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December 2, 2025 By Alex Martini
Not everyone has $2,500 to spend on Michelin PS4S's. Here's what actually gets the job done without draining your build budget.
I love tires an uncomfortable amount. Some might say I'm uncomfortably confident in my rubbers. But not everyone has $2,500 to whip on a set of Michelin PS4S's when our car costs $2,500.
So what gets the job done? What is the best budget tire? Just because we're giving folks the homie hookup on MartiniWorks right now on wheels, tires, wheel/tire packages and performance parts doesn't mean I'm biased. I'm a frugal man above everything else. I've used the same backpack since college and I hate wasting money on brand.
I just want people to mod their car the right way. And in 2026, where everything is AI-powered garbage, I'm here to shine a light on the best budget tires.
We're breaking this down by tire type: All-Season, Summer, Winter, and Ultra High Performance super sick cool sticky tires.
All-season tires have the toughest job when it comes to being budget-friendly. The more a tire has to do, say have high speed stability AND handle aquaplaning or sub-40 degree days, the list of "budget" all-seasons gets really, teeny tiny small.
A great start here would be the Yokohama Avid Touring-S. It's one of the most consistent "just drive" kind of tire that's usually under $130 a pop, has a 620 treadwear, A/B Temp rating. They've got good construction: a tri-plex tread compound for longer tread life, silent shoulder, tapered rain channels, and cross traction sipes for wet and winter grip; plus a 65,000 mile warranty.
You've heard us talk about the General G-Max RS quite a bit, but the Altimax RT45 is a pretty strong all-season that punches just a touch below Continental when it comes to wet weather and tread life. It also has a mileage warranty that's longer than any amount of miles I've put on my own car: 75,000.
For all the Miata owners out there, the Toyo Extensa HP II is a solid budget all-season that balances comfort and grip. It's smooth, quiet, and gets the job done for 3.5 seasons without breaking the bank.
One tire that really impressed me when we had our 2022 Toyota GR86 had to be the Nexen N'Fera SU1. It's a "budget" summer tire with usable grip and doesn't chunk even if you find yourself swinging it sideways every once in a while.
You can see it's more summer-oriented with a 300 treadwear and directional tire pattern. You get reinforced outer shoulders for mid-corner feedback through the steering wheel, which is that feeling you have when your car feels "glued in a corner" like the first time you glue your fingers together for fun.
The Toyo Proxes Sport is a solid budget summer tire with a directional tread pattern and good grip for spirited driving. It's got wide shoulder blocks for cornering stability and a compound that handles heat well. Not quite an all-season performer, but excellent for summer driving without draining your wallet.
Shoutout to my boy, the Nitto Neo Gen for holding it down as a weird tire that can kinda do it all, including getting stretched out on literally every VW ever built since 2010.
We have to start it off with the GENERAL. The General G-Max RS. A 225/40/18 will cost you $160 a tire right now but they slap. Best in class for dry and wet handling, they brake well in wet, they're quiet, and according to the Indy 500, G-Force Sport Comp 2, and Hankook Ventus V12 Evo 2, the G-Max RS beats it in treadwear, wet braking, and wet handling.
We've run these now on 600hp M5's and 200HP R34 and both times, they've done an insanely good job with this tire.
Some love should also be given to the Kenda Kaiser KR20A. There's a 300 treadwear and 200 treadwear option with different compounds. For drifting, they seem to heat cycle super well, grip and bite when you need, and let loose when you ask it to. As a budget motorsport, drift-friendly tire, this does the job and has some surprisingly stiff sidewalls. It uses a chevron-style directional pattern, but what I love the most is the predictable breakaway.
A budget winter tire that actually grips ice decently thanks to the aggressive siping pattern. Has the 3PMSF rating, zig zag sipes with a low-temp silica blend. Works especially well for someone who wants reliable winter traction without spending Bridgestone Blizzak money. If you've never had a set of winter tires and you need some on a budget, you will realize that anyone who said you can't drive a RWD in the winter is a LIAR.
Works especially well on lighter cars (Civic, Corolla, Elantra) where premium winter tires sometimes feel too soft.
If you can stretch your budget a bit, the Continental Viking Contact 8 is worth every penny. 3PMSF certified, multi-cell rubber for ice grip, and it handles like a champ in snow. Not the cheapest option, but it's the winter tire you want when you're actually dealing with real winter conditions.
The biggest mistake people make? Spending all their money on wheels and buying garbage tires. If you have $2,000 total, spend 60% on wheels and 40% on tires, not 90% on wheels and 10% on no-name garbage.
Budget tires don't come with fancy warranties, but the brands above have decent quality control and will get you where you need to go. Just don't go TOO cheap. Once you drop below $100 per tire, there's a performance fall-off that'll make your car feel terrible.
Use our tire size comparison tool and fitment visualizer to dial in your setup before you buy.
Here's the complete list of best budget tires for 2026, organized by category:
Ready to get tires that actually work for your budget?
My name is Alex, or Alex Martini (Alex.Martini__) and I love building unreliable cars. From track, road, drag and drift, there really isn't a motorsport I don't love. PS if you're reading this, just know that we've got some WILD builds coming for MartiniWorks that we're really excited to share with you :)
