5 Goodyear Tires With The Best Treadwear Ratings

Tires can affect many aspects of a vehicle's behavior, from its performance on and off the road to its efficiency and comfort. Picking the right tires is, therefore, an important task, but it can be tricky when there are so many different makes and models to choose from. If possible, it's nearly always advisable to avoid buying cheap tires and stick with tires from a well-known, well-rated brand. Goodyear is one of many major tire brands, but it sticks out from the crowd thanks to its wide range of tire models and high number of well-reviewed models.

Selecting a tire that performs well in the conditions you'll be driving in is important for your safety, but a tire's longevity is also important — especially for your wallet. Thankfully, comparing the treadwear and expected durability of different tire models is a straightforward process thanks to the UTQG rating system developed by the NHTSA.

The UTQG system's grades feature a number followed by two letters, with the number being the tire's treadwear rating. A higher number should translate into a tire that wears less quickly. What classes as a class-leading treadwear rating can vary significantly between tire types, with performance tires usually wearing out faster and all-season tires often lasting longer. These five Goodyear tires are all among the brand's top-rated for treadwear, each one suited to a different type of driver and use.

Goodyear offers a range of tire models with low rolling resistance that are designed to improve fuel efficiency, and the Assurance CS FuelMax model has the highest treadwear rating among them. Its UTQG grade of 600 A B relays three key areas of information, with 600 referring to the tire's treadwear. To calculate the treadwear rating, tire manufacturers test how long the tire can last in comparison to a control tire in highway conditions. A 600-rated tire should last six times longer than the control tire.

The two letters in the grade refer to the tire's traction rating and temperature stress rating, respectively. The Assurance CS FuelMax earned an A rating for traction, which is just below the top AA grade. Confusingly, temperature grades do not have an AA rating, and are instead measured between A and C. As such, the Assurance CS FuelMax again achieved a second-from-top rating.

Those ratings are competitive, if not class-leading, but the real appeal of the Assurance CS FuelMax tires is their fuel efficiency. According to Goodyear, they can save up to 2,600 miles of gas over the life of a set of tires compared to less-efficient rivals. The brand offers a 65,000-mile limited warranty for the first six years after purchase.

While all-terrain tires might not be the best choice for drivers who spend most of their time on the highway, they're a great all-rounder tire for anyone who frequently drives on both asphalt and unpaved roads. The all-terrain Goodyear tire with the highest treadwear rating is the Wrangler Outbound AT, which sports a UTQG grade of 680 A B. Like every tire here, Goodyear offers a mileage warranty on the Wrangler Outbound AT. The brand backs the tires for 65,000 miles or six years, whichever comes first.

Goodyear also has a 60-day guarantee, and anyone who isn't satisfied within that period can swap their tires for a different Goodyear model. However, it's unlikely that buyers will find themselves unsatisfied with the tires, since they're designed to withstand the rigors of off-road trails as well as remain comfortable on the road. Goodyear constructs these tires with a layer of Kevlar for additional puncture resistance, while the sidewalls use the brand's Durawall compound, which can also be found in its construction and quarry vehicle tires.

Using summer tires all year round won't cut it for drivers who have to deal with ice and snow. A set of basic all-season tires is a slightly better option, but the best option for drivers who want to keep the same tires on their car is to use tires with a 3PMSF rating. It's easy to spot which tires are 3PMSF rated, since they all feature a three-peak mountain symbol with a snowflake in the center.

These tires are guaranteed by their manufacturers to offer better grip in slippery conditions, and many also boast high treadwear ratings. Within Goodyear's 3PMSF tire range, drivers can expect the longest tread life out of the Assurance WeatherReady 2. The brand guarantees the tire for 60,000 miles or six years, and will replace it under warranty if it doesn't meet that standard. It has a UTQG grade of 700 A A, meaning its traction levels are consistently high according to Goodyear's testing, and its temperature stress resistance rating is top of the class.

While the Assurance WeatherReady 2 is the latest version of the tire, the older Assurance WeatherReady model is still a valid option. It's graded identically to its newer sibling and has the same warranty as well.

It isn't quite Goodyear's most durable tire, but the Wrangler Steadfast HT gets pretty close and is still among the longest-lasting tires on the market. Goodyear offers a 70,000-mile or six-year warranty, which should last quite a while given that the average American driver covers around 13,500 miles annually. The tire is graded 800 A B, with one-below-best ratings for both traction and temperature stress resistance, and its integrated wear gauge means that it'll be easy to keep an eye on its tread wear with a simple visual check.

While the Wrangler Steadfast HT is an all-season tire, it isn't an all-terrain tire like the Wrangler Outbound AT. Instead, it's primarily designed for covering miles on the road, although its Kevlar-reinforced tread means that it'll handle broken, potholed roads better than a budget all-season rival. Goodyear also claims that the Wrangler Steadfast HT's deep grooves improve its wet-weather performance.

For ultimate tire longevity, the appropriately named Assurance MaxLife2 tire is Goodyear's top-rated model. It's offered with an 85,000-mile warranty, just like its predecessor, the Assurance MaxLife. Goodyear says that this all-season tire is targeted towards commuters who need to rack up miles on the highway in all weather conditions. The tire is available in a broad range of sizes, with each one achieving an 820 A B grade.

Plenty of other brands offer tires with an 80,000-mile warranty, but Goodyear's 85,000-mile warranty is a bit less common. It's the longest warranty that Goodyear offers for any tire in its current American-market range, although it isn't the longest such guarantee on the market. Korean tire maker Hankook offers a warranty of up to 90,000 miles on its Kinergy PT tires, while several of its other models, such as the EV-focused Ion HT and Kinergy XP, offer reasonably long warranties that compete with (and occasionally outclass) their closest Goodyear competitors.