What Pressure Should Your Tyres Run? 2026 Calculator
Enter vehicle type and tyre size for your cold pressure, then adjust it for a loaded car, cold weather or motorway speed. Reads in PSI, bar and kPa.
Recommended Tyre Pressure
Common Tyre Pressure Reference
| Vehicle Type | Front (PSI) | Rear (PSI) | Front (bar) | Rear (bar) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small hatchback | 30 | 28 | 2.1 | 1.9 |
| Saloon / Sedan | 32 | 30 | 2.2 | 2.1 |
| Estate / Wagon | 33 | 35 | 2.3 | 2.4 |
| SUV / Crossover | 33 | 33 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Van / Light commercial | 36 | 42 | 2.5 | 2.9 |
Most passenger cars sit between 30 and 35 PSI (2.0-2.4 bar) cold, but the placard inside the door frame assumes an empty car on a mild day. This calculator takes your vehicle type and tyre size, returns the base front and rear pressures, and then adjusts them for the three things that genuinely move the number: a heavy load, which usually wants 3-5 PSI more; ambient temperature, which costs roughly 1 PSI for every 10°F the thermometer falls; and sustained motorway running. Every result is shown in PSI, bar and kPa, and all of it assumes cold tyres.
Tyre Pressure Calculator
Find the recommended tyre pressure for your vehicle and adjust it for load conditions, temperature changes, and motorway driving. Proper tyre pressure improves safety, fuel economy, and tyre life.
What This Tool Does
Enter your vehicle type and tyre size, and the calculator provides the recommended cold tyre pressure. It then adjusts the recommendation based on your specific conditions: heavy load (luggage, passengers), ambient temperature, and whether you will be doing sustained motorway driving.
How to Use It
- Select your vehicle type (car, SUV, van) and tyre size.
- View the base recommended pressure (front and rear).
- Adjust for conditions: toggle heavy load, cold weather, or motorway driving.
- See the adjusted pressure recommendations and the reasoning behind each adjustment.
Why Tyre Pressure Matters
Under-inflated tyres increase fuel consumption by up to 3%, reduce tyre life by 25%, and significantly increase braking distances. Over-inflated tyres reduce the contact patch, leading to less grip and uneven wear. Checking pressure monthly and before long journeys is one of the simplest ways to improve driving safety.
Data Sources
Base pressure recommendations follow vehicle manufacturer guidelines and tyre industry standards (ETRTO). Adjustment factors are based on tyre engineering data and published guidance from tyre manufacturers including Continental, Michelin, and Bridgestone.
Frequently Asked Questions
The recommended tyre pressure is usually found on a sticker inside the driver's door frame or in your vehicle owner's manual. Typical values range from 30-35 PSI (2.0-2.4 bar) for passenger cars.
Yes. When carrying heavy loads or towing, increase tyre pressure by 3-5 PSI (0.2-0.3 bar) above the standard recommendation. Check your vehicle manual for specific loaded-pressure values.
Yes. Tyre pressure drops by about 1 PSI (0.07 bar) for every 10°F (5.5°C) decrease in temperature. Check pressure more frequently in cold weather and always measure when tyres are cold.