Everything about the Dodge Challenger is old school. An adult-friendly back seat, massive trunk space and an incredible catalogue of V-8 engines all help this muscle car hark to a bygone era when the majority of drivers preferred bigger cars with even bigger engines.
It’s not all about a spacious interior and brawny engines with this muscle car, though. The two-door also has a retro exterior to steal glances on the road. Straight-line stability and easy-to-use infotainment system further distinguish the Challenger from its rivals.
Despite possessing all these features, the Challenger still needs a reliable set of tires to perform at its best on the road and the street. Put a bad set of tires, and it won’t be long before this car starts begging for more traction during acceleration and grip while cornering.
Sure, this muscle car comes with a set of OEM tires. But those tires wear out quickly. Manufacturers use a soft rubber compound for OEM tires that doesn’t take long to disintegrate, leaving you with two options: park your car in the garage or order a pair of replacement tires.
That is why we have come up with this article. In the following paragraphs, you’ll come across some of the best tires for Dodge Challenger on the market. Aside from that, we’ll discuss all the factors you need to keep in mind while choosing tires for this eye-catching muscle car.
#1. Michelin Pilot Sport 4S – Best Overall
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S has got it all, especially for sports cars like the Dodge Challenger. Sure, this tire doesn’t come cheap and thus may not be in everybody’s budget. But since you’re looking for the best tires for Dodge Challenger, not mentioning the Pilot Sport 4S would be a disservice.
Most of this tire’s brilliant features originate from its asymmetric tread pattern. For instance, it’s the tread pattern’s outer part, which is the harder one, which has made it extremely responsive. Also, the tread pattern’s inner part is to credit for the tire’s excellent handling.
Some of the credit for the tire’s outstanding performance can also be laid at the door of its unique V-shaped tread design. As it is the tread design that helps this model offer a precise steering response, maximize straight-line stability and gives you full control over its movement.
This tire is also fair quiet – especially when compared with its rivals. A 30,000-miles warranty might not sound much on paper. Yet, it is considered above average in the class the tire belongs to. All in all, were it not for its price, the Pilot Sport 4S would have been faultless.
Pros
- Traction on slippery roads couldn’t be any better
- Exceptional cornering grip and stability
- Better than expected treadlife
Cons
- Pricey
#2. Continental TrueContact Tour – Best All-Season
The Continental TrueContact is everything that the Pilot Sport 4S is not.
This all-season tire is pocket-friendly and thus won’t blow your budget. An 80,000-mile treadwear warranty means it can last twice as long. And the fact that it is available in a large number of sizes (15 to 19-inches) means it can be fitted on almost all the Challenger trims.
That isn’t to say that one of these tires is better than the other. Enthusiast drivers who want to attack corners and prefer excellent high-speed stability should still prefer the Pilot Sport 4S. For everyone else, though, the TrueContact Tour is a much better option.
Data released by Continental shows that this tire has a 27% longer treadlife than its predecessor. The credit for that goes to EcoPlus Technology, which helps the tire wear evenly. Aside from that, the technology has also reduced this tire’s fuel consumption.
Yet there are areas this tire could have done better. Take, for instance, grip on icy roads. The TrueContact shows its all-season colors by struggling in slippery conditions. So, if you live in an area which receives more than its fair share of snow, this is not the tire to have.
Pros
- Comes with QuickView maintenance indicators
- Short braking distances for a tire in this category
- 80,000-mile treadwear warranty on some models
Cons
- Braking distances aren’t short on icy roads
#3. Michelin Defender T+H – Best All-Season
With the Defender T+H, Michelin struck the sweet spot between touring and high-performance tires. If you want the treadlife of a touring tire with (some) of the responsiveness only HP tires can offer, there aren’t many better options than this tire.
Unlike the majority of all-season tires, whose grip goes south the moment their tread depth decreases, the Defender T+H offers consistent grip as it wears down. This means that even after multiple years of use, it would still keep your vehicle safe.
Michelin’s IntelliSipe Technology has enhanced this tire’s wet traction. It has done that by providing the tread area with more biting edges than you see on most all-season tires. Another technology, titled Comfort Control, has enhanced its ride quality.
An 80,000-mile treadlife warranty means this tire can easily last 4-5 years. The danger of hydroplaning is minimized by multiple grooves in the tread area. And dry grip is enhanced by tread blocks. Unfortunately, all these features come at a steep price.
Pros
- Excellent handling and braking on dry surfaces
- Quiet and comfortable handling in most conditions
- Excellent treadwear warranty (80,000 miles)
Cons
- Doesn’t come cheap
#4.Bridgestone Potenza RE050 – Best Summer Performance
Tires like the Potenza RE050 show why manufacturers felt the need to develop summer performance tires after years of sticking with high- or ultra-high-performance tires. This tire feels super-responsive behind the wheel, making it a must-have for enthusiast drivers.
Traction and grip in the corners is exceptional. Braking distances are also short, whether you’re driving on wet surfaces or have applied sudden brakes after hard acceleration. High-speed stability is superb too, and you can trust this tire to resist aquaplaning in the rain as well.
Bridgestone’s Roundness Technology has provided this tire with a rounder shape. The shape has added more balance to the tire while also minimizing outside road noise. Still, this is a summer performance tire and can never be as quiet as an all-season or a touring rival.
A built-in rim guard will protect your wheels from curb damage. Hard rubber filler in the sidewalls does its bit by enhancing handling and the wrapped nylon in the casing gives added strength at higher speeds. Ride comfort is taken care of by the fabric body ply.
Pros
- Feels super-responsive behind the steering wheel
- Excellent traction and grip in the corners
- Short braking distances in wet conditions
Cons
- Zero treadwear warranty
#5. Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 – Best Summer Performance
The Firehawk Indy 500 differs from other summer performance tires on three counts. This tire doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg, is more useful than most of its cousins in rainy conditions, and backed with an excellent 65,000 miles limited treadwear warranty.
Fortunately, on the areas that matter, the Indy 500 is a hardcore summer performance tire. It offers excellent responsiveness to the person holding the steering. Grip and traction are excellent, both on dry and wet surfaces as well as when you’re attacking corners.
As you enter and exit corners at high speeds, the added grip prevents the tire from spinning out of control. Another benefit that it offers is superb high-speed stability. Finally, the added grip also deserves the credit for how controllable this tire is at higher speeds.
Firestone’s exclusive Pulse Groove Technology keeps the contact patch dry to improve traction on wet pavement. A plethora of grooves evacuate water to minimize hydroplaning. Together, the Pulse Groove Technology and Groove shorten the tire’s wet braking distances.
Pros
- Highly responsive
- Usable in rainy conditions
- 65,000-mile limited treadlife warranty
Cons
- Not for wintry conditions
#6. Michelin Premier A/S – Best Grand-Touring
The Michelin Premier A/S gets your attention with its sharp looks. It then retains the same with a hushed highway ride and ability to withstand multiple road conditions. If cost is no issue (this tire doesn’t come cheap), there aren’t many better options out there.
Its tread compound uses sunflower oil and silica to enhance wet performance and stay useful in wet and mild wintry conditions, respectively. The Comfort Control Technology is behind this model’s hushed highway ride, whereas the EverGrip Technology boosts wet traction.
Multiple biting edges around the tread area makes it useable on light snow. Hidden grooves, which only emerge as the original grooves wear down, also provide added grip. The result is a tire that brakes and performs consistently, even when it is worn down.
A 60,000-mile treadwear warranty is no cause for celebration, as there are less costly tires who are backed for 80,000-miles. Yet this tire more than makes up for this shortcoming with the featured discussed above and a wide size range (15- to 18-inches).
Pros
- Comfortable and quiet ride
- Excellent traction on wet surfaces
- Has all the traits to outlast its treadlife warranty
Cons
- Relatively small treadwear warranty (60,000 miles) for a touring tire
#7. Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring – Best Grand-Touring
The Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring is another grand touring tire. Yet it differs from the Michelin Premier A/S on two counts – this tire isn’t as pricey as the Premier A/S and some of its models come with 70,000-mile treadwear warranty, 10,000-mile higher than Michelin’s GT tire.
A coupled silica tread compound has reduced this tire’s weight and rolling resistance to improve its fuel economy. The result is fewer trips to the refilling station. The tread compound has also improved this model’s grip, especially when compared with mid-range GT tires.
Proprietary wear square indicators – narrow rubber bars on the tread area – will only be visible as the tread depth reaches dangerous limits. Tiny void areas and massive outboard tread blocks improve its high speed stability. They also improve this tire’s responsiveness.
The V-rated (149 mph) and H-rated (130 mph) versions of this tire are backed with a 70,000-mile treadwear warranty, whereas the W-rated (150mph) model is backed for 50,000 miles. These are respectable numbers no matter how you slice them.
Pros
- Affordably priced
- Extremely quiet and comfortable
- Above-average dry and wet handling
Cons
- Small treadwear warranty for specific models
#8. Goodyear Assurance ComforTred – Best Touring All-Season
The Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring ticks various boxes. This tire is as comfortable as touring tires come, offers class-leading wet traction and is as stable at high speeds as HP tires. Still, like all premium tires, it is nowhere near cheap.
Start with the comfort department. Goodyear has equipped this tire with 20% added cushioning that other models in this class. All that added rubber means an enhanced ability to soak vibrations and deflect road noise, making for a hushed driving experience.
High speed stability stems from Goodyear’s exclusive ComfortEdge sidewall. The sidewall’s outer layer is as stiff as the one you get from UHP tires for better high speed handling. Its inner layer, though, is pliable to soak up road vibrations for a comfortable ride.
Four circumferential grooves perform a fine job of evacuating water from the tread area. Treadwear indicators allow you to check how much of the original tread depth is still remaining. And an 80,000 mile treadlife warranty shows how much Goodyear trusts this tire.
Pros
- Offers an exceptionally comfortable ride
- Strikes balance between ride comfort and handling
- Comes with tread wear indicators
Cons
- Responsiveness could have been better
#9. Yokohama Avid Ascend – Best Touring All-Season
The Yokohama Avid Ascend is a budget-friendly touring all-season tire. The reason this fact has been highlighted is because the prices of touring tires have gone through the roof. Still, as discussed later, a few corners have been cut to keep the price low.
But first let’s begin on a positive note. Yokohama wants you to believe (with good reason) that the tire’s tread block edges have reduced road noise. Another thing the tread block edges do is ensure treadwear, though they are supported in this by the external adaptive shoulders.
That this tire has opted for extended treadlife doesn’t mean it has sacrificed cornering grip. The triBLEND technology – which has blended high-silica content with polymers – ensures that it stays as competitive on dry roads as in wet conditions, a rarity for a touring tire.
However, as stated above, there are a few areas in which this tire disappoints. Be prepared for a short treadlife if you are fond of entering and exiting corners at high speeds. Also, this tire’s wet traction is a few levels lower than what we have come to expect from its rivals.
Pros
- Brilliant steering response
- Top-notch dry traction
- Excellent tread life and ride quality
Cons
- Lackluster wet traction
#10. Falken Pro G4 A/S – Best High-Performance All-Season
The Falken Pro G4 A/S is the latest addition to the brand’s high-performance all-season tire lineup. This tire has been designed to provide drivers of coupes, sedans and sports cars like the Challenger improved treadwear, as well as increased traction.
Falken’s exclusive Dynamic Range Technology has relied on a high silica tread compound and an asymmetric tread pattern in the tire’s makeup. The result? Added traction on dry and wet road surfaces, an achievement for a budget-friendly high-performance tire.
The tread compound is also designed to stay flexible in mild wintry conditions, improving this tire’s traction on ice and snow. At the same time, it stays firm in hot weather, improving the tire’s treadwear while also enhancing its dry handling.
Bear in mind that the G4 A/S is by no means a snow tire. While it does have a flexible tread compound and biting edges, they only stay useful on light snow. Plus, the treadwear warranty can be as low as 45,000 miles or as high as 65K depending on the speed rating.
Pros
- Impressive treadwear warranty for a high-performance tire
- Offer enhanced cornering stability and nimble handling
- Provides you with a comfortable ride quality
Cons
- Might get too loud at higher speeds
#11. Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 – Best High-Performance All-Season
The ExtremeContact DWS06 was unveiled as Continental’s flagship high-performance tire after spending three years in the lab. All that time gave the brand’s engineers all the time they could have asked for to equip this model with some serious features.
This tire shows what is possible when SportPlus Technology combines with a tread compound made up of silica and +Silane additives. The combination helps the tire offer enhanced traction on wet surfaces, an area where high-performance all-season tires mostly struggle.
An asymmetric tread pattern improves handling on various road surfaces and allows for a more precise steering response. Traction Grooves and X-Sipe Technology lead to better braking performance and improved grip in (light) snow and icy roads.
Added strength and cornering stability are also on offer – the credit for this goes to this tire’s sidewall which is 35% stiffer than that of the original DWS. Plus, the Tuned Performance Indicators and Alignment Verification System show the tire’s wearing rate and how well your wheels are aligned.
Pros
- Enhanced traction on wet road surfaces
- Offers a more precise steering response than its predecessor
- Much improved braking performance
- Useful wear and alignment indicators
Cons
- Could have performed better on dry roads
Factors to Consider When Buying Tires for Dodge Challenger
Three factors would influence your decision when it comes to buying tires for your Dodge Challenger. They include the conditions you drive in, your driving style, and budget. Here’s what you need to consider when buying tires for this muscle car.
Types
The following types of tires are usually preferred by Mini Cooper owners:
High-Performance and Summer Performance
Regardless of the category their manufacturer puts them in – performance, high-performance, summer performance, max performance, etc. – these tires will help you extract the best possible performance from your Dodge Challenger on the highway and the street.
Right from the get-go, these tires will offer much better steering feel and responsiveness than any other type. However, you’ll truly feel the difference when attacking corners. It is when you enter and exit corners at high speeds that these tires make you feel special.
Furthermore, high-performance tires offer enhanced levels of traction and grip. Their braking distances are incredibly short, especially in summer conditions for which these tires are designed. Still, on the flip side, these tires are noisier and might cost you an arm and a leg.
Grand-Touring
Grand touring tires have come a long way. Where in the past their main focus was on providing above-average treadlife and road comfort, the grand-touring tires made these days offer excellent handling. Plus, they are available in tire sizes fitting the Dodge Challenger.
Still, despite the advancements, grand touring tires still serve the same purpose as they did a decade ago. These tires are designed for drivers who do a lot of driving on the highway and do so most days of the week. Small wonder, then, their qualities are geared for that kind of driving.
Furthermore, tire manufacturers provide outstanding warranties on GT tires, in some cases as high as 80,000 miles. This means that the average everyday driver can count on these tires to last 5-6 years while offering decent levels of road comfort and wet traction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best tires for a Dodge Challenger?
If you’re driving the base model of the Challenger, consider a touring or grand touring tires like the Continental TrueContact Tour, Michelin Defender T+H, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S or Michelin Premier A/S.
However, if you’re driving the SRT or Hellcat model, consider a set of performance tires such as the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06, Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, Bridgestone Potenza RE050, or Falken Pro G4 A/S.
What brand of tires are on a Dodge Challenger?
The latest model of the Dodge Challenger comes equipped with the Pirelli P Zero Rosso. This tire offers decent cornering grip and higher levels of dry traction. Ride comfort is praiseworthy and the steering response is also grip. Yet, their treadlife is quite small.
How long do tires last on a Dodge Challenger?
The amount of times tire will last on your Dodge Challenger will depend upon your driving style and the conditions you drive in. Having said that, you can expect tires to last at least 30,000 to 50,000 miles.
Conclusion
A bevy of powerful V-8 engines. Top of the line straight line stability. Incredibly user-friendly infotainment system. The Dodge Challenger has it all. Yet, to truly appreciate the qualities of this muscle car, premium tires from reputable manufacturers will be needed.
A tip to make the tires of your Challenger last longer: rotate your tires every 5000 miles or so. This will keep them usable for longer.
