Honda HR-V is one of the better small SUVs on the market. The HR-V comes with a premium, comfy cabin with easy-to-use infotainment features to keep the passengers occupied. Its sizeable cargo area and plush ride over rough and uneven pavement further enhance its reputation.
The only downside is the HR-V’s engine, which struggles to keep this SUV up to speed with its rivals on the road. Yet it makes up for its sluggish acceleration with an impressive fuel economy, with the HR-V’s front-wheel-drive models rated to offer 26 mpg city and 32 mpg highway.
All in all, there aren’t many things the HR-V doesn’t do well, provided you install it with the right set of premium tires that could play to this vehicle’s strengths. The right set of tires for the HRV-V should also back up your driving style as well as weather and road conditions.
In this article, we’ll provide you with a detailed overview of the 11 best tires for Honda HR-V on the market. All the models you see below are recommended by HR-V drivers like you. You can therefore count on this tire selection to be an ideal fit for whatever HR-V trim you’re using.
#1. Michelin CrossClimate 2 – Best Overall
The Michelin CrossClimate 2 is our top tire pick for Honda HR-V for multiple reasons. The first is that this model comes with a unique tread compound that has lowered its rolling resistance. This, in turn, makes it a perfect antidote to the HR-V’s sluggish acceleration.
The Thermal Adaptive tread compound also enhances this model’s grip and traction in dry, wet and slippery conditions. Its flexibility in the face of inclement weather is the reason why the CrossClimate 2 can safely carry you from point A to point B on light snow.
This tire also comes with a state-of-the-art water evacuation system. One that features circumferential and lateral grooves to quickly and effectively evacuate water from beneath the tread area. The result is a reduced risk of hydroplaning and improved wet traction.
Even though it isn’t one of the best tires for snow (its tread compound doesn’t stay flexible in sub-zero temperatures), the CrossClimate 2 still comes with the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) and Mud + Snow (M+S) rating, indicating its utility in harsh weather.
Speaking of harsh weather, V-Ramp chamfers and biting edges on the tire’s asymmetric tread pattern help it grip snow- and ice-laden roads reliably. On top of everything else, Michelin’s PIANO Noise Reduction Technology helps this model offer a quiet ride at higher speeds.
Pros
- Offers quiet and comfortable ride
- Has superb aquaplaning resistance
- Incredibly short braking distances on dry and wet roads
Cons
- Doesn’t come cheap
#2. Hankook Kinergy GT – Best Grand Touring
The Hankook Kinergy GT epitomizes everything that drivers like about grand-touring tires. This model performs incredibly on the highway, comes with a long treadwear warranty, and offers refined handling. That too without blowing a hole in its customer’s pocket.
A silica-enriched tread compound has done wonders for this tire’s performance. Silica gives the rubber the firmness needed to stay glued to the road in summer conditions. At the same time, it has that bit of flexibility needed to latch onto wet and/or slippery surfaces.
Hankook has molded the tread compound into a 5-rib tread pattern. The center-most of the five ribs has been designed to be more rigid than its neighbors, which should help with braking and acceleration. The sidewall is also stiffened up to improve steering feedback.
For water evacuation, Hankook provided this tire with deeper-than-usual circumferential grooves. Their added width allows the grooves to channel more water than usual. As a result, you can count on them to improve this tire’s hydroplaning resistance and wet traction.
Despite all these features, the Kinergy GT isn’t our top pick. Want to know why? This model’s snow performance is poor, especially when compared with our top pick, which, as stated above, has solidified its wintry conditions credentials with 3PMSF and M+S symbols.
Pros
- Available at an affordable price point
- Offers excellent dry and wet performance
- Comes with a long treadwear warranty (70,000 miles)
Cons
- Snow performance is average
#3. General Altimax RT43 – Best Budget Tire
The General Altimax RT43 ticks several boxes for the average HR-V driver. This model comes at a budget price point, softening the blow the HR-V’s lofty price tag has already landed on your bank account. Plus, it offers decent road manners and a long treadwear warranty.
Its double-layer tread compound enables the RT43 to offer the best of both worlds. The tread compound’s bottom (road-facing) layer has the softness needed to soak up the majority of road vibrations and deflect most of the noise generated by the firmer, upper layer.
The firm upper layer isn’t without its merits. Its rigidity is the reason why this tire delivers the kind of steering feedback you mostly don’t expect from mid-range models. It is also thanks to this layer’s firmness that the RT43 is quick to respond to your steering inputs.
Enough with the layer talk, now let’s turn our attention to design elements you can see. And there aren’t many things on the tire’s tread that are more visible than the Replacement Tire Monitor (RTM) and Visual Alignment Indicator (VAI). Here’s why this should delight you.
The RTM will let you know beforehand when the tire is nearing its expiry date, saving you from the trouble of dealing with a potentially dangerous loss of traction. As for the VAI’s, these are rubber bars that would help you keep the wheels perfectly aligned for a long treadlife.
Pros
- Available in as many as 79 different sizes
- Backed with a generous 75,000-mile treadwear warranty
- Offers excellent value for the money
Cons
- Will struggle in harsh snow conditions
#4. Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack – Best All Season
The Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack is a must-have for Honda HR-V drivers who use this SUV for everyday driving in moderate weather conditions. This all-season tire has the features to reinforce everything that makes the HR-V one of the standout SUVs on the road.
Take for instance how quiet this tire is. No matter how high your driving speed is, this model won’t let as much as a squeak get into the cabin as long as you’re on the highway. You and your fellow passengers would thus be able to enjoy the drive in absolute silence.
Water evacuation is another area where this tire excels. Which shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that this model has twice as many circumferential and lateral grooves (4) as its fellow A/S tires. These design elements would keep the risk of aquaplaning to a minimum.
ComfortCruise Technology is yet another standout feature of this model. This technology works with the tire’s soft tread compound and the symmetrical tread pattern to soak up road vibrations. It also makes the contact patch rounder for enhanced fuel mileage.
An 80,000-mile treadwear warranty further sets this model apart from competitors. Plus, its availability in multiple sizes from 15 to 20 inches makes this tire compatible with most HR-V trims. Thus, those of you who can afford this tire shouldn’t waste time considering other options.
Pros
- 80,000-mile treadlife warranty
- Exceptional ride quality with minimal road noise
- Ensures quick and effective water evacuation
Cons
- Might blow your budget
#5. Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 – Best Ultra-High-Performance
The Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 cannot be more different from the tires reviewed above. All the tires you saw before could hold their own in dry, wet, and light snow conditions. This model is different. The V12 evo2 is at its best when the roads are as dry as a desert.
An aggressive directional tread design leaves no doubt about this tire’s intentions. The tread design has the biting edges any tire could ever need to stay glued to the road at high speeds. The elaborate siping detail also translates into better response at the steering.
Hankook has also equipped this tire with a cooling system. This system consists of multiple pores in the tread area to mitigate the danger of heat build-up. In doing so, the pores minimize the risk of blow-outs, a problem that kills many cheap UHP tires on the road.
See those slanted edges on the tire blocks? They are an integral part of what is known as Hankook’s Stealth Technology. The edges are deliberately slanted to widen the tire’s contact patch when the rubber hits the road, thereby offering higher levels of grip and traction.
Given how aggressive its tread design is and how all its features work hard to justify its UHP credentials, it shouldn’t be surprising that the V12 evo2 roars at higher speeds. That and the fact it doesn’t come with a warranty are the only areas where this tire disappoints.
Pros
- Offers spirited performance
- Minimizes heat build-up inside the tread area
- Competitively priced for a UHP tire
Cons
- Roars at higher speeds
#6. Goodyear Assurance MaxLife – Best Treadlife
The Goodyear Assurance MaxLife is a must-have for any HR-V driver in the market for a pocket-friendly tire that won’t need replacement soon. That is because this model is competitively priced and comes with an exceptional 80,000-mile treadwear warranty.
A symmetric tread design all but guarantees ride comfort by absorbing vibrations and deflecting road noise before either could reach the cabin. It is helped in this by the tire’s internal steel belts, which also give the MaxLife the solidity needed to handle uneven roads.
TredLife Technology is what truly helps this tire defy its budget asking price. It does that by expanding this model’s contact patch on its contact with the underlying surface. The result? Even tread wear and low rolling resistance, with the latter translating into high fuel economy.
This tire’s continuous center rib isn’t as rigid as the one you get from UHP tires. Which can be good or bad depending on how you look at it. For, it means that the steering response won’t be as high as to some people’s liking, even though the ride would be highly refined.
Goodyear’s decision to opt for circumferential grooves was expected. These flanking channels form the water evacuation system in many a tires, premium or otherwise. As such, you should have no doubt in their ability to keep your HR-V stable on dicey surfaces.
Pros
- Backed with an 80,000-mile treadwear warranty
- Puts up incredible resistance to hydroplaning
- Outstanding grip and traction in wet conditions
Cons
- Slow to respond to steering inputs
#7. Bridgestone Dueler AT 001 – Best Off-Road
The Bridgestone Dueler AT001 is one of those off-road tires that don’t compromise on their on-road capabilities. This makes it an excellent choice for HR-V owners who regularly use this SUV for everyday driving but who venture off into the woods once in a while.
On the road, the AT 001 won’t leave any doubts in your mind that it’s a premium Bridgestone tire. Handling is immediate and crisp, cornering is well-behaved, and the ride is smooth for an off-road tire. Plus, self-cleaning design clears the contact patch for better wet performance.
Enthusiasts might appreciate the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) symbol on the tread area. Unlike the M+S emblem, this symbol is standardized by EU authorities. As a result, any tire with this emblem is guaranteed to perform adequately in harsh weather conditions.
This tire reserves its best performance for off-road. Grip is excellent on mud and gravel. The self-cleaning system does wonders for its traction in slush and mud, with the biting edges on the tread area giving this model the gripping power needed to plow through challenging terrains.
Bear in mind, though, that the AT 001 isn’t made for greasy roads. You should thus think twice before testing it to its limits on snowy and icy roads.
Pros
- Outstanding performance on harsh terrains
- Comes with the Three-Peak Snowflake Mountain emblem
- Has excellent road manners
Cons
- Doesn’t perform well on greasy roads
#8. Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4 – Best Performance
Are you looking for premium performance tires for your HR-V? Can you afford to pay the elevated asking price that is almost a given with these tires? If so, the Pilot Sport All-Season 4 deserves your attention.
A combination of Helio technology, silica tread compound, and sunflower oil helps this tire deliver the best of both worlds. The Helio technology and sunflower oil enhance this tire’s traction in wet conditions and prevent the rubber from shriveling in low temperatures.
Similar to any performance tire worth its salt, the Pilot Sport All-Season 4 features an asymmetric tread pattern. One that features outboard shoulder blocks for enhanced grip, steering response, and stability. The tread pattern also contains grooves for water evacuation.
This tire also comes with 360 Degree Variable sipes. These are self-locking indents that lock the treads for better dry cornering and open them for increased snow traction. What’s more, this tire also has the biting edges needed to plow through light snow and ice reliably.
The only issue some people may note about this tire is that it can feel twitchy during aggressive cornering. Unfortunately, this problem has no solution. But you can mitigate it by being gentle with the steering input, especially while turning corners in wet situations.
Pros
- Exceptional longitudinal traction
- Highly functional water evacuation system
- Short braking distances on wet surfaces
Cons
- Feels twitchy in a corner
#9. Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady – Best All-Weather
The Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady demonstrates why many drivers opt for all-weather tires over their all-season counterparts. This model is as reliable in dry and wet conditions as its A/S rivals, whereas its performance in light snow and ice is much better.
The shining 3PMSF emblem on the tread area indicates why we’re so bullish about this model’s performance in light wintry conditions. As stated before, only those tires carry this symbol that have proven their utility in harsh weather and on challenging roads.
Dual aqua channel grooves provide this tire with amazing hydroplaning resistance. Aside from that, they enhance its wet traction by keeping the contact patch dry.
Goodyear’s Evolving Traction Grooves ensure this tire never suffers the dangerous loss of traction, which is the destiny of many of its rivals in their last days. These grooves do that by replacing the Assurance WeatherReady’s built-in grooves once they start losing their bite.
In doing so, the Evolving Traction Grooves help this tire offer long-lasting and reliable traction. Still, it seems to use that Goodyear isn’t so confident about this model outlasting its rivals. Otherwise, it would have provided this tire with a higher treadwear warranty.
Pros
- Comes with the 3PMSF emblem
- Offers excellent traction on wet roads
- Provides reliable and long-lasting traction
Cons
Relatively low treadwear warranty
#10. Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 – Best Winter Tires
Although it’s been less than a year since its release, the Hakkapeliitta 10 has cemented its place at the top of the winter tire market. This model was released only in January 2021 and many users are already claiming that it’s the best studded snow tire there ever was.
This is hyperbole, but not by that much. After all, not many tires feature 16% more studs, offer 2% higher ice traction, and 2% better wet performance than the Hakkapeliitta 9. Neither are they 6 dB quieter than the Hakkapeliitta 9 on higher speeds.
Nokian, too, has done little to hurt this tire’s performance. In fact, it could have done much worse than using extra rubber at the base of this tire. One that gives the pre-installed studs all the help they need to latch onto, thereby increasing the studs’ road life.
Yet another thing that distinguishes this tire from rivals is that it’s available in a wide range of tires. Most winter models you see on the market are for specific vehicles. Not the Hakkapeliitta 10. This model can go on cars, SUVs, crossovers, and even some EVs.
Pros
- Comes with pre-installed metal studs
- Offers remarkable snow and ice traction
- Incredibly quiet for a studded snow tire
- Offers better fuel efficiency than its predecessor
Cons
- Silent Drive technology is only available on the EV version
Best Tires for Honda HR-V
Touring Tires
Touring tires are the best option for the average Honda HR-V driver. These tires offer refined road manners for noise- and vibration-free driving experience. Their low rolling resistance helps them boost enhanced fuel mileage, saving you from punishments at the pump.
The best touring tires (like those recommended above) also come with generous treadlife warranties. It’s common for a premium touring tire to be backed for as many as 70,000 miles by its manufacturer. You can thus count on these models to last as many as 5, 6 years.
Despite offering all these sought-after features, touring tires are pocket-friendly, especially when compared with their performance and high-performance counterparts. That means that touring tires won’t disturb your finances in the short and long run.
Performance Tires
Performance tires might be preferred by enthusiasts or those driving the HR-V Sport trim. These tires have stiff sidewalls for enhanced steering response and cornering performance. In addition, their aggressive tread pattern helps them stay glued to the road at eye-watering speeds.
Another thing that goes in these tires’ favor is their low rolling resistance. However, unlike touring tires, the low rolling resistance doesn’t translate into improved fuel economy. In fact, many people have learned it the hard way that performance tires are fuel-guzzlers.
This is something that may or may not trouble you, depending on how deep your pockets are and whether you intend to test the HR-V to its limits.
Off-Road Tires
Off-road tires are an ideal pick for the HR-V All-Wheel-Drive trim. These tire offer just about enough traction and grip to ensure this vehicle’s stability in challenging conditions. At the same time, their road manners keep things quiet and vibration-free on the highway.
Off-road tires are available in multiple categories, including all-terrain, mud-terrain, etc. Looking at its size and engine power, it seems to us that anything but all-terrain tires will be an overkill for the HR-V, unless you’re specifically targeting terrains in which other off-road tires would do well.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of tires are on a Honda HR-V?
The Honda HR-V comes with tire sizes 205/60R16, 195/70R15, 215/65R15, 205/65R15, and 205/70R15.
What is the best tire for Honda HR-V?
Michelin CrossClimate 2 is one of the best tires for Honda HR-V. This all-season touring tire boosts excellent road manners, exceptional treadlife, and a superb water evacuation system. Its extended treadwear warranty and wide size availability further make it a must-have for HR-V.
How long do HR-V tires last?
If your driving habits are conventional and your HR-V covers around 12,000 to 15,000 miles per year, a premium touring tire’s tread won’t wear out before 4, 5 years. This could be shorter if you drive more aggressively or more if you drive less than 10,000 miles per year.
When should I replace my HR-V tires?
Here are top signs your HR-V needs new tires:
- Your tires have hit the minimum tread depth
- You experience excessive vibrations every time you drive
- Your tires have developed cracks or bulges
- You can see the tread wear indicator bars on your tires
- Your HR-V’s traction on wet roads has nosedived
- Your tires’ sidewalls have cracks
- Your tires have failed the penny test
Conclusion
If you install cheap tires on the HR-V, this vehicle’s performance might take a hit. Only the right set of premium tires can magnify the qualities this SUV possesses. As such, it’s recommended to pick and install tires from the list given above.
