Daily driving
Touring & eco
With economy-tier power and daily driving, your tyres have an easy life. Spend on wet braking and longevity, not outright grip.
The Kia Sportage 2.0 is a front-wheel drive SUV with 115 kW and a kerb weight of 1,571 kg. That’s 73 kW per tonne, in the economy tier. City cars, small hatches, workhorse utes and big 4x4s. The tyres have an easy life.
73kW/t
Likely under the P-plate limit. Under 130 kW/t on kerb weight. Legal eligibility uses tare mass, and engine modifications or a banned listing can still rule a car out. Check eligibility →
S 17in
235/65 R17 104HBest in this size →
SX 18in
235/60 R18 103HBest in this size →
SX+ 19in
235/55 R19 101HBest in this size →
Factory sizes. Wheels get changed: your tyre placard, in the driver’s door jamb, is the authority on size, load index and speed rating.
For a mild, wet climate. Cold and snowy climates are further down.
Daily driving
With economy-tier power and daily driving, your tyres have an easy life. Spend on wet braking and longevity, not outright grip.
Gravel & off-road
For gravel and dirt, an all-terrain's tougher carcass matters more than outright grip.
Also consider: if you rarely leave the bitumen, touring.
Estimates from power and weight. The tyre placard on the driver’s door jamb is the legal minimum.
Touring & eco: character
Cold winters, little snow
Your tyre: All-season / all-weather
Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 · Continental AllSeasonContact 2 · Michelin CrossClimate 2
If you'd rather run summer tyres: Touring & eco
Michelin Primacy SUV+ · Continental EcoContact 7 · Michelin Energy XM2+
Snow and ice
Summer set: Touring & eco
Michelin Primacy SUV+ · Continental EcoContact 7 · Michelin Energy XM2+
Winter set: Winter
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 · Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
If you want one set: All-season / all-weather
Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 · Continental AllSeasonContact 2 · Michelin CrossClimate 2
Front-wheel drive
Your front tyres do the steering, braking and driving, so they wear faster. Rotate front to rear every 10,000 km to keep wear even.
SUV
Choose the SUV or 4x4 version of a tyre where one exists: it has a stronger carcass for the extra weight and higher centre of gravity. Match or exceed the placard load index.
Buying only two?
Put the new pair on the rear axle, even on a front-driver. Grippy rears keep the car stable when braking or cornering in the wet; worn rears are what cause spins.
From the factory: 235/65 R17 104H (S 17in); 235/60 R18 103H (SX 18in); 235/55 R19 101H (SX+ 19in). Wheels get changed, so check your car's tyre placard, in the driver's door jamb, before buying.
73 kW per tonne (98 hp per tonne), from 115 kW and a 1,571 kg kerb weight. That puts it in ratio's Economy tier.
For everyday driving, touring & eco tyres. Good options include the Michelin Primacy SUV+, Continental EcoContact 7, Michelin Energy XM2+. Always match or exceed the load index and speed rating on the car's tyre placard.
Likely, on power-to-weight: at 73 kW per tonne on kerb weight it is under the 130 kW/t limit for P-platers in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Legal eligibility uses tare mass, and engine modifications can still make a car off-limits.
Cars in the Economy tier typically run T or H-rated tyres. The legal minimum is whatever your placard, on the driver's door jamb, specifies.