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Best Tire Brands of 2025

Consumer Reports’ test results reveal which companies make the best-performing tires

By Jeff S. Bartlett

Updated January 1, 2025

Photo: Getty Images

There are significant performance differences among tire brands and models, particularly in grip and tread life, based on Consumer Reports’ extensive tire testing. 

“The best tires shine for impressive braking, handling, and hydroplaning resistance. For all-season and winter tires, snow traction and stopping on ice are important in our scores,” says Ryan Pszczolkowski, Consumer Reports’ tire program manager. “And the best brands are those whose tires consistently shine in those areas.”

To steer you in the right direction when choosing replacement tires, we analyzed the test results of more than 140 models to rate the 17 brands from which we tested four or more models. The final result is a brand ranking based on the average Overall Score for the tested tires.

“The top brands can be a great place for shoppers to start,” says Gordon Gingras, an automotive engineer at Consumer Reports. But he recommends checking with the specific tire ratings for the category because they reveal not only the best-performing model but also how tires perform in each test, so you can find the models that shine in the areas that matter most to you.

The tires we test come from these categories: all-season tires; ultra-high-performance (UHP) all-season and UHP summer tires; all-season SUV tires; all-season and all-terrain truck tires; winter/snow car and truck tires; and performance winter/snow tires.

We’ve spotlighted the top four brands and listed recommended tires from each across all the categories we test.

We do ice braking tests at a skating rink
Photo: John Powers/Consumer Reports

How CR Tests Tires

Our tests measure performance in braking, comfort, handling, hydroplaning (when water gets between the tire and the pavement), noise, snow traction, and other important areas. We test braking on ice at a local skating rink (shown above), and an outside lab assesses rolling resistance, which affects fuel economy. Plus, we evaluate tread life by driving thousands of miles on a road course in western Texas and use that information to predict tread life.

Combined, this extensive information can help you find the best tires from 30 tested brands, including BFGoodrich, Bridgestone, Continental, Cooper, Falken, Firestone, General, Goodyear, Hankook, Kumho, Michelin, Nexen, Nitto, Nokian, Pirelli, Sumitomo, Toyo, Uniroyal, Vredestein, and Yokohama.

A tire must excel at performance and safety in our tests to earn a Consumer Reports recommendation, a distinction noted in our dynamic ratings chart.

Tire Brand Report Card

2025 Consumer Reports. All rights reserved.

No. 1: Michelin. Score: 71

Michelin is at or near the top of most tire categories we test. Typically, its models offer a good mix of grip, handling, and long tread life. And even though Michelins are often among the most expensive tires, they tend to be a good value when factoring in performance and tread life. All nine tested models earn a CR recommendation. A standout is the Michelin CrossClimate2, an all-weather tire that provides winter traction without needing to be removed when snow season ends. It’s in the all-season SUV category, but it’s also suitable for cars. Other top-rated Michelin tires include the Defender2 all-season tire and the Pilot Sport All-Season 4 ultra-high-performance tire.

Michelin CrossClimate2
Photo: John Powers/Consumer Reports

Recommended Michelin Tires

• All-season: Defender2
• SUV all-season: CrossClimate2
• Truck all-terrain: LTX A/T 2
• UHP all-season: Pilot Sport All-Season 4
• UHP summer: Pilot Sport 4S
• Winter/snow: X-Ice Snow
• Performance winter/snow: Pilot Alpin PA4

No. 2: Continental. Score: 68

Continental tires often rank among the best, but not always, underscoring the value of checking the ratings for specific models. All seven tested Continentals earned a CR recommendation. The brand is particularly strong in truck tires, with the TerrainContact H/T being our top all-season truck tire and the TerrainContact A/T being the highest-rated all-terrain truck tire.

Continental TerrainContact H/T
Photo: John Powers/Consumer Reports

Recommended Continental Tires

• All-season: Continental TrueContact Tour 54
• SUV all-season: CrossContact LX25
• Truck all-season: TerrainContact H/T
• Truck all-terrain: TerrainContact A/T
• UHP all-season: ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus
• UHP summer: ExtremeContact Sport 02
• Winter/snow: VikingContact 7

No. 3: Vredestein. Score: 67

Although the name may not be familiar to many U.S. shoppers, Vredestein is among the world’s oldest tire manufacturers. This European company has been building tires for more than a century, and it shows. All six tested Vredestein models are recommended. In fact, Vredesteins typically rank in the top three of any category they compete in. Of particular note, the Wintrac Pro is a top-rated performance winter/snow tire for sporty vehicles, and the HiTrac is the second-rated all-season SUV. 

Vredestein HiTrac
Photo: John Powers/Consumer Reports

Recommended Vredestein Tires

• All-season: Quatrac Pro+
• SUV all-season: HiTrac
• Truck all-season: Pinza HT
• Truck all-terrain: Pinza AT
• UHP all-season: HyperTrac All Season
• Performance winter/snow: Wintrac Pro

No. 4: General. Score: 65

Founded in 1915, General Tire is now a division of Continental AG. In our tests, the brand has become synonymous with value. General models are typically stronger performers that deliver good value. We recommend five of the six tested tires from General, with the exception of the G-Max AS-05, a UHP all-season tire. A couple of stars are the Altimax Grabber HTS60 all-season truck and G-Max RS UHP summer tires. Both tires are among the tops in their category. 

General Altimax RT45
Photo: John Powers/Consumer Reports

Recommended General Tires

• All-season: Altimax RT45
• Truck all-season: Grabber HTS60
• UHP summer: G-Max RS
• Truck winter/snow: Grabber Arctic
• Winter/snow: Altimax Arctic 12