Jeep Wrangler is a familiar name. At least, its first part is pretty well-known. It’s an iconic off-road vehicle, the only one of its caliber. Naturally, for a car of this sort, you’ll also have to find similarly proficient tires, which is another challenge. Although Jeeps are crossover icons, people use them in different situations.
Some of you out there don’t want to invest as much into off-road driving. For this kind of drivers, there are specific tires. The same goes to every other preference and purpose. This abundance makes shopping tiresome, but, thankfully, this list is here to narrow your array of options to just several candidates for various goals.
Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure
Upsides:
- Awesome as an off-road tire;
- Viable on tarmac;
- Grip sustains both in summer and winter;
- Reasonably durable
Downsides:
- Suffers on loose surfaces
Now, Wrangler is simply a standard off-road tire, which is saying a lot. The pattern is molded precisely for the unpredictable surfaces of country terrain, and it’s pretty effective there, overall. Its only weakness are loose surfaces (primarily sand and gravel), because the tread doesn’t have sufficient digging effect.
As recompense, however, the tread performs very well on tarmac. Although it doesn’t seem designed for this environment, the grip is still steadily effective, even winter. That’s because the pattern has enough biting edge for the job.
Notably, this tire is also very strong, due to many technologies invested into it. Great materials mean it lasts for more than 100,000 km before giving up.
Goodyear Wrangler MTR
Upsides:
- Decent as an off-road tire;
- Good on tarmac;
- Grip sustains well in dry;
- Very durable
Downsides:
- Suffers on damp ground
In comparison to the previous Wrangler option, this one is worse in some aspects, but decisively better in others. It’s pretty similar when it comes to off-road performance, although it’s poorer on mud. However, on highways it’s probably a better choice, but in a limited capacity.
You can only use it in summer and on dry land, otherwise it’ll give up completely. On dry, however, it handles very well even at high speed. That said, the tire is pretty strong, probably more resilient than its cousin. The different breed, basically.
Nitto Dune Grappler
Upsides:
- Ideal for sand driving;
- Tough and resilient;
- Durable;
- Aesthetically pleasant;
- Noiseless (off-road)
Downsides:
- None
Dune Grappler is a certified tire for sand-crawling. It’s the best of its kind, actually – and if your Jeep is in dire need of sand-resistant tires, you will need these. They are indispensable for the harsh environment of Arizona, Nevada or California. Basically, these tires are able to navigate sand with ease without any noise.
Other off-road elements, such as muck and rocks aren’t a problem either, although they aren’t suited for this terrain. On-road, they are pretty stable and handle well, especially thanks to the shoulders and sidewalls that provide extra grip and toughness. The durability is another strong suit here.
And hey, these tires are styled to look like a scorching flame – very attractive.
Michelin Defender LTX MS
Upsides:
- Great for dry land;
- Superb for damp road;
- Viable as an off-road option
Downsides:
- None
Defender LTX MS is good enough for all-terrain use – is has some void to fit dirt and gravel. Avoid mud and you’ll be fine. It’s more efficient on the road, though – it’s especially noticeable on wet tarmac, because the tire has a lot of solutions to get rid of the water fast. As a result, it’s one of the better water-resistant tires Michelin has.
The durability is good enough, although the lifespan is most deserving of notice. By estimations, the tire will last for about 115,000 km before dying, and that’s a good number for any tread.
Kumho Road Venture APT LK51
Upsides:
- Stability and handling;
- Great traction in dry and wet;
- Durability;
- Comfort;
- Affordability
Downsides:
- Not viable as an off-road option
Kumho is an exclusively tarmac option. If there are Jeep owners among you who don’t find off-road driving all that appealing and instead prefer good old paved road, then you might like this one. It handles well and drives smoothly even at high speeds. The grip is superb – especially in wet (courtesy of precise grooving).
It is durable enough, and a lifespan of 100,000 km seems like a good investment. However, they really won’t survive going off-road, unless over tried and known roads. Mud will decimate them.
They are also pretty cheap in comparison to other tires on this list.
Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2
Upsides:
- Fantastic winter performance;
- Great grip on ice and snow;
- Pretty durable
Downsides:
- Expensive
That’s another specialized tire, this time – for winter conditions. It behaves great on all sorts of tarmac, but its main element is snow (and ice). There, you can expect outstanding grip, handling and comfort. You could expect that these, like snow, the loose surfaces will also be no match for this tire, but that’s not really the case.
They can survive trips into the countryside, but don’t challenge them to mud baths. It’ll only hasten their death. It’s even more crucial if you stop to consider that they are amongst the least durable tires here, with only 60,000 km of life.
You really need to be careful with them, because they are also costlier than most tires we described.
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2
Upsides:
- Great winter performance;
- Decent grip all around;
- Fit for free-willed SUVs;
- Outstanding handling
Downsides:
- None
That’s another specifically winter tire, but this time it matches the driving style of most SUV. Meaning – it can survive countryside trips with more efficiency and also supply more biting edge when you need it. So, over dry, damp or snowy road – they don’t care, they’ll give you as much handling as you need.
The handling is especially worth the praise – because the treads are further reinforced by the superior shoulder design, you will feel more in control of them on the road. Not to mention, they look not bad at all.
Falken Wildpeak AT3W
Upsides:
- Enviable off-road performance;
- Decent on-road behavior;
- Durability and strength
Downsides:
- Excess noise
Wildpeak is an interesting case. While the pattern looks like it would only fit off-road driving and be atrocious on the road, it’s not. Obviously, it’s proficient as an all-terrain tire, but you shouldn’t underestimate its highway capabilities, either.
The tire has a lot of depth, which is helpful if you drive over mud, sand, gravel and other nasty terrain. However, it also has normal shoulders as well as a lot of biting potential. So, even though this jagged pattern produces a lot of noise on asphalt, it will remain on the road and grip it effectively.
It’s also strong and lasting – with roughly 90,000 km of life ahead of it.
BFGoodrich All-Terrain TA KO2
Upsides:
- Tread perfect for off-road traveling;
- Decent on-road performance;
- Durability
Downsides:
- Noise
If you are an off-road enthusiast, you know everything about this tire model already. If not – it’s amongst the best in its trade. The pattern BFG designed for it is iconic for all-terrain tires. It has deep long crevices and yet an efficient gripping style.
Although the off-roaders don’t usually get along with the usual highway driving, you’ll be surprised by this one. It’s steady, the grip is decent and it could really be noisier. In addition, it has superb protection from punctures and other damage, and the tread will last for a good 80 thousand kilometers.
Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ P3
Upsides:
- Very useful for all-terrain;
- High durability and protection;
- Viable on the road
Downsides:
- None
Baja is another example of a sadistic jagged design that somehow behaves well on the road and outside of it. The off-road element is obvious – the tread is good for diggings, and the aggressive blocks provide much-needed grip. The shoulder design also helps with traction.
Notably, there tires are made with silica, and that means they are going to be strong as well as grippy on the road. Because the design is aggressive and yet logical, it’s going to be fine both in wet and dry environment.
The protection is superb, and the durability doesn’t let down either. This tire is going to last for at least 70,000 km.
BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain TA KM3
Upsides:
- Perfect for off-road;
- Especially proficient against mud;
- Pleasant enough on-road;
- Strong
Downsides:
- Extremely loud
TA KM3 is just unkillable. Dirt, mud, sand, gravel or cliffs do nothing for these treads, both in terms of challenge and damage. That’s an ultimate solution for your off-road problems, and if you were looking for something this efficient – you’ve found it.
Funnily enough, it’s also viable on tarmac. It will scream extremely noisily, but the traction and handling on these treads are undeniable. If you want a superb performance in the countryside but also don’t want to suffer on highways, this one’s for you.
Pathfinder AT
Upsides:
- Great off-road performance;
- Decent on-road performance;
- Quiet;
- Durable
Downsides:
- None
Admittedly, this all-terrain option is pretty mild. Its design allows it to behave very well off-road. Pathfinder is very efficient in the countryside, but if the terrain is too harsh – it will prevail, but after some struggling.
Its role shifts more towards a 50-50 use. It is great off-road, but also doesn’t on the highways, where it drives with enough grip and confidence while producing just a minimal amount of noise.
The lifespan is standard for a mud tire – it’ll last you about 80,000 km at least.