Tundra owners are a discerning crowd. It takes a lot of research and a lot of practicality to pick a Tundra over one of the offerings from the big-three.

Maybe it’s the real-world durability of the truck, or its outstanding resale value that made you pick it. (It probably wasn’t the fuel economy. Am I right?)

Regardless, Tundra owners research their purchases like crazy, so, to that end, here’s a list of our best tires for Toyota Tundra, depending on the type of driving you do, the path you tread, the load you carry and your budget.

What Tire is Right for You?

Before you just snap up whatever set of tires we put at the top of this list, make sure they’re the ideal option for your truck and the type of driving you do. Below we’ve listed some of the basic types of tires to help.

All Season Tires: Often with no specific marking or wearing the M+S badge, these are the best option for most drivers. They’ll be he quietest, most comfortable and have the longest tread life. They’re not great for off-roading, but some of the better options will get you by in a pinch.

Highway Terrain Tires: A mixture of all-season and all-terrain tires these offer some off-roading capability while still retaining most of the on-road quietness and handling of an all-season. An idea option for those who tow on-road but also need to go off-road on occasion.

All Terrain Tires: This is a go-to option for many truck drivers and is ideal if you plan to go off-road regularly. Not only do they offer exceptional grip, but they’ll hold up to hard use off-road. Tread life is lower (around 50,000 to 65,000 miles) but this also assume you’re running them hard. Many AT options are also rated for severe winter use, so while they can be a bit louder on-road and wear faster, you’ll be safer in the winter and not have to worry about swapping tires.

Mud-Terrain Tires: Also known as maximum-traction tires, these feature massive tread lugs and while street legal are really not designed for on-road use. They’re loud and don’t handle particularly well on the street. Off-road, however, the deliver extreme levels of grip and come with a 3-ply sidewall to prevent punctures.

Best Tires for Toyota Tundra (Overall)

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

If there’s one well-rounded tire for the vast majority of pickup truck buyers, its the Michelin Defender LTX M/S.

On road it’s quiet and comfortable, providing excellent stability on the highway and surprisingly good grip in the corners. That traction is excellent not just in the dry but when the road gets wet too.

This second-generation of the tire offers 8 percent more edges on the tread blocks for added traction. This helps it improve slightly in snow and also helps if you take it off road.

This is an all-season and not an all-terrain tire, so if you do travel off-road frequently we don’t recommend this. But for those rare occasions, it’s surprisingly good.

On top of all this, the Defender LTX M/S2 comes with a 70,000 mile tread life guarantee.

Michelin really is the world’s leading tire manufacturer and while they’re normally know for high performance sports car tires, they make a fantastic truck tire for every day use.

     

Best All-Terrain Tires for Toyota Tundra

BFGoodrich T/A KO2

Sometimes we get tired of talking about these tires. They’re that good.

In fact, we recommend them all the time. All. The. Time.

There’s a reason for that. BFG just makes the world’s best all-terrain tire, and the T/A KO2 is it.

It’s just so liveable for every day life. In fact, it’s quiet and stable enough that you’d think you were driving an all-season. Then, turn off the beaten path and it really shows its strengths. Offering better off-road traction than what some brands offer in their “extreme terrain” tires, the BFG KO2 is also versatile and durable.

The tread compound just resists getting chewed up, while the interlocking blocks help keep wear even mile after mile, distributing load evenly for longevity.

Of note, some versions come with a 50,000 mile tread life warranty and others come winter-rated (though neither do both).

     

Best Four-Season Tires for Toyota Tundra

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S

As mentioned, some of those BFGoodrich T/A KO2 tires come equipped for winter weather. And some don’t.

So if you’re looking for an all-terrain tire that is ready to tackle all seasons, we highly recommend the Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S.

Cooper recently expanded its AT3 lineup to include the 4S, which gets a winter tire designation, visible via the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol on the sidewall.

Where this tire lacks in outright off-road grip compared to the BFGs, we think it more than makes up for it in true winter capability as well as an impressive 65,000 mile tread wear warranty. On top of all that, it’s well-mannered and plenty grippy for daily driving too!

     

Long Lasting Toyota Tundra Tires

Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza Plus

If you measure the value of a tire by how long it lasts, then these are the tires for your truck. The Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza Plus is an above-average all-season tire with fitments for most half-ton trucks. It doesn’t perform quite as well as the Michelin Defender LTX M/S2, but it gets a superior tread life, guaranteed to last up to at least 80,000 miles.

Designed to deliver a comfortable and quiet ride, Bridgestone even went so far as to engineer the tire with sidewalls that resist fading, because you’re going to live with this tire for a long long time.

     

Best Toyota Tundra Winter Tires

Michelin Latitude X-Ice XI2

Michelin makes the best tires in most categories. You pay a premium for them, but you really do get what you pay for.

One such category is winter tires.

The Latitude X-Ice XI2 is the brand’s latest evolution of its winter tire designed specifically for light trucks and SUVs and we highly recommend it for anyone who drives on roads when the temperature dips below the 50. People often get confused by thinking you only need “snow tires” if you live where it snows. The reality is “snow tires” aren’t really a thing. They are called winter tires and they offer better grip on cold dry or wet roads than any all-season ever will.

The X-Ice XI2 makes use of Michelin’s patented (we assume it’s patented) silica-based tread compound that is able to combine the lower temperature flexibility and grip, while also being firm at higher temperatures. As a result, it still delivers great wet and dry traction on clean roads and doesn’t wear our prematurely due to excessive flex.

     

Best Toyota Tundra Tires for Towing

Firestone Transforce HT2

Some folks use their trucks for hauling dirt in the bed and some for work supplies or other gear. And some don’t really use their truck for anything more than commuting. But some of us actually use our trucks for towing. If that’s you, then we recommend the Firestone Transforce HT2.

Built with a Long Link Carbon tread compound plus a polyester and steel casing, the tire itself is designed to hold up when weighed down, over time and for miles and miles.

It’s an all-season tire designed for commercial use applications, so you know it can take punishment, while at the same time it delivers surprisingly high-quality levels of grip in both the wet and dry.

The second generation of the Transforce HT, it improves on the original by offering greater resistance to chips and tears and superior resistance to hydroplaning. It also features varying tread blocks to help minimize noise, which is why it’s sold as a commercial truck tire, but it’s actually idea for personal use.

This tire doesn’t come with a tread life warranty, but owners report as much as 100,000 miles per set.

     

Best Toyota Tundra Tire on a Budget

Kumho Road Venture APT KL51

If you need tires for daily driving; ones that hold up well, deliver solid grip, last a reasonably long time and don’t cost very much, we recommend the Kumho Road Venture APT KL51.

These all-season tires make for a compelling choice thanks to above average traction on wet and dry roads, as well as a nice quiet highway ride. They also track nice and steady, and respond to directional changes without complaint.

The 60,000 mile tread life warranty isn’t anything amazing, but again, it’s decidedly decent for a tire in this price range.

     

Best Mud-Terrain Tire for Toyota Tundra

BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain TA KM3

Next-level traction on pretty much any surface, you can tackle the harshest rock crawling or ultra-deep mud with these tires.

While many of the features you’ll see are similar to those of other mud-terrain tires, like the stone ejectors between the outside tread, and the 3-ply sidewall, BFG adds some unique features you won’t find anywhere else.

Not only is the tread particularly durable, but the casing makes use of BFG’s CoreGard Max Technology. This has been tested on the KR3 race tire, which won the Baja Championship.

Next up are the slits you’ll see in the center tread blocks. These give extra grip on rocks when the tires are aired down, helping separate the KM3 from the rest of the MT pack.

     

Toyota Tundra Tire Sizes

Below is a list of all Toyota Tundra trims along with the tire sizes available from the factory for each.

• 1794 Edition 275/65/18 or 275/55/20
• Limited 275/65/18 or 275/55/20
• Platinum 275/55/20
• SR 275/65/18
• SR5 275/65/18
• SR TRD 275/65/18
• TRD Pro 275/65/18

What Tires Come on the Toyota Tundra?

Depending on your truck’s configuration there are numerous different tires that Toyota sees to equip Tundra models with from the factory. Trucks running 18-inch wheels come fitted with Michelin LTX MS2, Bridgestone Dueler HT D684 II highway terrain tires or more aggressive Michelin LTX AT2 all terrain tires. Trucks running the larger 20-inch fitments can be had with either the Bridgestone Dueler HL Alenza or Dunlop SP Sport 5000 M, the latter of which is also found on several Lexus SUVs.

What Tires Come on the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro?

TRD Pro versions of the Tundra come with the same 18-inch size tires as most trim levels of the truck. They’re also available with similar on-road-focused Bridgestone Dueler HT D684 II, which still offer some off-road grip. In addition they can be had with the Michelin LTX AT2 all-terrain tire. Despite the TRD Pros off-road credentials, this is a relatively tame all-terrain tire. (It’s not surprising that Toyota would use an AT tire that still has a lot of on-road civility). Finally, the Michelin LTX AS is also available.

Will All-Terrain Tires Affect The Ride Quality of My Tundra?

Some versions of the Tundra, like the TRD Pro, already come with all-terrain tires and are quite comfortable and reasonably quiet. They aren’t as quiet as a dedicated all-season or highway terrain tire, but they’re very close. Much of this has to do with the fact that the Michelin LTX AT2s are, as far as all-terrain tires go, quite civilized. If you opt for something more extreme, like a BFGoodrich All-Terrain TA KO2 then you’ll see a more significant drop-off ride quality and an increase in overall road noise.

Many of these more hard-core all-terrain tires also see a lower level of on-road grip, particularly in the wet.

A safe middle ground is a highway terrain tire that offers some actual off-road grip for occasional use, but is also civilized enough that you’d never be able to tell it apart from an all-season. As an added benefit, highway terrain tires usually last as long as all-seasons, while most all-terrain tires have a shorter tread life – by about 10,000 miles.