Choosing the right tires for your SUV is one of the most impactful decisions you can make for its performance, safety, and comfort. The ideal set balances all-season capability, durability, and a smooth ride to match your driving habits, whether you’re navigating city streets, highway miles, or off-road trails. With so many options available, finding the perfect match can feel overwhelming.
This roundup simplifies your search by highlighting ten of the best SUV tires on the market. We’ve selected a range of models from trusted manufacturers, focusing on key features like tread life, wet and dry traction, fuel efficiency, and off-road prowess. Our goal is to provide you with the information needed to make a confident choice for your vehicle.
Our Top Picks for SUV Tires
- Kumho Crugen HT51 All-Season Tire
- GENERAL GRABBER ATX All-Season Radial Tire
- General Grabber X3 All-Terrain Radial Tire
- Continental CrossContact LX25 All-Season Tire
- MICHELIN Defender LTX M/S All Season Radial Tire
- Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza Plus Truck & SUV Highway Tire
- Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 All-Season Radial Tire
- Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Plus II SUV/Crossover Tire
- BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2 Radial Car Tire
- Continental CrossContact LX25 EcoPlus All-Season Radial Tire
Kumho Crugen HT51 All-Season Tire
The Kumho Crugen HT51 is a robust all-season tire built for light trucks and SUVs, featuring a 10-ply construction for enhanced durability and load-carrying capacity. Its highway terrain design provides a reliable and stable performance for daily commuting and longer trips, offering a solid balance of comfort and resilience.
This tire is engineered to perform consistently in various weather conditions, making it a practical choice for drivers who need dependable year-round capability. The design focuses on even wear and a quiet ride, contributing to a pleasant driving experience without sacrificing the toughness required for an SUV.
GENERAL GRABBER ATX All-Season Radial Tire
The GENERAL GRABBER ATX is an all-terrain tire designed to excel both on and off the pavement. It comes with a notable limited tread life warranty of up to 60,000 miles, indicating a strong commitment to longevity. Its construction is toughened to handle the challenges of off-road driving while maintaining on-road manners.
This tire achieves a commendable balance, providing aggressive traction for loose surfaces without creating excessive noise or vibration during highway driving. For SUV owners who want a single set of tires for weekend adventures and weekday commuting, the GRABBER ATX presents a versatile solution.
General Grabber X3 All-Terrain Radial Tire
For drivers with more serious off-road requirements, the General Grabber X3 offers an aggressive all-terrain design. It features bold styling that matches its rugged capabilities, providing significant traction in challenging conditions like mud and rocks. Despite its tough appearance, it is engineered to manage road noise effectively.
A standout feature is the confidence provided by a 45-day trial period, allowing you to test the tires in your real-world conditions. This focus on a quieter, more comfortable ride, combined with maximum traction, makes the Grabber X3 a strong candidate for performance-oriented SUV and truck owners.
Continental CrossContact LX25 All-Season Tire
The Continental CrossContact LX25 is a highway all-season tire built with a focus on efficiency and safety. It incorporates Continental’s EcoPlus Technology, which aims to reduce fuel consumption while extending tread life. This tire also boasts an impressive limited warranty coverage of up to 70,000 miles.
Safety in wet conditions is a key strength, with engineering dedicated to achieving shorter braking distances on wet roads. For SUV drivers who prioritize fuel economy, long tread life, and confident wet-weather handling for family travel, this tire is an excellent highway-focused option.
MICHELIN Defender LTX M/S All Season Radial Tire
The MICHELIN Defender LTX M/S is renowned for its durability and all-season competence. Its MICHELIN EverTread Compound is formulated to provide up to 10% more longevity in severe conditions compared to its predecessor. This tire is designed to deliver reliable performance for light trucks, SUVs, and crossovers.
It offers strong wet and winter performance, with features that reduce the risk of hydroplaning and provide better traction on snow compared to many competitors. The combination of extended mileage and consistent all-weather safety makes it a premium, long-term investment for many SUV owners.
Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza Plus Truck & SUV Highway Tire
The Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza Plus is a luxury-oriented highway tire that emphasizes a smooth, quiet ride and extended tread life. It is backed by an impressive limited treadwear warranty of up to 80,000 miles, one of the highest in its category. This tire is built for SUVs and trucks that primarily see pavement use.
In addition to its comfort and longevity, this model offers improved fuel efficiency compared to the previous Dueler H/L Alenza design. Drivers seeking a premium touring tire that reduces noise and fuel costs over many miles will find this option particularly appealing.
Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 All-Season Radial Tire
The Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 is engineered for drivers who face truly variable seasonal conditions, including severe snow. It carries the three-peak mountain snowflake rating, confirming its winter capability. A specialized tread compound helps the tire stay adaptable across a wide temperature range.
Its AquaTred Technology and evolving traction grooves are designed to move water away efficiently, maintaining trustworthy wet traction throughout the tire’s life. For SUV owners in regions with harsh winters and rainy seasons, this tire provides comprehensive all-weather security.
Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Plus II SUV/Crossover Tire
The Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Plus II is designed with a strong emphasis on eco-friendly performance and refined driving dynamics. Its silica functionalized polymer compound improves wet grip while also contributing to lower fuel consumption. This makes it an ideal choice for crossover and SUV drivers focused on efficiency.
Pirelli’s latest technology innovations in this tire deliver balanced handling in dry, wet, and light snow conditions. Furthermore, the optimized tread design actively works to lower internal noise, supporting a quiet and comfortable cabin environment on every drive.
BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2 Radial Car Tire
The BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 is an iconic tire known for its rugged durability and proven off-road performance. It is built with a tough sidewall and tread compound to resist chips and tears from rocks and debris. This tire is severe snow rated, providing reliable year-round traction even in winter conditions.
It successfully combines this off-road toughness with on-road stability and comfort, making it a favorite for 4×4 vehicles, light trucks, and SUVs used for both adventure and daily transportation. Its reputation for capability in mud, dirt, sand, and snow is well-established.
Continental CrossContact LX25 EcoPlus All-Season Radial Tire
This entry for the Continental CrossContact LX25 EcoPlus provides another avenue to find this highly regarded tire. As highlighted earlier, its core benefits include the EcoPlus Technology for fuel savings and extended tread life, along with a strong focus on wet-weather safety through shorter braking distances.
The tire is designed to deliver a quiet and comfortable highway ride while offering the durability needed for SUVs and crossovers. For shoppers who prioritize environmental efficiency and long-term value without compromising on performance, this model remains a top-tier choice in the all-season category.
What to Look For When Choosing the 10 Best Tires For SUV
Let’s be honest, shopping for tires can feel overwhelming. You’re faced with a wall of brands, models, and technical terms. But picking the right set is the single best upgrade you can make for your SUV’s safety and performance. I always tell friends to ignore the marketing hype and focus on a few key factors that directly match how they drive.
First, consider your climate and the seasons you drive in. This is the biggest decision. Do you need a dedicated summer, winter, or all-season tire? For most people, a true all-season tire is the practical choice, offering a balanced performance in wet and dry conditions with some light snow capability. If you face harsh, snowy winters, dedicated winter tires are a game-changer for traction and stopping power. Summer tires are for maximum warm-weather grip but are not for cold or icy conditions.
Next, think about your driving style and needs. Are you mostly on highways, or do you hit rough forest service roads on weekends? For paved-road comfort and quietness, look for a highway or touring tire. If you need more aggressive tread for gravel, mud, or rocky paths, an all-terrain tire is your friend, though it will be louder on pavement. The tread pattern and rubber compound are designed for these specific jobs.
Don’t overlook the sidewall information. The size (like 265/70R17), load index, and speed rating are non-negotiable and must match your SUV’s requirements. The load index is especially important for heavier vehicles to ensure the tire can safely carry the weight. Finally, check the Uniform Tire Quality Grade (UTQG) ratings for treadwear, traction, and temperature. A higher treadwear number suggests a longer-lasting tire, while the traction grade (AA, A, B, C) indicates wet stopping ability. These are great for comparing tires within the same category.
Finding the right balance for your specific SUV and lifestyle is what leads you to the 10 best tires for SUV: top picks for improved performance. It’s not about finding the “best” tire in the world, but the best tire for you. Your priorities on noise, handling, winter grip, and tread life will point you in the right direction.
FAQ
How often should I replace my SUV tires?
You should replace your SUV tires when the tread depth reaches 2/32 of an inch. You can check this with the built-in tread wear indicators in the grooves or the classic “penny test.” However, for better wet weather safety, many recommend replacing at 4/32. Even with decent tread, tires older than 6 years should be inspected annually by a professional, as the rubber compound degrades over time regardless of mileage.
Can I mix different tire brands or models on my SUV?
I strongly advise against it. For the best and safest performance, all four tires should be the same brand, model, size, and tread pattern. Mixing tires can lead to unpredictable handling, strain on the drivetrain (especially all-wheel or four-wheel drive systems), and compromised stability in emergency maneuvers. If you must replace only one or two, try to match the existing tires as closely as possible.
What’s the difference between all-season and all-terrain tires?
This is a common point of confusion. All-season tires are designed primarily for paved roads—highways, city streets—in a variety of weather conditions, including light snow. They prioritize a quiet, comfortable ride. All-terrain tires are more rugged, with an aggressive tread pattern meant for off-pavement use like dirt, gravel, and mud. They are part of the “light truck” tire category and are often louder and may have a slightly firmer ride on pavement but offer much more capability off-road.
Do I need to get an alignment when I buy new tires?
Yes, it is a very good idea. Getting an alignment ensures your SUV’s wheels are set to the manufacturer’s specifications. If the alignment is off, your new tires can wear unevenly and prematurely, wasting your investment. Think of it as a protective step for your new purchase. The shop installing your tires can usually perform the alignment check for you.
Is it worth paying more for a higher-end tire brand?
Often, yes. Higher-end tire brands typically invest more in research and development, leading to advanced rubber compounds and tread designs. This can translate to tangible benefits like shorter braking distances on wet roads, better snow and ice traction, reduced road noise, and longer overall tread life. For a daily driver, these performance and safety benefits usually justify the cost over the life of the tire.