Same tire size but different speed rating?

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I have a 2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS with 65k miles…it has a 2.4 liter motor (4 CYL), auto transmission. The car currently has 205-65-R16 tires on it with a 95H speed rating. They all have worn down to the wear bars so it’s time for replacement.

On my previous cars, I’ve always had Uniroyal Tiger Paw touring tires because I love how they ride. I found the same tire size for my Sonata. However it has a different speed rating…95T.

The only difference is the letter “T”.

Can anybody tell me if it will be a big deal?

Thanks all!

EDIT: It currently has Nexen N5000 tires and I bought the car with these tires already on…crappy tires…worn down in only 30k miles.

2

If you go online & look for tires the sites will ask for make , model , etc of your vehicle & show you the tires they have for your vehicle . I did that with yours & a couple brands they listed had a T speed rating . Several brands had the H speed rating .

3

H is a higher speed rating than T

H rated tires are typically slighly more expensive than T rated tires

You need to look in your owner’s manual. If H rated tires are called for, I’d stick with that

4

I’d stick with H rated tires, they are often a significant step up from T regarding handling.

5

There are some tire shops that will not put a lower rated tire on your vehicle and some that require a signed waiver.

6

The 95 indicates the load capacity of the vehicle.

The T and H indicates the speeds that the vehicle can driven at with that load capacity.

T=118 MPH

H =130 MPH.

So how often are you going to be driving the vehicle at 130 MPH with the vehicle fully loaded?

Or at 118 MPH for that matter?

Tester

7

@Tester - That is the MAXIMUM speed the tire should be driven. But it is also an indicator of the handling characteristics and safety margin of the tire. I personally would never use a tire on any of my vehicles that had a lower speed rating than recommended by the manufacturer. NOTHING is more important to your safety than tires and brakes. You should NEVER scrimp on either one. Not when the lives of everyone in your vehicle are at stake.

8

The OP asked about speed ratings.

When someone asks a simple question, you provide a simple answer.

Tester

9

Rusty-the tires you have may not be crappy tires but may have performed as they should have. Tires have load rating-speed rating-wear rating and they are all not rated the same. Do a search for tire ratings and find a chart showing how to read the sidewall numbers and letters.

For instance the tires we have on one vehicle if they last 30,000 miles I will be surprised.

10

Tells you all about load and speed ratings right here;

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=35

If Tirerack is not a sponsor of this site (@cdaquila), it darn well should be! And Rockauto and a buncha other sites we use again and again as reference material.

11

So you all recommend sticking to the same rating of H? Thanks all for your advice!! I am a daily reader of this forum…sure learned a lot

12


Maybe this will help .

13

These speed ratings are not that much different. The respective tread and carcass designs, as well as the type (summer vs. all weather) will have much more of an effect than the speed rating difference.

If you were going to a Z rating, the compound would be softer and the carcass design would be designed differently, and that affects rolling resistance, but I don’t see that as being a likely significant factor between the ratings you’ve asked about.

You may want to go to Tirerack.com and do some research there. They have good consumer feedback sections, and a lot of good technical advice.

14

Here is some of CapriRacer’s valuable input on the topic:

http://www.barrystiretech.com/speedratings.html

15

It does seem odd that a car like a Sonata would have H and V rate tires only, especially V rated tires on a hybrid. What’s up with that?

16

It had H and T, not H and V.
V is a 150mph max rating.

17

I wasn’t addressing the specific question that the OP posted, but the OEM tire specs from @Sloepoke’s URL. It rated the GLS and hybrid as H (optional V for hybrid) and V for Limited, hybrid Limited, and SE models.

18

@jtsanders

It’s extremely common for manufacturers to spec H rated tires for family cars, nowadays

My 2005 Camry has H-rated tires . . . that’s what the book calls for

When it comes time to replace them, I’ll stick with H-rated

I will not downgrade to T-rated

19

I know it is standard, and I wonder why it is. It seems like soon, the only OEM tires will be H and V unless they start requiring higher speed ratings.

20

Some companies make exactly the same tire with the exception of tread depth in both S and H rated tires. The difference is the H rated tire has less weight of rubber pulling at the belt and cords and has a higher price and a lower mile rating and warranty. I think every one who doesn’t drive like Robert Gift should chose the cheaper tire,