Choosing the best SUV tyres can depend on seasonality, driving style and the type of vehicle you own. If mileage is important to you, the Goodyear EfficientGrip 2 SUV tyre provides 25% more miles than its predecessor. If you need a tyre suited to dealing with everything the British weather has to bring including wintery conditions, the Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 SUV is designed to perform well all year round.
There is plenty more than can impact your decision too, which we’ll go into detail on in this article.
The modern SUV category continue to evolve to include MPVs, CUVs and TUVs. Searching for tyres for any kind of SUV is not too dissimilar to the considerations you would take when choosing tyres for any other vehicle.
SUV
Sports Utility Vehicle
CUV
Crossover Utility Vehicle
TUV
Tough Utility Vehicle
MPV
Multi-Purpose Vehicle
Tyres for SUV use are specifically designed to hold the additional weight and size of the vehicle compared to a regular passenger car. With this in mind, the tyre has capabilities to bear the additional load whilst also providing the outstanding braking, cornering and high-speed performance expected of regular passenger vehicle tyres.
A great place to start when looking for tyres for your SUV is finding the Original Equipment (OE) tyres that were factory fitted to your vehicle. OE tyres are selected to enhance the performance of your vehicle, how the manufacturer intended for the vehicle to behave in terms of ride comfort, cabin noise, handling, etc.
Whether you are looking for SUV tyres for high mileage commuting, city driving or seasonality, the wide range of Goodyear SUV tyres are designed to be tailored to your driving style and journey needs.
Knowing the size of the tyres needed for your SUV is imperative to finding the right tyres, this is usually shown on the sidewall of your current tyres or in the owner’s handbook, e.g. 275/40/R21 107Y XL. Finding the correct tyres for speed rating and load index – indicated by the numbers and letters following your tyre size - is of increased importance to larger, heavier vehicles such as SUVs. Larger SUVs will generally require XL (extra load) marked tyres that have the ability to carry additional load bearing capacity. These measurements can then be put into the Goodyear Tyre Finder to show the range of tyres available for your vehicle.
Seasonality plays a key role in selecting the correct tyres for your SUV to maximise vehicle performance and handling. There are three seasonal tyre choices:
The driving experience can be enhanced by choosing quiet SUV tyres. You’ll find a tyre’s noise rating on its tyre label, which measures the exterior noise a tyre generates while driving. An increase in just a few decibels can represent a big difference in noise levels within the car. The Goodyear EfficientGrip 2 SUV and Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 SUV have excellent noise level ratings.
Careful consideration should be made when selecting the right tyre for your vehicle – car, SUV and 4x4 tyres all play very different roles in the handling and performance of the vehicle. Car tyres are designed to focus solely on road performance – the grip, wet and dry braking and road comfort. SUV tyres are produced to take the additional weight/load of the vehicle alongside road focused grip, braking and handling. 4x4 tyres are reinforced to take the durability of off roading adventures, whilst the heavily defined tread pattern helps to maximise grip on all terrain.
Many SUV vehicles will have a higher centre of gravity than a normal car. This means, when cornering, especially at high speed, tyres may experience greater forces in the shoulder area and outside tread area. An SUV tyre will take this into account in the way it is designed and be better able to match the handling requirements of an SUV vehicle, such as the additional weight of the vehicle and higher centre of gravity.
For this reason, you shouldn’t put car tyres on an SUV or vice-versa. Ultimately, using tyres that aren’t designed for your vehicle will compromise its safety and driving capabilities.
Browse our recommended SUV tyres below by season.
The Goodyear EfficientGrip 2 SUV is EV ready thanks to low rolling resistance and Mileage Plus Technology, proven to provide 25% more mileage than the predecessor**, whilst not compromising on handling and safety features.
*Compared to predecessor EfficientGrip SUV
High tread elasticity and flexibility results in less fractures caused by rough road conditions (over a wide range of temperatures).
Thanks to Dry Braking Technology, our SUV tyre's contact with the road is increased when braking, so you can stop in a shorter distance in both wet and dry conditions.
Lower compound stiffness facilitates block bending and wiping out of water. Longer and increased number of gripping edges facilitates water evacuation.
Discover a light, steady ultra high-performance tyre that delivers shorter braking distances* in wet or dry conditions. Enjoy peace of mind knowing you can stop quickly when you need to.
The Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 SUV is made with a unique Grip Booster compound that increases the tyre's stickiness with the road surface, for powerful grip.
Thanks to ActiveBraking Technology, our SUV tyre's contact with the road is increased when braking, so you can stop in a shorter distance in both wet and dry conditions.
This robust, lightweight tyre features SUV-optimized construction technology, delivering improved handling, stability and tread wear and reduced rolling resistance.
The fuel-saving SUV tyre that brakes shorter.
Reduce your fuel stops and CO2 emissions with the EfficientGrip SUV. Goodyear’s FuelSaving Technology combines a lightweight structure with advanced materials that lower rolling resistance. The result is a tyre that moves more efficiently, leaving a lighter impact on your wallet and the environment.
Shorter braking distance on wet and dry roads
Benefit from shorter braking, come rain or shine.**
Long-lasting
The EfficientGrip SUV gives you more mileage between tyre changes. Its silica tread compound keeps the tyre working for longer, saving you money.
Improved steering precision and handling
Enjoy responsive steering and handling, thanks to the EfficientGrip SUV’s lower weight and an optimised design that maintains tyre stiffness around bends.
More test wins than any other brand tested.***
Better grip on snow through large amount of sipes at the center of the tread. The sipes influence each other at their intersection, stimulating their opening for better grip.
Shorter dry braking & Improved dry handling. Reduced deformation of the tire during heavy maneuvers through strong crown & shoulder blocks.
Lifetime Aqua Planing Resistance. Over time grooves evolve to continuously ensure water dispersion.
Shorter braking performance for SUV's in all Winter conditions.
Shorter braking distance on all winter roads.****
Allows the driver to change tyres at the correct interval for optimal winter performance.
Better balance between dry handling and snow performance.
The performance SUV tyre that delivers all-round winter traction.
Tackle the worst of winter conditions with the UltraGrip SUV. Goodyearfs 3D-BIS Technology® uses interlocking blades that provide a high number of biting edges to give you all-round winter traction.
Superb grip and handling on snow and ice
The UltraGrip SUV’s high density radial blades help to maintain optimal adhesion on snow, ice and wet. Longitudinal blades enhance handling on frozen and thawing roads.
Off road performance
The UltraGrip SUV comfortably tackles off-road terrain. Shoulder blocks are designed to quickly rip through and evacuate mud and snow.
*Compared to all tested competitor. Tested by TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH in October 2017 by order of Goodyear Dunlop. Products tested: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 SUV, Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport, Michelin Latitude Sport 3, Pirelli P Zero Rosso. Tire size: 255/50 R19; Test car: BMX X5 30d; Test locations: Mireval (F), ATP Papenburg (D).
**Special traction resins in the tread deliver increased grip when stopping in the wet. The tread pattern features 3-dimensional shoulder blades that enhance braking grip on dry roads.
***Based on 40 reviews in journals from January 2013 to January 2020, conducted by 15 of the leading and independent European tire magazines. The calculation is based on the number of goodyear test victories in the year round category over all competitors tested. More information under https://www.goodyear.eu/en_gb/consumer/legal-disclaimer-test-claims.html
****Compared to the next best tested competitor. Tested by TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH in February 2016 by order of Goodyear Dunlop. Products tested: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance SUV Gen-1, Bridgestone Blizzak LM-80 EVO, Continental ContiWinterContact TS 850 P, Michelin Latitude Alpin LA2. Tire size: 235/65 R17; Test car: Audi Q5 2.0 TDI; Test locations: Mireval (F), Saariselkä (Fin), Montpellier (F), Garching (D)
DriveTribe’s very own Mike Fernie, and Tom Howard, AKA the Gentleman Racer, put our Asymmetric 3 SUV tyres to the test on the ultimate road trip across the South of France. Enjoying the winding scenery of the mountain roads, through the stunning vineyards, to the bustling city roads of Montpellier with ultimate vehicle precision, stability and comfort thanks to the Goodyear Asymmetric 3 SUV.
'Braking and handling has been superb in the dry, wet, and on snow throughout the year and there has been no adverse noise with this tyre'
Tyre Reviews user on Vector 4Seasons SUV Gen-2
'A very quiet and efficient tyre that performed very well in nearly every condition'
Tyre Reviews user on Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 SUV
'Exceptional good grip on wet roads and very good on snow too'
Tyre Reviews user on UltraGrip Performance SUV Gen-1
'Precise steering, great on wet and excellent on dry roads'
Tyre Reviews user on Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
1. Tyre Pressure - due to the increased weight of an SUV, tyre pressure is particularly important for fuel efficiency. Your TPMS should alert you if your tyre pressure is incorrect but it is recommended to use a tyre pressure gauge to check your SUV tyre pressure manually on a regular basis.
2. Tyre treads – your tyre tread is important for grip, traction, and resistance to aquaplaning. By law, tread on SUV tyres needs to be at least 1.6mm in depth. You can check your tyre tread depth by looking for the tread wear bars on your tyres or by using a tread depth gauge. You can also use a 20p coin to check your tread.
3. Wheel alignment – keeping your SUV tyres aligned can extend the life of your tyres and prevent uneven tread wear. Your wheel alignment can be thrown out if you clip a curb, catch a pothole in the road or even go over a speed bump too quickly. So it’s important that you include wheel alignment when servicing your SUV.
4. Don't overload your SUV -even though SUV tyres are designed to support increased weight, you can still overload your vehicle. Every SUV tyre comes with a load index which represents the weight limit you should adhere to. To understand the weight limits on your SUV tyres, discover how to read your tyre sidewall here.
5. Rotate your SUV tyres - this is the process of changing the position of the tyres on your vehicle, often done by swapping front and rear car tyres. Your front tyres often wear out faster than your rear tyres and so by rotating them, you can extend the life of your tyres. Discover more about tyre rotation here.
Goodyear SUV tyres are available from your local tyre dealer, searching for tyres couldn’t be easier using our dealer finder.
