Quick answer: Most passenger cars want 30 to 35 PSI cold. SUVs and light trucks want 32 to 38 PSI. The exact recommended pressure is on a sticker inside your driver-side door jamb. Cold-weather rule: pressure drops about 1 PSI for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit colder, so check more often in winter.
Tire pressure is one of those checks that costs nothing, takes 90 seconds, and saves 1 to 3% on fuel, yet most drivers run their tires 10% under spec for months at a time. Modern TPMS (tire pressure monitoring systems) only warn at ~25% under, and by then you've been losing fuel economy and adding stopping distance for weeks.
Where to find your number
The recommended PSI for your specific vehicle/wheel/tire combo is on the driver-side door jamb sticker. Open the door, look at the B-pillar, there's a placard with front and rear PSI, plus a recommended tire size.
The number on the tire sidewall (often around 44–51 PSI) is the maximum the tire is rated for, not the recommendation. Running at sidewall max gives a harsher ride, faster center-tread wear, and longer braking distances on wet roads.
Tire PSI for Honda Civic 2020
For the most-searched model: 32 PSI front and rear on the standard 215/55R16 tires (LX/EX/EX-L trims). The compact spare runs at 60 PSI.
Sport and Sport Touring trims with 18" wheels (235/40R18) use the same 32 PSI front and rear, Honda spec'd the platform consistently across trim levels.
Common 2020–2024 vehicles
Selected reference numbers, for the full set of 30+ vehicles, use our tire pressure calculator:
- Honda Civic (2016–2024): 32 / 32 / 60
- Honda CR-V (2017–2024): 33 / 33 / 60
- Toyota Camry (2018–2024): 35 / 33 / 60
- Toyota RAV4 (2019–2024): 36 / 35 / 60
- Ford F-150 (2018–2024): 35 / 35 / 60
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (2019–2024): 35 / 35 / 60
- BMW 3 Series (2019–2024): 33 / 38 / no spare (run-flat)
- BMW X3 (2018–2024): 32 / 35 / no spare
- Nissan Altima (2019–2024): 33 / 33 / 60
- Hyundai Elantra (2021–2024): 33 / 33 / 60
- Kia Sorento (2021–2024): 33 / 33 / 60
Format is front / rear / spare. BMWs and many luxury vehicles ship with run-flat tires instead of a spare, that's why the spare column reads “no spare.”
Why front and rear PSI sometimes differ
Manufacturers spec different front and rear pressures when the weight distribution and load capacity differ, common on rear-wheel drive cars (BMW, Mercedes), heavy-duty trucks, and any vehicle with cargo-carrying expectations. Front-wheel drive sedans typically run equal pressures because weight is centered over the drive axle.
Always match the door-jamb sticker. Inverting the spec (running rear pressure on the front, or vice versa) can cause uneven wear and steering pull.
Cold weather adjustments
Pressure drops about 1 PSI for every 10°F drop in ambient temperature. A car set to 32 PSI in October can read 27 PSI on a January morning, triggering the TPMS warning.
The fix is simple: check tire pressure on the first cold morning after a serious temperature drop, and top up to the door-jamb spec. Don't over-inflate to compensate for warming during driving, that creates over-inflation in summer.
How to check it (without lying to yourself)
- Check cold, first thing in the morning, before driving more than a mile. Pressure rises ~1 PSI per 10°F from driving heat, so a hot reading is misleadingly high.
- Use your own gauge. Gas-station gauges are notoriously miscalibrated. A $10 digital gauge in the glove compartment is one of the highest-ROI tools you can buy for a car.
- Top up before any long drive, especially after a cold snap.
- Don't forget the spare. A flat spare during a flat-tire emergency is a worst-case scenario.
Don't see your vehicle?
Our tire pressure calculator by car model covers the most common 30+ US-market vehicles. If yours isn't listed, the door-jamb sticker is the source of truth, and our VIN decoder can confirm your model year if you're not sure.
Tire Pressure Calculator
Look up recommended front, rear, and spare tire PSI for 30+ common vehicles by make, model and year.
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