Best Value Tires: Cost Per Mile Wins Over Sticker Price

Nobody likes dropping serious cash on tires, but here's the thing - buying the cheapest rubber you can find usually ends up costing more when those bargain tires burn out after 20,000 miles.

Consumer Reports just figured out which tires give drivers the most bang for their buck by looking at cost per mile instead of just sticker price. Turns out, some pricier tires actually work out cheaper over time.

The Winners That Won't Break the Bank

For Regular Cars

The Michelin Defender2 comes out on top at 20 cents per 100 miles. Sure, it's not the cheapest tire on the shelf, but it'll keep rolling long enough to make up for that higher price tag. Can't swing the Michelin? The Hankook Kinergy XP is pretty solid too at 22 cents per 100 miles.

SUV Drivers Have Options 

Two tires tie at 27 cents per 100 miles here. The Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3 costs less upfront at $229 per tire, while the Michelin CrossClimate2 costs more but lasts longer and scored better in testing. Pick your poison.

Sports Car Folks

All-season performance tires are actually a thing now (and they don't suck). The Vredestein HyperTrac works great in wet weather and costs about 28 cents per 100 miles. The BFGoodrich G-force Comp-2 A/S plus also hits 28 cents per 100 miles but handles better on dry roads.

Summer Performance Junkies

Yeah, these cost more per mile, but that's the price of going fast. The General G-Max RS at around $150 each works out to 43 cents per 100 miles - not terrible for performance rubber. Want the good stuff? The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S costs 57 cents per 100 miles but performs way better.

Truck Owners

Continental TerrainContact H/T runs 31 cents per 100 miles and does everything most truck drivers need. The General Grabber HTS60 costs a bit more at 33 cents per 100 miles but stays under $200 per tire.

Need to hit the trails? The Vredestein Pinza AT all-terrain costs 35 cents per 100 miles and handles off-road duty without too much road noise. The Michelin LTX A/T2 costs nearly $300 per tire but only runs 36 cents per 100 miles and outlasts pretty much everything else.

Don't just look at the price tag. Do the math on cost per mile and those "expensive" tires might actually save money.