UTQG Treadwear Comparator
Compare reported UTQG treadwear grades between tires. See relative wear ratios and why grades compare best within one tire maker.
Compare reported treadwear grades.
UTQG Treadwear Comparator: Tire Size Inputs
Compare two tire sizes here. Use the formulas and reference tables below for this tool's specific calculation.
How UTQG Treadwear Comparator Works?
The UTQG Treadwear Comparator works by dividing one treadwear grade by the other to get a relative wear ratio. The tool uses 3 steps.
Enter 2 grades
Type the treadwear numbers, for example 400 and 600.
Compute the ratio
The comparator returns 1.5, meaning the second tire wore 50% slower in the government test.
Note the source
The comparator flags a cross-brand comparison, since each tire maker grades its own tires.
UTQG Treadwear Comparator Formula
The UTQG Treadwear Comparator formula is Relative wear = Grade₂ ÷ Grade₁.
R = G₂ ÷ G₁Δ% = (G₂ − G₁) ÷ G₁ × 100G = 100 × (wear life ÷ reference tire wear life)- G
- UTQG treadwear grade
- Reference tire
- Course monitoring tire graded 100
Worked example
A tire graded 600 compared with a tire graded 400 has a ratio of 1.5, a +50% difference in the test. A grade of 300 versus 400 is a −25% difference.
UTQG Treadwear Comparator Conversion Table
The UTQG Treadwear Comparator conversion table converts 7 treadwear grades into ratios against the reference tire and against a 400 grade.
| Grade | vs reference tire | vs 400 grade |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | 2.0× reference | -50% vs 400 |
| 300 | 3.0× reference | -25% vs 400 |
| 400 | 4.0× reference | +0% vs 400 |
| 500 | 5.0× reference | +25% vs 400 |
| 600 | 6.0× reference | +50% vs 400 |
| 700 | 7.0× reference | +75% vs 400 |
| 800 | 8.0× reference | +100% vs 400 |
What is UTQG Treadwear Comparator?
A UTQG Treadwear Comparator is a tool that compares the treadwear numbers molded on US passenger tires under the Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG) system. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) runs UTQG.
Each tire maker tests its own tires on a 7,200-mile (11,587 km) public road course near San Angelo, Texas, and projects the result against a reference tire. Grades compare most reliably between tires from the same maker.
UTQG excludes winter tires, LT tires and tires with a rim diameter of 12 in or smaller.
What are the uses of UTQG Treadwear Comparator?
There are 4 main uses of the UTQG Treadwear Comparator, including same-brand model choice and budget estimates.
Same-brand model choice
Compare 2 models from one tire maker.
Budget estimates
Weigh longer wear against a higher price.
Performance trade-offs
See how much wear a grippier compound gives up.
Warranty comparison
Compare grades with mileage warranties.
Related Tread Wear & Tire Life Tools
View All 134 Subtools →Convert millimeters and thirty-seconds of an inch.
Compare measured remaining tread.
Estimate diameter reduction from tread loss.
Compare tread with a selected replacement threshold.
Calculate measured wear per distance.
Compare tread readings across wheel positions.