Best SUV Tires / Light Truck Tires

The right tire makes all the difference in the performance of a light truck or SUV

Braking, accelerating, steering and suspension have one thing in common: The quality of your tires affects them all. A worn set of tires can lead to rough rides or -- even worse -- cause you to lose control of your vehicle. The wrong set of tires isn't much better. The right rubber, on the other hand, "will offer the responsiveness necessary for obstacle avoidance, short stopping distances that aid panic braking situations, and road-holding grip under both dry and wet conditions," says the Car Care Council.

Though tires often appear to be very similar, the difference in performance and handling can be night and day between sets. The best truck tires and SUV tires are strong performers, as long as you keep in mind their intended use (pavement versus off-road, for example). However, none of them excel across the board, according to professional comparisons. That's why experts recommend that buyers consider how and where they will drive, and then pick the type of tire that best fits their needs. If you don't drive an SUV, crossover or light truck, we cover passenger car tires in their own report. Regardless of what vehicle you drive, you can find the best winter tires in our snow tire report.

Types of SUV Tires - Light Truck Tires

All-Season Tires

All-Terrain Tires

Mud Tires

All-Season Tires

Designed primarily for use on pavement, the best all-season truck tires combine a comfortable ride with safety features for stability on curves, short braking distances and adequate traction on wet streets to deliver a quieter, more car-like experience. They have the lowest rolling resistance of the three tire types to boost mileage performance. Top models can manage light snow and ice, but if your region gets heavy snowfall, consider switching to a winter truck tire, which will give you the best grip on slick and snowy roads. Our report on snow tires includes some recommendations for winter tires for SUVs and light trucks.

All-Terrain Tires

If you drive mainly on pavement, but also have occasional off-road adventures, an all-terrain tire is the way to go. The best all-terrain tires maintain a good balance between highway performance -- quiet and smooth enough to be comfortable for most daily driving -- but with enough aggressive tread to crawl through mid-range off-road trails. According to Consumer Reports, many models of all-terrain truck tires have enough grip for light to moderate snow. However, most only provide so-so braking on ice, so a snow tire is still the better choice for winter driving. The increase in traction all-terrain tires provide increases the tires' rolling resistance, so users should expect poorer gas economy compared to an all season model.

Mud Tires

These tires are designed for off-road use, providing maximum grip for rock-crawling and dirt trails. Their open tread patterns are designed to break through mud without getting stuck, and their sidewalls are reinforced to withstand punctures from rocks. On the highway these features increase tread noise and gas consumption while creating a stiffer ride.

A word on pricing

Unless otherwise indicated, pricing estimates in this report are per tire, and for the least expensive size available at retail. Pricing also doesn't include installation -- sometimes free, depending on your retailer -- and you can incur extra costs for balancing, stems, tire disposal, etc. If buying online, some sellers offer free shipping, but others do not; shipping costs on one tire, let alone four, can sometimes be substantial.

These prices are a guideline only and are provided to show relative value between choices. Actual prices are likely to be higher for different sizes, and for tires designed for heavier loads (designated with an LT -- light truck -- prefix). See the buying guide for more information on tire sizes and load capacities.