Best SUV/Truck Tires: No Sized, Large

Top 6 Best SUV/Truck Tires

Tire manufacturers have long since figured out there is a market for task-specific truck and SUV rubber. Sometimes those tasks take drivers over obstacles at Moab and other times it merely involves that gravel patch in the driveway that was supposed to be fixed last week. Better call the contractor, ASAP.

We’ve chosen a selection of tires available from the lads at TireBuyer.com that are good fit for most trucks and SUVs. Their mission may differ, however – some of the rubber on this list is aggressive off-road kit while others are best served tooling around the side streets of Beverly Hills. Whatever you select for your ride is up to yourself.

With that legal mumbo jumbo out of the way, here are a few options presented in alphabetical order.

Talking about truck and SUV tires without mentioning the mighty KO2 is akin to talking about racing greats without mentioning Schumacher. These well-designed hoops were arguably one of the first examples to inject a bit of aggro style into the off-road segment, or at least one of the first to popularize it and bring it to the masses.

Triangle-shaped stone ejectors kick rocks out of the tread voids to prevent the things from drilling into the rubber and causing a leak. Those lines in between the shoulder blocks are designed to flex slightly, breaking the vacuum created when mud is packed into the tread, allowing the gunk to fly away from the tire. This improves traction and looks great in pictures. The latter is very important, don’tcha know.

Talking about truck and SUV tires without mentioning the mighty KO2 is akin to talking about racing greats without mentioning Schumacher. These well-designed hoops were arguably one of the first examples to inject a bit of aggro style into the off-road segment, or at least one of the first to popularize it and bring it to the masses.

Triangle-shaped stone ejectors kick rocks out of the tread voids to prevent the things from drilling into the rubber and causing a leak. Those lines in between the shoulder blocks are designed to flex slightly, breaking the vacuum created when mud is packed into the tread, allowing the gunk to fly away from the tire. This improves traction and looks great in pictures. The latter is very important, don’tcha know.

Different in mission from the BFGs listed above, the H/T in these Falken tires stands for Highway Terrain. The company says it is engineered to provide strong handling on the road and long-lasting, even wear over the long haul.

The Wildpeak H/T gets good marks on wet roads, thanks to tread sipes and grooves that enhance wet grip and evacuate water, helping to prevent hydroplaning. Its non-directional tread means you can ask your mechanic to rotate all four of these hoops to a new corner of your truck or SUV, extending their life and promoting even wear. If you’re always hitting the highway in your truck or SUV, this tire is a strong choice.

Different in mission from the BFGs listed above, the H/T in these Falken tires stands for Highway Terrain. The company says it is engineered to provide strong handling on the road and long-lasting, even wear over the long haul.

The Wildpeak H/T gets good marks on wet roads, thanks to tread sipes and grooves that enhance wet grip and evacuate water, helping to prevent hydroplaning. Its non-directional tread means you can ask your mechanic to rotate all four of these hoops to a new corner of your truck or SUV, extending their life and promoting even wear. If you’re always hitting the highway in your truck or SUV, this tire is a strong choice.

Don’t let the milquetoast brand name of General make you think these tires are simply an all-around choice with no outstanding features. The Grabber AT2 line is designed with an innovative 5-rib pattern so you can explore rocks, mud, or sand in your off-road rig. An acoustic tread pattern reduces the trademark paved road ‘zing’ plaguing so many of these types of tires.

General calls its rubber compound Duragen which sounds like a thing in Terminator but is actually a secret blend of ingredients designed to provide excellent cut and chip resistance. It is also said to maintain flexibility in cold temperatures, so it makes sense why these tires have good reviews for performance in the snow.

Don’t let the milquetoast brand name of General make you think these tires are simply an all-around choice with no outstanding features. The Grabber AT2 line is designed with an innovative 5-rib pattern so you can explore rocks, mud, or sand in your off-road rig. An acoustic tread pattern reduces the trademark paved road ‘zing’ plaguing so many of these types of tires.

General calls its rubber compound Duragen which sounds like a thing in Terminator but is actually a secret blend of ingredients designed to provide excellent cut and chip resistance. It is also said to maintain flexibility in cold temperatures, so it makes sense why these tires have good reviews for performance in the snow.

This tire’s name reminds your author of the old-school Ridge Racer game from the PS1 era. Vintage electronics aside, these tires combine the best of Nitto’s all-terrain and mud-terrain technology to produce a rugged beast of a tire that’s ready for just about anything. Shoulder grooves are arranged in alternating widths and lengths to clear mud and maintain traction.

The Ridge Grappler is equally at home playing in the dirt or the mud, thanks to rugged tread that bites into dirt and gravel, keeping traction in tough terrain. Because you have to get back on the highway at some point, Ridge Grappler has a tread design that won’t beat you up on tarmac once you depart from the wilderness.

This tire’s name reminds your author of the old-school Ridge Racer game from the PS1 era. Vintage electronics aside, these tires combine the best of Nitto’s all-terrain and mud-terrain technology to produce a rugged beast of a tire that’s ready for just about anything. Shoulder grooves are arranged in alternating widths and lengths to clear mud and maintain traction.

The Ridge Grappler is equally at home playing in the dirt or the mud, thanks to rugged tread that bites into dirt and gravel, keeping traction in tough terrain. Because you have to get back on the highway at some point, Ridge Grappler has a tread design that won’t beat you up on tarmac once you depart from the wilderness.

Another entrant into the primarily on-road game is this H/T variant of the Open Country line from Toyo. As such, its speaking points are primarily skewed towards features like wear resistance and silent operation. Those circumferential grooves help evacuate water efficiently to maintain traction in the wet, for example.

Still, this ain’t exactly an invisible wallflower. Light truck and SUV owners will appreciate the dual sidewall design – sporty on one side, classic on the other – which lets them choose the look that complements their vehicle. You know which one I’d select.

Another entrant into the primarily on-road game is this H/T variant of the Open Country line from Toyo. As such, its speaking points are primarily skewed towards features like wear resistance and silent operation. Those circumferential grooves help evacuate water efficiently to maintain traction in the wet, for example.

Still, this ain’t exactly an invisible wallflower. Light truck and SUV owners will appreciate the dual sidewall design – sporty on one side, classic on the other – which lets them choose the look that complements their vehicle. You know which one I’d select.

We’re including this small-batch tire for two reasons. First, it has a traditional look to both the tread and sidewall which appeals to more than a few customers. Second, while its size catalog is tiny, it includes diameters which are perfect for someone fitting new rubber to a restored pickup or SUV from years gone by. Not everyone runs 24s.

Open tread grooves should get the job done in rain or snow. The manufacturer says these tires are able to handle light off-roading and the rigors of highway driving, a good combination for someone who likes going up to their cottage on weekends in their classic truck.

We’re including this small-batch tire for two reasons. First, it has a traditional look to both the tread and sidewall which appeals to more than a few customers. Second, while its size catalog is tiny, it includes diameters which are perfect for someone fitting new rubber to a restored pickup or SUV from years gone by. Not everyone runs 24s.

Open tread grooves should get the job done in rain or snow. The manufacturer says these tires are able to handle light off-roading and the rigors of highway driving, a good combination for someone who likes going up to their cottage on weekends in their classic truck.

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(Editor’s note: This post is meant to both help you be an informed shopper for automotive products but also to pay for our ‘90s sedan shopping habits operating expenses. Some of you don’t find these posts fun, but they help pay for Junkyard Finds, Rare Rides, Piston Slaps, and whatever else. Thanks for reading.)

[Main photo credit: Evannovostro / ShutterStock.com. Product images provided by the manufacturer.]