5 Helpful Tips in Choosing the Best Tires for your SUV
We all want affordable, reliable, and long-lasting tires for our own cars, right? Choosing the right tires for your car can surely impact your car’s everyday performance. Not to mention with our looming climate crisis, having fuel-efficient tires with attention to green manufacturing can have a long-term effect that will be good for the world and our children’s future.
Here are 5 tips to consider before buying the right tires for you and your car:
Do Your Research
When finding the best tire for your car, you want to consider a few things and do your due diligence in finding the best tire. You look at things like price points, durability, best value, and high performance. You can even look at blog articles or reviews to really find the tire that best suits yours and your car’s needs. A quick tip when searching, look at forums and independent review sites for the less biased opinions out there. As you know in any buying decision you make, you need to educate yourself in buying the right specific tire for your car.
Tire Size
The cost of fuel today is no joke so your tire size should greatly impact your decision when buying tires. Your tire size is totally dependent on the size of your car and its weight. Power and fuel efficiency are affected by transmission, tire size and axle ratios. This will also affect revolution per mile, so that is why tire size really matters. In relation to this, always make sure that you are maintaining proper tire pressure. Underinflated and overinflated tires will greatly affect proper rolling resistance. It is highly recommended to check tire inflation or pressure once a month.
Also, take note of the tire width. The more surface area there is, the more hold there is to the ground which increases its ability to maneuver and improve handling. Also note that you need to choose a tire with the right height as this can cause damage to your suspension system.
Type of Tires
You can start searching for the right tires for your lifestyle, the place where you live, and the places that you usually go to. Types of SUV tires include all-season tires, all-terrain tires, high-performance tires, snow tires, summer tires, winter and even off-road tires. If you travel a lot on rough terrain, then the best one to choose would be off-road tires.
All-season tires are built for comfort and smoother driving conditions such as highways. It has good traction which is made for all seasons. High-performance tires on the other hand have a higher speed rating and are geared towards performance but are still designed to support any weather condition. Knowing the right type of SUV tire to buy based on your personal travel and lifestyle is really one of the things to consider. It is also important you know how to read the numbers on your “Tire Sidewall”. The image below should help you decipher on how to read the best kinds of tires for you and your car.
Remember to double-check your car manual or perhaps confirming it with your local tire dealer will also help when you are selecting the tire size for your car.
Weather
The same as knowing the places you usually go to; you should also consider the weather you live in. You can live in mild climates, to extreme cold or hot and humid places. When the outside temperature is high, your tires take up more air volume whereas when compared to cold temperatures. Mainly, the temperature in your environment affects tire inflation. Tire inflation pressure drops or rises depending on the environment, which will then affect the rotation and rolling resistance. If the tires are underinflated you can lose control of steering, causing more friction which affects tire longevity and at the same time, it decreases gas efficiency.
Price Comparison
Last but not the least, you have probably selected the best brand and type of tire you need. One last thing to keep in mind is the price. Most expensive doesn’t necessarily translate to the best anymore. Now it really boils down to the best value for money. Buying the cheapest can cause issues such as durability – then it essentially becomes a waste of money. Buying the most expensive may not make the most sense depending on your tire needs, but it is always recommended to buy the best bang for your buck or best value. You want to look at tires that will give you longevity, safety, and most of all, what makes you comfortable while driving.
The most important takeaway here is safety. You need to ensure that you buy tires that will keep you and others out on the road safe.