Tire buyers are increasingly demanding. Surveys show they expect to get 45,000 miles from their replacement tires, up from 41,00 miles just two years ago.
At the same time, they’re very price conscious. Jack Gillis, author of “The Car Book 1996” says there are “few consumer products on the market today as price competitive as tires.”
Yet, buying tires remains something of a mystery. In a recent story on buying tires in three easy steps, Consumer Reports says, “There’s no simple way to tell a good tire from one that’s not so good. Over the years, our tests have shown that neither brand nor price is an accurate gauge of quality.”
What then is a tire buyer to do? Get educated.
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about buying tires.
Q. How do you read all those numbers on a tire?
A. “Knowing how to read a sidewall can lead you into a whole new world of knowing about your tires,” says Rick Brennan, consumer products manager for Fullerton, Calif.-based Yokohama tires. This information is the basis for tire maintenance as well as your guide for replacing your tires when they wear out.
Let’s use a P195/60R14 85H tire as an example. The “P” tells you that it’s a passenger car tire. The “195” tells you its width in millimeters. The “60” is the aspect ratio, or the ratio of the tire’s height to width. In this case, the tire is 60 percent as tall as it is wide. High-performance tires have aspect ratios of less than 70.
The “R” tells you that it’s a radial tire. The “14” represents the wheel diameter in inches. The “85” is the load index, based on a system originally used in Europe to indicate a tire’s weight capacity at its maximum speed. In the U.S., the maximum load capacity is stamped in pounds in the lower sidewall of the tire. Load indexes for passenger car tires range from 75 to 110. The “H” is the tire’s speed rating. An H tire can sustain speeds up to 130 miles per hour. The highest rating is for speeds more than 149 m.p.h.
Other information you might find on a tire: a brand name and model name or number; maximum inflation pressure (such as 35 pounds per square inch); a tread-wear rating that shows an estimated tread life (a 300, for example, means a tire has an estimated tread life of three times the government-rated base tire of 100); a traction rating of A to C (A is best; the rating measures how well a tire grips in straight-line, wet pavement braking); a temperature rating (again using A-C, which tells how well a tire resists heat buildup); and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s safety standard code, which details when and where a tire was made and gives its brand characteristics in another multidigit code that needn’t concern the average buyer.
Q. How do I know when to get new tires?
A. Some people check their odometer or look at their calendars. Neither is the best way to determine when it’s time to get new tires, said Carmen Gonzales, manager of Wheel Works in San Jose, Calif.
The best way is to get on the ground and inspect them. Look for the emergence of wear bars — a raised strip of rubber that runs across the grooves — which indicate that a tire is worn to the final 2/32nds of an inch before it goes bald. In dry, summer weather, Gonzales said, you might be able to squeeze an additional 500 to 1,000 miles out of a tire sowing its wear bars. In wet weather, however, a worn tire could lose its grip, so replace it immediately.
A traditional way to check your treads still works: Use a penny. Pinch Lincoln’s body between your thumb and forefinger. Put Abe’s head into one of the grooves in a tire tread. If part of his head is covered by the tread, you’ve got enough tread. If you can see all of his head, it’s time for a new tire.
Q. What can you tell me about tire construction?
A. Almost all tires sold today are radials. Radial construction helps minimize heat buildup, which destroys tires. Radials replace bias or bias-ply tires.
Q. Can I get just one new tire, or does it have to be two or four?
A. Gonzales said there’s no need to buy four new tires at once — unless you need them. But he does suggest buying tires in pairs. That way, he said, you’ll have the same tread depth and grip on each side of an axle.
For most buyers of today’s frontwheel-drive cars, if you’re buying two tires, put them on in front. Tires should be rotated every 3,000 to 5,00 miles, Gonzales said. You should get your car’s alignment checked every 10,000 miles or every second or third rotation.
Q. How do I know if my car needs standard or special tires?
A. Brennan agrees that things were simpler in the past when a few tire sizes fit all vehicles. That’s not the case today.
“People demand different things from their tires,” Brennan said. A popular sport-utility vehicle, such as a Nissan Pathfinder or Chevrolet Blazer, is a good example. One buyer might want rugged tires “to go booming through the boonies to get to the hunting ground or fishing spot,” Brennan said. Another might want a sport-utility to serve as a family station wagon with a little more style. These owners expect a quiet, comfortable ride and good mileage. Obviously the two buyers of the same vehicle have different tire needs.
Tiremakers have come up with lots of new categories to increase business in recent years. Car and truck tires might be described as all-season, touring, performance or some combination of the three. Many owners are surprised that their family sedans come with larger wheels and performance tires, which can go faster and grip better and also cost plenty to replace. Gonzales said some customers suffer sticker shock when they see the price of new 16-inch Michelins. “It’s pretty amazing,” he said. “They say, `I just want the basic tire.’ That’s what it is.”
Most new-car buyers will immerse themselves in every detail of the buying process but never think once about the tires.
Q. What about performance tires?
A. Some people think of how long a tire will last when they hear the word performance, but in the industry, performance equals speed. When comparing tires, check out the speed ratings. They include: M (for a maximum speed of 81 m.p.h.); S (112 m.p.h.); T (118 m.p.h.) U (124 m.p.h.) H (130 m.p.h.); V, with no service description (more than 130 m.p.h.); V, with service description (149 m.p.h.); W (168 m.p.h.); and Z (more than 149 m.p.h.).
Besides matching the capabilities of the speedy Porsche or Mazda RX-7, performance tires can help the family car drive like a sportier model. But while they might better suit an aggressive driver, they’re often noisier, wear more quickly and reduce gas mileage. And, each performance tire is different, Brennan said.
Q. Where should I buy tires?
A. Buyers face a multitude of choices, from gas stations to tire stores to all-purpose automotive repair centers to department stores to warehouse or club stores. About half of buyers use tire shops. Mail-order tires is a growing business.
Q. How much should I pay?
A. That’s impossible to say. It depends on your vehicle and driving needs, the quality of tire you want and what kind of deal you can get. Check for sales and compare prices.
Tires can run up to $300 to $400. Gillis said a good rule of thumb is to pay 30 percent to 40 percent off suggested list price.
Q. What brand of tires should I buy? Can I mix and match brands?
A. It’s fine to mix and match brands, though it’s critical that you have the same size tire all around. More than 60 percent of drivers intend to purchase the same brand of tires that came with their car, according to J.D. Power and Associates, a research and consulting firm. Owners of luxury cars are the most tire-loyal.
In his book, Gillis writes that 12 manufacturers produce the more than 1,800 tire lines sold in the U.S. He suggests asking what manufacturer makes the off-brand you’re considering.
Though Gillis’ list of the top-rated tires includes familiar names such as Dunlop, Michelin and Pirelli, it also includes lesser-known brands such as Co-Op, Multi-Mile, Sigma, Star and Vogue.
