s good to know some tire basics.
Tires carry a speed rating, usually from S (112 mph) to Y (186 mph), with some winter tires having a lower speed rating. The rating indicates the tire’s maximum speed when carrying a load. Tires with higher speed ratings tend to have better grip and handling but wear out sooner, generally making them more expensive.
Tires come in various sizes, so it’s important to get the right ones for your car.
On the side of each tire are numbers like this: 215/60R16. The 215 refers to the cross-section width in millimeters, the widest distance from one sidewall to the other when mounted on the wheel; 60 is the ratio of sidewall height to tire width; and 16 is the size of the wheel in inches. Most cars also list this on the driver’s doorjamb.
Online retailers usually offer some of the lowest prices. But you may have to pay for shipping the tires to you, plus installation and balancing costs.
Local car dealers and tire retailers may match those prices or offer a deal on installation. Look for promotions, too, including manufacturer rebates and sales.
Last, keep in mind that price varies by size as much as they do by brand and model. Expect to pay more for larger tires.
Tire Value: Why Type Matters
• Each tire type has strengths and limitations.
• All-season tires are made to perform well in a wide range of conditions and have a long tread life.
• Performance all-season tires tend to grip better and provide better handling, but sometimes at the expense of longevity.
• UHP all-season and UHP summer tires deliver the ultimate in-road holding but have an even shorter tread life.
• The general rule is that higher-performance tires cost more and wear faster, leading to a greater cost per mile, as shown below.
• But it’s usually best to stick with the type of tire that came on your car when you bought it. Downgrading to another tire type to save money could hurt your car’s braking and handling performance.
Need New Tires for Your Car, SUV, or Truck?
Check CR’s tire ratings and buying guide.
The CR Testing Difference
Consumer Reports tests more than 40 tire models every year—for cars, SUVs, and trucks—putting them through up to 12 tests, mostly on our test track in Connecticut.
Some of these tests tell us how well tires grip, brake, and handle; how they perform on snowy or wet roads; and how resistant they are to rolling, which affects fuel mileage.
We also evaluate tread life by driving thousands of miles in western Texas and use that information, along with the price we paid for the tires, to estimate the cost per 100 miles. This is used to calculate our best tire values.
The cheapest tire isn’t always the best value. How long a tire will last before wearing out is a significant factor in estimating its true cost over its life span.
Check our tire ratings for the latest test results.
