The Consumer Reports Cars blog has posted a video on how to choose the best tires for your car. Here’s one interesting trick we learned from the clip: how to measure tire tread depth using coins.

If you don’t have a tire tread depth gauge on hand, you can use a quarter and/or a penny. Place a quarter upside down in the tread; if you see the top of Washington’s head, it’s time to go tire shopping. If you see the top of Lincoln’s head when you use a penny, it’s definitely time to replace the tire.

CR’s actual tire ratings are for subscribers only, but anyone can watch the video, read through the moderated forums, or read the Tire Buying Guide for basic info.

Video: How to choose the best tires [Consumer Reports Blog: Cars]

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