Most Satisfying Tire Brands
CR's exclusive survey covers brands from Arizonian to Yokohama
There are substantial differences between the most and least satisfying tire brands, according to our recent study of almost 40,000 sets of tires bought by Consumer Reports members over the past four years. This is true when comparing brands overall, and it is also the case when looking at brand rankings among four popular tire categories.
The common thread: Tires that live up to their promise of performance or longevity tend to have higher satisfaction ratings—much like we’ve seen from our surveys on car owner satisfaction. And this means that tire shoppers would be wise to purchase based on test results, rather than rely on brand reputation. (See our Top Pick Tires.)
Satisfaction Highlights
• All-season tires are by far the most popular type of tire. In this survey, 85 percent of CR members who purchased tires bought all-season tires.
• Just two of the 27 all-season brands we rated claimed our highest satisfaction rating.
• In total, three brands had above-average satisfaction: Michelin, Vredestein, and Continental. Significantly, seven brands were rated well-below average.
• The all-terrain tire category was judged to be more satisfying, with eight of 23 brands found by owners to have well-above-average satisfaction.
• At 11 brands, the summer tires category sees most brands come in with an average rating. Just three brands were shown to be below average.
• Satisfaction was widely distributed among the winter/snow tire category, with four brands rated in the highest tier and four in the lowest.
Satisfaction vs. Test Scores
Many of these satisfaction ratings align with our test findings. It’s no surprise: Well-performing products tend to satisfy. However, there are other considerations. Satisfaction may be influenced by perceived value and whether the product fulfills a marketing promise—elements that aren’t part of our tests. And there is the reality that almost any new tire, whose installation includes proper suspension alignment and wheel balancing, is certain to be an improvement over the worn-out tires being replaced. (The one notable exception is that rolling resistance can improve as a tire wears.)
For these reasons, it is not surprising that CR members were more satisfied with their all-terrain, winter/snow, and summer tires than all-season tires. All-weather tires, a form of all-season tires with winter/snow capability, were the most satisfying overall. This emerging segment provides the convenience of all-season tires, with added winter traction denoted by a snowflake-mountain symbol on the sidewall, without the trade-offs and rapid wear common among dedicated winter/snow tires.
The rating for some specialty brands can be better understood when looking beyond their satisfaction scores. Tires that focus on a particular niche, such as off-roading or value, may be seen as more satisfying for fulfilling their specific advertised mission—but that doesn’t mean they provide balanced, all-around performance.
“The satisfaction ratings provide added color to our test findings,” explains Gordon Gingras, an automotive engineer at Consumer Reports. Gingras recommends that shoppers start with the Overall Score when making their tire selections, because that represents the complete synthesis of CR’s test and survey findings, then prioritize factors that matter most based on driving needs.
The tire brands we list below are presented in order of how they rate for overall owner satisfaction, starting with the top-rated brands. Detailed test results can be found on the tire model pages.
