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Below is a quick legend to notations describing the appearance of the tire's sidewall.

Here are some other markings you may find on your tire's sidewall:

• The M+S (also displayed as M&S or M-S) indicates the tire has all season capabilities. You will find this on almost all all season and winter tires. Summer tires will not have this designation. For a tire to get this designation it must have a specified tread-to-void ratio; however it does not mean that the tire has passed any actual tests for it effectiveness in severe conditions.
• DOT stands for Department of Transportation. The 10, 11 or 12 digit code appearing after the DOT designation gives information such as the week and year the tire was produced, as well as the manufacturer, plant, tire line, and size. The first 2 characters designate the tire's manufacturer and plant code. The third, fourth and fifth characters, are the tire size code. The last three or four numbers (4 numbers for years after 2000) are when the tire was manufactured. The first two digits of t ...[more]

The load rating for any tire (load index) indicates the maximum weight that each tire is able to support. Here is a quick rating of common Load Indexes:

The speed rating of any tire is a measurement of the top safe speed the tire can carry a load under specified conditions. It is also an indication of how the tire will handle at lower speeds. A higher rated tire will give you better traction and improved steering response even at 50mph.

Below is a listing of common speed ratings:
Q     =      99 MPH, 160km/h
S     =     112 MPH, 180km/h
T     =     118 MPH, 190km/h
U     =     124 MPH, 200km/h
H     =     130 MPH, 210km/h
V     =     149 MPH, 240km/h
Z     =     149 MPH, 240km/h and over
W   =     168 MPH, 270km/h
Y     =     186 MPH, 300km/h   

Cau ...[more]

For Example, above Tire size P215/65R15 89H Means

• The "P" stands for "P-Metric" or "Passenger". This means that it is a North American tire sizing designation. European tires typically don't have the "P" attached to the size. Tires with higher ply ratings will generally start with "LT" which stands for "Light Truck". This indicates the tire is an LT metric and will always have a Load Range indicated. It is important to note this for vehicles that call for LT metric tires. Never substitute a P metric tire for an LT metric tire, even if all the other dimensions are the same.
• The "215" is the width of a tire, also known as the "section width". This is the width of the tire in millimeters at its widest point from sidewall to sidewall wh ...[more]

When it is time to replace tires, there are five factors worth considering: Selection, prices, mileage, warranty, and retailer

Selection

There are advantages to choosing from a good selection of tires. Seek a tire professional that not only offers different brands, but several choices within each brand that will also offer a broad price range and quality

Price

Tires are sold in large price ranges. A single price range may come with a certain set of characteristics such as mileage, traction, and performance capabilities. Purchasing an "expensive" tire does not always equate to getting higher mileage. Some of the more costly performance tires are not made to deliver the miles, but rather, hold the road better. They stick like glue - but because of the softer, more pliable tread compounds, they may wear quicker.

Mileage
...[more]

People replace their tires for a variety of reasons. Some people just want a "better looking" tire on their vehicle. For example, they want outlined or raised white letter tires - something that will set their vehicle apart. Other people want to improve the performance of their vehicle, so they look to replace their tires with ones that will deliver better performance. Most of us replace our tires simply because we need to.

"Appearance tire" case, you are not usually overly concerned with prices. You just want something that will look good on your vehicle and deliver a quality ride. Most manufactures make tires with some kind of lettering on the sidewall of their tires because there is a "niche" market out there. When replacing standard size blackwall or whitewall tires on your vehicle, make sure you replace them with acceptable optional replacement sizes. Since many standard size tires do not come with raised or out ...[more]