Best Tires for a Dodge Challenger
Muscle cars aren’t made for jokers. They pack a serious punch in the straights and turns all while having a lot of horsepower under that hood. One of the most renowned muscle cars out there is the Dodge Challenger, with a legacy across pop-culture realms and racing history alike. People buy a Dodge Challenger for serious fun in a marginally practical package, because in the grand scheme of things they are incredibly roomy and versatile. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the best tires you could buy for your Dodge Challenger.
Best All-Weather Tires for the Dodge Challenger
1.Michelin CrossClimate2
Ride Quality: 9 Noise Comfort: 7 Handling: 8 Traction: 10
Buying all-season tires for a muscle car isn’t advised in the slightest. The reason is simple: they won’t offer you enough traction all around the board. However, an all-weather tire could work for a Dodge Challenger owner who drives more sensibly and doesn’t venture themselves into dangerous turns. For such a task, the Michelin CrossClimate2 works marvelously, thanks to its clever mix of features and properties, both rubber-wise and engineering-wise.
The V-type tread pattern will provide you with enough grip in dry conditions on warmer days, while still giving you copious amounts of traction in snowy conditions. The sidewalls aren’t made out of mush, meaning that longitudinal grip should be all right, while not breaking your back in two. The tires are quite resistant to aquaplaning, while still providing a decent amount of wet traction.
Comfort isn’t that bad and should be enough for a Dodge Challenger. In the end, most Dodge Challenger drivers will mount high-performance tires on their cars, which are significantly tougher. You also get the added benefit of having a 60,000 mi tread life warranty, so they should last quite a bit of time.
As all-weather tires usually go, they are expensive. You can’t get so much performance at a discount. Regardless of what people tell you, these tires aren’t the quietest at high speeds, having the ability to be quite intrusive on the highway. However, the engine should cancel the tire’s rumble out. There’s also the issue of braking performance in wet conditions, where this tire doesn’t perform all that fantastic.
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Best High-Performance Tires for the Dodge Challenger
1.Yokohama Parada Spec-X
Ride Quality: 8 Noise Comfort: six Handling: 9 Traction: 9
Seeing how you’re going to need dedicated winter tires for your Dodge Challenger, you might as well get proper summer tires or ones who are capable of Spring and Summer driving. As such, our first contender is the Yokohama Parada Spec-X which should do its job marvelously.
The sidewalls are quite tough but compliant to be moderately comfortable. The tire shouldn’t flex all that much laterally nor longitudinally, giving you decent amounts of grip and sliding resistance, if you will. According to Yokohama, the compound was improved slightly while also adding a few dimples here and there to help the tire cool off on torrid summer days.
If we’re looking at the tread pattern, we can see a very interesting design. Indeed, the multiple curved grooves help the tire quite a lot in wet conditions, all while giving us a directional pattern known for good on-center feel and directness. The contact patch is substantial, meaning that you’ll get plenty of grip all across the board, which should be adequate for a regularly equipped Dodge Challenger. Its performance in the wet is also worth noting, thanks to some carefully adjusted sipes and clever shoulder design.
Winter performance is, however, poor. To be expected from this kind of tire, but should manage to hold its ground in early fall if they are warmer overall. Its wear resistance isn’t out of this park, but with some owners being luckier than others. There’s a small bit of noise that intrudes into the cabin, but nothing too major. All these traits make the Yokohama Parada Spec-X good tires for an averagely spec-ed Dodge Challenger if they’re used in the Spring and Summer months and you like driving fast.
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2.Vredestein Hypertrac All Season
Ride Quality: 9 Noise Comfort: 8 Handling: 8 Traction: 8
Moving right along the performance line-up, we are getting to the Vredestein Hypertrac All Season. These tires have been designed to perform marvelously in wet and dry conditions, both in warm and colder climates. Don’t think of them as all-season, think of them as marvelous in summers, both wet and dry, along with damp springs and falls.
The compound has been designed to withstand quite a bit of abuse in regard to temperature and should be fine on that 3-season basis. Sidewalls aren’t anything to write home about, what’s for certain is that they are quite compliant for what they are. These Vredestein Hypertrac All Season do a good job at absorbing all kinds of bumps without sacrificing grip or stability.
Many small sipes cut the tread blocks across, translating into good wet performance. The symmetrical tread pattern provides a good contact patch which should give your Dodge Challenger plenty of traction. Water evacuation is stellar, Vredestein thought thoroughly when they designed the slots, grooves, and channels, so you shouldn’t slip when it decides to pour outside. Even if they haven’t added any significant technologies in regard to noise absorption, owners claim that the tire is indeed quiet and relaxing to drive. Overall, not a lot of faults at hand.
This tire starts losing point when traction is brought to the table. Pushing this tire hard isn’t advised, being better suited as a composed touring tire that can be pushed somewhat hard in a controlled environment. Following immediately is an overall lack of feel, being somewhat numb for an Ultra-High-Performance All-Season tire. Vredestein didn’t think too hard in regard to its rolling resistance, even if it didn’t turn out too badly. As such, the Vredestein Hypertrac All Season is a good choice for the Dodge Challenger owner who is a more composed driver and likes taking things slow and methodically.
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3.Michelin Pilot Sport 4S
Ride Quality: 7 Noise Comfort: 5 Handling: 10 Traction: 10
Reaching the maximum performance levels, we have the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. On the one hand, we have a very competitive summer tire capable of even track days, and on the other hand, we have a solid 2-season tire suitable for the hottest of days and the wettest of mornings. The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is a fantastic choice for a Dodge Challenger owner who wants performance and nothing more.
The sidewalls are more on the tougher side, as expected; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to have lateral and longitudinal grip when pushed to their limit. You’re greeted with a 30,000-mi tread life warranty, indicating a softer compound designed to hug the asphalt as best it can. This softer compound is quite prone to wear, especially if driven hard, but you should be able to reach 20,000 mi without too much hassle. Also, please bear in mind the load rating of this tire. If you are going to track your Dodge Challenger, get a load rating of at least 107. If you won’t, these tires will survive 4 track days at most.
When we’re looking at the tread pattern, we’re almost entering semi-slick territory. Even so, Michelin did all their homework and the tire performs exemplary on wet and dry asphalt, having a few carefully placed cuts to help water evacuation. This means that the contact patch is substantial, giving the Dodge Challenger all the grip it would ever need. Hydroplaning resistance is good, as seen in multiple tests. Even comfort is quite decent for a Max Performance Tire.
Where the tire doesn’t shine all that bright regarding noise generated, but to be fair, who needs noise suppression on a performance tire. This tire is one of the most expensive tires on the market, so expect to pay a small fortune for a complete set. This tire also loses some points in its wet braking department, performing mediocrely. With this in mind, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S suits performance-oriented Dodge Challengers, like the Dodge Demon, or Challenger Hellcat.
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Best Winter Tires for a Dodge Challenger
1.Bridgestone Blizzak LM001
Ride Quality: 8 Noise Comfort: 8 Handling: 7 Traction: 8
One of the mildest winter tires out there. The Bridgestone Blizzak LM001 are designed with cold and dry winters or wet and slushy ones. Seeing how we’re running two sets of tires for the Dodge Challenger; these are most likely your best bet if you live in a climate that sees milder winters.
The sidewalls are quite tough but compliant enough in wintery conditions; otherwise, they would’ve turned into skis like any other old tire. This will make your Dodge Challenger quite comfortable and a nice break from the harsh ride you’ll be mostly used to if you’re running a Max Performance tire. There isn’t a tread life warranty to back them up; however, you can expect to drive a few winters out of them unless you drive hundreds of miles a day.
We’re seeing a mixed bag when we look at the tread pattern, seeing a V-type pattern but split across by some very thick channels. This, along with the many sipes means that this tire will do wonders on medium snows, colder fall weather, freezing temperatures, and all kinds of slush. They are quite confident for a winter tire and they could be easily considered the best in their class by some users. No real issues to talk about as far as this tire’s ultimate goal is concerned.
Being a performance winter tire, you can’t expect fantastic behavior in really tough conditions, such as severe ice, multiple feet of snow, blizzards, and other hazards. While very capable dynamically for a winter tire, compared to a good all-season tire they fall quite a bit flat, and they’re somewhat uncertain, but still capable in most hands. Overall, a good tire for most Dodge Challenger owners who see a fair bit of snow.
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2.Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV
Ride Quality: 9 Noise Comfort: 7 Handling: 7 Traction: 9
Now, most of you are taking your pitchforks out and coming after me for suggesting an SUV tire for the Dodge Challenger. It certainly makes sense, but if you manage to find the regular X-Ice version which fits your Dodge Challenger from the point of size, load, and speed ratings, then go for it. For the most part, all the differences between the regular X-Ice and the Michelin X-Ice SUV are the load ratings and some changed bits to accommodate that load rating. Don’t forget that a Dodge Challenger is a hefty car, weighing in as much as an SUV, so things aren’t that far-fetched as you think.
The sidewalls are soft and compliant, but tough enough to withstand general winter driving. The tire blocks are tall, giving the tire all the needed abilities to plow through multiple feet of snow. These combined makes for quite a plush and comfortable ride.
Looking at the tread pattern, we’re seeing a V-type design with many interesting features. Apart from the regular sipes and grooves and whatnot, Michelin added a micro-roughness technology which gives this tire significant amounts of ice grip. This makes the Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV one of the most capable winter tires around, built for handling tough snowy and icy conditions.
A few issues with the tire are related to the overall feel, noise, and price. On the one hand, thanks to the tall tire blocks, the tire itself is quite squirmy if pushed hard. On the other hand, there’s a lot of noise generated from this tire. There’s also the issue of price, this tire being one of the most expensive tires on the market. Despite all this, a Dodge Challenger owner who finds themselves in a harsh winter will need a tire as capable as this one.
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Best Touring Tire for a Dodge Challenger
1.Best Touring Tire for a Dodge Challenger
Ride Quality: 9 Noise Comfort: 9 Handling: 8 Traction: 8
Some owners don’t particularly care about performance, and just want a quiet and composed ride and the car to feel as capable as it could ever be. For that handful of owners, we recommend the Continental PureContact LS, being a mixed ball of adequate performance and fantastic comfort.
First and foremost, you’re protected by a 70,000-mi tread life warranty, because if you care about plushness in your Dodge Challenger, you also care about money. The sidewalls are soft and quite relaxed thanks to a single-ply construction. Beneath the tread, you will find some sort of underlay, designed to absorb most of the road noise. Good news so far.
The tread pattern while intricate is quite straightforward. You’ll get a good on-center feel thanks to its generous center rib, small channels and sipes help with water evacuation, and the shoulders are designed to provide as much lateral grip as possible. You shouldn’t have any issues regarding wet weather or warmer days if driven sensibly.
Its faults are apparent, however. Longitudinal grip won’t be stellar, so no harsh accelerations from a standstill for you. Winter performance won’t be good at all, so only use it as a summer tire. Also, its general softness means that its feel isn’t great. However, this tire is perfect for the Dodge Challenger driver who is calm and composed.
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Best Tires for a Dodge Challenger: Buying Guide
A Dodge Challenger can’t use just all-season tires, and it can barely use all-weather tires
The logic is simple. Thanks to its weight and how it’s rear-wheel drive means that any harsh weather will put the Dodge Challenger at a severe disadvantage. Muscle cars are dangerous, and there have been many cases where people crashed with them, which didn’t just end with a damaged car.
As such, forget about a regular all-season tire for year-round performance. The Dodge Challenger just isn’t built for something like that. At most, you could probably manage with an all-weather tire if, and only if, the weather is mild, and you see colder summers and warmer winters. Otherwise, you are putting yourself and the people around you in great danger.
Most owners should get two sets of tires for their Dodge Challenger
There are so many trims out there for a Dodge Challenger, so what kind of tires you pick is your choice alone. Only you know what you want to do with your Challenger, and only you can decide which tires suit you the best. Just be sure to get a set dedicated for a few seasons, especially summer, and another for the other seasons, especially winter.
This is the case because, without a proper set of summer tires as an example, you will slide all over the place. You will shred tires left right and center. You will lose so much fuel economy and money on getting another set on a yearly basis. As such, the best course of action is to get two sets and combine them in whatever fashion you may need.
In this list, I’ve covered extensively most types of tires you can find for your Dodge Challenger. You will find a pair that might suit exactly what you need. Just be sure to be covered against the worst conditions you may face, and stay safe.