Almost every tire site offers two ways to search: by your vehicle's year, make, and model, or by the exact size string off your sidewall. They sound interchangeable but they aren't, and using the wrong one is the leading cause of customers receiving the wrong tire.
Searching by size
This is the most accurate method, period. You type in the exact string from your tire — 235/55R18 100V — and you see only tires that physically match that spec. If the size is on your tire and matches the door jamb, you cannot get the wrong size this way.
Use it when: you have the tire or door jamb in front of you, you know your car has the original wheels, and you want to filter the largest possible selection.
Searching by vehicle
Searching by year, make, and model is faster — three drop-downs and you're done. But it relies on the retailer's database matching your specific trim, which is where things go wrong.
A 2019 Honda CR-V LX has 17-inch wheels with 235/65R17 tires. A 2019 Honda CR-V Touring has 18-inch wheels with 235/60R18 tires. If the retailer's database doesn't ask for trim, you may see results for the wrong wheel size.
Use it when: you have a base-trim vehicle with no aftermarket modifications, and you want the convenience of a guided search. Always cross-check the size shown against your sidewall before checking out.
The rule we tell our customers
Vehicle lookup to find candidates. Size cross-check before you buy. If the vehicle lookup shows a different size than what's on your car, your car has been modified — and you need to decide whether to keep the modified size or go back to factory.
When in doubt, the sidewall doesn't lie.