# white lettering on tires - good looking or not? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 10, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-lettering-on-tires-good-looking-or-not/495964 "2009-05-10T19:36:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-lettering-on-tires-good-looking-or-not/495964/1 "2009-05-10T19:36:34Z")
I’m getting new tires on my 4x4 pickup, and trying to decide whether I want the white lettering on the sidewall. I’m getting [these tires](http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/overview/all-terrain-t-a-ko/44.html), which are better, and better looking, than stock, but are very common - i.e. nothing to brag about. They are available with or without the white lettering. Which do you guys think looks better? ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-lettering-on-tires-good-looking-or-not/495964/2 "2009-05-10T19:40:28Z")
Blackwalls all the way. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-lettering-on-tires-good-looking-or-not/495964/3 "2009-05-10T20:20:06Z")
It depends. Trucks and SUVs, OK. Coupés and sedans, no. Unless the ‘street’ car is from the '60s, when that was the style. (Only not on my MGB. Blackwalls there. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-lettering-on-tires-good-looking-or-not/495964/4 "2009-05-10T22:58:51Z")
And if you don’t want white lettering, the tire guys can do the same trick they always did with unwanted whitewalls: mount them on the opposite side, with the lettering on the inboard side. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-lettering-on-tires-good-looking-or-not/495964/5 "2009-05-10T23:05:59Z")
I like white letters! But I also like anchovies on Pizza, cheap beer and trashy women. I hate kittens and puppies. I think I’m pretty cool, though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-lettering-on-tires-good-looking-or-not/495964/6 "2009-05-10T23:28:22Z")
Truck? If it’s a truck truck and not a truck that is plushed out like a car, go with the raised white letters. A basic 4x4 pickup = white letters. Cadillac Escalade pickup: Blackwalls Something in-between? When in doubt go blackwalls. ---
**Author:** ![luv2draw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@luv2draw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luv2draw)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-lettering-on-tires-good-looking-or-not/495964/7 "2009-05-11T03:40:18Z")
I don’t like white lettering or whitewalls because, with me, they only look nice until they get dirty the first time–then they never look good again. But that’s just me; I’ve got other things to do, you know? ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-lettering-on-tires-good-looking-or-not/495964/8 "2009-05-11T17:53:03Z")
> [@luv2draw](#): > > I don’t like white lettering or whitewalls because, with me, they only look nice until they get dirty the first time–then they never look good again. Good point. They’ll get scuffed up when I take it off road, anyway. Not that I do any serious off-roading, but there are rocks everywhere around here - they don’t call it the Granite State for nothing. > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > It depends. Trucks and SUVs, OK. Coupés and sedans, no. Unless the ‘street’ car is from the '60s, when that was the style. (Only not on my MGB. Blackwalls there. 😉 ) You know, I think white lettering was cool on old muscle cars because it made it look like you were running racing tires. But now lots of people put aftermarket tires on their vehicles, so it’s nothing special anymore. I’ll go with the blackwall (or have them put the white lettering on the inside).