Articles on Select The Best Tire for The Job, car maintenance, repairs, engines, transmissions, drive trains, tires, wheels, exhaust, air conditioning, tune-ups, suspension and brakes. For The Job Tire needs are affected by the number of miles driven, the type of roads and terrain and whether those roads are snow-covered in the winter, he said. Just focusing on one or two tire features, such as low price or long wear, can prevent an honest evaluation. Rather, they should look for a tire with balance, one that performs well in the dry and wet and yet achieves excellent wear.
Consumer research indicates tire buyers' top priority is treadlife, just ahead of wet traction.
Still, most want long-wearing tires. Most tires are a compromise between wear and traction, according to Sam Landers, Goodyear's chief engineer of passenger tires. An 80,000-mile tire usually delivers less traction and a harsher ride than those designed for 60,000 miles. Harder compounds are used in tires to increase treadlife.