Using A Tire Decision Guide

Tire shopping can be fun or daunting.  For car enthusiasts, new tires can mean better ride and handling.  For everyday drivers, it is an annoying task.  Either way, it is possible to balance performance and cost by making the right decision.  How do you make the right decision when there are nearly twenty tire brands for sale in the United States?

That question was posed to me last week by my friend Jill.  She has a 2006 Saturn VUE that needs tires, and wants a set that provide a comfortable ride.  Based on her past experience, she was shopping Michelin tires.  Michelin is a really good tire maker, but their tires can be expensive.  Jill wondered if there was a less expensive alternative, and since I like talking about tires she reached out to me for advice.

Related Article:  My Happy Place: The Tire Store

Tire Decision Guide

Picking tires can be difficult, which is why I turn to the experts for help.  Discount Tire, is my go-to expert on tires.  For a number of years, they have been advertising their Treadwell Tire Decision Guide for selecting the right tires for your vehicle.  It is very user-friendly and allows you to start your search by selecting the type of driving that you do.

Not everyone fits neatly into one of those three categories.  In fact, I find their three categories rather limiting.  That’s why I recommend using the “Customize Your Driver Type” option where you can prioritize your driving priorities. 

The Driver Types shown below can be sorted to change your priorities. For Jill, we made Comfort & Ride #1.

I used the Treadwell guide for my last four or five tire replacements, and was able to find the right tire for my needs.  For Jill, the Decision Guide recommended a model of Yokohama tires.  As it turns out, they have superior qualities to a similar Michelin tire and are $70 PER TIRE cheaper.  That’s a win-win in my book!

Final Thoughts & Questions

While I prefer Discount Tire to other tire sellers, several others offer a similar decision tool.  Tirerack.com has a nice tool as well.  If you have the time to compare them, you may find it helpful.

Please let me know if you have any questions or experience with other tire decision guides.