Tires That Last the Longest

Consumer Reports conducts its own tests so that you can accurately compare treadwear across brands and tire types. We put tires through rigorous on-road evaluations, with testers driving on them 1,000 miles per day for 16 days. The service life of the tires—when the tread is worn down to 2/32 of an inch—is predicted based on measured wear. These projections, provided in our ratings, are based on proper tire maintenance. Of course, your results will also depend on how you drive, where you drive, what you drive, how you maintain your vehicle, plus your luck with avoiding flat tires. (Winter/snow tires, which use more pliable, faster-wearing rubber that stays grippy in cold weather, are not tested for treadwear.)

What our tests show: The lifespan of tires varies widely. Some tires will last 45,000 miles, while others in the same category can go for 100,000 miles. What makes one tire last twice as long as another is often a matter of materials. As with winter/snow tires, performance tires for sports and luxury cars are made from rubber compounds with exceptional traction and responsiveness—traits that inherently lead them to wear down more quickly than conventional all-season tires. Long-lasting, high-treadwear tires—ones that don’t make you sacrifice other qualities like grip and ride comfort—are typically made by blending expensive materials such as silica and a petroleum product called carbon black into the rubber. That chemistry, along with highly engineered tread patterns, helps the tires wear down more slowly.

These tires do cost more to produce and, consequently, to purchase—expect to pay $25 to $50 more per tire than you would for typical tires. Nevertheless, CR’s testing shows that spending more up front can be a better overall value.

For example, we paid $254 per tire for the top-rated Michelin CrossClimate2 all-season tires for the 18-inch size we tested, which our results project to last 95,000 miles for a cost of 26.7 cents per mile. Compare that with $184 per tire for the second-ranked Vredestein HiTrac, which we predict to last for 60,000 miles for a cost of 30.7 cents per mile. That extra 35,000 miles of life makes the higher price of the Michelin tires worth it over the lifetime of the tire.

To help you find a set of tires that will give you excellent overall performance along with long-term value, we’ve translated our test results into a dynamic ratings chart that is searchable by vehicle, tire size, tire type, and brand. To find a long-lasting tire for your vehicle, scan the recommended models your preferred category—such as all-season or all-season SUV—by scrolling to the right in the ratings. Tested Tread Life is listed there along with the specs. Of course, full details for each tire is available on its model page.