The 8 Best Tires for Daily Driving
Searching for the best tires for daily driving? Here are the ones we vouch for.
All-season tires are capable of meeting most people’s everyday driving needs. These tires offer a quiet and comfortable ride and help you enjoy significant fuel savings (vis-à-vis other types of tires). Plus, you can use them year-round, even in wintry conditions.
That said, don’t opt for all-season tires if you want your ride to be dynamic. Those of you who appreciate things like high steering feedback, exceptional high-speed stability, and high levels of cornering grip may want to settle for high-performance, all-season tires.
All-terrain tires are a better pick if your daily driving routine sees you driving up and down the highway. These tires have deeper treads and aggressive tread patterns than A/S tires, translating into improved traction on highways, especially in adverse weather.
Best All-Season Tires for Daily Driving
Given the fact that all-season tires don’t force you to switch when the weather turns for better or worse, they are automatically the first choice of most drivers for everyday driving. You can also count on them to getter better fuel economy and higher ride comfort.
#1. Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack
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Wondering what is it that makes the Turanza QuietTrack best for daily driving?
How about the fact that it performs excellently on dry surfaces? On days when there is no water on the roads, its grip levels are insanely high for an all-season tire. Similarly, under the sun, it responds quickly to steering inputs. Quick lane changes are a breeze.
Daily drivers may also appreciate the fact that it’s supremely comfortable to drive – so much so that our experts rate it as one of the quietest tires on the market.
What’s more, you don’t have to drive a gas car to enjoy the qualities of this tire. This tire comes in equally handy for electric vehicles. Why is that the case? Well, in addition to the above qualities, this tire has a low rolling resistance. So, any hit to your EV’s range will be slim.
Another quality of this tire is that it comes with an 80,000-mile treadwear warranty. Now, there are tires that are backed to last longer. But none of them boost all the above qualities. You’d thus be doing yourself – and your ride – a favor by opting for the QuietTrack.
Pros
- One of the quietest tires on the market
- Offers superb grip on dry roads
- Backed by a 80,000-mile treadwear warranty
Cons
- Some of its rivals have shorter braking distances on wet roads
#2. Michelin Defender 2
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If your daily driving routine involves traveling up and down the highway, few tires will be as beneficial as the Defender 2.
Mainly because this tire absorbs minor road disturbances with minimal fuss. Potholes, speed bumps, and cracks in the tarmac can’t hurt its composure even if you don’t slow down as it’s rolling over them. As such, you can enjoy a comfortable drive.
Another reason we picked it for daily driving is because it boasts incredibly short braking distances on wet roads. That becomes especially apparent as you compare its wet stopping distances with peers. In fact, the difference is so high as to be night and day.
Want to hear more good news? The Defender 2 matches its wet performance with dry handling. True, the dry handling isn’t so high as to convince you to mistake it for a summer tire. But for everyday driving, it won’t make you look for alternatives.
To further sweeten the deal, Michelin has slapped this tire with an 80,000-mile treadwear warranty, indicating up to six years of road life.
Pros
- Offers a plush drive
- Short braking distances on wet and slippery surfaces
- Matches wet performance with dry handling
Cons
- One of the priciest tires on the market
#3. Pirelli P4 Four Seasons Plus
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The Pirelli P4 Four Seasons Plus checks several boxes for the daily driver.
The first is that it doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg. A budget asking price puts it at a massive advantage over rivals from Michelin, Continental, and Bridgestone. All of these need you to pay the same amount for two tires as you’d for a whole set of the P4 Four Seasons Plus.
Next comes its excellent fuel economy. Having tested this tire on several vehicles and in several conditions, I can attest to its ability to improve your car’s mileage. As such, if you’re worried about rising gas prices, this is the tire you may want to install next on your car.
Also, while fuel economy and dry performance don’t necessarily go hand in hand, the P4 Four Seasons Plus manages to strike a decent balance. That is especially the case when it comes to high-speed stability, on which it rivals mid-range UHP tires.
Best of all, this tire has a projected tread life of 85,000 miles, per Consumer Reports. Up to 6 years of road life (for an average American driver who drives around 15,000 miles per year) is thus a given.
Pros
- Available at a pocket-friendly asking price
- May improve your car’s fuel mileage
- Projected tread life of up to 85,000 miles
Cons
- Average wet grip
#4. Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady
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If you were considering the P4 Four Seasons Plus but changed your mind due to its lackluster wet grip, go for the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady.
That’s because the Assurance WeatherReady is one of the best all-weather tires money can buy. All-weather tires, as people aware of tire categories already know, perform much better on wet roads than their all-season counterparts.
Fortunately, this tire is no different. Not only are its wet braking distances shorter than competitors from the all-season category. The Assurance WeatherReady also puts up a much higher resistance to aquaplaning. The result? Safe driving on wet surfaces.
Another thing you’d like about this tire is that it replicates its wet performance in cold conditions. Don’t believe me? Check out the 3PMSF symbol on its tread. This emblem indicates that this tire has been deemed safe for severe snow driving.
Lastly, while their treadwear warranty is a lackluster 60,000 miles, user reviews indicate that these tires can last you a good 5 years.
Pros
- Offers exceptional traction on wet surfaces
- Can be used in mild-to-moderate wintry conditions
- Lasts a long time with everyday driving
Cons
- May get loud at higher speeds
Best All-Season High-Performance Tires
With all-season high-performance tires, you get the best of both worlds. This means superior traction and cornering stability than standard all-season tires and higher longevity and adverse weather capability than performance-oriented tires.
#5. Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus
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You hear it again and again. All-season tires are best for daily commute. Whether you drive an SUV or an electric vehicle, conventional wisdom is that AS tires are your only option.
Well, conventional wisdom is wrong. All-season tires are designed for everyday travel, but a few high-performance tires can be equally handy for daily commutes to the office. Need proof?
Consider the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus, probably the market’s favorite all-season high-performance tire (if reviews on Reddit are anything to go by). Yet, having tested it, I have found it no less capable than premium AS tires for everyday driving.
Don’t believe me? Throw these tire in any condition (dry, wet, or snow) and you’d come around to my viewpoint. Just like the best all-season tires, the DWS 06 Plus stays useful 365 days a year. Not only that, but they are exceptionally quiet for the category.
Still want to argue? OK, which metric shall we use next? How about treadwear warranty? Per Consumer Reports, these tires can outlast their 50,000 mileage guarantee, which is a class-leading number for any tire in this category.
Pros
- Handles every weather condition you throw at them
- Exceptionally quiet for all-season high-performance tires
- Backed with a 50,000-mile treadwear warranty
Cons
- Lackluster ice grip
#6. Bridgestone Dueler HP Sport AS
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The Bridgestone Dueler HP Sport AS gives you another reason to switch over from all-season to AS HP tires for your everyday travel routine.
A high-silica rubber compound offers the first proof that it can meet daily driving requirements. The compound boosts traction in wet conditions by increasing this tire’s flexibility. The result? A safer drive on slippery surfaces than many tires in this category can provide.
Next come the circumferential grooves lining this tire’s tread. On paper, they have one job – taking water away from the tire’s contact patch. In practice, the grooves also improve this tire’s wet braking distances for a far more controlled driving in the rain.
Moreover, the Dueler HP Sport AS carry the “Eco-Product Designation”. This indicates that their rolling resistance (and, by extension, fuel economy) is much better than rival tires from the same category. You can thus expect significant savings at the gas station.
Best of all, this tire comes with a 40,000-mile treadwear warranty. This means you can count on it to last a few years before needing replacement. Isn’t that something that you normally hear about all-season tires but never about AS HP radials?
Pros
- Short braking distances on wet roads
- Low rolling resistance for better fuel economy
- 40,000-mile treadwear warranty
Cons
- Now for snow driving
Best All-Terrain Tires for Daily Driving
There are several reasons why you may want to switch to all-terrain tires for daily driving. These include higher resistance to punctures, better traction on slippery surfaces, and improved stability in challenging driving conditions.
#7. Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S
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The Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S has everything to be your daily driving companion.
An all-season tread compound (something you don’t normally see in all-terrain tires) helps it stay useful 365 days a year. How can I be so sure? Because the compound contains silica, a common ingredient in all-season tires for several compelling reasons.
The first of which is wet performance. Silica improves the tire’s grip on slippery surfaces by helping it retain flexibility in cold conditions. Additionally, it helps expel water quickly from the contact patch, significantly lowering the risk of aquaplaning.
Secondly, silica prevents the rubber from getting too soft in hot weather. The result? More even wear (meaning long road life). Need proof? Take the 65,000-mile treadwear warranty Cooper backs this tire with, class-leading for any AT tire on the market.
To further sweeten the deal, silica has been shown to reduce rolling resistance, helping you enjoy fuel savings. That is the main reason why we rate it as one of the best AT tires for highways.
Pros
- Outstanding grip on dry and wet roads
- Comes with a 65,000-mile treadwear warranty
- Offers impeccable stability at higher speeds
Cons
- Isn’t whisper quiet
#8. Continental TerrainContact AT
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If your job involves frequent highway trips and you’re in search of high-quality all-terrain tires, Continental’s TerrainContact AT are a standout choice.
That is mainly because these tires offer a super-smooth ride. Speed bumps, cracks in the tarmac, and broken roads – none can lay a glove on their composure, especially if you pair these all-terrain tires with a capable suspension system.
These tires also earn top marks for high-speed driving. A combination of high lateral grip (which makes quick lane changes a breeze) and massive cornering grip (which lets you attack bends at speed) means you won’t have to slow down if you don’t want to.
Another good thing about these tires is that they are M+S (Mud and Snow) rated. As such, you can count on them to handle mild wintry conditions effortlessly.
Despite the above qualities, these tires aren’t our top pick for daily driving. Want to know why? They are backed to last longer (60,000 miles) than the Discoverer AT34S. In theory, this makes them susceptible to early wear upon daily use.
Pros
- Offer a quiet and comfortable ride
- Can handle snowy and icy roads with ease
- High lateral grip allows for quick lane changes
Cons
- Pricey