Tires

Part of our three-part series on tires, this report covers all-season and three-season tires for passenger cars and minivans. We also have a separate report on SUV and light-truck tires , as well as a report on snow tires , which includes winter tires for all vehicle types.

Consumer Reports conducts more comprehensive, rigorous tire tests than any other reviewer we found. Not content to blindly believe the treadwear ratings manufacturers list on tires' sidewalls, Consumer Reports performs accelerated wear tests on 83 tire models – all-season, performance all-season and ultra-high-performance summer and all-season -- to see how fast they really wear out. Road tests determine how well the tires handle on wet and dry roads (and wintry roads, for all-season tires), and testers evaluate the tires' ride comfort and noise. Consumer Reports evaluates one more thing that most reviewers don't: rolling resistance. Tires with low rolling resistance get better gas mileage.

A Canadian nonprofit association, the Automobile Protection Association, performs unbiased tests as well. The APA rates 39 all-season, performance and high-performance tires. We also found very recent road-test comparisons at The Tire Rack, a retail site, and at Which? Online. Although Which? is a British consumer testing organization, seven of its "Best Buy" picks are U.S. models from Michelin, Bridgestone and other top brands.

"All-season" is often a misnomer, as tire experts and consumers find when they try to drive the tires on snow and ice. Few all-season tires really perform well in winter-driving tests. Some perform worse than most in tests on ice and snow, including the otherwise highly rated Pirelli P Zero Nero M+S (*est. $125). In a recent Tire Rack comparison test on snow and ice involving four ultra-high-performance winter tires, the Pirelli finished last, even though it's considered an "all-season" tire. The other tires on test, including the top finishing Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season (*est. $130), performed better in winter conditions, though none was as good as a dedicated winter tire.

We found mixed reviews for other all-season tires in winter use as well, including the Hankook Ventus V4 ES H105 (*est. $150), Sumitomo HTR T4 (*est. $65), Toyo Proxes 4 (*est. $125) and the otherwise highly rated Yokohama Avid H4s (*est. $80) and V4s (*est. $90). Several owners posting to The Tire Rack's forum report they got the Firestone FR690 tires (*est. $80) as original equipment on their Honda Civics a few years ago, but were very disappointed in their performance on snow and ice.

Although most cars come with all-season tires, and 83 percent of the replacement tires sold are all-seasons, they can't match snow tires' grip on snow and ice, conclude editors at Consumer Reports and The Tire Rack. The Canadian Automobile Protection Association says all-season tires are the least expensive option, and "may provide adequate performance in winter when they are new." A few all-season tires perform better in tests on ice and snow, including the Continental ContiExtremeContact (*est. $80), Goodyear Assurance ComforTred (*est. $100) and Sumitomo HTR+ (*est. $60), although all of these sacrifice some performance on ordinary dry and wet roads.

Price estimates throughout this report are usually based on a 215/60R16 tire size, a popular size appropriate for such mid-sized cars as the 2008 Toyota Camry SE. For ultra-high-performance tires, we used a larger tire size of 225/55R16 (or similar) as the basis for estimates.

Speed ratings represent a tire's maximum sustainable speed. Lower speed ratings generally correspond to better ride quality and tread life, while higher ratings denote better handling and responsiveness, along with better heat resistance but shorter tread life. Historically, S-rated (112 mph) and T-rated (118 mph) all-season tires have been the most popular replacement tire for mainstream passenger cars and minivans. Recently, however, the trend is toward better handling, high-performance H-rated tires (discussed below). Standard S- and T-rated all-season models, however, strike a good balance between wet and dry performance, ride quality, price and product life. Many all-season tires have up to 100,000-mile treadwear warranties.

Standard all-season tires have overall good traction, especially in dry conditions, long treadwear and a comfortable ride. They lack the precise handling and grip of high-performance all-season tires. All-season tires usually come with S or T speed ratings. High-performance all-season tires are best for those who want better handling and grip without giving up too much comfort and wear. They carry speed ratings of H (130 mph) and V (149 mph). All-season tires can be used in mild to moderate winters, where snow is generally kept clear of roadways.

Ultra-high-performance tires are for those who want the best wet and dry braking and handling at the expense of tread life, but they are poor performers on ice and snow. Summer versions (ultra-high-performance summer and max-performance summer) are not appropriate for snow or ice. Most summer-specific models have no treadwear warranty at all. Ultra-high and max-performance tires have speed ratings of Y, W and Z (up to 186 mph).

 ... Continued (All-season tires)