UTQG has been part of the tire industry since 1978. It was designed to create a tire manufacturing standard brands had to follow. But, is it still relevant today?
Tire technology has come a long way in the 4+ decades. Yet, some things do not change. UTQG ratings are still alive and kicking to this day and many drivers place their trust in them.
Are they wrong to do so? How to read UTQG rating? What do treadwear numbers mean exactly?
Learn this and everything you need to know about tire UTQG ratings today!
The uniform tire quality grading, or UTQG tire rating for short, was developed by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This uniform tire quality grade creates a standard that drivers can use to determine the estimated durability and longevity of each tire.
Tire UTQG ratings show the treadwear grades, the temperature ratings, and the traction rating on tires. In other words, it shows the predicted tread life on tires, their durability in warm temperatures, and their braking capabilities. Simply put, the treadwear, traction, and temperature ratings provide an estimate of the tire's quality.
The UTQG treadwear grade is not as reliable as it seems. This is due to manufacturers being allowed to self-report ratings and the tire treadwear rating testing being limited. But, how exactly are treadwear grades determined then?
The tire wear rating testing is the same from brand to brand. In testing facilities, the tires the brand wants to test are mounted on special vehicles. They are driven for 7,200 miles and are compared against a tire control group. As the control tire is assigned a treadwear rating of 100, the test tire treadwear rating is then determined by how much longer the tested tires last.
However, tire brands can "manipulate" these test results. Manufacturers can freely select their control tires, so the base tire may greatly differ between brands. Compare UTQG ratings in this manner and you don't need to choose tires with the same or similar compound blends (and we all know compounds play a huge role in a tire's longevity).
Find the uniform tire quality grade (UTQG) rating printed on the sidewall of the tire. The UTQG on tires shows the tire's tread wear grade, tire heat ratings, and tire traction ratings. However, if you absolutely cannot locate this tire rating system on your tire, it is possible your tires belong to a category that does not come with the uniform tire quality grade rating.
The tire UTQG chart will give you insight into treadwear, traction, and temperature. Thanks to the ratings for service life, braking capability, and temperature resistance tires can be categorized for their quality.
However, the tire ratings system only gives you an estimate and often it only gives a basis for tire quality comparisons. Typically people believe that the highest UTQG rating indicates that the tires are of better quality, but that is not always the case.
Let's start with the first part of the uniform tire quality grade system and discuss "What is tire treadwear rating?"
The treadwear number on a tire is an estimation of how long tire tread life will last. The tire tread wear rating, unlike the tire hardness ratings and traction grades, is portrayed by a number. The treadwear "letter" is between 100-1000.
If we want the treadwear rating explained, the simplified version would be this. Models with a 400-tire tread rating will last twice as long as 200 treadwear tires.
This is the frequency of each tread grade manufactured or, in other words, a treadwear mileage chart:
Based on the UTQG quality grade, the higher the treadwear ratings on tires the better. While many outside factors will affect the tire's service life, the tread grade scale still provides a good starting point.
Currently, the highest treadwear rating found on the US market is 1000. Yet, this is a rarity. Low-tread wear tires are more readily available for purchase. So, what does the treadwear rating mean in everyday applications?
The answer to "What is a good treadwear grade for tires?" will depend on you and your driving frequency. For drivers who do not use their vehicle that often, the UTQG treadwear rating scale will not play a huge role when deciding which tires to purchase. However, if your car is in frequent use, aiming for higher UTQG tire grades for treadwear would be ideal.
While not even the best UTQG-rating tires can be completely trusted, the tire tread wear ratings guide is actually quite straightforward.
To estimate a tread life based on treadwear ratings, you will need to multiply the number by 1000. Therefore, based on simple math, a 400-rated tire should last for 40,000 miles. But, that's not always the case.
Previously we have mentioned how tire manufacturers can bend the uniform tire quality grade standards to their benefit. This is mostly true for the tire tire grading system when it comes to tread life.
Tires get their UTQG treadwear number in a controlled environment. Sadly, this often means that outside factors that shorten their longevity are not looked at when determining treadwear grades. As drivers, we need to know when to replace tires to ensure our driving safety. (No, the treadwear indicator is not the only way.)
The UTQG traction rating indicates the traction a tire provides on wet roads. In other words, how good their braking capability and performance are in such conditions. A tire's traction is measured by the force it needs to stop the vehicle on wet pavement when driving in a straight line.
Tire traction and temperature ratings are portrayed by letter. Traction AA tires are the best on the UTQG tire rating scale. Tire traction A is the next one, followed by B and C. Based on this, AA traction is better than traction A rating, while B and C are on the lower end.
Keep in mind that traction varies with your tire condition, road surface, and driving habits. Just because a tire evaluation rates a model AA on the tire performance grade, outside factors can still lessen its braking capability.
No tire UTQg ratings guide is complete without mentioning tire temperature ratings. It is also known as the tire compound rating. If we want to define UTQG temperature grades, we can simplify it as the tire's ability to resist heat or pressure accumulation, which determines its speed durability.
UTQG grades for temperature range from A to C. Tire temperature A means the model can handle speeds above 115 mph. When looking at tire temperature rating a vs b, the difference is not that great.
This is especially true in modern times, as most passenger vehicles come with tires exceeding the temperature A tire speed requirement.
After having traction, temperature, and tire treadwear ratings explained, we can confidently say that they serve a good purpose. But, drivers should not always need the best UTQG tires.
Sometimes, cheap tires with lower UTQG ratings will work ideally for drivers. It all depends on your vehicle's needs. High treadwear tires are perfect for commuters, yet they will be an exaggeration for weekend vehicles. The same goes for the difference between drivers with aggressive and leisurely driving styles.
In other words, what a good UTQG rating is will depend on multiple factors.
When looking at average drivers with average driving styles and driving times, yes, UTQG ratings are reliable. However, if the temperature, traction, and treadwear letters and numbers can lie.
No, it's actually too harsh to say that they are lying. It's more like the UTQG ratings only provide estimates and any deviation from the average will result in versatile outcomes. So, if the treadwear ratings state the tire will last about 60,000 miles and you are an aggressive driver, don't be surprised the tires wear out prematurely. Still, the reverse is also true.
If you wish to know how long a tire will last, don't look at its treadwear grade. It will not give you the information you are looking for. While the UTQG treadwear rating matters, as it gives an estimate, its numbers are not set in stone.
To make an educated guess about the longevity of certain tires, check their treadwear warranty. Most manufacturers offer different types of warranties with their tires, from mileage to workmanship warranties. These will provide you with a better option and will cover prematurely worn tires - as long as you keep up with tire maintenance.
Yes, non-UTQG tires exist. The reality is that manufacturers do not need to test tire categories. Well, not some of them at least.
This tire labeling system is not suitable for all tire categories. UTQG grades are not given for specific tires, including special trailer, winter, light truck, and different non-passenger car tires, as well as all tires with 12" or lower rim diameters.
The higher the tread wear rating of a tire, the 1000, is extremely rare. Only a few models are available on the US market with this number. Therefore, this is considered to be the best treadwear rating consumers will be able to find.
The UTQG temperature rating shows the pressure accumulation resistance of a tire during its performance. An A temperature rating on tires indicates that the tire can safely perform above 115 mph. Temperature A tires offer good heat resistance, which allows their footprint to stay cooler longer.
The traction grade indicates how well the tire will stop on wet roads. Traction A tires offer relatively good performance as only AA-rated tires are considered to be better than them, based on this specification.
By multiplying the treadwear rating of a tire by 100, you can get its estimated tread life length. A 600 treadwear rating indicates that the tire is good for 60,000 miles. However, this is just an estimate as driving styles and road conditions can greatly shorten a tire's service life.
The best among the UTQG tire traction grades is AA. This is the highest tire quality grading available for traction, which is followed by A, B, and C. This means that an AA tire will offer a shorter braking distance compared to other traction grades.
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