3 New Sizes Crack the Top 10 OE Passenger Tire List

The most popular original equipment passenger tire sizes in the U.S. in 2018 were not the same sizes as in 2017.

According to the preliminary edition of the latest U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) Factbook, two sizes -- 235/45R18 and 235/40R19 -- cracked the list of top original equipment passenger sizes for the first time.

Top 6 OE Passenger Tire Sizes in the U.S. in 2018

The top six OE sizes represented 20.7% of the total OE passenger tires shipped by USTMA members in 2018. (Another size, 235/65R18, also appeared on the Top 10 list for the first time. It was ranked ninth.)

On the replacement side, 225/50R17 replaced 225/60R16 as the sixth most popular size (225/60R16 dropped to seventh), while the third and fourth place sizes swapped positions.

Top 6 Replacement Passenger Tire Sizes in the U.S. in 2018

The top six replacement sizes represented 20.7% of the total replacement truck tires shipped by USTMA members in 2018. (The ninth and 10th most popular sizes -- 235/65R17 and 225/60R17 -- made the Top 10 list for the first time. They replaced 195/60R15 and 265/70R17, respectively.)

USTMA's Factbook 2019 is a report on tire shipment activity in the United States for 2018. For information on how to purchase the report, visit www.ustires.org.

To read more about the statistical data found in USTMA's Factbook 2019, check out these links:

"U.S. Tire Shipments Total Record 216.7 Million Units."

"Once Again, the Top Truck Tire Size Is 295/75R22-5."

What's the most popular replacement tire size? 225/65R17, which makes up 5.8% of the U.S. replacement tire market, according to the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association's (USTMA) recently published 2023 Factbook. 

Another 17-inch size - LT265/70R17 - holds the biggest share (84%) of the U.S. light truck tire replacement market, according to USTMA data.

Here's a look at the 10 top U.S. replacement passenger tire sizes, as well as the percent of the market they comprise, in parentheses:

1. 225/65R17 (5.8%)

2. 205/55R16 (3.9%)

3. 215/55R17 (3.6%)

4. 195/65R15 (2.4%)

5. 235/60R18 (2.4%)

6. 215/60R16 (2.3%)

7. 275/55R20 (2%)

8. 235/45R16 (1.9%)

9. 225/60R17 (1.8%)

10. 245/60R18 (1.8%)

Two sizes - 235/45R18 and 245/60R18 - entered the passenger tire "top 10" for the first time in 2022. Meanwhile, one size - 235/65R16C - entered the light truck tire "top 10" last year.

Here's the list of the 10 top U.S. replacement light truck tire sizes, plus the percent of the market they comprise, listed in parentheses:

1. LT265/70R17 (8.4%)

2. LT245/75R16 (8.2%)

3. LT275/70R18 (7.4%)

4. LT225/75R16 (6.6%)

5. LT245/75R17 (6%)

6. LT235/80R17 (4.1%)

7. LT265/75R16 (4.1%)

8. 235/65R16C (3.7%)

9. LT285/70R17 (3.7%)

10. LT275/65R18 (3.5%)

Original equipment (OE) tire sizing continues to inch upward. The top OE passenger tire size is 275/60R20, which makes up 6.5% of the U.S. OE tire market, according to USTMA data. Size 235/60R18 (4.2%) comes in at number two, followed by, in descending order, 225/65R17 (4%), 235/45R18 (3.8%) and 235/40R19 (3.6%.)

On the light truck tire side, LT275/70R18 is the most common size at 13.5% - followed by, in descending order, LT245/75R17 (10.7%), LT275/65R20 (10.5%), LT285/70R17 (8.2%) and LT315/70R17 (7.7%).

The 2023 USTMA Factbook also lists the top OE and replacement TBR sizes.