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Best Tire Values Rated by Consumer Reports 2024

Here’s the latest on car, SUV, and truck tires that deliver the best performance for your money according to a recent Consumer Reports’ analysis. Plus, how to significantly cut tire costs!
Best Tires for the Buck Per Consumer Reports

When it comes to tires, consumers expect all-weather grip, good handling, a long treadwear warranty, and quietness for their hard-earned money spent on tires. As such, shopping to meet your tire budget needs (and the needs of your vehicle) is not something to take lightly―tires can make a huge difference in your driving, riding experience, and the safety of your family and loved ones.

Related article: A Popular All-Terrain Tire is Recalled and What It Means to You

 However, is it easy to spend $800 or more on a new set of tires.

According to a recent Consumer Reports analysis of tires and what customers want:

 “Replacing tires is costly, but our analysis shows that taking the time to consult tire test results can identify the models that excel in the areas that matter most to you and present a good value,” says Ryan Pszczolkowski, Consumer Reports’ tire project leader.

In fact, according to CR’s newsletter, consumers can find savings in their tire selections just by going online in search of tire rebates or other deals.

 “… it’s common to find rebates from tire manufacturers, often around $100 off per set, just by going to their websites,” state CR analysts.

How Can I Save Money Buying Tires?

However, saving money when it comes to shopping for your new tires goes beyond looking for deals. In an earlier newsletter, CR analysts offered some particularly useful money-saving advice when it comes to preparing for your next new tire purchase with these following tips summarized for your convenience:

1. Tire Purchasing Drivers---CR analysts point out that when it comes to the driving factors of when car owners buy new tires, 55% buy them when the tires reach their normal wear and tear state; 18% buy replacement tires when problems such a flat, unusual noise, vibration or tread separation occur; and 17% buy replacement tires when premature/irregular wear occurs.

The importance of these numbers is that all cases of needing tire replacement can be delayed (making tires last longer) by:

  • Being aware of the treadwear estimate ratings of your tires.
  • Ensure proper tire inflation with checks at least monthly (but weekly is best) to help the tires to wear evenly.
  • Rotating the tires every 5,000 to 7,000 miles to ensure even wear of all four tires.

2. Choosing Your New Tires---A focus on performance over price is what the survey data revealed that many savvy tire shoppers rely on when it comes to tires:

  • Look at Overall Score ratings on tires from reputable sources such as Consumer Reports.
  • Spending extra on a higher rated tire leads to longer-term savings (provided the tires are maintained properly).
  • Surveys show that the Michelin brand is the most purchased brand among CR members.

3. Saving on Cost Tips---Tips that reduce your final tire replacement cost include:

  • Shop around before the need arises for new tires. Know what tire type you need (check your owner’s manual if you are not sure), make note of the pricing amongst tire dealers, and monitor it for any changes keeping an eye out for beginning of month deals and rebates.
  • Negotiate with your preferred or recommended dealer with price-matching. CR data shows that 67% of those shoppers who do this wound up saving an average of $100 on a full set of tires.
  • Look for perks. CR data shows that 80% of survey respondents got at least one perk included with the purchase. Of that 80% who received a perk, 51% got free tire balancing, 49% got free tire rotation, 46% got free tire mounting, and 35% got free tire disposal.

4. Don’t Overlook the Benefits of Road Hazard Protection---Road hazard protection is another potential perk you can ask for and possibly get; however, even if it not’s offered as a perk you may still want to consider it if (1) your tires are expensive, (2) the tires have short sidewalls, (3) you have a history of flat tires due to your driving needs, and (4) peace of mind. However, a stronger reason/factor is that added road hazard protection costs roughly only $50 more and the fact that CR data shows that, “A little more than a quarter (26 percent) of road-hazard/service contract warranties had actually been used when members were surveyed.”

 Best Tire Values 2024

Fortunately, the good folks at CR did your homework for you through extensive testing of a wide range of brands according to the best values in each major tire category, factoring price, predicted tread life based on their extensive tests, and calculated Overall Scores.

To make the info easier to evaluate and compare, CR analysts added a “Cost per 100 miles” category to each of the tire recommendations to help you choose the better buy for you.

That said, here is a summary of CR’s choices of recommended tires they found to excel in grip, comfort, noise, treadwear, and snow traction (where applicable).

BEST VALUED PERFORMANCE ALL-SEASON

  • Continental PureContact LS: Price $172 / Cost per 100 miles: 23 cents
  • Vredestein Quatrac Pro: Price: $155 / Cost per 100 miles: 24 cents

BEST VALUED ALL-SEASON SUV

  • Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3: Price: $229 / Cost per 100 miles: 27 cents
  • Michelin CrossClimate2: Price $260 / Cost per mile: 27 cents

BEST VALUED ULTRA-HIGH-PERFORMANCE ALL-SEASON

  • BFGoodrich G-force Comp-2 A/S Plus: Price $163 / Cost per 100 miles: 27 cents
  • Vredestein HyperTrac All Season: Price $169 / Cost per 100 miles: 28 cents

BEST VALUED ULTRA-HIGH-PERFORMANCE SUMMER

  • General G-Max RS: Price $150 / Cost per 100 miles: 43 cents
  • Michelin Pilot Sport 4s: Price $231 / Cost per 100 miles: 58 cents

BEST VALUED ALL-SEASON TRUCK

  • Continental TerrainContact H/T: Price $214 / Cost per 100 miles: 31 cents
  • General Grabber HTS60: Price $180 / Cost per 100 miles: 33 cents

BEST VALUED ALL-TERRAIN TRUCK

  • Michelin LTX A/T2: Price $283 / Cost per 100 miles: 35 cents
  •  Vredestein Pinza AT: Price $203 / Cost per 100 miles: 34 cents

 

Related article: When Car Owners Should Return Their New Tires

 

For additional articles related to tires, here are three recent useful picks for your consideration:

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on  “Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair” website, the Zen Mechanic blog and on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites  and Facebook for daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

COMING UP NEXT: Best Tires for Rain in 2024 Says Consumer Reports

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