Continental SUV Tires

General Motor's mid-size SUVs, the Chevy Equinox and its GMC Terrain counterpart, have been one of America's best-selling sport utility vehicles over the past few years. Great looks and efficient power keeps this American family wagon rolling right along. With so many on the road, it's probably time for many owners to start considering new tires. Thankfully, there are many great options for these vehicle.

Currently, the top-rated Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season tire is the Continental CrossContact LX20 with EcoPlus Technology. This tire seems to simply do it all. Right away you'll notice how quiet, smooth and comfortable it rides. In addition, it has exceptional all-season traction. As a low rolling resistance tire, you can also expect to save fuel while receiving an enhanced driving pleasure. 

Another great tire to consider is the Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season. Similar to the CrossContact LX20 with EcoPlus Technology, this tire offers excellent ride qualities and is very nice to drive on. Designed as an eco-friendly option, the tire features an Ecoimpact icon on its sidewall to highlight its environmental compatibility where it reduces rolling resistance and tire weight to increase fuel economy and lower the vehicle's CO2 emissions.

As a good value option, take a look at the Firestone Destination LE 2. It's a relatively new tire that replaced the popular Destination LE. It features a completely revised tread design that not only looks good, but performs great. Combining long wear with a comfortable ride, the Destination LE 2 provides all-season traction, even in light snow.

Continental CrossContact LX20 with EcoPlus Technology

Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season

Firestone Destination LE 2

If the time has come to replace the tires on your Equinox or Terrain, consider these three options. If you would like to see additional offerings, shop by vehicle.

Since its introduction in the United States in 2001, the Toyota Highlander has been a popular luxury SUV/CUV. The second generation of the vehicle was introduced in 2008 and has continued to be a great choice for many drivers. Given the popularity of the Toyota Highlander, I'm often asked about what replacement tires are best for the vehicle. Below are my top picks that work well for each generation:

2001-2007 Toyota Highlander

Firestone Destination LE 2

Michelin LTX M/S2

The Michelin LTX M/S2 and Firestone Destination LE2 are the top two tires in our Highway All-Season category, and for good reason. Both tires offer a smooth and quiet ride, with excellent traction in all conditions. Firestone's Destination LE 2 is also designed to combine a long wear with a comfortable ride. Its internal structure features twin steel belts reinforced with spirally wrapped nylon to provide strength, uniformity and durability on top of a polyester cord body to help cushion the ride. Destination LE 2 tires come with a 60,000-mile treadwear warranty.

Compared to the original LTX M/S, the Michelin LTX M/S2 is an evolution in looks...and a leap forward in performance. It molds a long wearing, silica-enhanced, all-season compound into a tread profile that features Michelin's MaxTouch Construction to produce a contact patch that promotes reliable traction with long wear by evenly distributing acceleration, braking and cornering forces. The tire is offered with a 70,000-mile treadlife warranty.

2008-2013 Toyota Highlander

Continental CrossContact LX20 with EcoPlus Technology

Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza

Both the Continental CrossContact LX20 with EcoPlus Technology and the Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza rank near the top of the Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season category. The CrossContact LX20 with EcoPlus Technology is a relatively new tire, but initial customer feedback and testing data show it to be a top contending tire. This ecologically friendly tire performs on the highway, as well as in mild off-road conditions. Designed to enhance driving pleasure, the tire saves fuel and maintains grip when braking on wet surfaces while providing long wear and all-season traction, even in light snow.

Bridgestone's Dueler H/L Alenza has been a reliable favorite for many years and is consistently praised for its smooth and quiet ride, as well as great wet traction and wear. The tire provides elegance with an edge, along with year-round traction, even in light snow. Featuring Bridgestone's UNI-T technology takes the tire's behavior to a higher level by increasing comfort and control, in order to further enhance wet traction over the life of the tire.

Shop by vehicle to view all tire options available for your Toyota Highlander.

It seems the Audi Q7 is a vehicle that has issues with tire wear. Like most heavier vehicles, it'll tend to wear tires faster than a lighter car. While we can't change this or promise any treadlife miracles, the problem can be remedied to a degree.

The Q7's Original Equipment was made available with several different sizes and brands of tires, however most of the options had one thing in common: very soft tread compounds. Typically, the tires used on the Q7 were sport truck tires or performance tires featuring relatively soft compounds and correspondingly low UTQG treadwear numbers. This type of tire combined with the weight of the vehicle usually leads to poor tire mileage. From my own personal estimate, most Q7 owners usually see about 20,000 miles before needing to replace their tires. When looking for replacement tires, I find it often makes sense to move away from the Original Equipment and take a look at more proven options with the propensity for longer life.

Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season

Continental ExtremeContact DWS

Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza

The following are a few of my favorite tires that come with pleasing mileage warranties from the manufacturer:

Pirelli's Scorpion Verde All Season is their eco-friendly Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season tire that combines dry and wet road handling, comfort and year-round capabilities. Ecoimpact icons on the sidewall highlight its environmental compatibility where it reduces rolling resistance and tire weight to increase fuel economy and lower the vehicle's CO2 emissions.

Continental's ExtremeContact DWS satisfies drivers' year-round driving needs by blending dry and wet road performance with light snow and slush traction. A visible "DWS" indicates the tire has sufficient tread depth for dry conditions, as well as wet roads and light snow. After the "S" wears away, the remaining "DW" indicates the tire only has sufficient tread depth for dry and most wet road conditions. And after the "W" and "S" wear away, the remaining "D" lets drivers know the tire has appropriate tread depth for dry conditions only.

The Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza provides elegance with an edge. Featuring Bridgestone's UNI-T technology, the tire takes behavior to a higher level by increasing comfort and control, in order to further enhance wet traction over the life of the tire. In our Tire Survey Results, the Dueler H/L Alenza receives high marks for dry traction, steering response and cornering stability. It's important to note that this tire is only available in an 18" size for your Q7.

To ensure you find the right tire for your Audi Q7, shop by vehicle.

The BMW X5 is a sleek, sophisticated and high-powered SUV, which meets today's needs of sports car like performance with truck like versatility and cargo space. With the optional Sports Package, the BMW X5 boosts large 20" staggered wheels and run-flat tires. While the package offers a more aggressive stance with wider tires than the standard X5, it also complicates tire shopping when looking for a tire that can perform in all seasons. The 275/40R20 front and 315/35R20 rear tires equipped on the BMW X5 offers a pretty slim selection of all-season tires.

Unbeknownst to many BMW X5 owners, most of these SUVs have been equipped with high performance summer tires. These tires are designed for temperatures above 45 degrees Fahrenheit and do not provide traction in the snow or on ice. If you decide to stay with run-flat tires, the only current option is to use a dedicated set of summer tires in the summer, spring and fall and a dedicated set of winter / snow tires during the winter months.

Continental ExtremeContact DWS

Continental ExtremeContact DWS

However, if you've done your research and want a non-run-flat tire, there's an all-season option to consider, Continental's ExtremeContact DWS. I have had many customers opt out of a run-flat tire for this Ultra High Performance All-Season tire with great results. The ExtremeContact DWS will maintain the high level of performance feel you're used to while adding the ability to use the same tire all year long. Keep in mind there are some drawbacks to switching to a non-run-flat tire and you can find those details by reading "Do I Need to Put Run-Flat Winter Tires On My BMW".

Search by vehicle to see if the Continental ExtremeContact DWS is available for your car.

For optimum snow grip, nothing compares to dedicated winter / snow tires. But, what if you live on the edge of the Snowbelt and need to run one set of tires year-round? Then you're better served by purchasing a set of all-season tires with decent light snow capability. 

How do different all-season tires perform in the snow? Our test team has traveled to Sweden the past few winters to find out. Below are brief recaps of five different all-season categories and how certain tires performed during our time near the Arctic Circle.

Ultra High Performance All-Season Test

In comparing the Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS Pole Position, Continental ExtremeContact DWS, Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus and Pirelli PZero Nero All Season we found the Continental ExtremeContact DWS to perform best in the snow with the Pirelli finishing a close second. On ice, the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus led the way with Continental's ExtremeContact DWS and Pirelli's PZero Nero All Season coming in next. Bridgestone's Potenza RE970AS Pole Position trailed the others by a fair margin. Complete test results can be found here.

Eco-Focused All-Season Test

When driving on the Bridgestone Ecopia EP422, Continental ProContact with EcoPlus Technology, Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max and Yokohama AVID TRZ we found the Goodyear and Bridgestone options to be tops in the snow and on ice. Goodyear's Assurance Fuel Max delivered impressive results, especially under braking. Yokohama AVID TRZ tires were competitive, but showed lower overall snow traction than the other three tires.

High Performance All-Season Test

The Dunlop SP Sport Signature, Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval AS and Goodyear Eagle GT all offered decent snow and ice performance. The fourth tire in the test, the Yokohama AVID ENVigor, couldn't match the others on both surfaces. It provided a considerably lower level of acceleration, braking and cornering traction. To see how Dunlop's aggressive tread pattern paid a dividend in the snow, read "Testing High Performance All-Season Tires."

Eco-Focused Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season Test

Amongst the Bridgestone Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia, Continental CrossContact LX20 with EcoPlus Technology and the Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max, the Bridgestone did the best in the snow with the Goodyear coming in next. When it came to braking on the ice, Goodyear's Assurance CS Fuel Max edged out the Bridgestone Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia. The Continental CrossContact LX20 with EcoPlus Technology was fairly easy to control, but showed somewhat lower overall traction than the other two.

Goodyear Assurance TripleTred All-Season Introductory Comparison Test

In assessing the General AltiMAX HP, Goodyear Assurance TripleTred All-Season, Hankook Optimo H727 and Michelin HydroEdge with Green X, the Hankook Optimo H727 performed the best in snow and on ice. It was rather impressive in the snow, delivering very good overall traction and predictable handling. To view results from our test, take a look at "Testing the Goodyear Assurance TripleTred All-Season."

The latest and greatest technology in winter / snow tires is found in options such as the Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 and Michelin X-Ice Xi3. However, they can be priced higher than other winter tires with different technology. Even the most inexpensive winter tires will offer a noticeable improvement in snow and ice traction compared to all-season tires.  

During our testing at a local ice rink, we wanted to see how much of a difference winter tires make in winter conditions. As illustrated in the photo above, you can see winter / snow tires allow you to stop sooner when braking on ice. It could be the difference between rear ending another car at an intersection or stopping safely with room to spare. You'll also feel much more confident and in control of your vehicle when driving on snow- and ice-covered roads. To see the difference winter tires made at the ice rink compared to summer and all-season tires, read "Testing on Ice: Winter / Snow vs. All-Season vs. Summer Tires."

When looking for a value-priced winter / snow tire, consider the following three options:

Continental ExtremeWinterContact

Dunlop Graspic DS-3

General AltiMAX Arctic

The Dunlop Graspic DS-3 is a Studless Ice & Snow tire that delivers maximum winter traction without using metal studs. It uses Dunlop's Digital Rolling Simulation II technology (computer-enhanced design) and premium tread compounding to deliver wintertime traction in snow and on ice.

Continental's ExtremeWinterContact tire is developed for the drivers of coupes, sedans, minivans and crossovers, as well as, passenger-oriented light-duty trucks and SUVs looking for traction on winter's slushy, snow-covered and icy roads. This tire delivers serious performance in winter weather conditions.

AltiMAX Arctic tires from General are a Studdable Winter / Snow option that receives high marks from our customers in the light snow traction, deep snow traction and ice traction categories. Molded to accommodate the use of optional metal studs, AltiMAX Arctic tires meet the industry's severe snow service requirements and are branded with the mountain/snowflake symbol.

Don't wait too long to order. Many value-priced winter / snow tires sell out quickly. 

General Motors' best-selling full-size SUVs are all based from the same platform. These vehicles include the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and the Cadillac Escalade. There are many basic similarities between these three vehicles, including tires. The current generation of these three SUVs either came with a 17", 18" or 20" tire. Given the popularity of these vehicles, many owners are looking for the best tire selection for their vehicle. Take a look at the following options when considering tire replacements for your Tahoe, Yukon or Escalade:

Bridgestone's Dueler H/L Alenza is the Original Equipment tire on most of these SUVs. This Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season tire is a very good option and I would continue to recommend it as a replacement option. It rides very nicely, offers good all-season traction and provides good treadlife. Designed to provide elegance with an edge, the tire has been ride and noise tuned to enhance comfort.

Another good option for these trucks is the new Michelin LTX M/S2. If you consider yourself a "Michelin Man", than this is your tire. This latest Highway All-Season radial from the French tire maker offers a very smooth ride and has the best all-season traction according to our most recent survey results. The LTX M/S2 molds a long wearing, silica-enhanced, all-season compound into a tread profile featuring Michelin's MaxTouch Construction to produce a contact patch that promotes reliable traction and long wear by evenly distributing acceleration, braking and cornering forces. Compared to the original LTX M/S, the LTX M/S2 is an evolution in looks and a leap forward in performance.

Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza

Michelin LTX M/S2

Continental CrossContact LX20 with EcoPlus Technology

If you're looking for a tire with good value, then consider the Continental CrossContact LX20 with EcoPlus Technology. The tire is a favorite among our customers as it is currently ranked number one in our Tire Survey Results for Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season tires. It's also engineered to help you improve your fuel efficiency and maintain grip when braking on wet surfaces while providing long wear and all-season traction, even in light snow. For more information about EcoPlus Technology, read "Continental Tire EcoPlus+ Technology, EcoPlus or 'E' Symbol."

When your Tahoe, Yukon or Escalade is in need of new tires, consider these options or shop by vehicle to find the tire that's best for your driving style.

The Subaru Outback is known as one of the most versatile vehicles on the market today. It combines everyday drivability, SUV cargo space and all-wheel-drive capability. But even the Outback can be stopped by winter weather because electronic drivers aid and AWD systems aren't enough to tackle what winter has to offer. 

Anti-lock brakes, traction control and vehicle stability control make the car easier to drive in winter weather but none of these provide more traction. These systems only limit engine power and braking force -- you're still ultimately limited by the amount of grip you have from your tires. Although the Outback comes with a sophisticated AWD system to keep the vehicle moving forward in slippery conditions, when it comes to stopping and steering you still depend on your tires to provide the level of traction needed to keep safe on the road.

Most Subaru Outback models can use a 16" Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Package. This is usually the most attractive route as it allows you to use a dedicated winter tire mounted to an inexpensive black steel wheel. For example, for the 2013 Subaru Outback 2.5i I would recommend using the 225/65R16 Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 or Continental ExtremeWinterContact mounted to the 16x6.5" black steel wheel. Tire Pressure Monitors Systems can also be added if you wish. If the wheels and tires are purchased at the same time, we'll also provide Hunter Road Force balancing for free.  

Bridgestone Blizzak WS70

Continental ExtremeWinterContact

Black Steel Wheel

Shop by vehicle to view the winter / snow tires and wheels available for your Subaru.