It's important to note that there's not one tire that's the absolute best tire. The tire that's best for someone who likes performance driving is quite different from the tire that's best for someone who is more focused on family road trips. It's not about finding the best car tires, but about finding the best car tires for your vehicle and how you drive.
All-season tires are a popular choice because they eliminate the need to swap tires as the seasons change. They can handle dry, wet or snowy roads and maintain traction through a wide range of temperatures. If you drive in severe snow situations, then it's a good idea to get a winter tire as well. If you have a performance car with high-speed driving in your future, then there's a tire for that, too.
We picked tires for a variety of needs from performance to leisure and a variety of road conditions from dry and sunny to snowy. In addition to considering various road conditions and driving styles, we looked at customer feedback and spoke with tire experts when pulling this list together. After you've sifted through our tire buying guide, make sure to read on afterwards for helpful shopping tips and tire care tips to keep your rubber in top shape.
Our pick for best car tire overall is an all-season choice from Michelin that delivers good performance in a variety of weather conditions. This includes wintry roads with the three-peak mountain snowflake on the sidewall to indicate that it's rated for snow and ice. The CrossClimate2 received high ratings from consumers at Tire Rack including top marks for comfort and treadwear. Especially in a car tire, passenger comfort is a priority, and this tire delivers by providing a smooth ride with a minimum of noise. We like this tire because of its all-season capability that includes winter weather combined with its overall ride quality.
The tread is molded into a V formation to achieve strong traction on wet, dry or snowy roads with a pattern that whisks water away from the contact patch. It's also designed to reduce noise for improved passenger comfort. Additionally, its rubber compound is thermally adaptive to maintain the right flexibility no matter how hot or cold the current temperature. The CrossClimate2 is suited to cars, crossovers and even SUVs and has a six-year or 60,000-mile tread life warranty.
Our runner-up best car tire overall pick is a grand touring all-season tire from Continental. This PureContact LS tire gets high marks from customers for both its performance in a variety of conditions and its comfort. We like this tire for its ability to handle wet, dry and lightly snowy roads combined with its ride quality. It's a great choice for those who want a comfortable ride on long commutes or who have plans for road trips in their future.
The composition of the PureContact LS includes temperature-activated polymers that reduce tire wear with a tread pattern that delivers good lateral grip at highway speeds. There's also an underlay beneath the tread to help reduce vibration, which improves handling for the driver and the ride quality for passengers. Additives within the rubber compound help with traction in slippery conditions and there are circumferential channels to reduce the risk of hydroplaning.
If you're fortunate enough to have no real budget, then this Michelin tire is a great choice. The Primacy Tour A/S is a premium all-season grand touring tire that is well-reviewed by customers. It's particularly good on wet or dry roads while also providing good traction in light snow. It puts a priority on ride comfort with excellent ratings in this area as well as high ratings for its lack of noise. This premium tire is notable for its balanced performance and excellent ride quality.
That ride quality is due in part to an asymmetric tread designed for quiet, making it ideal for luxury cars. It has wide shoulder blocks for better handling and a combination of grooved ribs to pull water away from the contact patch. Two internal steel belts provide stability while a polyamide reinforcement improves handling at highway speeds. A six-year or 55,000-mile tread life warranty is included with these Michelin tires.
