Best Performance Tires for Dry Pavement According to Consumer Reports

by Gabrielle DeSantis on October 8, 2020

There is a lot that goes into making a performance tire worth your money. You don’t just have to opt for the most expensive tires for your car, but chances are if you drive a sports car or performance-oriented car, you care at least a little bit about what tires you have. You want to get the best tires that you can without sacrificing performance, but you may not want to break your budget.

Performance testing

There is a lot of testing that Consumer Reports conducts in order to rate tires. In varies slightly depending on what kind of tires they are and the climates they are designed to work best in. They compiled a list of some of the best performance tires, all of them varying in prices and types from all-season to snow and winter season tires.

Truck tires sit on display during a car and truck show — Tires sit on display during a car and truck show | T.J. Kirkpatrick/Bloomberg via Getty Images

How they stack up

There are several factors that are taken into account when testing out tires. While your car’s braking system is important, the tires you have can make a big difference in braking performance. You want your tires to work well with your braking system to safely and efficiently bring you to a stop in the shortest distance possible.

It is also important to take into consideration how the tires feel while driving. If you have tires that perform well and brake quickly, chances are you will still pass on them if they ruin your ride quality. Most people assume that the car’s suspension is what’s mostly responsible for a car’s ride quality, but tires are also very important.

A blue 2020 Dodge Challenger drifts at the track — 2020 Dodge Challenger | FCA

So what was the verdict?

On the list Consumer Reports rating, the chose one tire for each category: all-season, all-season truck, all-season SUV, performance all-season, ultra-high performance all-season tires, summer, winter/snow, performance winter/snow, and all-terrain. While there were a few other brands sprinkled into the mix, the overall winner was Michelin for several different types of tires.

Drifter in a parking lot — People ride with a driver drifting a car around track at the BMW Ultimate Driving Experience exhibit during CES in Las Vegas, Nevada | Photo credit should read DAVID MCNEW/AFP via Getty Images

Of course, your specific car and driving style should be taken into account when picking out new tires. Tire size and type can make a big difference with price, and there can be some good options that aren’t name brand. When it comes to dry pavement, you want to optimize your performance ability, and any performance driver will tell you that tires really do make a difference.