10 Best Tires for Buick Encore in 2021 (With A Buying Guide)
The Encore is the entry-level option to Buick’s world of SUVs. It is a 5-seater compact SUV that’ll give you a serene ride. Apart from the comfort, you also get a plethora of gizmos. Hence, it has received praise for the near-luxury experience. The vehicle is also easy to drive due to its size. However, it doesn’t cater to a single genre. So, choosing the best tires for Buick Encore may be confusing.
Yes, touring tires are comfortable. But what if you get a set of UHP tires? The Encore isn’t the quickest car around, but cornering will become more fun. You might live where it snows heavily. So, only a set of winter tires can do you justice. A set of summer tires will favor the hottest roads. Or, you could just put on all-season tires for the year. All the categories have been looked at, and the best picks mentioned.
A buying guide is also included. Let’s begin.
Best All-Season Tires for Buick Encore
Michelin Defender T+H
The Defender T + H is one of the best tires for Buick Encore. It is also the best all-season tire for it because of its mileage. The tire’s selling point is its supposed longevity. This durability is thanks to the new rubber tread compound. The MaxTouch Construction evenly distributes contact forces. This also increases the tread life. The tire also comes with great traction and handling on dry surfaces.
This is due to the Evertread silica compound and the asymmetric tread pattern. The wet grip is great and it lasts as long as the tread. The tread blocks are independent. These, along with zig-zagging sipes increase wet traction. The ride is smooth and very quiet. The tire doesn’t have many downsides. Despite being an all-season, it’s not cut out for heavy snow or ice. The price is also high. But the great 80k miles warranty makes up for it.
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Best Alternative: Goodyear Assurance MaxLife
Behold Goodyear’s longest lasting tire and one of the best tires for Buick Encore. The Assurance MaxLife comes with Goodyear’s patented TredLife Technology. This makes it a reliable companion that withstands all sorts of wear. It also enhances the tire’s traction on dry, wet and light-snowy roads. The tire allows you to corner at high speeds. The protection from hydroplaning is superb. You also get good braking distances on dry and wet roads.
The ride is smooth and comfy until you hit a bump on the road. The tire also saves you money on fuel. It does so with its optimized rolling resistance. The Assurance MaxLife only falls short when the snow gets heavier. It could also be more responsive when it comes to steering. Nonetheless, you get a mind-blowing 85k miles tread warranty.
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Best Touring All-Season Tires for Buick Encore
General Altimax RT43
Here’s the budget option amongst the best tires for Buick Encore. The Altimax RT43 comes with several features to enhance tread life. Its low surface abrasion distributes wear evenly. The StabiliTREAD technology increases the tire’s footprint for less stress. The tire also lets you know if it’s aligned correctly. The peak anti-slip technology gives this tire a great grip on dry and wet surfaces.
It increases traction with the number of biting edges. But it also enhances smoothness and comfort for touring. You get circumferential grooves and sipes. These increase its grip on wet and snowy roads respectively. The tire also features acoustic modulation. This absorbs sound and vibrations to lower road noise. For strength, you get a center rib and underrunning steel belts. Finally, you also get a spectacular 75,000 miles warranty.
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Best Alternative: Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring
The CS5 Ultra Touring is a durable touring tire that performs well. Its tread compound contains 4x more silica than its peers. This puts the tire ahead for grip on dry and slippery surfaces. The tread profile allows even wear for longevity. The Stabiledge Technology improves the dry handling and stability. You get 3D micro gauge grooves for the same reason. There are additional biting edges for better wet grip.
But the sporty handling isn’t all this tire’s about. It is remarkably smooth and refined to drive on. The road noise won’t bother you either. Yes, there are much better options for snowy roads. The CS5 gets beaten by some on this list for treadwear warranty. Nevertheless, you can get coverage for 50-60k miles depending on the size you pick. Undoubtedly, this is one of the best tires for Buick Encore.
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Best Winter Tires for Buick Encore
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
This one’s also one of the best tires for Toyota Avalon. The Blizzak WS90 features a larger area of contact. Its tread blocks are up to 30pc stiffer than the outgoing WS80. The block edges are 15pc more. The result? You get better grip, and responsiveness on ice. Hence the tire also wears better, and lasts a season longer. The tread compound also features Bridgestone’s patented Multi-Cell technology. It ensures excellent stopping distances and prevents ice slippages.
The hydrophilic coating and the bite particles add more grip. The former ensures that no water develops on the tread. The latter combines with the zigzag sipes for a better bite. The WS90 also doesn’t stiffen up in the freezing cold. So its handling is brilliant, and it can also go offroad. The tire is also great on dry and wet roads. Comfort-wise, it’s quiet but the ride is harder. Still, one of the best tires for Buick Encore.
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Best Alternative: Michelin X-Ice Snow
The X-Ice Snow comes with a V-shaped tread design. The void ratio is enhanced to channel water better. Because of better evacuation, it protects against hydroplaning. There are two types of 3-dimensional sipes. One is for the snow biting edges; the other for a clawing effect on snow. The Evergrip technology makes a second appearance. It improves the wear life via more rigid tread blocks.
As a result, the contact area increases for better grip. The tire features an 8.85ft shorter braking distance than its peers. You get 10pc less rolling resistance than the last model for fuel economy. The sipes and the Evergrip technology ensure even wear and tear. The Flex-Ice 2.0 Compound helps here as well. The tire is certainly pricey. But being one of the best tires for Buick Encore makes it worth it.
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Best High-Performance Tires for Buick Encore
Sumitomo HTR A/S P03
The HTR A/S P03 is finetuned for ultra-high-performance. It features numerous unique technologies for traction. It comes with a deformation-resistant tread design. This suits high speed cornering, handling and stability. Its fin design evacuates water to prevent hydroplaning. The Miura-Ori sipes prevent distortion for grip, all year. The compound has silica for better wet traction and wear-resistance.
The tire also has crossed grooves and 3d sipes to increase road contact. The nylon band underneath makes it more stable. It is strong and durable as well. For instance, it has underrunning steel belts. There’s also a rigid but high-tension bead apex for the sidewall. This increases strength as well as the cornering ability. The tire doesn’t compromise on comfort though. The price is reasonable but the snow traction could be better. Nevertheless, it’s one of the best tires for Buick Encore.
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Best Alternative: Firestone Firehawk AS
The Firestone Firehawk AS is an all-season UHP beast. The tread pattern is asymmetric; the compound contains silica and long link carbon. Hence the tire is very grippy on dry and wet roads alike. The tire has more channels to remove water. This prevents aquaplaning and adds wet grip. You also get 20pc more biting edges than its predecessor. This prevents slippage on snow covered roads, but not much.
The Firehawk AS also deals masterfully with wear. You get high-tensile steel belts wrapped with nylon. These make the tire reliable and stable at high speeds. The grooves and sipes ensure that it performs well in spite of wear. The ride comfort is pretty decent for the category. The road noise isn’t enough to bother you. The treadwear warranty covers up to 50k miles. The Firehawk is certainly one of the best Buick Encore tires.
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Best Summer Tires for Buick Encore
Bridgestone Turanza T005
The Turanza T005 rules the summer category of the best tires for Buick Encore. This is because of its high performance and durability. The Nanopro-Tech absorbs water for better grip on wet roads. There are high shoulder blocks and a wide center gap for water evacuation. Hence hydroplaning the hydroplaning resistance is pretty decent. The steering is great and so is the handling on wet/dry roads.
The braking power is excellent as well. Apart from traction, there also have been efforts to lengthen its life. You get polyester and steel for better stability. This also helps reduce rolling resistance to save you fuel. The DriveGuard variants also feature run-flat technology. This allows you to drive several miles on punctured tires to get help. The tire is noisy and expensive though.
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Best Alternative: Laufenn S Fit EQ+
Laufenn tires certainly don’t make many tire lists. But because of the limited sizes for the Encore, and their performance; they’re here. The S Fit EQ+ comes with an asymmetric tread for safe driving. The contact forces are dealt with, for a bigger footprint. This adds to the grip of the tire. It also features a hydra block design for better braking. There are kerfs and sipes that are streamlined.
These channel and evacuate water better. Therefore, you receive protection from hydroplaning. The weight over the contact patch is also distributed better. This is because of the computer-designed tire profile. It helps counter wear and tear better. The rolling resistance is low but the tire is noisier. The tire is a premium level hoop and it hence costs like one. In the summer category, it is one of the best tires for Buick Encore.
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Best Tires for Buick Encore: Buying Guide
The recommended tire size for the Encore is 215/55R18.
Are Touring and Grand-Touring Tires the Best Choice for The Buick Encore?
Yes, they are. The Buick Encore might be an SUV. But it is more catered to cruising around than going offroad. The vehicle is super comfortable to drive. Hence it needs tires that complement its serenity. While touring tires aren’t as sharp as their ultra-high-performance counterparts. They provide an excellent riding experience. If you like taking long drives and/or road trips, these are your go-to.
But it’s not like you’re missing out on performance either. Take the General Altimax RT43 and the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring. These are the recommended touring tires on this list. But they’re also very good if you like to corner at high speeds. The Buick Encore isn’t the fastest CUV today. However, these tires will make sure you have fun with the handling.
Winter And Summer Tires Vs All-Season Tires for The Buick Encore
This is another conundrum, but the answer is simple. If you drive in a more predictable climate such as winter or summer all year, skip the all-season tires. All-season tires are the norm and come fitted with most cars. The best ones don’t need replacing and work in most conditions except deep snow.
Winter tires are a must for extremely cold areas subjected to snow. One has to stay cautious in areas with such climates. Hence, only winter tires with peak snow and ice traction will do. The tires with the 3PMSF ratings should be the optimal choice for deep snow. Even the best all-season tires tend to stiffen up due to the freezing cold weather. This can adversely affect the tire’s grip.
However, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 and the Michelin X-Ice Snow won’t. These tires are recommended because they cover all winter-related checkmarks. They won’t let you down no matter how extreme it gets.
If you live somewhere with continuously hot or warm weather; get a set of summer tires. These aren’t bothered by hot temperatures. They are optimal for handling and acceleration. They’re great for the rainy seasons as well. Just make sure you don’t drive on them when it gets colder. The Bridgestone Turanza T005 and the Laufenn S Fit EQ+ are the best tires for Buick Encore in the recommended size.
