The right tire keeps a heavy vehicle planted through rain and snow. Consumer Reports tested tires for braking, handling and tread life
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A heavier SUV or truck puts more strain on its tires than a sedan does, so braking distance, wet-weather grip and tread life all matter more when the vehicle itself weighs so much. The wrong tire choice can mean a longer stop in the rain or a tread that wears out years sooner than expected.
Consumer Reports tested all-season, all-terrain and winter tires for braking, handling and tread life, so drivers can find the right match for their vehicle and climate.
Credit: Michelin
The Michelin Defender2 costs $189 and topped Consumer Reports' ratings among all-season tires. CR rated its dry braking, hydroplaning resistance and snow traction all good, calling it well suited to a broad range of weather conditions. Testers projected a 100,000-mile tread life, longer than any other tire CR tested in this lineup. CR also pointed to the Hankook Kinergy XP as a smart alternative, noting it matches the Michelin's rounded overall score with more consistent performance across categories and a lower price, though its tread life projection runs shorter at a still-solid 75,000 miles and owner satisfaction lands below average.
Credit: Michelin
The Michelin CrossClimate2 costs $254 and stood out clearly among all-season SUV tires in Consumer Reports' testing, scoring several points above its top rivals. CR rated its performance above average or better across every test conducted, and noted it doubles as an all-weather tire with cold-weather capability built in alongside its all-season, all-year design. Testers projected a 95,000-mile tread life, and CR judged the tire's performance and expected service life a compelling case for its higher price. CR also flagged the Vredestein HiTrac as a smart alternative, delivering solid year-round grip with particular strength in snow traction and ice braking, though ride comfort came back merely average and its 60,000-mile tread life projection ranked lower than nearly every other tire in this category.
Credit: Continental
The Continental TerrainContact H/T costs $280 and delivered all-around performance stronger than other all-season truck tires Consumer Reports tested, with snow traction and noise standing out as particular strengths. CR rated dry braking, handling and ice braking all above average, and projected a 70,000-mile tread life, longer than any other tire tested in this category. CR also pointed to the General Grabber HTS60 as a smart alternative, noting it balances performance differently but still competitively, with particular strength in hydroplaning resistance and rolling resistance. Other tests on the General Grabber yielded at least average performance, and CR projected a tread life of 55,000 miles for it.
Credit: Continental
The Continental TerrainContact A/T costs $280 and earned average or better scores across every category Consumer Reports tested, including dry braking, handling and hydroplaning resistance. CR gave it top marks for noise specifically, which stands out since all-terrain tires often struggle with cabin noise. Testers projected a 65,000-mile tread life despite the tire's off-road capability. CR also flagged the Michelin LTX A/T 2 as a smart alternative, projecting an 80,000-mile tread life and excellent hydroplaning resistance, though CR found it noticeably louder than the Continental.
Credit: Nokian
The Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 costs $189 and delivered excellent snow traction and ice braking in Consumer Reports' winter tire testing. CR rated dry braking, hydroplaning resistance, ride comfort and noise all average across the board. CR also pointed to the Continental Viking Contact 7 as a smart alternative, edging out both the Nokian and the Michelin X $TWTR-Ice Snow by a narrow margin, and found it outperformed the Nokian specifically on how comfortable the ride felt and how quiet the tire ran. Both the Nokian and the Continental earned top marks for rolling resistance, and CR noted that trait is uncommon among winter and snow tires generally.
Credit: TireRack
The Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV costs $317 and posted strong marks for snow grip, braking on ice and how easily it rolls, standout results in Consumer Reports' winter tire testing. CR rated handling and hydroplaning resistance middling, which CR noted is about as good as this category gets, and found wet-braking distances came in below average, in line with typical results for winter/snow truck tires. CR also flagged the GT Radial IcePro SUV 3 as a smart alternative, pricing well below the Nokian while posting similar scores overall and even outperforming it on dry and wet braking specifically. CR called the GT Radial a good, high-value choice for shoppers prioritizing price.
