Subaru 2003 Legacy - Manual (Page 458)

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For U.S.A.
The following information has been compiled according to Code of Fed-
eral Regulations “Title 49, Part 575”.
Uniform tire quality grading standards
This information indicates the relative performance of passenger car tires
in the area of treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance. This is to
aid the consumer in making an informed choice in the purchase of tires.
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire sidewall be-
tween tread shoulder and maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The quality grades apply to new pneumatic tires for use on passenger
cars. However, they do not apply to deep tread, winter type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires with nominal rim diame-
ters of 12 inches or less, or to some limited production tires.
All passenger car tires must confirm to Federal Safety Requirements in
addition to these grades.
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Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified govern-
ment test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one-half (1-1/2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100. The rela-
tive performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their
use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm due to varia-
tions in driving habits, service practices and differences in road charac-
teristics and climate.
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Traction AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B and C. Those
grades represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on specified government test surfaces of as-