SUV Tires - Light Truck Tires: Reviews

The Michelin LTX M/S2 is the best all-season tire you can buy for your pickup or SUV, according to reviews. It handles all weather conditions well in tests -- wet, dry, snow, ice -- and it rides quietly and comfortably,… expandtoo. Owners agree that the Michelin outperforms other all-season tires. Its tread lasts a long time, too, well beyond the 70,000-mile warranty, some owners report. That gives it an edge over the cheaper Continental CrossContact LX20 EcoPlus (*Est. $165). collapse

For less money than the Michelin LTX M/S2 (*Est. $225), you can get almost identical performance from the Continental CrossContact LX20 EcoPlus, reviews say. Both tires are superb for wet and dry grip, snow and ice… expandtraction, ride comfort and noise, experts and owners say. But although both tires carry the same 70,000-mile tread-wear warranty, the Michelin's tread lasts a lot longer in an independent wear test -- and experts say you can save money in the long run by choosing a longer-wearing tire. collapse

The Cooper Discoverer A/T3 handles on-road driving better than many other all-terrain tires, and demanding off-road experts say it's plenty capable in deep mud, sand and loose dirt, too. Its 55,000-mile tread warranty is… expandnoteworthy, because many all-terrain tires carry no tread warranty. Although it plows through snow, the Discoverer A/T3 gets only a mediocre grip on ice, a shortcoming of most all-terrain tires, reviews say. If you don't venture off-road, experts say a regular all-season tire like the Michelin LTX M/S2 (*Est. $225) will deliver better dry-road handling, with better ice traction, a quieter ride, less rolling resistance for better gas mileage and longer tread life. The Cooper Discoverer A/T3 isn't designed for extreme mud bogging and rock crawling; for that, you'll need a specialized mud tire like the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar (*Est. $210). collapse

Despite its low price, this all-terrain tire delivers on-road performance that's as good as the Cooper Discoverer A/T3 (*Est. $200) in one top test. Snowy, wet and dry pavements pose no problems for the Kumho, but it… expandbrakes poorly on ice in tests. Some owners posting their own reviews disagree, however saying it does fine on ice. The Kumho Road Venture SAT KL61 tire wears out faster than the Cooper in an independent test, but the Kumho also carries a 60,000-mile tread-wear warranty. None of our expert review sources has tested the Kumho off-road, but plenty of owners posting their own feedback applaud the tire's performance on trails, dirt roads and foot-deep mud, although it's not designed for extreme off-roading like the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar (*Est. $210). collapse

Specialized tires designed for serious mud bogging and rock crawling are often enormous, expensive and impractical, but the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar is an exception. Available in normal sizes, the MT/R with… expandKevlar impresses experts and owners in all road conditions -- dry, wet, snowy and icy. Off the beaten path, experts and owners report that the MT/R with Kevlar flings mud out of its treads efficiently, giving it good traction in slippery muck. In addition, its chunky lugs and sidewalls lined with Kevlar, the bulletproof vest material, give it extra toughness and traction on big, sharp rocks. However, the MT/R with Kevlar can be noisy on-road, and it carries no treadwear warranty, unlike the Cooper Discoverer A/T3 (*Est. $220). collapse