Tire

Evaluating Tire When Buying

Evaluating tire when you plan to buy a new set is an essential step especially if you plan to have tires that are pro-performance and durable. You should never fully entrust everything to you mechanic as this can be quite risky, not to mention that it locks you out from the many options available when you do the evaluating yourself. The job is not really that complicated once you have the right knowledge and it can be advantageous for you even for years to come. Being able to choose the best tires for your car makes the difference between a so-so driving experience and a great, smooth and comfortable one. And since you’ll be replacing your tires when they wear out, having the right knowledge on buying the right, or the best tires is very important.

Know your Needs


Before buying tires for your car, you have to know your needs. Details such as the kind of car you drive, how often you drive and what types of roads do you usually drive must also be considered when choosing your tires. Once you have the answers for these questions, you can proceed on more technical matters.

If you drive a compact car, it is expected that you go for passenger tires. A letter P on the tire’s sidewall means that the tire is meant to be used on passenger cars. There are also tires meant for long distance driving and have longer wearing capacity than the others so you must also be aware of the average distance you might drive. But if you are comfortable with your present tires, you can just replace them with identical tires. However, make sure that they match with the right specifications.

Tire Codes

There are a series of number that you can see on a tire’s sidewall. For instance, 205/55 R16 90 V, indicates that the tires is 205 mm in width, 55 is the profile of the tire, “R” means that the tire is the radial type, 16 indicates the tire’s internal diameter in inches, the 90 is for the rate of load that the tire can support and “V” for the speed.

It is very important that you get tires with consistent specifications with your car’s needs. Make sure that you know your load index to get tires which can support your car. It is okay to overestimate with this, but do not underestimate to avoid effects on driving and possible accidents.

Additionally, you have to understand the speed rating of your tires too. This will be based on the type of roads you take when driving –the city, highway or off-road. For those who regularly drive on the highway, it is also important to check the tires ability to dissipate heat. Right tread pattern is also one aspect to consider when evaluating tires to buy. Some treads are designed for wet surfaces and have better traction, there are also tires designed for winter which is winter tires and driving on snowy roads and some are made for off-road driving.


Evaluating tire is an easy task when you learn how to interpret the information you need. Everything you need to know about certain tires are written on the sidewall and when you know that those letters and numbers mean, you’ll find it a lot easier to choose the best tires for your car.