Best Tires for Ford F250

1.Continental TerrainContact H/T

Ride Quality: 10 Noise Comfort: 10 Handling: 7 Traction: 8

Some people use their trucks solely as a hauler, towing and moving stuff from one place to another, without having the need to venture off the road all that often. For the Ford F250 Super Duty owners who use their truck to do just that, Continental developed the TerrainContact H/T. It’s probably the tire that resembles the regular tires found on cars the most.

The experience is nothing short of composed, being very comfortable, quiet, and direct. The sidewalls are leaning towards the softer side, putting an emphasis on the driver’s comfort. Its quietness comes from Continental’s addition of noise blockers, which are basically short walls that link the shoulders together. Their goal was to block the noise inside the contact patch in the hopes that it gets absorbed. You’re also getting a 60,000-mi tread life warranty, which is really welcomed.

There are 3 tire block lines across the tire’s circumference, staggered at a 45 angle. These blocks are separated by moderate channels, while the tire itself is cut across by a myriad of sipes, with a similar design being seen on the tire’s shoulders. This translates into a significant contact patch, even more so than many other tires on the market, which provides users a lot of grip in warm and cold temperatures alike.

As far as the downsides are concerned, there’s a lack of features aimed at off-road and winter use. The sidewalls are quite soft and thin, which hampers off-roading performance, while the lack of significant winter traits like many harsh edges doesn’t help snow grip to the tire. There’s also the concern of money, this tire being quite premium and a niche offering in the truck tire realm. As such, unless a sale is taking place at the moment, the tire is quite expensive.

2.Michelin Agilis CrossClimate

Ride Quality: 9 Noise Comfort: 7 Handling: 8 Traction: 9

An all-weather tire at heart, the Michelin Agilis CrossClimate is designed for users who will have to drive for long distances at a time in a wide variety of conditions and climates. Driving for thousands of miles across many states will most likely meet you with areas where the weather is completely different from where you initially set off. As such, the Michelin Agilis CrossClimate is perfect for the Ford F250 Super Duty user who wants to be safe and protected regardless of where they plan on driving.

Despite not having a tread life warranty, buyers have reported that their wear resistance is quite impressive, so most drivers shouldn’t worry about it. The Agilis CrossClimate gets a 3PMSF certification, which attests to the tire’s ability to drive through deeper snow, hence the all-weather nomenclature and its protection. As far as the sidewalls are concerned, their resistance and toughness can accurately be described as mild, which more often than not it’s adequate, albeit not tremendously comfortable.

A polyamide reinforcement was added to the sidewall, to protect it against curbs while also helping it off the road, at least a tiny bit. The tread pattern is quite simple, showcasing thick shoulders and highly angular ribs in the center. These traits along with the few sipes found on the tire blocks and the zigzag grooves allow the tire to perform rather well in snowy, rainy, and dry conditions. Overall, a tire without major faults.

Even if there aren’t many major faults, they still sadly exist because no tire is perfect. One of them was briefly mentioned before in the tire’s general lack of comfort. Noise generated is also significant, but the F250’s engine should cancel it out. There’s also the issue of price because the Agilist CrossClimate is one of the most expensive tires around.

3.Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Ride Quality: 9 Noise Comfort: 9 Handling: 7 Traction: 7

In slight contrast to the Agilis CrossClimate, we have the Michelin Defender LTX M/S, which gives the all-weather capability for even better wear resistance and a significantly improved fuel efficiency. The fuel efficiency is a point of great interest, Michelin claiming that you can save 65 gallons of fuel over the life of the tire if you use the Defender LTX M/S over the Goodyear Wrangler SR-A. Saving over $200 by the time the tire is all used up isn’t that shabby.

Another gain was in comfort, the Defender LTX M/S having sidewalls that can be considered soft and compliant, doing mighty fine in absorbing all kinds of bumps and harsh roads, both urban and extra-urban. The longitudinal and lateral grip is good, enough for all the torque the F250 Super Duty is producing. Michelin offers you a tread life warranty of 50,000 mi or 6 years, but there are several owners who managed to surpass this figure.

When we’re looking at the tread pattern, we’re seeing really broad shoulders and 3 center tire block ribs that are thinner than average. By doing so, rolling resistance is lower but the longitudinal and lateral grip maintains regular levels thanks to the shoulders, which come into play during turns, accelerations, and hard brakes. Hydroplaning resistance is also surprisingly good thanks to the thick grooves, which now have room thanks to the thinner tire blocks. Overall, a solid tire, if used on a 3-season basis.

The issues are simple. On the one hand, we have poor winter performance, especially on snow and ice, while, on the other hand, we have a tire which is quite expensive. Another issue that may bother some is that its off-roading performance, or lack thereof.

1.Sumitomo Encounter AT

Ride Quality: 7 Noise Comfort: 7 Handling: 8 Traction: 7

Probably the best bang for your buck on the whole list, many people praising their overall capabilities in a wide array of conditions. The Sumitomo Encounter AT is very able, being both grippy, comfortable, resilient to wear, and somewhat capable off the road. With these in mind, we can see that the Sumitomo Encounter AT is a perfect fit for the Ford F250 Super Duty owner who stays on the road but seldom goes off it.

The sidewalls show an attempt at making the tire off-road capable while still keeping it compliant for road usage. This is the case because Sumitomo employed the regular number of steel belts in the tire’s construction, that being two. However, they widened those belts to make the tire more stable off the road. To attest to the tire’s wear resistance, Sumitomo employed a tread life warranty of 60.000 mi. Very respectable for an all-terrain tire.

The tread pattern is very dense, which directly translates into good grip but poor rolling resistance. Snow performance should be very good, seeing how angular and small the tread blocks are. The cold performance should also be quite decent, having two sipes per tire block placed strategically to help the tire flex. Its 3PMSF certification only further proves these points. Off-roading performance should be decent, as long as we’re talking about dirt, gravel, and a bit of mud, seeing how the grooves found on the pattern aren’t all that thick.

However, there are some faults that are worth mentioning. Its performance in the wet won’t be stellar, seeing little sipes the tire has, along with how thin the grooves and channels are. Water has a really easy time getting trapped in the grooves, as such it’s very easy to break traction. Another issue is that its off-roading performance is mild, being capable only of dirt and gravel roads, with a bit of mud sprinkled for good measure. Also, as stated above, its rolling resistance is quite high, so expect to pay extra for fuel.

2.Vredestein Pinaza AT

Ride Quality: 8 Noise Comfort: 8 Handling: 8 Traction: 8

A new contender in the all-terrain tire category but it’s projected to be capable in all realms. The Vredestein Pinaza AT showcases a lot of interesting bits of engineering employed to deliver as complete of an experience and performance as possible. Having seen time and time again, Vredestein develops fantastic tires for wet climates, so we can expect this to perform just as well. With these in mind, we can expect a Ford F250 Super Duty paired with a set of Vredestein Pinaza AT to perform marvelously in wet climates, regardless of the kind of road they’re used on.

The sidewalls are quite tough for an all-terrain tire, seeing how Vredestein employed a 3-ply design on their LT metric sizes. This translates into fantastic longitudinal and lateral grip, along with an adequate amount of puncture resistance when driving off the road. This LT-sized tire sports a 50.000 mi tread life warranty, which provides some needed information regarding the expected wear rate.

When we’re looking at the tread pattern, we’re seeing a very dense design with a multitude of angles, similar to the Sumitomo we just reviewed. The tire blocks are cut across by a myriad of small sipes, this being the reason why this tire is so capable in the wet. Not only that but some small cuts, medium channels, and copious side grooves means that the Vredestein Pinza AT won’t have any issues regarding aquaplaning. The shoulders are quite small, the tires relying mostly on the center tire blocks. Snow performance is expected to be fantastic, seeing how angular the design is and how many sipes there are, along with its 3PMSF certification.

As far as issues are concerned, there shouldn’t be that many. A significant issue worth mentioning is that there will probably be a bit of noise generated. Another thing worth mentioning is lateral grip if pushed hard will have a bit to suffer thanks to those small shoulders. On top of this, rolling resistance will be quite significant.

2.Firestone Destination M/T2

Ride Quality: 6 Noise Comfort: 5 Handling: 7 Traction: 7

Some people have to venture off the road constantly, in conditions that are harsher than your average dirt trail. For those people, Firestone developed the Destination M/T2, designed at delving into the harshest of conditions. As such, a Ford F250 Super Duty paired with a set of Firestone Destination M/T2 should be able to deliver that important load even if the road conditions are far from ideal.

When looking at the sidewalls, we’re having a 3-ply construction reinforced by a nylon sheet just under the tread to stabilize it against lateral movement. On the sidewall itself, we’re greeted with some lugs aimed at gripping soft surfaces like mud, making the tire capable of getting itself unstuck in the deepest puddles. The compound is also very resistant, engineered by Firestone to last against all the rocks that could tear and shred the tire down.

The tread design is quite simple and nothing out of the ordinary. The tire blocks are solid and sparse, placed with precision to act like paddles against mud, or as extra leverage when climbing bigger rocks. The grooves and channels are wide, having enough room to employ stone ejectors adding another necessary layer of protection against punctures. Another interesting design choice is that this tire is studdable, meaning that you can use it during winter times if you have to cross an ice road.

The downsides are obvious, seeing how this is a pure off-roading tire. Asphalt performance is abysmal, same as comfort and noise. The tire is also quite expensive, but with such a limited choice regarding off-roading tires, it isn’t too bad.

1.Goodyear WinterCommand (LT)

Ride Quality: 8 Noise Comfort: 7 Handling: 7 Traction: 9

Some parts of America have harsh winters, seeing heaps of snow and miles of icy roads. If you have to do your job during severe winters, then the Goodyear WinterCommand is probably your best bet. A Ford F250 Super Duty paired with a set of Goodyear WinterCommand will be able to conquer even the toughest snowstorms that take place in mid-January.

The tire sports a 2-ply construction with a 2-sheet nylon reinforcement to keep the soft compound from sliding laterally. This makes the tire feel normal early in the winters while being highly capable as soon as the snow and ice start to pile up and cover the streets. The compound is again, quite soft; otherwise, the tire would’ve suffered in extreme temperatures.

The compound is quite interesting, being greeted by a V-type tread pattern broken down by a continuous zigzag center rib. This gives the tire all the needed on-center feel. Snow performance is fantastic, the snow having a lot of sides to which it can grip to, along with the many fine sipes employed at improving that even further. Ice performance is also fantastic, thanks to the ability to add studs to the tire.

As far as downsides are concerned, warm and dry performance is horrendous. Despite all of Goodyear’s attempts at making the tire feel normal, it still feels somewhat squishy. On top of this, wear resistance is quite low, seeing how soft the compound is.