Tires are the only part of your car touching the road, and even then the surface area regularly connecting to the pavement could fit on a piece of printer paper. And, yet, many of us just look for the cheapest tire. For certain cars that’s maybe ok, but even our staff is split between people who don’t care that much about their tires and those who spend way too much time tire-shopping.
Matt Hardigree
The tires are the only part of my Subaru that do not let me down. I have Michelin CrossClimate 2s and I think they’re the best all-around tire for people who drive a non-performance vehicle/live in cold climates and might have to drive in snow irregularly.
Thomas Hundal
When I bought my Boxster, I knew it needed new tires, and there aren’t many choices in this particular fitment. Instead of the Porsche N-Spec Pirelli P Zeros, which I haven’t been impressed with, or the ancient and expensive Porsche N-Spec Michelin PS2s, I went with the Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02. It’s a 340-treadwear summer tire competing with the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, except it’s exclusively an aftermarket fitment. While grip and resistance to flat-spotting has been excellent, the big surprise was road manners. These are incredibly quiet tires that are still sticky enough to throw pebbles, they’re hushed over expansion joints, have a great sense of dead-ahead, and I find the steering more linear than on most Michelin tires. So far, I’m extremely happy. After all, a good car requires good tires, right?
Peter Vieira
I am a discerning consumer, which means I wear out the counter guy at my Local Firestone Tire Center with a litany of questions including “What do you have for a 2015 RAV4” and “What is the cheapest tire for a 2015 RAV4,” followed by “can I keep this pen” and exactly no other questions. I’m an unashamed cheap-tire buyer, but I won’t get the cheapest of the cheap – it’s gotta be a legit name brand, it can’t be something like, “Mile King, a Division of Abakumov Rubber & Sausage.” At present, I’m happy with my [goes out to garage to check] Firestone All-Seasons. They’re the perfect combination of “was on sale” and “seems fine” that I require in a tire. And if anyone’s wondering why I get my tires from a Firestone shop, it’s because it’s close enough for me to ride my bicycle back home after I drop off the RAV4. I can’t be hanging out in no tire store all day, I’m busy.
Mercedes Streeter
My only tire loyalty is to Vredestein. Otherwise, cheapest tire from a recognizable brand.
Top image by Pete, via Twitter (sigh … “X.”)
2017 Honda Accord V-6: Conti Control Contact A/S (Discount Tire custom build)
2001 Jetta TDI: General Altimax RT43
I was pleased with both of the above tires. Both cars arrived with Goodyear OEM Eagle LS tires, which I absolutely despised. They were loud on coarse pavement and more prone to hydroplaning than any other tire I’ve driven on. Dry grip was nothing exceptional either.
2017 Honda Accord V-6: Conti Control Contact A/S (Discount Tire custom build)
2001 Jetta TDI: General Altimax RT43
I was pleased with both of the above tires. Both cars arrived with Goodyear OEM Eagle LS tires, which I absolutely despised. They were loud on coarse pavement and more prone to hydroplaning than any other tire I’ve driven on. Dry grip was nothing exceptional either.
Mach-E GT: stock Continental CrossContact RX tires. These have become one of my favorite tires ever with lots of life in them after 19k miles despite EVs supposedly burning through tires quickly and the GT putting down 600 lb-ft from a standstill. They’re all-seasons, which I typically don’t like, but they have excellent traction for twisty roads while sticking like glue on wet surfaces. In the ice storm we had last winter, the Mach-E clawed its way up our steep driveway with no slip or wheelspin when our Leaf with dedicated snow tires couldn’t make it halfway up the hill, even with me turning off traction control, carefully modulating the throttle, and getting a good run up.
To be clear, there’s a lot of variables in that highly unscientific test (the Mach-E is AWD, heavier, and has a much larger tire contact patch), but I usually mock all-seasons for being useless in snow and ice and I’ve been genuinely surprised how surefooted the Mach-E is with these Continentals in snow.
Jeep YJ: BFG KO2s. I built a Jurassic Park Jeep replica and the KO2 is the closest modern equivalent to the BFG Radial ATs in the actual film (long since discontinued and old ones are far too old to safely drive with). Everyone likes the KO2 though, and I’ve been impressed with its very quiet and pleasant road manners (all highly relative in a YJ with no sound deadening and a suspension design from the 1840s) in addition to its grip on the dirt trails in my area. Despite the three peak snow rating, they aren’t very confidence-inspiring in snow though, and the Continentals actually seem to grip better, though the Jeep hasn’t ever been stranded in snow.
Mach-E GT: stock Continental CrossContact RX tires. These have become one of my favorite tires ever with lots of life in them after 19k miles despite EVs supposedly burning through tires quickly and the GT putting down 600 lb-ft from a standstill. They’re all-seasons, which I typically don’t like, but they have excellent traction for twisty roads while sticking like glue on wet surfaces. In the ice storm we had last winter, the Mach-E clawed its way up our steep driveway with no slip or wheelspin when our Leaf with dedicated snow tires couldn’t make it halfway up the hill, even with me turning off traction control, carefully modulating the throttle, and getting a good run up.
To be clear, there’s a lot of variables in that highly unscientific test (the Mach-E is AWD, heavier, and has a much larger tire contact patch), but I usually mock all-seasons for being useless in snow and ice and I’ve been genuinely surprised how surefooted the Mach-E is with these Continentals in snow.
Jeep YJ: BFG KO2s. I built a Jurassic Park Jeep replica and the KO2 is the closest modern equivalent to the BFG Radial ATs in the actual film (long since discontinued and old ones are far too old to safely drive with). Everyone likes the KO2 though, and I’ve been impressed with its very quiet and pleasant road manners (all highly relative in a YJ with no sound deadening and a suspension design from the 1840s) in addition to its grip on the dirt trails in my area. Despite the three peak snow rating, they aren’t very confidence-inspiring in snow though, and the Continentals actually seem to grip better, though the Jeep hasn’t ever been stranded in snow.
Pirelli P Zero run flats on my Jaguar F Type. They are the correct brand but not correct compound (Jaguar has a specific OEM P Zero) for the car. They were fitted by the dealer when I brought the car and make the ride too stiff. I’ll change them out possibly for Michelins Pilot Sport 4S’ when they are worn down enough to justify changing them.
Pirelli P Zero run flats on my Jaguar F Type. They are the correct brand but not correct compound (Jaguar has a specific OEM P Zero) for the car. They were fitted by the dealer when I brought the car and make the ride too stiff. I’ll change them out possibly for Michelins Pilot Sport 4S’ when they are worn down enough to justify changing them.
I love tires, I spend way too much time watching review videos and looking at specs.
General Grabber ATX all terrains on my 4Runner. I’m very happy with them, they’ve handled everything I’ve thrown at them. They’re relatively quiet, I can still get over 20mpg on the highway, great in rain and 3Peak rated for snow (and they’re great in that) and they’ve been long wearing, I have about 63k on them and they still have useable tread, they’re not even close to the wear bars. And I’m super lazy about rotating them, the only time I do it is when I have the wheels off for something else.
I would totally buy them again if they came in the size I want to upgrade to.
I’ve been poring over tire specs looking at replacements, right now the Mickey Thompson BAJA Boss AT is top of the list, though the Toyo RT trail is a close 2nd.
The hard part of the popular Toyota 4×4 sizes that a lot of them only come in load range E, which is way overkill on a mostly street driven 4R.
General Altimax RT43 on the Volvo XC70, they’re a great all season that is quiet, smooth, and long lasting. Much better winter performance than the Conti’s that came on the car.
NITTO NT555 on the Firebird Formula. I love them, they’re quiet, smooth, and the hook much better than the Michelin Pilot AS that I previously ran. Not surprised, since the NITTO is a summer tire. Treadwear is good too, there’s plenty of tread left, but at about 12 years old they’re dangerously dry rotted.
I love tires, I spend way too much time watching review videos and looking at specs.
General Grabber ATX all terrains on my 4Runner. I’m very happy with them, they’ve handled everything I’ve thrown at them. They’re relatively quiet, I can still get over 20mpg on the highway, great in rain and 3Peak rated for snow (and they’re great in that) and they’ve been long wearing, I have about 63k on them and they still have useable tread, they’re not even close to the wear bars. And I’m super lazy about rotating them, the only time I do it is when I have the wheels off for something else.
I would totally buy them again if they came in the size I want to upgrade to.
I’ve been poring over tire specs looking at replacements, right now the Mickey Thompson BAJA Boss AT is top of the list, though the Toyo RT trail is a close 2nd.
The hard part of the popular Toyota 4×4 sizes that a lot of them only come in load range E, which is way overkill on a mostly street driven 4R.
General Altimax RT43 on the Volvo XC70, they’re a great all season that is quiet, smooth, and long lasting. Much better winter performance than the Conti’s that came on the car.
NITTO NT555 on the Firebird Formula. I love them, they’re quiet, smooth, and the hook much better than the Michelin Pilot AS that I previously ran. Not surprised, since the NITTO is a summer tire. Treadwear is good too, there’s plenty of tread left, but at about 12 years old they’re dangerously dry rotted.
Firestone Winterforce on the ’96 Subaru Legacy wagon, which I keep on the car year round. Cheap, and old. . . and not that as great in the winter as you might expect, but it’s an old design and old compound, and literally old.
On the ’03 Legacy wagon, which is my nice, sporty car, I wanted nice tires. I chose the BFG G-Force Comp-2 A/S+ over the Cross Climate 2 after studying the Tire Rack graphs. The BFG is in a substantially sticker tire category than the Michelin, is highly rated in the rain, and does as well as a non-3PMSF rated tire can do in the winter performance graphs. I wasn’t worried about lower treadwear because I don’t drive many miles and will probably age them out rather than wear them out. The other Legacy is the winter beater, so the slight deficit in winter performance compared to the Cross Climate 2 isn’t needed. And yes, it is the stickiest tire I’ve ever used, testing out some hard braking. . . it pulls the Gs. Probably would have saved me a couple spins (one from hydroplane) back when I drove an Integra in the ’90s. I suspect it’s actually better than the Winterforce in the winter.
Firestone Winterforce on the ’96 Subaru Legacy wagon, which I keep on the car year round. Cheap, and old. . . and not that as great in the winter as you might expect, but it’s an old design and old compound, and literally old.
On the ’03 Legacy wagon, which is my nice, sporty car, I wanted nice tires. I chose the BFG G-Force Comp-2 A/S+ over the Cross Climate 2 after studying the Tire Rack graphs. The BFG is in a substantially sticker tire category than the Michelin, is highly rated in the rain, and does as well as a non-3PMSF rated tire can do in the winter performance graphs. I wasn’t worried about lower treadwear because I don’t drive many miles and will probably age them out rather than wear them out. The other Legacy is the winter beater, so the slight deficit in winter performance compared to the Cross Climate 2 isn’t needed. And yes, it is the stickiest tire I’ve ever used, testing out some hard braking. . . it pulls the Gs. Probably would have saved me a couple spins (one from hydroplane) back when I drove an Integra in the ’90s. I suspect it’s actually better than the Winterforce in the winter.
I’ve had so many tires from different brands (all name brands) and most of them were pretty good. For a while, I was doing winters/summer HP, but switched to winter and HPAS as they last much longer, are often cheaper, offer pretty close performance (I don’t track the car) in the dry while being better in the wet, and are much more cold temp tolerant (though this varies considerably for HPs. Most are acceptable, but the stock Goodyear Eagle F1s that came on my Focus ST would flat spot if the temp dropped below 50F and the grip turned to damp-autumn-leaves-on-the-roadway while the dry grip in its temp range seemed to always give out to almost sudden understeer instead of the more communicative, lift-off oversteer-on-demand of various tires I replaced them with, and they didn’t last long at all, so those were some of the worst tires, only—handily—beaten to the bottom by the horrendous Michelin Primacys that came on the GR86.) The newer HPASs are generally so good in the unpredictable New England weather that I’m contemplating not having winter tires anymore with the lack of snow we get now (cue next year getting hammered) as they can even handle the small amounts we tend to get just fine. I had a set of Continental DWSs on my Focus ST, but they developed a scalloping problem that made it look like I had blown shocks/struts, which I did not. Got a $100 rebate for a cheaper set of General G-Max (also made by Continental) and tried them out in spite of the Dollar Store-sounding name and they’ve been pretty good. Still using them on the GR86. I also tried their Altimax Arctic winter tires as I got them on sale for something like $80 each after a rebate and, while not as good as Blizzaks on dry pavement, were great in snow and excellent value for dollar (even at normal price) that also lasted longer than the Blizzaks traditionally have for me.
I’ve had so many tires from different brands (all name brands) and most of them were pretty good. For a while, I was doing winters/summer HP, but switched to winter and HPAS as they last much longer, are often cheaper, offer pretty close performance (I don’t track the car) in the dry while being better in the wet, and are much more cold temp tolerant (though this varies considerably for HPs. Most are acceptable, but the stock Goodyear Eagle F1s that came on my Focus ST would flat spot if the temp dropped below 50F and the grip turned to damp-autumn-leaves-on-the-roadway while the dry grip in its temp range seemed to always give out to almost sudden understeer instead of the more communicative, lift-off oversteer-on-demand of various tires I replaced them with, and they didn’t last long at all, so those were some of the worst tires, only—handily—beaten to the bottom by the horrendous Michelin Primacys that came on the GR86.) The newer HPASs are generally so good in the unpredictable New England weather that I’m contemplating not having winter tires anymore with the lack of snow we get now (cue next year getting hammered) as they can even handle the small amounts we tend to get just fine. I had a set of Continental DWSs on my Focus ST, but they developed a scalloping problem that made it look like I had blown shocks/struts, which I did not. Got a $100 rebate for a cheaper set of General G-Max (also made by Continental) and tried them out in spite of the Dollar Store-sounding name and they’ve been pretty good. Still using them on the GR86. I also tried their Altimax Arctic winter tires as I got them on sale for something like $80 each after a rebate and, while not as good as Blizzaks on dry pavement, were great in snow and excellent value for dollar (even at normal price) that also lasted longer than the Blizzaks traditionally have for me.
I have both my Voyager and my wife’s Forester on Michelin Cross Climate 2s. I had the original Cross Climates on my Suzuki SX4 towards the end of its time with me. Living in Upstate NY, they just make a lot of sense. Swapping all-seasons and snow tires and everything that’s associated with that (like storage) is a huge PITA. The Cross Climates perform pretty well in just about every condition. Neither car is a blast to drive regardless of tire, so you might as well choose the longest lasting, best performer in bad weather.
The only negative I’ve seen from them is slightly worse fuel efficiency from both cars. Looks like it’s worth 1-2 mpg penalty. Sucks (especially with the van) but worth it to have a single set of tires that works in all conditions.
In all honesty if I still lived in the Toronto area, id be going in that direction as well. Running snow tires is such a hassle for the 2 snowfalls a year that are cleared by the morning. Further north is a different story, but I definitely see the value of a true year-round tire.
Yeah even in the mildest winters (the last 3 in a row) we still get a couple of storms that make driving difficult without snows. Some years, we just get absolutely pounded by storm after storm. You really don’t want to get caught without decent tires during a winter like that.
I have both my Voyager and my wife’s Forester on Michelin Cross Climate 2s. I had the original Cross Climates on my Suzuki SX4 towards the end of its time with me. Living in Upstate NY, they just make a lot of sense. Swapping all-seasons and snow tires and everything that’s associated with that (like storage) is a huge PITA. The Cross Climates perform pretty well in just about every condition. Neither car is a blast to drive regardless of tire, so you might as well choose the longest lasting, best performer in bad weather.
The only negative I’ve seen from them is slightly worse fuel efficiency from both cars. Looks like it’s worth 1-2 mpg penalty. Sucks (especially with the van) but worth it to have a single set of tires that works in all conditions.
In all honesty if I still lived in the Toronto area, id be going in that direction as well. Running snow tires is such a hassle for the 2 snowfalls a year that are cleared by the morning. Further north is a different story, but I definitely see the value of a true year-round tire.
Yeah even in the mildest winters (the last 3 in a row) we still get a couple of storms that make driving difficult without snows. Some years, we just get absolutely pounded by storm after storm. You really don’t want to get caught without decent tires during a winter like that.
DD Escape: replaced the OE Conti Contactpros with Bridgestone Turanzas (sale)…much more stable/responsive on the twisty back roads, but dont think will get as good of tire life.
Wifes’ Crosstrek: replaced the OE Geolanders with same from Subaru dealer (good price). They drive and wear well for her.
I tend to get mid-level name brand tire. Past experience with cheap/off-brand tire were not money saving in the end….short life/uneven wear/poor rain traction.
DD Escape: replaced the OE Conti Contactpros with Bridgestone Turanzas (sale)…much more stable/responsive on the twisty back roads, but dont think will get as good of tire life.
Wifes’ Crosstrek: replaced the OE Geolanders with same from Subaru dealer (good price). They drive and wear well for her.
I tend to get mid-level name brand tire. Past experience with cheap/off-brand tire were not money saving in the end….short life/uneven wear/poor rain traction.
I’ve stuck with the OEM tires on my Mazda, Dunlop SP 5000. They’ll be due for replacement either before this winter or next year. I’ll have to check tread depth before deciding if they have one more season in them or not. If I have to replace them this year they’ll have around 30,000 miles on them. I’m generally willing to compromise on tread life in exchange for better driving, and the car does drive very nicely with them. Only getting 30,000 out of them could push me to look at other options.
We replaced the OEM Michelin gas saver tires on my wife’s Accord hybrid with Bridgestones through Costco. The Michelin’s were unsafe for winter driving at around 28,000 miles, and they were pretty expensive. We decided losing an MPG or two wasn’t a bad trade off for spending a lot less on tires. My wife is happy with how the car drives, and that’s what matters more than anything. Getting them through Costco saved a decent amount over getting them through a dedicated tire shop.
I’ve stuck with the OEM tires on my Mazda, Dunlop SP 5000. They’ll be due for replacement either before this winter or next year. I’ll have to check tread depth before deciding if they have one more season in them or not. If I have to replace them this year they’ll have around 30,000 miles on them. I’m generally willing to compromise on tread life in exchange for better driving, and the car does drive very nicely with them. Only getting 30,000 out of them could push me to look at other options.
We replaced the OEM Michelin gas saver tires on my wife’s Accord hybrid with Bridgestones through Costco. The Michelin’s were unsafe for winter driving at around 28,000 miles, and they were pretty expensive. We decided losing an MPG or two wasn’t a bad trade off for spending a lot less on tires. My wife is happy with how the car drives, and that’s what matters more than anything. Getting them through Costco saved a decent amount over getting them through a dedicated tire shop.
fun truck: BFG M/T’s, love em. A little noisy but all part of the experience.
fun car: Cooper Cobras. Priced well, made well, perform well.
fun truck: BFG M/T’s, love em. A little noisy but all part of the experience.
fun car: Cooper Cobras. Priced well, made well, perform well.
The SE-R has GeneralAltimax RT43s because by the time I had to replace the dry-rotted Bridgestone RE760s it was the best reasonable non-super-sticky tire available in that size. My Fiat has something inexpensive from 2008 with almost no miles on them but they’re 16 years old so when I put the BiTurbo wheels on it they’re getting new tires, either the Altimax again or the Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2, which to my surprise is not only available in 185/60-14 (from Coker) but at the same price as the Altimax. Weird. The 911 has Continental DWS02s, which I’ve been quite happy with. I wish the JSW had those too, but it came to me with new Uniroyal Tiger Paws. The Saab hasBFGoodrich Advantage Somethings, and I think the E12 has the same tire.
I’ve run a few sets of the RT43’s on my XC70, FANTACTIC tire for the money. They were a huge improvement over the Contis that came on the car.
The SE-R has GeneralAltimax RT43s because by the time I had to replace the dry-rotted Bridgestone RE760s it was the best reasonable non-super-sticky tire available in that size. My Fiat has something inexpensive from 2008 with almost no miles on them but they’re 16 years old so when I put the BiTurbo wheels on it they’re getting new tires, either the Altimax again or the Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2, which to my surprise is not only available in 185/60-14 (from Coker) but at the same price as the Altimax. Weird. The 911 has Continental DWS02s, which I’ve been quite happy with. I wish the JSW had those too, but it came to me with new Uniroyal Tiger Paws. The Saab hasBFGoodrich Advantage Somethings, and I think the E12 has the same tire.
I’ve run a few sets of the RT43’s on my XC70, FANTACTIC tire for the money. They were a huge improvement over the Contis that came on the car.
Silverado – Falken Wildpeak AT3W – Yep, they were affordable, and relatively quiet for an all-terrain tire, and the only time they haven’t been able to give me enough traction was on a muddy near-45-degree hill.
Prius – Bridgestone Ecopia 422 – Yep, they were cheap because 2019 date code, and my MPG seem to be the same or better than the last set of tires.
Saabaru – Belle tire brand snow tires from a Buick LeSabre – Yep, they were free, and they’ve been good for traction in winter conditions AND in an unsanctioned rallycross field.
Miata – Nitto NeoGen – Yep, although I haven’t put a lot of miles on them, so I don’t have a lot to say, but they seem to be grippy enough.
500e – No idea actually – Yep, whatever they are, combined with the lower CoG of the battery pack, this car has what seems like impossibly good handling, so whatever they are, they keep it from sliding around.
Smolto – Also no idea, but they’re small – Yep, I’ve done a few twisty road drives and been able to almost keep up with cars with far more power and tires that less resemble something made for a bicycle.
Remember when the Falkens were a cheap alternative to BFG? Then they became part of the Toyota Bro-verlander starter pack and now they’re priced right up there with BFG now.
I was wondering what happened to them. Had a set years ago and they were good for the price, but then the prices went up and I went elsewhere.
Even a couple years after I bought mine, I was recommending them to someone looking for tires for their truck, and they were significantly more than I paid. If this truck wears out before the tires do, I’ll be keeping them and putting them on the next one, assuming they haven’t aged out by then.
Silverado – Falken Wildpeak AT3W – Yep, they were affordable, and relatively quiet for an all-terrain tire, and the only time they haven’t been able to give me enough traction was on a muddy near-45-degree hill.
Prius – Bridgestone Ecopia 422 – Yep, they were cheap because 2019 date code, and my MPG seem to be the same or better than the last set of tires.
Saabaru – Belle tire brand snow tires from a Buick LeSabre – Yep, they were free, and they’ve been good for traction in winter conditions AND in an unsanctioned rallycross field.
Miata – Nitto NeoGen – Yep, although I haven’t put a lot of miles on them, so I don’t have a lot to say, but they seem to be grippy enough.
500e – No idea actually – Yep, whatever they are, combined with the lower CoG of the battery pack, this car has what seems like impossibly good handling, so whatever they are, they keep it from sliding around.
Smolto – Also no idea, but they’re small – Yep, I’ve done a few twisty road drives and been able to almost keep up with cars with far more power and tires that less resemble something made for a bicycle.
Remember when the Falkens were a cheap alternative to BFG? Then they became part of the Toyota Bro-verlander starter pack and now they’re priced right up there with BFG now.
I was wondering what happened to them. Had a set years ago and they were good for the price, but then the prices went up and I went elsewhere.
Even a couple years after I bought mine, I was recommending them to someone looking for tires for their truck, and they were significantly more than I paid. If this truck wears out before the tires do, I’ll be keeping them and putting them on the next one, assuming they haven’t aged out by then.
Winterforce on the Subaru. Sadly, we haven’t had snow the last couple years, but they’re quite entertaining in the rain. I need to replace the old performance tires on the Roadster as it’s pre-traction control, but they’re so much fun on cool pavement, and they are forcing me to relearn how to drive properly after years of flinging low-powered fwd shitboxes at curves. Once the clutch is properly broken it, I’ll finish them off with some proper circle work 😉