Welcome to one of our favorite ongoing series, CorvSport Curates, where we comb the internet and compile data that is useful and important for our faithful readers. The fourth-generation Corvette had the second-longest production of any generation–that’s a lot of need for tires! As we move into the older generations with our CorvSport Curates series, it’s important to note that while your Corvette’s tires may look great and have a healthy amount of tread, most tire manufacturers recommend you replace your tires after six years, and most tire installers will not service any tire that is ten years or older. [Author’s Note: This article is FREE and not behind a paywall. Yes, FREE! If/when any pop-ups appear, please click to dismiss them and continue enjoying the article. One may require two steps–first, the arrow on the left, then the x on the top right.]
Given how important the age of your Corvette’s tires is, here’s a convenient image showing where you can check for date codes.
If your Corvette tires were manufactured before the year 2000, the date code was simply a three-digit number representing the week (first two digits) and the year (one digit) of production. For instance, if the last three digits are 326, the tire was produced in the 32nd week of 1996. Read more from the top tire retailer, Discount Tire, here.
Before we dive into today’s feature, we think you may enjoy the other exclusive CorvSport Curates features from our vast catalog of Corvette resources–after all, we are CORVETTE OBSESSED!
Full CorvSport Curates Archives
- CorvSport Curates: C5 Owners’ Favorite Tires For Their Corvettes
- CorvSport Curates: The Highest-Rated Tires You Can Buy For Your C6 Corvette
- CorvSport Curates: Highest-Rated Tires For Your C7 Corvette
- CorvSport Curates: Check Out The Highest-Rated Tires For Your C8 Corvette
- Made in the USA? Popular Oil Filter Brands For Your C5 Corvette & A WIX Warning
- CorvSport Curates: Most Popular Oil Choices For Your C6 Corvette
- CorvSport Curates: The Top Seven C7 Corvette Complaints
- CorvSport Curates: “Ten Rules For Buying Your First C3 Corvette”
- CorvSport Curates: Hagerty’s Buyer’s Guide For The C2/Mid-Year Corvette
Now, without further ado, let’s jump into today’s C4 tire guide!
Methodology:
While CorvSport has no affiliation with Discount Tire, and many tire retailers have entered the market in the last number of years, Discount Tire is still the top tire retailer, with what’s reported as a “significant lead.” This market lead is supported by the volume of customers reviewing tires purchased from their website, and we will cite the rating and number of reviews for each tire. This information is deemed accurate at the time of publication (5/28/2025).
The Highest-Rated Tires For Your C4 Corvette
♦ 1984-1987 C4 Corvette
Factory Tire Sizes, Base: 255/50 R16 (Front & Rear)
Highest Rated Tires/C4 Base: Based on Consumer Reviews
#1: Toyo Tire Proxes R888R
4.0 Rating with 36 Reviews
83% of Reviewers Recommend This Tire
*This tire was also noted as the best seller; no other tires in this size had consumer ratings
♦ 1988-1992 C4 Corvette
Factory Tire Sizes, Base: 275/40 R17 (Front & Rear)
Highest Rated Tires/C4 Base-2: Based on Consumer Reviews
#1: Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4
4.7 Rating with 1,672 Reviews
94% of Reviewers Recommend This Tire
#2: Kumho Ecsta PA51
4.7 Rating with 127 Reviews
95% of Reviewers Recommend This Tire
#3: Continental Extreme Contact Sport 02
4.7 Rating with 127 Reviews
95% of Reviewers Recommend This Tire
♦ 1993-1996 C4 Corvette
Factory Tire Sizes, Base: 255/45 R17 (Front), 285/40 R17 (Rear)
Highest Rated Tires/C4 Base-3: Based on Consumer Reviews
#1: Continental Extreme Contact Sport 02
4.7 Rating with 127 Reviews
95% of Reviewers Recommend This Tire
#2: Nitto NT555 G2
4.6 Rating with 295 Reviews
93% of Reviewers Recommend This Tire
♦ 1990-1995 C4 ZR-1
♦ 1996 C4 Grand Sport
♦ 1996 C4 Collector Edition
Factory Tire Sizes, ZR-1/GS/CE: 275/40 R17 (Front), 315/35 R17 (Rear)
Highest Rated Tires/C4 ZR-1, GS, CE: Based on Consumer Reviews
#1: Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4
4.7 Rating with 1,672 Reviews
94% of Reviewers Recommend This Tire
#2: Nitto NT555 G2
4.6 Rating with 295 Reviews
93% of Reviewers Recommend This Tire
#3: Toyo Tire Extensa HP II
4.6 Rating with 120 Reviews
90% of Reviewers Recommend This Tire
Have fun out there in your Corvette, and, as always, remember to keep the shiny side up!
Thanks for joining us today for our exclusive CorvSport Curates feature. Are you CORVETTE OBSESSED like we are? The team of renowned authors and contributors at CorvSport hopes you sense our passion for the iconic Corvette, and our vast database of articles and guides should prove it–5000+ features since Scott Kolecki founded CorvSport over 15 years ago! Join the fastest-growing Corvette community on our Facebook page, with over 170,000 followers (51,000 since January 2023!). Meet other hardcore enthusiasts and say hello. This is Douglas B. signing off–click here if you would like to view more of my features.
