The Best Affordable Tires for College Students

Tires are probably not high on a college student’s list of priorities, at least until they become a problem. With budget being a principal concern for students, many will defer tire replacement or choose bottom-of-the-barrel options hoping to scrape by.

But college students should have safe, reliable, and affordable tires too. Many students are frequent commuters or dorm far from home where family help may be further away.

There’s good news: tire manufacturing has improved so much that even value-priced tire options offer excellent performance and safety features. And students aren’t just restricted to budget brands – premium brands may have a higher upfront cost but will last longer and require fewer replacements (i.e. saving money long term). They also tend to go on sale much more frequently!

We’ve come up with a list of the best affordable tires for college students that get the job done well.

You can also check out our list of affordable tire brands and best budget tires for more ideas!

CROSSOVER TIRES

Midsize crossovers (CUVs) offer decent gas mileage with more cargo and legroom compared to the traditional sedan, making them an increasingly popular student vehicle. They’re also small enough to make navigating campus and tight parking spaces easier.

Students should aim for tires that offer reliable traction (with all-season or all-weather tires being the most versatile), a safe and comfortable ride, and long-lasting tread life.

The Arizonian Silver Edition All Season is an excellent place to start (and perhaps end) for your crossover. Packed with high-end features but without the matching price tag, the silica-enhanced tread makes this an all-star performer with a long-lasting service life and responsive handling.

Features include:

• Excellent traction in dry or wet conditions

• 60,000-mile warranty

• Wide range of available sizes for both sedans, CUVs and some SUVs

• Low noise tread pattern

• Precision steering via a wide center rib

• America's Tire exclusive option!

If you want to stick with value brand tires for your crossover, the Phantom C-Sport should pique your interest. Also an America's Tire exclusive option, it delivers all-season confidence and long-wearing performance for your crossover or small SUV without breaking your budget. It features:

• 3D interlocking sipes add biting edges for strong traction

• Asymmetrical tread for controlled highway handling

• V-channel water grooves for boosted wet condition grip

• Computer optimized noise-cancelling tread pattern with shoulder groove noise dam tech

• 50,000-mile treadwear warranty

If your budget has a little more room and you’re able to afford a more premium tire, then we recommend the Michelin Defender LTX M/S2. Higher “tier” tires come with an increased cost but tend to last longer than value tires, offer higher mileage warranties, go on sale more frequently, and give confidence with their big name brand manufacturer.

The Defender LTX M/S2, the successor to a very popular previous model, offers ultimate performance for your crossover, SUV, and even your pickup truck. It’s built to offer a luxurious, long-lived ride with excellent traction and a robust design to handle heavy, torque-happy vehicles, including your EV! Features include:

• Michelin’s EverTread 2.0 for extended service and abrasion resistance

• EV compatible!

• Piano Acoustic Tuning smooths out tread disturbances and reduces energy peaks

• Sipe Lock Technology bites into water and snow for upped grip

• Enhanced cornering, braking, and accelerating via 3D siping

• 50-70,000-mile warranty

BEST ALL-SEASON SEDAN TIRES

Small sedans are great for cramped campus life. Their fuel-efficiency and short turning radius also mean they’re economical and easy to maintain. Plus, they’re fun to drive. We see tons of Honda Civics, Toyota Corollas and Mazda 3s in our bays!

Sedan tires are usually smaller so they tend to be cheaper than larger vehicles. Students should focus on reliability, tread life, and seasonal considerations–especially if they live in a winter region.

You can’t go wrong with the Falken Pro G5 A/S, one of our most popular all-season tires for sedans. It comes in a wide range of available fitments, great for everything from your Ford Fusion to your BMW 128i and everything in between. It blends an all-season and performance oriented tread in a value package that you could swear was a premium tier tire. Customers are enthusiastic in its praises, specifically the comfort, longevity, and seasonal traction. Its features include:

• Confident performance in summer and winter via specialized tread compound

• Forceful traction and handling in wet conditions

• Responsive steering and confident highway performance

• 60,000-mile warranty

If efficiency is your main concern (perhaps you have a long commute?), then check out the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max. This tire helps you get the most out of your ride, and includes a wide range of fitments for cars, crossovers, and even vans. Goodyear testing has found that, due to the special tread compound that reduces energy and fuel consumption, they saved over 2,500 miles over the lifespan of four tires!

And you’re not only saving money on gas, but you're also investing in priceless all-season reliability. Features to note are:

• Enhanced dry handling via inboard and outboard Dry Tread Zones

• Central Wet Zone with Dual Aquachannel grooves for wet performance

• Even treadwear and consistent traction in dry and light snow thanks to continuous notched center ribs and circumferential shoulder grooves

• 65,000-mile treadwear warranty

If you’d like something a little sportier, check out the America's Tire exclusive Yokohama YK-GTX. This all-season commuter tire is one of our most popular tires across the country thanks to its high levels of performance, traction, and longevity. Built upon the extremely capable YK-740 tire, the all-season grip, high-end comfort, and spiffy handling offers winning results.

Customers often tell us they feel like they’re driving a luxury car with a set of these equipped! Other great features include:

• New advanced high-resin based oil compound to boost tread life

• Optimized square contact patch for amazing all-season traction, even wear, and increased service life

• High speed handling and dry performance via closed outside shoulder ribs

• High silica compound with wide spaced grooves yields excellent hydroplane and wear resistance

• Tread profile resists deformation for more control

• Comfortable, quiet ride from multi-pitch tread design and closed outside shoulders

• 70,000-mile warranty

AFFORDABLE HYBRID & EV TIRES

As more and more electric models become available on the market, it will become more common to see students driving and owning them. Their low maintenance schedule and operating costs make them an attractive and eco-friendly option, especially in warmer regions.

(EV tires vs regular tires? Find out the difference.)

You can check out our blog on the best tires for electric vehicles for some ideas, but we’ve listed a few affordable options here too. Keep in mind that electric vehicles don’t need special tires, but you’ll see better performance with EV compatible tires.

The Road Hugger GTP AS/02 answers this nicely with the added bonus of snappy steering response, improved tread life, and excellent wet and winter traction. Road Hugger didn’t forget about dry condition driving, either. It comes in a range of sizes to fit many popular hybrid and electric models.

Our customers love this value option, often coming back to order a full or replacement set when they need a switch. Did we mention it’s an America's Tire exclusive? It also boasts:

• Sporty asymmetric tread pattern for balanced handling, all-season grip, and comfort

• Long-wearing tread compound with abrasion resistance

• Zig-zag all-weather siping for sharp steering and wet, ice, and snow traction

• Convex contact patch yields improved ride comfort and reduced harsh impacts

• Low rolling resistance via latest polymer and silica tread blend for gas and range savings

• DSP carcass allows for responsive and precise handling

• Computer void balancing improves treadwear and grip

• 60,000-mile warranty

If you’re able to open your budget up to a higher tier tire, we recommend the Continental ControlContact Sport SRS+. All of Continental’s tires are designed with electric vehicles in mind and with regular promotions and sales, these tires can be the high-end performance perk your electric ride needs.

Blending stellar performance with comfortable fuel savings, the ControlContact Sport SRS+ is an appealing option for your Tesla Model 3 or Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid. Rain, shine, or light snow, it’s an excellent all around option for many drivers.

Features include:

• Two-ply reinforced sidewall construction for quick maneuverability

• Four wide circumferential grooves for hydrophobic grip on wet roads

• Easy-to-read wear indicators for simple maintenance

• America's Tire exclusive option

• Wide outer shoulder blocks for excellent steering and cornering control

• Controlled and linear drive via wide semi-solid center rib

• 50,000-mile warranty

For a robust higher end option that will save you frequent tire replacements in the future, we present the Michelin Defender 2. Scoring top marks in all categories, the Defender 2 unseats its predecessor as the most popular all-season tire from Michelin. Strong, long wearing, quiet, a gigantic warranty, and with impressive dry and wet capabilities, it’s easy to see why it’s a popular choice. It comes in a huge range of sizes, too, to fit sedans, crossovers, vans, and trucks.

Features include:

• SipeLock™ tech provides hundreds of biting edges for surefooted grip

• MaxTouch 2.0 for computer specific performance for each tire size

• EverTread 2.0 utilizes ultra-long life tread compounds for extended service

• Shorter dry and wet stopping distances than previous models

• Piano™ Acoustic Tuning technology for a smooth, quiet ride

• Enormous 80,000-mile warranty

If you like Michelin brand tires and want another option, check out the LTX M/S2, which is also EV compatible!

TIRE MAINTENANCE TIPS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

Keep your tires in service safely for as long as possible with regular maintenance. Tire safety and maintenance are vital in keeping you and your tires healthy! Remember: prevention is the best cure.

Some quick numbers to keep in mind:

• Rotate tires every 6,000 miles

• Check air pressure every 30 days

• Inspect your tires before every trip/every day

• Replace your tires when they’re at 4/32’’ or after 6 years

There are tons of tire safety myths out there, too, and we’ve taken pains to correct them. Check out our tire safety page to learn more about your tires, such as correct air pressure.

America's Tire holds safety above all else. We offer tire repair services to get you back on the road with confidence. If your tire can’t be safely repaired, we’ll suggest other options.

We strongly encourage all customers to consider adding our Certificates to their tire purchase. Certificates are our industry-leading tire protection coverage like no other. If we can’t safely repair your tire that’s damaged due to a road hazard or manufacturer defect, we’ll give you a new tire for free or a full refund.

Don’t worry, we’re here when you need us.

Ready to roll?

Ready to roll with your new tires? If you’re still unsure what tire is best for you, or want more options, we recommend you start with Treadwell. Our easy to use personalized tire buying guide can match you with the best tires for you, your vehicle, and your region.

If you still need help, drop by or make an appointment. We’ll get you taken care of with the best tire for you and your ride. Buy and book online to save time in-store!

For more information on this and other tire and wheel services, check out our YouTube Channel or reach out to us on X, Facebook and Instagram.