Top 11 Best Tires for the Range Rover Sport
Did you know that Range Rover Sport has a loyalty rate of more than 50%? One in every two buyers of this SUV opts for another of its models whenever they’re looking to switch cars. To them, another model of this luxury SUV is preferable to any its competitors are offering.
Part of the reason why the Range Rover Sport has such loyal customers is that it doesn’t shrink around its passengers like a sports car. The luxury SUV is highly enjoyable on the road, with an air suspension that can smooth out the biggest road bumps without breaking a sweat.
At the same time, this SUV has what it takes to conquer off-roads. A sophisticated four-wheel drive, powerful engine lineup, and Land Rover’s signature off-road capability mean you can count on this vehicle to carry you from point A to point B through mud, slush, and gravel.
All of this is not to say that the Range Rover Sport is complete as it is. Instead, this SUV needs a set of tires capable of enhancing everything that makes it great. This is why we’re going to provide you with detailed reviews of the 11 best tires for Range Rover Sport on the market.
#1. Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV – Best Overall
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 has been designed to be fitted on SUVs like the Range Rover Sport. More importantly, it offers the stability and steering response few of its competitors could match. All in all, it has everything to be one of the best tires for Range Rover Sport.
A silica tread compound helps the Pilot Sport 4 SUV excel in dry and wet conditions. Rugged shoulder blocks and a continuous center rib ensure high-speed stability, with a sturdy internal construction safeguarding the tire against premature deformation.
Even in extreme wet conditions, this tire’s grooves will evacuate water from beneath the tread area. This will keep hydroplaning at bay and the contact patch dry, resulting in enhanced wet traction. Multiple biting edges, or ‘sipes’, will also help the tire grip the road firmly.
It’s in summer conditions where this model truly shines. The grip and traction levels are stunning, even for a premium SUV tire. In addition, there will be no hint of understeer even if you end up pushing this model too far to your liking, a rarity for any tire, premium or not.
Treadwear warranty is the only area where this model disappoints. A 20,000-mile treadwear warranty means that Michelin doesn’t expect the tire to last more than 1, 2 years, an extremely short time frame once you consider that this model doesn’t come cheap.
Pros
- Best-in-class hydroplaning resistance
- Superior performance in dry and wet conditions
- Incredibly short braking distances on slippery roads
Cons
- Lackluster 20,000 miles treadwear warranty
#2. Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate – Best Runner-Up
The Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate cannot be more different from our top pick. Unlike the Pilot Sport 4 SUV, which comes with a summer tread compound, this tire features an all-season tread compound. As a result, it can balance things between performance and riding comfort.
The tread compound gives rise to another difference: treadwear warranty. Goodyear backs the Eagle Exhilarate for 45,000 miles, more than double the backing the Pilot Sport 4 SUV received from its manufacturer. You could thus expect this model to last twice as long.
Goodyear’s ActiveGrip Technology pairs with this model’s large contact patch for enhanced grip in summer conditions. An internal 2-ply cord and reinforced casing help the tire deliver excellent handling characteristics. The duo also improves its high-speed stability.
The same story repeats itself in wet conditions. You can push this tire hand and still won’t feel a hint of slippage, skidding, or under-steering. Aside from that, the combination of grooves and sipes will provide this tire with excellent levels of grip and traction.
Despite having all these fantastic features, the Eagle Exhilarate isn’t our top pick. Want to know why? There is a handful of all-season UHP tires whose wet braking distances are shorter than this model. So, on the whole, the Pilot Sport 4 SUV is a better dry/wet performer.
Pros
- Excellent (45,000-mile) treadwear warranty
- Offers marvelous levels of grip and traction
- Boasts very dynamic handling properties
Cons
- Braking distances aren’t the shortest in its class
#3. Vredestein Quatrac Pro – Best Grand Touring
The Vredestein Quatrac Pro proves you don’t always have to blow your budget to land quality tires. This tire is highly comfortable and equally quiet on the highway. At the same time, it offers decent overall performance to help you enjoy the thrill of spirited driving.
This model’s traction and grip levels on dry tarmac are as good as those of premium GT tires. Its steering response is excellent, too, and the tire doesn’t take long to react to inputs either. Cornering performance is also decent, letting you attack corners with confidence.
Very few grand touring tires come with the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) emblem. Guess what? Quatrac Pro belongs to that minority. This indicates that this model can also stay useful in mild wintry conditions. Still, this tire isn’t for heavy snow driving.
An aggressive tread pattern might have enhanced this model’s traction in wet conditions. But it has little to no effect on the tire’s noise. As a result, the Quatrac Pro is one of the quietest grand touring tires on the market. So, you don’t have to roll up the windows to block outside noise.
The only potential deal-breaker with this tire is its meager 50,000-mile treadwear warranty. This warranty is nowhere near good enough, primarily because we have come to expect 80,000 or at least 70,000-mile warranties from GT tires.
Pros
- Comes with the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) emblem
- Incredibly quiet and comfortable during highway driving
- Useful in light snow
Cons
- Relatively small treadwear warranty
#4. Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Plus – Best Fuel Efficient
Independent estimates put the Rover Sport’s fuel efficiency at 19 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. These numbers are pretty decent for a mid-size luxury SUV. Yet, as with most things in life, they can still be improved. All you need is to install fuel-efficient tires.
Enter Scorpion Verde All-Season Plus. A computer-optimized pitch sequence helps increase the tire’s contact with the road for even pressure distribution. The result is reduced tire stress and low rolling resistance. Both of which will improve the Sport’s fuel economy.
An all-season tread compound is as useful in dry conditions as it’s on wet roads. Multiple circumferential grooves perform an adequate job of evacuating water from the tread area. This helps the contact patch stay dry, a crucial ingredient for above-average wet traction.
A sound-absorbing device placed inside the tread ensures a hushed highway ride. This device does what its name implies – it absorbs the majority of road noises – to let those of you sitting in the cabin enjoy the drive in silence. The device also soaks up road vibrations.
If all these features have you thinking that the Verde All Season Plus has no flaws, think again. For starters, this model’s wet traction is one or two levels lower than what you usually get from all-season tires. Its 65,000-mile warranty is nothing to gloat about, either.
Pros
- Delivers excellent fuel economy
- Offers a noise-free driving experience on the highway
- Much better steering response than most of its competitors
Cons
- Struggles on wet roads
#5. Continental PremiumContact 6 – Best Summer Tire
Most tires are replaced by their successors within a few years of release. Others are thrown out of business by newer and shinier competitors. There is, however, a tiny minority of models whose strong sales numbers keep them on the market year after year
The Continental PremiumContact 6 is one such tire. This model was launched in Europe in November 2016, an eternity away in the fast-paced world of tires. Yet, here we’re at the tail end of 2022, talking about how your Range Rover Sport could benefit from it.
This is as big a sign as any of this tire’s durability.
A silica rubber compound gives it the firmness needed to grip dry tarmac. It also keeps this model in check on colder surfaces. This shouldn’t be surprising as silica is used in all-season tires for the same purpose. You can thus expect the PremiumContact 6 to excel on wet surfaces.
Among this tire’s three circumferential grooves, the two in the center are wider and do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to water evacuation. Without them being as wide as they are, this model’s hydroplaning resistance wouldn’t have been as good as it is.
Continental’s ContiSilent technology uses the foam inside the tread area to lower this model’s noise. In addition, an optimized contact surface and pattern stiffness further reduce the noise levels. The pattern’s micro-block design also makes this tire’s handling sportier.
Pros
- Offers dynamic handling
- High levels of grip and traction in dry conditions
- Available in a large number of sizes
Cons
- Refinement could have been better
#6. Pirelli P Zero – Best Sport Tires
The Pirelli P Zero and Ranger Rover Sport’s drive have much in common. These include sporty handling and acceleration, a comfortable and quiet driving experience, and an incredibly high-end appearance. As such, both these are a perfect match for each other.
Start with sporty handling and acceleration. A stickier rubber compound helps the P Zero grip the road as well as any racetrack tire. Anyone who is into burnouts – and knows how to execute them properly – won’t have much trouble getting this tire to produce smoke.
Nano composites inside the tread compound enhance this model’s steering response. They also positively impact the tire’s high-speed stability. The composites are aided in this by the tire’s asymmetric tread pattern, which also enhances the P Zero’s cornering performance.
Three design elements – longitudinal grooves, unique “S” sipes, circumferential grooves – work together to minimize the risk of hydroplaning. The “S” sipes also improve this tire’s performance in mild snow. Plus, you can credit them for this model’s incredibly low road noise.
Unfortunately, this model’s treadlife is pitiful, even if you only use it for everyday driving. As such, it’s best if you only use the Pirelli P Zero on racing tracks.
Pros
- Great grip on dry and wet road surfaces
- Stickier rubber compound offers excellent grip
- Produces low noise for an ultra-high-performance tire
Cons
- Below-average treadlife
#7. Toyo Open Country AT3 – Best All-Terrain
The Open Country AT3 are Toyo’s latest addition to its all-terrain lineup.
This tire gets several upgrades over its predecessor, the market-favorite AT2. The upgrades have been discussed in detail in our AT2 Vs AT3 comparison, but here’s a snapshot for those in a hurry. The AT3 performs better on damp roads, resists hydroplaning better, and comes with the 3PMSF rating.
Similar to its predecessor, the AT3 comes with a cut- and chip-resistant tread compound, meaning this tire has what it takes to resist frequent punctures. It also offers more confident performance on damp roads, reducing the risk of slipping, skidding, and under-steer.
The void area inside this tire’s tread pattern is much wider than you see in rival A/T tires. The result? More even distribution of pressure forces. This will help the AT3 wear more evenly. Even pressure distribution will also ensure less pressure is put on the engine, meaning better fuel economy.
Multiple 3D multi-wave sipes in the blocks improve traction, especially on hard-packed snow and wet roads. Had that not been the case, and this tire’s snow performance was poor, it would have been impossible for it to come with the Three Peak Snowflake Mountain emblem.
Pros
- Comes with the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake emblem
- Staggered shoulder logs improve off-road traction
- Stiffened tread blocks have enhanced its handling
Cons
- Ride quality isn’t the smoothest
#8. Michelin Latitude Sport – Best OE Tire
The Michelin Latitude Sport comes factory installed on some Range Rover Sport trims. But even those trims that don’t come with the Latitude Sport can benefit from this model’s installation, provided you aren’t left dumbfounded by this tire’s astronomical asking price.
A special silica compound and asymmetric tread design have done wonders for this tire’s dry and wet performance, respectively. The tread design’s crisscross pattern also helps the Latitude Sport stay useful in mild wintry conditions. Small wonder that Range Rover chose this as an OE tire.
On the surface, this model’s large tread blocks, continuous center rib and shoulder blocks seem incapable of achieving anything together. Yet, the trio is the reason why the Latitude Sport rarely, if ever, breaks road contact. The result is enhanced steering responsiveness.
Variable thickness siping enable the tire to roll a little easier, resulting in reduced CO2 emissions and improved fuel economy. However, we were disappointed to note that Michelin backs this tire with a meager 60,000-mile treadwear warranty.
Pros
- Remarkable high-speed stability
- Short braking distances in wet conditions
- Secure and aggressive cornering performance
Cons
- Doesn’t come cheap
- Average treadwear warranty
#9. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric SUV AT – Best All-Terrain
The Eagle F1 Asymmetric SUV AT is an exciting option for anyone who is impressed with what the Open Country AT3 offers but wants smoother ride quality. This model believes that all-terrain tires shouldn’t let their rugged construction come in the way of road manners.
Bear in mind, though, that this model doesn’t come cheap. In fact, its astronomical asking price may prove to be a big deal breaker if you don’t have deep pockets. In which case, the rough but moderately-priced Open Country AT III might be a better pick.
Lots of features try hard to justify this model’s asking price. The most important among them is the M+S symbol which indicates that this model has what it takes to tackle mud and snow. Then comes the puncture-resistant sidewall, whose name betrays its intentions.
Wide lateral grooves help with water evacuation while also reinforcing the tire’s handling in off-road or light snow conditions. Then there are the deep shoulder grooves, which ensure that water doesn’t stay in the contact patch for longer periods.
Pros
- Comes with an outstanding 45,000-mile treadwear warranty
- Offers excellent braking and cornering performance
- Uncompromised traction on snow-covered roads
Cons
Astronomically expensive
#10. Pirelli Scorpion Winter – Best Winter Tire
The Scorpion Winter is Pirelli’s flagship winter performance tire for SUVs and crossovers. This models gives you the stability on snow which you expect from dedicated winter tires. At the same time, its speed rating means you can push this tire a bit to get to your destination quickly.
At the cost of sounding technical, the Scorpion Winter comes with a directional and symmetric tread pattern. This sets it apart from most dedicated snow tires, which opt for an asymmetric tread pattern to get better traction on snow. Here’s why Pirelli broke away from tradition.
While there is no doubt that the asymmetric tread pattern increases the rubber’s grip on snow roads. It is also a fact that it struggles for everyday driving on clean surfaces. In contrast, this model’s directional and symmetric tread pattern provides the best of both worlds.
Drive this tire on snow, and you’ll realize that it traps snow within the tread area. Don’t worry as this isn’t a design fault. In fact, when the trapped snow meets the snow on the road, the resulting snow-on-snow contact generates the friction that enhances this tire’s grip.
Pros
- Offers outstanding grip on snow-covered surfaces
- Can be used in dry, summer conditions
- Low rolling resistance and noise levels
Cons
- Doesn’t carry a treadwear warranty
#11. Bridgestone Alenza 001
The Bridgestone Alenza 001 is a high-performance, summer tire manufactured for SUVs like the Range Rover Sport. It provides the driver with unbelievable steering responsiveness and feedback. Plus, this tire is one of the quickest when it comes to responding to your steering inputs.
A silica and polymer tread compound helps the Alenza 001 deliver the best of both worlds. Both the ingredients join their forces to enhance the tire’s dry and wet road gripping ability. Having said that, don’t expect the Alenza 001 to be as reliable in wet weather as an all-season tire.
Multiple circumferential grooves perform an adequate job of evacuating water. Special chamfered tread blocks shorten the braking distances in wet weather, but not as much as we’d have liked. Which shouldn’t come as a surprise given that the Alenza 001 is a summer tire.
All in all, it’s on dry roads that this model shines. It’s when there will be no water on the roads that this model will impress you with how great it prevents heat build-up. What’s more, this model comes with an M-shaped siping detail. The detail helps it wear evenly, extending its road life.
Pros
- Outstanding dry performance
- Wears evenly for a long tread life
- Low rolling resistance ensures improved fuel consumption
Cons
- Average wet traction
Best Tires for Range Rover Sport
Touring and Grand Touring
Touring and grand touring tires are the best for an average Range Rover Sport driver. These tires strike an optimal balance between comfort, treadlife, and performance. Both are backed with extensive treadwear warranties, meaning you won’t be replacing them anytime soon.
Yet another thing that goes in their favor is lower asking price. As long as you aren’t going for premium touring tires, you can expect to enjoy significant cost savings. All in all, if you have no plans of pushing this SUV to its limits, touring and grand touring tires are best for you.
Performance
Performance, high-performance, and ultra-high-performance tires are the best option for enthusiast drivers. These models deliver aggressive cornering performance, enhanced steering responsiveness, and quick and forceful feedback to the driver.
Bear in mind, though that these tires rarely if ever comes cheap. It’s not uncommon for one premium performance tire to cost more than an entire set of touring tires from mid-tier brands. Throw into the mix their relatively short treadlife, and it means these models cost more up front and in the long run.
All-Terrain
Most people won’t use their Range Rover Sport for off-roading. However, if you belong to the small minority which puts this SUV to the test on harsh terrains, make sure to install all-terrain tires before heading outdoors. Here is why we are saying this.
All-terrain tires come with cut- and chip-resistant sidewalls that enable them to minimize the risk of repeated and consistent punctures. Their flexible tread compound helps them navigate mud, slush and gravel without breaking a sweat. And some of them are good for rock crawling, too.
Conclusion
To choose the best tires for Range Rover Sport, make sure to select tires that complement your driving style. The tires you might end up picking for this SUV should also be able to withstand the conditions (weather and road) you drive in. Only then the Range Rover Sport will be able to perform at its best.
