There are a few things to consider when choosing the right tire for your vehicle. First, you need to know the size of the tire that will fit your car. Second, you need to decide what type of tire you need. All-season tires are a good choice for most driving conditions, but if you live in an area with a lot of snow, you may want to choose snow tires. Third, you need to decide how much you are willing to spend on tires. This blog will delve into different tire types explained to help you choose the correct tire option for your car.
Tire Types for Different Conditions
Depending on where you live, you may want to consider different tire types depending on the weather conditions. Below are the main types of tires broken up by their features and what type of weather conditions you would use these tires in.
- All-season tires: All-season tires are great if you live in an area that experiences dry, wet, and snowy roads. These tires are considered the most versatile with their intended purpose to maneuver all types of terrain and different types of temperature conditions. An example of all-season tires is touring tires which generally have all the same qualities as all-season tires plus better handling.
- Winter tires: Winter tires are designed specifically to stay soft and provide traction in freezing temperatures. If you are looking for winter tires, you can compare different brands and customer ratings to find the right tire for your vehicle here.
- Summer Tires: Summer tires are great if you do not live somewhere that gets snow or much rain. These tires have great handling on dry roads but do not deliver as much traction control as all-season or winter tires.
The tire you buy matters. Tires have an impact on all aspects of driving including steering, traction control, and handling. It is important to decipher what type of tire you need for your weather conditions as the first step in buying tires.
When to Change Your Tires
If you are unsure whether your tired need changed, there are numerous things to look for that will indicate you need new tires. The first thing to look for is the tread on your tire. After a certain distance of driving, your tire tread will wear off. The safety standard for tire treads in the United States requires the tread to be 2/32 inches deep. If your tread is below that standard, you will strongly want to consider getting new tires. You can test your tread by using the Penny Test which will determine if your tread is too low on your tire. You can also inspect the sidewall of the tire to look for damage or wear on that portion of the tire. You can take your car to a professional for them to look over the quality of your tires, or you can evaluate them yourself. This guide is something you can follow when checking your tires.
Finding the Right Size Tire for your Vehicle
On top of finding a high-performance tire, you need to ensure you are getting the correct tire size for your car. Putting the wrong-sized tire on your car can impact many aspects of your driving experience including reduced performance quality, incorrect dashboard readings, and a higher risk of an accident. Most vehicles have information about what size tire is needed for the car located in the car's doorjamb or in your vehicle owner's manual. Each tire has a string of letters and numbers which states the vehicle type, width, aspect ratio, construction, RIM diameter, load index, and speed rating of the tire. You can use this information when replacing your tires to ensure you get the right-sized tire for your vehicle. If you would like more in-depth information about tire sizing Bridgestone provides a lot of information in this article.
(Tire sizing by Bridgestone via https://www.bridgestoneamericas.com/en/company/safety/choosing-tires/determining-tire-size)
What Tire Brands Should You Consider
When choosing the right tire you will want to take into account the longevity, steering, handling, and traction control among many other things. When looking for high-performance tires one of the best resources to use is customer reviews and ratings. Overall the most well-known and highly-rated tire brands are Michelin tires, Goodyear, and Bridgestone. This article has ranked the top tire brands and tire types by comparing consumer satisfaction, industry professionals, government reporting, tire quality and engineering, and performance. The price of the tires is also an important factor when choosing the right tire for your vehicle, but it is recommended to not go for the cheaper options when buying new tires.
Where to Buy New Tires
There are many tire shops and local mechanic shops that can sell and equip your vehicle with new tires. There are shops like Discount Tire and Big O Tires that have a wide selection of different brands and deals on tires. You can also shop for new tires at warehouses if you have a membership at shops like Costco or Sam's Club. You can search for these types of shops near you to find where you can purchase new tires for your vehicle. If you purchase a tire from a chain shop you may have to replace your tires yourself or go to a shop to have a professional change your tires for you. If you visit a local shop, there are usually employees who can change your tires for you which is a nice advantage and can be a time saver. You can view this article that breaks down tire shops to help get a better idea of which shop would work best for you in your journey to purchasing new tires.