Choosing the Right Tire

There are a lot of factors to consider when buying new tires, but these questions will help you find the right tires for you and your vehicle:

• When should I replace my tires?

• What tires does my vehicle need?

• What tires are best for my driving style?

• What weather conditions do I drive in?

• What's my tire budget?

When should I replace my tires?

Because tires have such a significant impact on driving safety, it's important to know when to replace them. Two of the most important considerations are tread depth and tire age.

Your tire's tread depth directly impacts your vehicle's ability to stop. Tires have reached the end of their service life at 2/32'' of tread. That said, even before that time, your tires may already be underperforming. Studies show that tires with 4/32nds of tread or less require more distance to stop, especially when roads are wet. They also have a higher risk of hydroplaning.

Your safety will always be our number one consideration. That's why we recommend replacing your tires when they reach 4/32nds of tread.

In snowy driving conditions, tires lose traction even sooner: at 6/32'' of tread or less, they have significantly less traction compared to when new. That means less grip for braking, accelerating and handling in wintry conditions. Come wintertime, if your tires are worn to 6/32'' of tread or less, you should consider replacing them.

Make sure your tires are ready before you hit the road by checking your tread depth.

When it comes to replacing your tires, you should also consider the age of your tires. Tire age is important because the different kinds of materials used in tire manufacturing break down over time.

We recommend replacing tires that are 6 years or more past the date of manufacture. For your safety, we won't service a tire that exceeds 10 years of age.

This is consistent with minimum industry guidelines, which suggest having your tires inspected every year once they're 6 years of age, and removing them from service when they reach 10 years.

We provide many free tire services, including tire safety inspections. One of our friendly tire technicians will check your tire's tread depth and age, and will inspect for physical warning signs of aging.

Schedule a Tire Inspection

How your tires are used, the climate you live in and how your tires are maintained play a big part in how long they last. If your tires are low on tread or past six years of age, you should consider replacing them.

What tires does my vehicle need?

Vehicles today are designed with safety at the forefront, and they each have their own unique specs. When replacing your tires, be sure to consider the minimum requirements for your vehicle.

While your first thought might be the tire size that your vehicle needs (and yes, that's very important), there are a couple of other considerations to keep in mind.

Your tire's load index, or how much weight the tire can safely support, is critical for vehicle safety. Only install tires that meet or exceed the load index required for your ride.

Tire speed rating is another important consideration. The speed rating not only determines your vehicle's top operating speed, it also impacts your ride's handling capabilities.

To maintain your vehicle's original handling attributes, replacement tires should match the speed rating of the OE tires. Not replacing all four tires? Match the speed rating of the tire(s) not being replaced. Otherwise, your vehicle's handling and stopping capabilities can be impacted.

What tires are best for my driving style?

The type of driver you are, the kind of ride you want and how long you expect your tires to last are all big factors in getting the right tires for you.

With this in mind, you should consider what type of driving you do.

Do you enjoy hugging the corners, or do you like to set your cruise control and stay in the same lane? From city cruising to logging long-distance highway miles, from staying on the pavement to tearing it up off-road, knowing how and where you drive will help you determine the right tire for your needs.

Say for example that you and a friend both drive a 2011 Honda Accord EX, which comes with 225/50R17 tires. This size opens up a lot of optional tire types. Let's say you like to drive for thrills. An ultra-high-performance tire is what you need. But your friend prefers taking it slow on long road trips. For them, a long-lasting all-season tire may be the best choice.

Learn About Tire Types

What weather conditions do I drive in?

You'll find that tires have different characteristics that perform better or worse depending on the climate. This means where you live and the weather you regularly tackle are important factors when picking out the right tires.

In drier climates, winter traction may not be a concern. But when it rains, oil deposits rise to the top, decreasing traction significantly, so tires that can handle wet weather are a good idea.

In cold weather climates where the temperature is often below 45 degrees, you may want to consider two sets of tires. Winter tires will provide a huge advantage in these conditions, even when compared to the best all-season tires.

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What's my tire budget?

Another important consideration is value. With your budget in mind, it's a good idea to look at cost over time, rather than cost up front.

Higher quality tires can be a significantly better value when you consider their increased safety, improved handling and ride quality, as well as cost per mile. In the long run, it can actually be less expensive to purchase a higher quality tire.

And as always, you can count on us to have the lowest prices on the biggest inventory of tires in the industry.

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There you have it; with a few basic questions, you can sort out which tires are best suited for your needs.

Still feeling a little overwhelmed by all the options? We've put together a few simple tools to make the process of buying tires and wheels online easy and fun. Just check out Treadwell, our tire decision guide, to find the right tires for your needs.