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Best tires for the Chevrolet Caprice

Top picks across four categories for the Chevrolet Caprice, anchored to the current-generation OEM size 235/50R18. Every recommendation is selected from our 22,000-tire catalog by ranking on UTQG treadwear, mileage warranty, cabin-noise rating, and season class; no commission-weighted reordering.

By Mark Bishop · Last verified 2026-09-02

Daily driver

Best all-season touring

Long warranty, low noise, balanced ride. The one-tire compromise that works for 80% of owners.

Lowest cost per mile

Best budget

Best price-per-warranty-mile in this size. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options, not safety.

Lowest cabin noise

Best quiet

Tread patterns engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning. Pick this if you commute long highway distances daily.

Cold-weather grip

Best winter

Dedicated winter or all-weather compounds that stay pliable below 7 °C. Necessary for >5 snow days a year.

Side-by-side

Pick the trade-off that matches your driving

All-season
Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack
Best budget
Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
Best winter
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
UTQG treadwear800820-
Mileage warranty80,000 mi85,000 mi-
Cabin noise68 dB70 dB71 dB
Season classall-seasonall-seasonwinter
Typetouringtouringpassenger

OEM tire sizes by year

What size does the chevrolet caprice use?

Recommendations on this page are anchored to the latest model-year's OEM size. Confirm yours against the driver-door placard before purchase.

YearOEM size
1972–1976225/70R15Year-specific fitment →
1977–1996225/75R15Year-specific fitment →
1999–2005225/55R16Year-specific fitment →
2006–2017235/50R18Year-specific fitment →

How we ranked these tires for the chevrolet caprice

We started with the latest model-year's OEM tire size; 235/50R18; and filtered our catalog of 22,000+ tires to those offered in that exact size. From there, four parallel rankings:

For sedans and compacts, the all-season touring tire below is the best default; long warranty, low cabin noise, reasonable cost per mile. Switch to the quiet pick if highway droning is a deal-breaker; switch to the winter pick if you see significant snow each year. Use the side-by-side comparison above to weigh the trade-offs against your specific driving; highway-heavy, winter-state, performance-oriented, or budget-constrained.

NHTSA-reported issues for chevrolet caprice

40
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Top issue category: Tread / Belt

Most reported: Tread / Belt (21) · Tires (General) (16) · Bead (1) · Sidewall (1) · Valve (1)

Reported across: 1985 – 1996 (10 years)

What owners described

Tread or belt separation appears in 22% of these reports; about 1.6× as often as across all tire complaints. Percentages are shares of the 23 reports covering every model year of the Chevrolet Caprice that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.

Reported problemThis subjectAll tire complaintsRelative
Tread or belt separation 22% 13% 1.6×
Blowout or sudden deflation 17% 20% 0.9×
Bubble or bulge in the tire 4% 6% 0.7×

Mileage at failure

11 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 34,000 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 10,000 and 163,000 miles.

In owners' own words

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Chevrolet Caprice. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.

TIRE FAILURE- CORD SEPARATION. AT 65MPH THE TIRE SUDDENLY FAILED AND LOST PRESSURE. PRESSURE HAD BEEN CHECKED 2 DAYS EARLIER. TREAD HAS BEEN WORN LESS THAN 25% HAVE PICTURES OF DAMAGE WHICH SHOWS MISSING PORTION OF RUBBER AND EXPOSED METAL BELTS ON OUTSIDE OF TIRE. STILL HAVE TIRE IN MY POSSESSION. CONTACTED COOPER BUT THEY STATED THIS DATE CODE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALLS FOR THIS TIRE LINE.

NHTSA complaint 1372108 · 1992 vehicle

PEOO 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 40MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A BANGING NOISE, LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED, AND IT TORE A HOLE THOUGH THE BOTTOM OF VEHICLE. TIRE WAS FLAT. FIRESTONE, BRIDGESTONE, SIZE P21575 SR15. CONSUMER CONTACTED FIRSTONE, AND THEY TOLD CONSUMER TO TAKE IT BACK TO WHERE HE BOUGHT IT FROM. *AK BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE P215/75/R15

NHTSA complaint 225868 · 1989 vehicle

TIRE TREAD SEPARATION: WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 60 MPH, HALF OF THE TREAD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE PEELED OFF. ENTIRE TREAD PEELED OFF THE LEFT RIGHT TIRE 3 DAYS BEFORE. TIRE SIZE P225/75R15 AND DOT # HYHHF6A096, HYHHF6A535. TIRES WERE ON A 1994, CHEVROLET CAPRICE. NOT ORIGINAL TIRE EQUIPMENT. TIRE MILEAGE ABOUT 34,000. TIRES WERE TAKEN TO A FIRESTONE DEALERSHIP. BOTH TIRES WERE REPLACED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE.*AK AT FIRST, THE LEFT REAR TIRE EXPLODED AND THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD BUT THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO CONTROL. HALF OF THE SECOND TIRES TREAD CAME OFF TOO. BOTH TIRES WERE MADE BY FIRESTONE. THE CUSTOMER WAS ASKING REIMBURSMENT FOR COST OF REPLACEMENT FROM THE MANUFACTURER.

NHTSA complaint 228468 · 1994 vehicle

AQUA GRIP RADIAL UNIROYAL TUBELESS, E4,0210175,M+S,PZ15175R15100S, STEEL WIRES STICKING OUT OF TIRE 2 INCHES AND LONGER WHEN WE GOT THE CAR TO A FULL STOP ON A MOUNTAIN SIDE. WE MOVED HERE 1 YR. AGO, WE WERE TOLD THE TIRE HAD A "PLUG" THAT WAS ALL THE WAY INSIDE THE TIRE AND HAD PULLED THE WIRES OUT TO THE FRONT/ HOWEVER I CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS WOULD CAUSE THE WIRES TO COME THROUGH THE TIRE ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRE EXPOSING ALL THE WIRES/ WE HAD ONE HAIRY TIRE, THE WIRES STUCK OUT 2 INCHES AND LONGER. THE STEEL BELTING HAD COME APART FROM THE TIRE ON THE INSIDE AND WAS FLOPPING AROUND, YOU COULD HEAR IT AS YOU ROLLED THE TIRE AROUND UPRIGHT ON THE GROUND/WE PURCHASED TWO NEW BACK TIRES.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: PZ15175R15 )

NHTSA complaint 235121 · 1996 vehicle

Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.

FAQ

What's the best all-season tire for the Chevrolet Caprice?
The all-season touring slate above ranks the top options for the 235/50R18 OEM size. The leader is selected by matching chevrolet-segment fitment, all-season compound class, and premium-brand quality bonus. For most Chevrolet Caprice owners, the all-season touring pick is the best one-tire compromise; long warranty, low noise, reasonable cost per mile.
Should I get a cheaper tire for my Chevrolet Caprice?
The budget slate above ranks tires by cost-per-warranty-mile, ignoring brand premium. The budget pick is genuinely competitive on durability metrics; the trade-off is shorter warranty and slightly higher cabin noise, not actual safety risk. If you drive less than 15,000 miles a year, the budget pick will outlast your replacement window regardless.
Does the Chevrolet Caprice need winter tires?
If you see more than 5 snow days a year or drive at sustained temperatures below 7 °C, yes; winter compounds stay pliable in cold where all-season rubber hardens, which translates directly to shorter braking distances. The winter pick above is 3PMSF severe-snow rated and works for the 235/50R18 OEM fitment. Storage cost is real (4 extra tires somewhere), but the safety margin in winter conditions is substantial.
Can I run a different tire size on my Chevrolet Caprice?
Plus-size and minus-size alternatives within ±3% overall diameter are typically safe per the ETRTO standard. See the 235/50R18 upsize options for the full categorised alternatives table with verdicts.
Where can I buy these tires?
Each tire links to its detail page with live pricing from our online retailer partners. Out-the-door cost (including mount, balance, TPMS service, and disposal) varies by state; use the install cost calculator for a realistic estimate.

Last verified 2026-09-02.