Tires are one of the least understood and most critical parts of our cars. So few of us know the differences between one tire and another, that we either end up buying the same brand of tire that came with our car or we get talked into some other brand by one of our friends or a salesman at the tire store.
To most of us all of the printing on the sides of our tires except the brand name, might as well be written in sanscrit. All those numbers, codes, ratings -- just what do they mean, except that some mean "more expensive". To decipher all this mumbo-jumbo we have provided the Sidewall School, for you to learn exactly what all that writing means.
(Source: Tire Industry Safety Council)
If you are thinking about buying a new set of tires, you MUST stop by AUTOPEDIA's Tire BBS, and check out what the actual owners of tires have to say about the various brands that you might be thinking of buying. You can ask for advice, post a question, complaint or warning, and maybe tell others of your personal experiences with a specific brand of tire. Contribute your two cents to the knowlege bank - you CAN make a difference!
You may also be interested in reading the Tire Opinion Survey. It's a compilation(a little long at 113K, and some of it is a little dated) of opinions and comments from hundreds of consumers who have purchased the various major brands of tires and have taken the time to respond to a survey conducted from 1989-1994 in the Usenet newsgroups on tires.
Even though this survey is slightly dated, it still gives you a background of the various major manufacturers of tires that provides some perspective of the company's current offerings. This survey was compiled by Jim Battan of Sequent Computer Systems in Beaverton, OR, and his efforts are to be applauded.