Tires by treadwear band
Quick answer: We group the 3,020 NHTSA-rated tire lines into 8 treadwear bands by each line’s median grade (median across its records). The most common band is 400–499 with 769 lines. A higher grade means slower wear on the government’s test course, not a mileage number: read why.
| Treadwear band | Lines | Share of rated lines |
|---|---|---|
| Under 200 | 160 | 5.3% |
| 200–299 | 413 | 13.7% |
| 300–399 | 703 | 23.3% |
| 400–499 | 769 | 25.5% |
| 500–599 | 544 | 18% |
| 600–699 | 290 | 9.6% |
| 700–799 | 112 | 3.7% |
| 800 and up | 29 | 1% |
Source: NHTSA UTQG ratings pulled 2026-10-25; 420 is the median line grade overall. Each band page lists brands, categories, grade mixes and lines.
Treadwear Under 200The lowest band: grades under 200 mean the maker rates the tire to wear less than twice as slowly as the government’s control tire (graded 100).160 linesTreadwear 200–299Rated to wear 2 to just under 3 times as slowly as the government’s control tire (graded 100) on the test course.413 linesTreadwear 300–399Rated to wear 3 to just under 4 times as slowly as the government’s control tire (graded 100) on the test course.703 linesTreadwear 400–499Rated to wear 4 to just under 5 times as slowly as the government’s control tire (graded 100) on the test course.769 linesTreadwear 500–599Rated to wear 5 to just under 6 times as slowly as the government’s control tire (graded 100) on the test course.544 linesTreadwear 600–699Rated to wear 6 to just under 7 times as slowly as the government’s control tire (graded 100) on the test course.290 linesTreadwear 700–799Rated to wear 7 to just under 8 times as slowly as the government’s control tire (graded 100) on the test course.112 linesTreadwear 800 and upThe top of the scale: the maker rates these to wear 8 times as slowly as the control tire (graded 100) or more.29 lines
Guides that explain these numbers
- What does a tire treadwear rating mean?UTQG basics
- Treadwear rating vs. mileage warrantyTreadwear vs. mileage
- How to find the longest-lasting tires for your sizeChoosing