Which Tyres Are Best for an SUV?

It is naive to think: "Why spend money on winter tyres? 4x4's are not afraid of dirt!" But ice and a snow-covered track are not mud, and not even off-road, and an SUV is not an all-terrain vehicle at all.

The specifics of an SUV

Everything has a price. You have to pay for the benefits. In adverse weather conditions, every car demonstrates not only its best sides, but it also shows flaws hidden in design solutions. Sailability, aerodynamics, increased ground clearance inherent in this class of cars - reduce stability.

Four-wheel drive 4x4 has an impact on acceleration but not braking. Therefore, winter tyres for SUVs and crossovers have several distinctive features: 

• in the tread pattern and slit drainage channels;
• in strengthening the frame structure;
• increased requirements for materials and the level of wear resistance.

What should be considered when choosing tyres for an SUV?

Each manufacturer of the best-rated SUV tyres strives to give the best of their designs. But the basis of any choice is determined by two essential criteria - the achieved result and the effectiveness of its achievement. 

Therefore, the decisive balance in this matter is a compromise balance between necessity and practicality, which should take into account: 

• purpose, performance and functionality;
• the prevailing nature of the terrain and weather conditions;
• driving style, modes and conditions of the planned operation;
• traction and grip on various surfaces, resistance to aquaplaning;
• correspondence of the load capacity indices of your car and tyre (not to be confused with the speed index);
• the possibility of simultaneous replacement of all 4 "fulcrum points" with the same manufacturer's same models.

The right choice of winter tyres for SUVs provides:

• confident security;
• driving pleasure;
• high cross-country ability and deep snow cover;
• excellent manoeuvrability and controllability on a wet, snowy track;
• stability during emergency braking and cornering.

Selection of type and variety of tread

In the conditions of extreme winters, high-profile tyres are more suitable for an SUV. Absorbing shocks and confidently walking on a porridge of ice crumbs and water. 

The wheels must grip as tightly as possible with the snow-rolled surface. It is the tread pattern that determines the grip and braking distance:

• Asymmetric - longitudinally bisecting the rim in half. One is designed for the road, providing grippy contact and working with snow, mud and slush.
• Classic - with a protector 7–8 mm high. The grooves' longitudinal pattern is vast, the lateral clearances are medium—an all-weather option, ideal for tidy and calm drivers.
• V-shaped - high-speed, with a sporty pattern and a tread of 6-7 mm, for movement on dry cleaned high-speed tracks.
• Tractor - wide and diamond-shaped, with a tread height of 9-10 mm for snowy areas (deep snow and drifts).

By type, rubber for SUVs has its own differences:

• highway - for movement on durable and hard surfaces of the city and highways;
• universal - more rigid with a large pattern, confidently "raking" snow, mud and sand and stable on the road;
• mud - off-road, very hard with a "tractor" tread.

Of course, in any case, the choice of criteria, preferences and priorities remains with the consumer. If you do not want to independently understand tyres' technical characteristics, trust the experts and their best-rated SUV tyres. 

For you, this means - the right rubber according to the operating conditions and the roads on which you most often drive.