Will an 80,000 mile auto tire really go 80,000 miles?

It all depends on how you treat them. Do you rotate them with every oil change? Do you always keep them at the correct pressure? Is your car aligned properly? Do you brake too hard?

All of these things will affect the longevity of your tires.

With perfect roads and driving style, yes.

There are so many variables to the answer. In short, it’s possible, but rare. I usually get about 90% of the rated mileage before I decide it’s just not worth the risk to continue running them.

Depends on how the tire is used, the terrain it travels on and the driver. Make sure you read all the fine print in a warranty if that is what you are talking about.

Not usually. Dependant on the conditions you drive on a daily basis.

I always put top of the line tires on my car, the last 80,000 mile tire lasted 3 years or around 45–50k . But..I live in mountainious terrain, lots of curvy roads, gravel roads, driveways, uneven pavement.

I go through tires and brakes at a faster rate than the average city driver.

Yeah,The spare tire if you don’t use it !!

Mine didn’t. They lasted 50,000 miles and like you, I got a credit for the part that I didn’t get. Driving conditions vary as do drivers. Makes it hard to say that everyone will get 80,000.

Maybe an astricks * should be added to the mileage guarantee. I wouldn’t expect a full 80,000 miles though.

Depends on how you use them.
They will not even last a fraction of that distance if you thrash them around a racetrack. Or do excessive burnouts.

The mileage guarantees are marketing gimmicks.. . . my rule of thumb when it comes to tires is that they should be replaced every 3 or 4 years depending on the quality of the rubber and the environment you drive the tires on. So, if you average 10,000 miles a year, you shouldn’t get anything rated in excess of 40,000, it will be a waste of money.

I once purchased a set of 40,000 mile tires with an extended warranty on them. After a couple of months I had a puncture in the sidewall (covered under the warranty) and had to replace the tire. They were only going to give me 25% toward the next purchase. I pitched a hissy fit and asked if their product was so inadaquate as to lose 75% of it’s tread in the first two months? They gave me the new tire at no charge. He did explain to me that the way you drive will determine the life of your tires, but I think an 80,000 mile guarantee should mean that you get 80,000 miles worth of wear.

@Exhausted without knowing how many miles you had put on those tires in the 2 months you’ve used them wouldn’t provide me with the ability to make an educated guess… But let’s say for example, you managed to rack-up 30K miles over the 2 months (probably highly unlikely, but still possible) then the 25% credit would have sufficed, even if the actual treadwear was miniscule. The hissy fit you gave the store personnel probably terrorized ‘em into giving it up for free . . .

BTW, the warranty you probably purchased is for road hazard damage and not extended warranty as to extended the usable mileage of the tires.

True on the title of what I purchased being a road hazard, used the wrong terminology, sorry. I put less than 1000 miles a month on my cars. To have been deducted 75% of my purchase for less than 5% of the performance was ludicris and I would like to think the logic of my argument won me the reasonable resolution and not my terrorizing demeanor….LOL.

@Exhausted like I said, without the info, I only had to guess… but that being the case, you are rightfully entitled to a no-cost replacement of the wrecked tire. The store personnel who offered the 25% credit probably was trying to pass a fast one on you or just plain unknowledgable of the warranty details.

@njnyjobs :-) Thanks for the input.

Consider all of the variables (as others have already elaborated):
– Road surface: concrete, asphalt, gravel, etc.
– Roadway maintenance and objects run over
– Wet or dry pavement
– Average ambient temperature and temperature range for the climate
– Temperatures attained while driving (length of trips, for example)
– Type of driving (highway or city)
– How you handle the car: starting, braking and cornering
– Tire maintenance and rotation

I think the 80 K mileage is a way to rate tires based on certain agreed-upon test conditions. Your 80 K tires are (presumably) more durable than my 50 K tires. And having the grades available lets us make reasonable assumptions about cost vs. value. Thanks for your input.

I have found that tires usually last about the number of miles for which they are guaranteed. I would think the climate in your area could have an effect.

60,000 miles on one set of tyres…... wow! What brand is that? I always buy Pirelli cos they stick to the road well, but I’m lucky if they do more than about 20,000 max!

Mine do. I hardly use the brakes.

@mattbrowne I think you are right; driving habits have an effect.

The mileage figure is for comparison only.
Please, don’t compromise performance by obsessing over saving a buck with ultra high mileage tires.
Few things irk me more than when gramps rolls in with cheap slippery Pep Boys tires on his Lexus.
Buy the factory spec or better tire for your car.
High mileage becomes meaningless when you slide into my trunk on a wet road.

This is a good question. My answer would be, “it depends on several factors.” For one, if you drive aggressively, you’ll undoubtedly wear them out quicker. I purchased some Michelin 80K tires and did a lot of stop and go driving (pizza delivery.) I ended up getting about 65K out of them. I replaced these tires with the SAME tires after quitting the delivery business and have thus far gone 90K on the new ones.

I’d also imagine that a heavier vehicle would cause a greater amount of tread wear than a lighter one. Simple physics…