Choosing the Best Tire

Founded in 1912 by George F. Armstrong, the Armstrong tire company became the fifth-largest tire maker in the world by the 1960s. Pirelli bought the company in the late 1980s. It was acquired in 2012 by Zafco, a global tire manufacturer that also owns the Accelera, Forceum, and Zeetex brands.

Based in Tokyo, Bridgestone is one of the three largest tire manufacturers in the world. Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations has its headquarters in Nashville, Tenn. The corporation manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Dayton, Firestone, and Fuzion tires, as well as other brands. It supplies tires for most applications in the U.S. Bridgestone is a pioneer in winter/snow tires and currently makes a dedicated replacement run-flat tire line called DriveGuard.

Continental is in a distant fourth place in North American and global sales, behind Goodyear, Bridgestone, and Michelin. Still, it offers a full complement of original and replacement tires. Continental, based in Germany, is a top automotive supplier of brake systems and various vehicle components, in addition to tires. The U.S. tire operations have headquarters in Lancaster County, S.C. The company sells the Continental and General tire brands.

With origins going back to the early 20th century, Cooper is among the world’s top 10 tire makers, and it is owned by Goodyear. Based in Findlay, Ohio, Cooper Tires offers a full array of tires, including the Avon, Cooper, Mastercraft, and Starfire brands. Cooper tires are most often sold by independent dealers; they can also be found online.

Firestone was founded by Harvey Samuel Firestone in 1900. The company was a major supplier to the Ford Motor Company for decades through Harvey’s friendship with Henry Ford. But the relationship between the companies ended in 2001 with the infamous recall of Firestone Wilderness ATX and AT tires used on Ford Explorers. In 1988, Firestone was sold to Japan-based Bridgestone, and it continues to be a major brand in the original-equipment and replacement-tire markets.

Goodyear claims to be the best-selling tire maker in North America, and it is one of the leading tire manufacturers in the world. Based in Akron, Ohio, Goodyear is a major supplier of original and replacement tires and sells tires for most applications. Founded in 1898, Goodyear owns the Cooper, Dunlop, and Kelly brands of tires sold in the U.S.

A French company, Michelin has its North American headquarters in Greenville, S.C. As a global tire maker, it offers tires for almost all applications. In North America, it owns the BFGoodrich and Uniroyal brands. Founded in 1891, Michelin first introduced the radial tire, and the company continues to be a pioneer in tire technologies. Michelin tires generally perform impressively in our all-weather tests, and many models offer low rolling resistance and long tread life.

Started in the early 1960s to support motorsports, Mickey Thompson tires were first to market with numerous innovations, including 50-, 60-, and 70-series sizes and numerous street-legal drag slicks and high-speed tires for cars and motorcycles. The brand was acquired by Goodyear in 2021, when the corporation purchased Cooper.

Founded in 1949, Nitto shares facilities and some technology with Toyo. The brand caters to car and truck enthusiasts. Tire lines focus on ultra-high-performance tires, and tires for pickups and SUVs.

ChemChina has a controlling interest in famed Italian brand Pirelli. The company currently has a U.S. manufacturing plant in Rome, Ga. Pirelli caters to the high-end market, with its tires commonly found on luxury and sports cars. It has a stronger presence in Europe than in the U.S., and yet Pirelli offers a full line of replacement tire models to fit most cars and light trucks sold in North America. It is an original-equipment supplier to domestic car manufacturers on selected car models.

Riken Gomu Industry was founded in 1917 as a science research organization. It began producing tires in 1956 under the Riken name. In 1992, the tire brand was acquired by Michelin. Today, it offers tires for cars, SUVs, and light trucks.

Founded in 2002, Sailun is a global tire company; its Sailun Tire Americas division has engineering, sales, and marketing headquarters in Toronto. Its products are manufactured in China and Vietnam.

Qingdao Sentury Tire Co. was established in 2009 as a maker of car, commercial truck, and aircraft tires. Sentury Tire USA has five brands: Delinte, GroundSpeed, Landsail, Pantera, and Sentury. The Sentury-branded tires are sold exclusively through Discount Tire and America’s Tire locations, and they are manufactured in Thailand. 

Started in Japan, Toyo has had a formal presence in the U.S. since 1966. The company offers a full line of tires to fit family cars, sports cars, luxury cars, and light-duty pickups and SUVs. A U.S. factory resides in Bartow County, Ga.

Yokohama is a Japanese company with a global presence. Its North American headquarters are in Southern California. Targeting performance enthusiasts, Yokohama tires place emphasis on handling and dry and wet grip. Its tires reflect this focus in our testing.