The 8 Best Tires for the GMC Acadia

#1. Michelin Premier LTX

What makes the Michelin Premier LTX one of the best all-season tires for GMC Acadia?

Start with its impeccable road manners. Having driven this tire myself, I have found it to be as quiet on paved roads as on brick pavements. This means that regardless of the speed you’re driving at, the Premier LTX won’t hurt your Acadia’s already impressive ride quality.

Another reason this tire got our nod is that it won’t require replacement year-round. Sure, almost every A/S tire comes with that promise. But the Premier LTX is one of the few models that are as useful on the summer roads as in mild-to-moderate wintry conditions.

Need another reason to opt for this tire? The Premier LTX could help your Acadia hit the EPA-estimated fuel economy. Plus, the layer of hidden grooves beneath the rubber ensures that its excellent traction remains intact even when the tread has fully worn out.

Unfortunately, just as the GMC Acadia has its shortcomings, the Premier LTX isn’t foolproof either. A 60,000-mile treadwear warranty is lackluster when you compare it with rivals. Most of which are backed to last at least 10,000 miles longer by their manufacturers.

#2. Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady

The Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady is one of the quietest tires on the market.

Yet it’s not just its ability to dissipate road noise and absorb vibrations that makes this tire a must-have for GMC Acadia drivers. This model’s outstanding snow traction, which can almost rival that of dedicated winter tires, is another of its unique selling points.

As is the fact that it provides dynamic handling on dry roads. An asymmetric tread pattern (something you don’t often see on all-season tires) allows it to offer shorter braking distances, better cornering grip and higher steering feedback than most tires in this category.

Similar good things can be said about its wet performance. Thanks to a soy-based tread compound, its rubber retains the ability to stay flexible in low temperatures. The result? Better traction and, consequently, short braking distances on slippery surfaces.

To further sweeten the deal, this tire is 3PMSF rated. The Three Peak Mountain Snowflake rating indicates that it has met the rater’s strict criteria for reliable performance in harsh weather. As such, you can count on this model to offer a safe ride on snowy and icy surfaces.

#3. Bridgestone Alenza AS Ultra

The Bridgestone Alenza AS Ultra outperforms out top two picks in two critical areas.

The first of which is braking distances on slippery surfaces. Testing confirms that the AS Ultra’s wet stopping distances are among the shortest of any A/S tire. Even tires touted for their impressive wet performance, such as the Continental CrossContact LX25, can’t compete.

This tire also comes with a longer treadwear warranty. While both the Premier LTX and Assurance WeatherReady are backed to last 60,000 miles, this highway tire comes with an 80,000 mile treadwear warranty. In theory, this should provide it with 2 extra years of road life.

Guess what? It isn’t the above two models that this tire outperforms.

Tests conducted by Bridgestone shows that it beats the Dueler H/L Alenza, its predecessor, on several key counts. These include wet traction and grip (13% better), snow braking distances (10% shorter) and acceleration on dry roads (7% perkier).

Despite having all the above qualities, this model isn’t our top pick for the Acadia. Want to know why? Unlike our top two picks, this model’s ride may take a noticeable hit after a few years of use. So you cannot expect a noise-free ride throughout.

#4. Pirelli Scorpion Verde All-Season Plus II

Several attributes of the Scorpion Verde All-Season Plus II put its rivals to shame.

The most notable of which is fuel economy. Tests conducted by independent reviewers suggest that it consumes up to 4% less fuel on mixed routes (highway + city) than rivals. Extrapolate this figure to years of use, and hundreds of dollars in fuel savings are almost guaranteed.

Ride quality is another box the Scorpion Verde All-Season Plus II ticks. Thanks to a sound-absorbing device beneath the tread, it absorbs more vibrations than your average all-season tire. As such, you can expect this model to enhance your Acadia’s driving manners on paved roads.

Four circumferential grooves deliver more good news in the shape of high hydroplaning resistance. Plus, as the sight of sipes on its tread confirms, this tire has the biting edges needed for reliable traction in mild wintry conditions, though it isn’t the best all-season tire for snow.

Yet there are areas where this model underwhelms. Take for instance the 65,000-mile treadwear warranty, which, no matter how you slice it, is average for an all-season tire.

#5. Cooper Discoverer A/T3

All-terrain tires like the Discoverer A/T3 are the reason why many people who primarily use their Acadia for highway trips have switched over from all-season tires.

A five-ribbed design doesn’t just make this tire look attractive to your fellow drivers. It also provides it with the kind of high-speed stability all-terrain tires of yesteryear could only dream of. Were it not for this tread design, this model’s on-road performance would have been poor.

However, that it’s good on the road doesn’t mean that the Discoverer A/T3 will struggle off it. Instead, this model really comes into its own on loose surfaces, thanks to aggressive shoulders which doesn’t let it slip no matter how slippery the things underneath it become.

Need more proof to believe in this tire’s off-road credentials? Look no further than the unique siping structure dotting the tread area. Highly visible due to its zigzag shape, the sipes evacuate stones from within the tread, thereby stabilizing the tire on broken surfaces.

Throw its 50,000-mile treadwear warranty into the mix, and you’d think that this model is faultless. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. For, even for a premium all-terrain tire, the Discoverer A/T3’s asking price is high enough to put many budget-minded shoppers away.

#6. Toyo Open Country A/T III

Most all-terrain tires are good for highway use. Others can be used for extreme off-roading. Still others can improve your vehicle’s stability on snow. Guess what? The Open Country A/T III can do it all.

The upgrades this model has received has made it a much better performer on the highway than either of its predecessors. It has also improved its traction on damp roads, while making sure that the rubber absorbs more vibrations for a refined ride.

Additionally, the implementation of 3D sipes and 3PMSF rating means that you can’t have any doubts about this model’s snow performance. In fact, at the cost of sounding biased, I’d say that the Open Country A/T3 is one of the best all-terrain tires for snow.

Fortunately, while it has gained some new features, the A/T III has retained those elements which made its predecessor one of the best-selling A/T tires around. Think of the cut- and chip-resistant tread compound, which has kept its puncture-resistance high.

A 60,000-mile treadwear warranty gives it another edge over its fellow tires, most of which come with no or relatively shorter guarantees. However, as with our above all-terrain tire pick, the Open Country A/T III also doesn’t come cheap.

#7. Continental CrossContact LX Sport

The Continental CrossContact LX Sport is one of three things – the other two being adaptive seating and active body roll control – that could enhance any three-row SUV’s ride quality. Mainly because this tire offers the best of both worlds.

On the one end, it provides a quiet and comfortable ride. A thin layer of polyurethane foam makes sure that most of the vibrations this tire meets on the road are taken care of before they could get the chance of entering the cabin. The result? A plush ride quality.

On the other end, this tire’s steering response is as direct as you may expect from any premium performance tire. Equally importantly, this tire feels predictable during quick lane changes. As such, you can slalom past other vehicles on the road with total confidence.

Another thing I like about this tire is that it provides adequate wet traction, especially if you have the common sense to slow down when the roads are greasy. Having said that, this tire will struggle if pushed to its extreme limits in the rain.

#8. Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2

At the time of writing, the Latitude X-Ice Xi2 from Michelin is one of market’s best winter tires for SUVs, crossovers, and light trucks.

Michelin has equipped this model with a tread compound that keeps the rubber flexible in sub-zero temperatures. Which means excellent news as flexible rubber is a non-negotiable requirement for adequate traction and grip in winter conditions.

In contrast to other winter tires, the X-Ice XI2 doesn’t get unstable at high speeds. Want to know why? Michelin’s Cross Z-Sipes TM Technology lock the sipes while you’re cruising. This stabilizes the tread blocks, which, in turn, increases road contact for better road grip.

A 40,000-mile treadwear warranty is a rarity for a winter-focused tire. Yet that is precisely what you get on the Latitude X-Ice Xi2. Together with the above features, the treadwear warranty is another reason why this tire’s high asking price doesn’t seem to be a deal-breaker.