If your mission is to take your vehicle off-road, for example, and you’ve chosen a sub-standard brand of tires, a sharp rock could easily puncture a hole in the sidewall and your day is over. There is an incredible amount of research that goes into just the rubber compound of specific tires, long before any design considerations are made on how the tread works, how the belts overlap or how heavy duty the sidewall is.ĭepending on your usage, you could destroy a cheap set of tires in a day. Why bother spending more money on the best tire brands when you could save tons of money buying tires from some random hoops from the Dollar Store? Tires are all the same, right? Round, black and smelly. There are also a couple of specialty brands that specialize in tires that are top-shelf in that narrow field: In general, we always look to the following brands when we need to replace your tires: There really aren’t that many tire brands that might ring a bell when somebody mentions them to you, so it really narrows down the wide field of brands you should be thinking about. Getting the best tire deals is possible, if you do the research and go with a reputable brand. If somebody’s trying to talk you into a set of Riptide Ditchfinders from the gas station for a third what the same size Yokohama tire would cost, do yourself a favor and save your money. If we can offer one piece of advice, it’s to choose a tire brand you’ve heard of. If our Golden Wrench recommendations don't fit within your needs or budget, there are many reputable brands to choose from. Great for those who need real winter capability but don’t want to own two sets of tires.Owners of electrified vehicles report no meaningful loss of range. Based on over two years of testing by Car Talk this tire is a great replacement for any OEM all-season tire. Michelin employs its PIANO noise reduction tuning, which has a tread pattern that reduces airborne noise. In addition to specially formulated rubber, the tread pattern has steep angles that funnel water away from the contact patch to reduce hydroplaning and increase traction. It also has a three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) rating, something not found on every all season offering. It features a tread compound designed to handle dry, wet, and winter weather with rubber that stays flexible in low temperatures. The Michelin CrossClimate2 is an all-season grand touring tire that offers exceptional performance all year long. Take a look at our Golden Wrench winners for Best Tires below.

If we have tested a tire in our rankings, we point that out. Our Own Testing: While we cannot test every tire on the market, we can test the most popular and highly rated models to see if they live up to the hype. Performance: Car Talk looked at how tires from these particular brands performed in a variety of weather conditions. Tire Quality and Engineering: A tire brand’s overall quality and engineering or innovation influenced a consumer’s decision to purchase. Government Reporting: Statistics reported for safety and durability. Industry Professionals: Car Talk researchers performed a nation-wide survey of over 800 mechanics and industry professionals for their opinions. Car Talk researchers took an in-depth look into the tire industry.Ĭonsumer Satisfaction: Consumers provided data about what their experience was using tire models within each of these brands. Our Golden Wrench methodology is based on over 30 data points. We took tire rating a step further and launched our Golden Wrench Awards for excellence in the tires space.

The experts at Car Talk are serious about our top tire recommendations because your safety on the road depends on them. Quality tires are an important, significant investment for vehicle owner.

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