New Tires

"Like a Rock." Chevy's full-size pickup keeps on trucking. The truck has evolved through the years, but one thing remains the same: dependability. Loyal owners hold on to their truck for many years, even through multiple sets of tires. Is it time to look for new tires for your Silverado?

If you're in the market for a new set, It's hard to go wrong with Michelin. That's why the Michelin LTX M/S2 is my favorite Highway All-Season tire for the Silverado. Besides its excellent ride qualities, including low noise and a comfortable ride, the LTX M/S2 has great all-season traction. The tire is also offered with a dependable 70,000-mile treadlife warranty.

Are you looking for a more aggressive tire? Take a look at the On-/Off-Road All-Terrain Firestone Destination A/T. This tire has been the top-rated option in the category for many years. The Destination A/T looks good while providing great off-road traction. It is tied or at the top of several performance ratings in the category, including:

• Hydroplaning resistance
• Wet traction
• Cornering stability
• Dry traction
• Steering response
• Ride comfort
• Noise comfort

One of the best value options for your Silverado is the Yokohama Geolandar H/T-S G051. It provides a combination of comfort, handling and year-round traction, even in light snow. With over 28 million miles reported, the tire continues to stay in the the top ten of our Tire Survey Results.

Michelin LTX M/S2

Firestone Destination A/T

Yokohama Geolandar H/T-S G051

Shop by vehicle to view all tire options available for your Chevrolet Silverado.

What's all the buzz about the new Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus?

For years, Bridgestone had a top-rated tire with its line of luxury touring tires, the Turanza Serenity. When we last tested one of these tires, it resulted in a virtual tie with the Michelin Primacy MXV4. If this particular Michelin tire is one you're considering, read "Michelin Primacy MXV4 Tires Installed on My Crossover" for more information.

In today's fast paced competitive tire market, products are constantly being improved. Enter the new "Plus" version of the tire, simply called the  Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus. This new version features improved wear, ride and grip levels which have contributed to its rise to the top of our Tire Survey Results in the Grand Touring All-Season category.

This category of tire is perfect for drivers looking for a blend of dry and wet grip, light snow traction, long wear and a very quiet ride. In these areas, the Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus really delivers, especially considering it comes with a treadwear warranty of 50,000-80,000 miles depending on the speed rating. The tires also mold a silica percentage reinforced, Long Link Carbon Black tread compound into an asymmetric design featuring Resonance Noise Attenuated (RENOA) silencer grooves designed to reduce acoustic tones.

To see if the Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus is a fit for you application, shop by vehicle.

General is a great brand that offers terrific value and has been a subsidiary of Continental Tire for many years. Often, when I talk to customers about their products, I am asked what's the difference between General's AltiMAX HP and AltiMAX RT?

The AltiMAX HP is General's flagship Grand Touring All-Season tire. This tire will offer a slightly more comfortable ride, have better handling and responsiveness, as well as offer a little bit better winter traction over the AltiMAX RT. They are offered with a 55,000-mile treadlife warranty for the H-speed rated version and a 40,000-mile treadlife warranty for the V-speed rated version. AltiMAX HP tires feature General's Replacement Tire Monitor (RTM) branding. Similar in purpose to federally mandated treadwear bars required to run across the tread pattern, RTM consists of the words "Replacement Tire Monitor" branded into the center rib of new tires. As the tires wear down to 2/32" of remaining tread depth (the legal minimum in most states), the visible branding reads "Replace Tire" to confirm the tires need to be replaced based on wear.

General's AltiMAX RT is a Standard Touring All-Season tire. The primary advantage to this tire is its treadlife. It's offered with a 70,000-mile treadlife warranty and is only available in a T-speed rating. Some drivers prefer this tire as it is made in some smaller and hard-to-find sizes.

General AltiMAX HP

General AltiMAX RT

Research all General tires available for your vehicle and see if one is right for how and where you drive.

Buy your vehicle and hold onto it for as long as possible. That's typically the best way to get the most out of your car and budget. Obviously, you'll need to maintain and take care of it as best you can.

If your vehicle originally came with chrome wheels and you live in snow country, one challenge you'll probably face is peeling chrome. Eventually this peeling chrome will prevent your wheels from properly sealing against the tire beads. One way of fixing this is by having an installer clean the wheel and use a bead sealant to reduce or eliminate the air loss.

If leaks persist to the point you're still adding air to your tires every morning, then it's time to replace your wheels. A great option to consider is a set of Sport Edition F7 wheels. This five-spoke wheel is available in both a 16" and 17" rim diameter. Sport Edition wheels combine quality, style and price to offer an exceptional value. Using the latest production standards, Sport Edition wheels complement the appearance of many popular vehicles.

Not only could new wheels fix your leaking problem, but your vehicle will look better, too!

If you need to find out how old your current tires are, start by reading its Tire Identification Number (often referred to as the tire’s serial number). Unlike vehicle identification numbers (VINs), Tire Identification Numbers are actually production codes that identify the week and year the tire was manufactured. 

Since 2000, the week and year the tire was produced has been provided by the last four digits of the Tire Identification Number. The first two digits being used to identify the week, while the last two digits tell the year.

Example of a tire manufactured since 2000 with the current Tire Identification Number format:

Tire Identification Numbers for tires produced prior to 2000 were based on the assumption that tires would not be in service for ten years. While they were required to provide the same information as today’s tires, the week and year the tire was produced was contained in the last three digits. The first two digits were used to identify the week a tire was manufactured, immediately followed by a single digit to identify the year.

While a tire might look like it has quite a bit of life left in it based on a visual inspection of the sidewalls and tread depth, it's important to keep the age of the tire in mind when considering the best time to replace your tires. For help on determining when the right time is to start shopping for new tires, read "When Should I Replace My Tires?"

Two of the most recognizable and respected brands in the industry are Michelin and Goodyear. Both brands have their fans, both brands have their detractors, but ask any sampling of people in the United States to name a couple of tire brands and Goodyear and Michelin will probably dominate the responses. A common question that we receive is: "Which brand is better?" The answer depends on the tire category and the specific needs of the driver, but I'll try to give an overview by comparing the top tires from each brand by category. This comparison focuses on categories for cars.

Category: Passenger All-Season

Contenders: Goodyear Assurance TripleTred All-Season vs. Michelin Energy Saver A/S

Verdict: The Goodyear has the advantage in bad weather traction. Michelin's Energy Saver A/S optimizes rolling resistance to slightly enhance fuel economy. Both have very good treadwear and rate well in our customer surveys, but the Goodyear is currently higher. Two strong contenders, however the Goodyear wins with superior traction in bad weather.

Category: Standard Touring All-Season

Contenders: Goodyear (none) vs. Michelin Defender

Verdict: No contest here as Michelin has the number one tire in the class and Goodyear has no entry. Michelin wins by default. Goodyear would need a heroic new entry to unseat the current king of this class.

Category: Grand Touring All-Season

Contenders: Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring vs. Michelin Primacy MXV4

Verdict: These two tires are both excellent entries into the category. I've driven both of these and prefer the Michelin, which also has slightly higher survey results over a larger number of miles. This round goes to Michelin.

Category: High Performance All-Season

Contenders: Goodyear Eagle GT vs. Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S

Verdict: The Eagle GT is solid but the Pilot Exalto A/S remains one of the best all-around tires in the category. It blends ride, handling and traction in a wide variety of conditions. The Pilot Exalto A/S takes this round for Michelin as well.

Category: Ultra High Performance All-Season

Contenders: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric All-Season vs. Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus

Verdict: These tires are both right in the top tier of the category. We have not tested them directly against one another, and the Goodyear is relatively new. Both earned similar results against other tires in the category in tests one year apart. This one is too close to call.

Category: Max Performance Summer

Contenders: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 vs. Michelin Pilot Super Sport

Verdict: This is an excellent match-up of two of the newest and stickiest tires in the Max Performance Summer category. The Michelin won their head-to-head test, and having done some of the driving for the test, I agree with the results. Honorable mention to the Goodyear, which is an excellent tire in its own right, but the Pilot Super Sport is the class of the field right now.

Category: Extreme Performance Summer

Contenders: Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar G: 2 vs. Michelin (none)

Verdict: Goodyear makes the Supercar G: 2 in very few sizes, but does enough to take the category unopposed. Any tire that looks this cool merits some points in a brand shoot by virtue of the halo effect it brings to the brand:

Roundup:

• Goodyear wins two categories: Passenger All-Season and Extreme Performance Summer.
• Michelin wins four categories: Standard Touring All-Season, Grand Touring All-Season, High Performance All Season and Max Performance Summer.

Whether you're a Goodyear or Michelin fan, both brands provide great options. Choose the tire from the brand you like that best suits how and where you drive.