WHAT DOES UTQG MEAN?
Top UTQG stands for the Uniform Tire Quality Grades, which the U.S. Government requires on all passenger car tires. The UTQG has three components: a tread wear rating, a traction rating, and a temperature rating. This rating system was developed many years ago so consumers could compare the different qualities of various tires. A standard test tire was chosen and all passenger tires since have been judged against this standard. Typically tires today have tread wear ratings of 200 to 600 (the standard tire was 100), a traction rating of “A” or “B” (on a scale of AA, A, B, and C), and a temperature rating of “A”, “B”, or “C” to gauge a tire’s resistance to heat buildup. Unfortunately, this rating system is limited as a comparative tool because the tire manufacturers perform the tests without much oversight from the government. The ratings can be useful to compare tires made by the same manufacturer, but are less useful when comparing one brand to another. Furthermore, there are virtually
