Tire Reviews Ethics

Tire Reviews (Tire Reviews LLC) is run by Jonathan Benson. It is an independent tire information resource that helps millions of tire buyers each month decide which tires to buy.

In my role as a professional tire tester helping people decide what to buy, I hold myself to the highest standards I possibly can to keep my impartiality. Tire Reviews publishes its test data openly, shows how every result is graded, tests blind wherever possible, and deliberately keeps money away from test results. I am not aware of another tire test publication that goes to these lengths to make results fair.

As long as Tire Reviews is under my control, you will never see a review or comparison video sponsored by the subject of that video, and you will never see a tire recommendation that has been paid for.

Tire testing and test hosts

Tire testing is complicated and expensive, and needs specialist facilities that are more often than not owned by tire manufacturers. As a result, many of the world's independent tire tests, ours included, are hosted by tire manufacturers.

When a company hosts a Tire Reviews test, it has no control over which tires are included, which tests are run, or the results of the test. Those are entirely under my control.

It is true that the host's tires often do well. There are two main reasons:

1. The manufacturers with the resources to host independent tire tests are usually the premium manufacturers, with the budgets to make class-leading products.
2. Manufacturers are keen to have new products tested, both to spread the word about a launch and because they have already tested the new tire against its key competitors during development, so they are confident it will do well. They would not invite the press to test a tire unless their own benchmarking showed it was class-leading.

The list of Tire Reviews tests, their hosts and their winners at the bottom of this page shows that hosting does not guarantee a win.

Tire Reviews is also open about how its results are calculated. Every test publishes the weight given to each discipline and every measured result, so you can check how the final order was reached. How the overall score is worked out is explained in How we score our tests.

Lastly, wherever possible I test blind: during the subjective tests (handling, noise and comfort) I do not know which tire I am driving on, which removes any chance of subconscious bias towards the host of the test. The procedures are set out in How we test tires.

Advertising and money

I started Tire Reviews as a hobby because I love testing tires and automotive products, not to make money. Over the years the workload has made it a full-time job, so advertising and sponsored content are part of how Tire Reviews pays its way. Without them it could not run.

Tire Reviews does not currently make full-length sponsored videos for its YouTube channel. Every test is run by me, and I have full editorial control. No company can pay for preferential placement or scheduling, or pay for a video I would not otherwise make. I choose the products I cover.

Tire Reviews tests, hosts and winners

Tire Reviews tests up to March 2025, who hosted each one and which tire won. Later tests are listed with their results on the tire tests page.

If you have any questions about this policy, please get in touch.