What factors should you consider when selecting tires for your vehicle?

All terrain isn’t “ALL” terrain. Put more accurately: water is not terrain. Do not expect big tires to turn your SUV into an amphibious assault vehicle and try to ford standing water. Use your head. Be safe.

An additional thing to note on summer tires in the winter. No tire manufacturer will recommend running summer tires in the winter as the tire compound is much stiffer in comparison to a soft winter tire. The risk of loss of traction or a failure of the tire is much higher as the temperature drops. This is why some vehicle owners will switch between their winter and summer sets of wheels/tires as the seasons change, or stick with a solid all season setup.

Remember that tires are part of a whole system which allow drivers a good handling and safe driving, when a vehicle fits a type of tire is because the manufacturar has designed the suspension, wheels, etc to work together with this type of tires. So, check which type of tires are allowed by the manufacturers, most manufacturers choose all-terrain tires to cover most of the needs of the customers, however it could have more options. According to weather and terrain, you can choose a different type of tire to enhance the behavior of your vehicle such as grip, braking distance, noise, resistance, etc. It's recommended to look for advice from experts, they'll help you the find the best tire according to your needs and vehicle requirements.

The key words here are “standardized test.” If you drive like a mental patient (or an autocrosser), the wear rating won’t matter much.

Evaluating tire ratings is very important, but be careful about what type of tire you're looking for. For example, we can find tires with high load indexes which can stand heavy weights, however, some of them are designed to be used only in commercial vehicles in the rear traction axle and it's not recommended to fit them in the front axle for steering. Similar happen with treadwear rating, think in friction, the more fiction the more wear and grip; for a long-last tires, manufacturers use hard rubber compounds which less adherence with the pave, a good example is in Formula 1 with the white tires "best long lasting" and poorer grip and red tires "best grip" and less lasting. So, check these ratings wihout forget the use in your car.

Also high performance tyres are available with a standard sidewall or an extra load sidewall for heavier vehicles. And you need to be aware which tyres are specified for your car. Extra load tyres in general offer better feedback to the driver. While the standard sidewall is more vague. They tend to offer slightly better wet handling as they are more compliant with the road surface.

Run flats will make your car ride terribly. Quieter tires will not hug the road like softer tires. Every tire choice is a compromise.

Every manufacturer offers features in their tires depending on use and vehicles, and this is part of the know-how and challenge of each brand to be the best option for you. Some of these features help in fuel consumption, grip, endurance and more, but take care, some are opposite between them; for instance, many brands look to offer aesthetic and good looking tread patterns to catch customers, however some of these beautifil patterns mean louder tires or with poorer land sea ratio which means worser performance under wet conditions. Most companies invest millions in R&D and they can give you a datasheet for each reference with their own features and advantages and disavantages. Don't forget to ask for it and check which is best for you

Also, assuming you are running the type and size tire that you vehicle came with. The tire pressures you should be running are listed usually on the door jam of the drivers door. If you have altered the tire/wheel from the OEM then you are going to have to find the correct setup for your situation. The maximum tire pressure on the tire sidewall is almost never the correct tire pressure you should be running.

Maintenance is vital to ensure a safe driving, tire long lasting and of course to get the best performance of your tire. So check the air pressure frequently and keep it in the value recommended by the manufacturer neither below nor above, most of the vehicles come with air pressure sensors in the tires helping you to care them. Also, make inspections every trip, looking for signs or damage and checking the wear by looking at the treadwear indicators, these are small squares located in the grooves, once the treadwear reach the squares, it means is time to change the tire.

Don’t cheap out on tires. Read that again. If you CAN afford better tires, buy the better tires. There is nothing worse than witnessing the aftermath of an accident that could have been prevented by paying $80 more for a set of tires.

Remember your needs and vehicle requirements, it not make sense buy an expensive tire designed to run at high speeds if you are always driving at low speeds. However, keep in mind that tires are part of the safety systems of the vehicles, so make a good decision looking for a good price without forget the use and required performance. The price is linked to the features, study them and check which of them are worth for you, you can have unmovable features and others that you can dismiss, it will help you to make a budget. I've always started with the safety: grip and land-sea ratio, after those features the limit is the sky.

When selecting tires for your vehicle: Climate- Can't have summer tires in snowy area. Driving habits- Consider how you drive as a factor. Harder tires can last longer. Vehicle type- There is a right tool for the right job. All in all, consider what your needs are and base it off of that.

Remember above all else, tires are the first point of contact between the vehicle you are driving and the road. This is why others have mentioned how vital it is to ensure you pick the best option that aligns with the needs of your vehicle and budget.

Assuming all tires to choose from, have a +- equal quality. A. Good road conditions (flat smooth road surface) / high speed with not frequent stops: 1. Highest possible outer radius of the tires to achieve the maximum possible speed 2. Lowest possible tire height (= highest possible disk radius) to maximize tire response to steering wheel inputs 3. Special tire tread for raining conditions. 4. Other factors B. Bad road conditions (off road) / low speed: 1. Highest possible tire height (= lowest possible disk radius) to have extra "springing" and ability to increase contact spots (with road surface) by reducing tire pressure 2. All terrain tire tread 3. Highest possible tire radius to get the highest road clearance 4. Other factors

Tires are a master piece of engineering and companies invest millions in R&D every year, testing new materiales, shapes and even mind-blowing concepts like the airless tires. There are many variables, so don't forget to check the recommendations of the manufacturers and your needs to make the best decision.