Locations in Minnesota: 27
First Minnesota location opening date: Eden Prairie, MN MNM02 | September 26, 2001
Common vehicles: Sedans, crossovers, SUVs and pickup trucks
Major regions/cities: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Bloomington, Plymouth, Brooklyn Park, Woodbury, Maple Grove, Lakeville, St. Cloud
Road conditions: All four seasons, with severe weather including blizzards, ice, deep snow, slush, rain
Known as the Land of 10,000 lakes (11,842 to be exact!) Minnesota has a natural beauty that’s hard to ignore. Not only is it the birthplace of Prince, it’s also home to the NFL Vikings, the Mall of America and some serious severe weather!
This and a healthy population of over five million residents means that it’s super important for Minnesotans to equip their vehicles with the right tires.
From the Twin Cities to the ‘burbs, Lake Superior and the Canadian border down to the Iowa state line, we can help you find the right tires for your commute, routine or adventure in Minnesota.
Where to start? Well, we’ve compiled the best car, truck and snow tires for Minnesota for you. Let’s get you taken care of!
BEST CAR TIRES FOR MINNESOTA
In Minnesota’s urban and suburban areas, cars are king. Passenger sedans, crossovers and some SUVs are popular vehicle choices, and that means all-season tires are typically the most common tires sold in Minnesota.
By and large, the most popular car tire is the Michelin Defender 2 thanks to its indisputable all-season traction, drive comfort and extremely long service life. Another favorite is the Continental ControlContact Tour A/S Plus thanks to its stellar wear resistance, fuel efficiency, wet/dry performance and generous 80,000-mile warranty!
Scott Oolman, manager and 27-year veteran of the Eden Prairie Discount Tire in Minneapolis also highly recommends the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady. It’s an all-season tire with the three-peak mountain snowflake rating for foul weather grip and a 60,000-mile warranty, so you can get more out of it before switching to winter tires.
According to Tyler Michealeson, a 12-year Discount Tire veteran and manager of the Waite Park store in St. Cloud, there’s plenty of high-value, low-cost options. Budget shoppers will love the Arizonian Silver Edition All Season. One of our exclusive lines, this tire provides strong all-season performance, a quiet, comfy ride, a 60,000-mile warranty and a value price point.
Mike Saurauer, a 14-year Discount Tire veteran and manager of the Midway Discount Tire store in St. Paul says his customers love the Nokian Encompass AW01, an all-weather tire exclusively available at Discount Tire. Minnesotans like its quiet, comfortable ride, severe weather rating, snow traction and 60,000-mile warranty.
BEST TRUCK TIRES FOR MINNESOTA
While cars are common in the ‘burbs, rural Minnesotans are more likely to drive pickup trucks, whether for their landscaping or contracting business, property chores or for those rough gravel roads near home. Naturally, the preferred truck tire choice in Minnesota is a set of all-terrain tires.
The most popular truck tires tend to be from Michelin thanks to their luxury design, emphasis on safety and undeniable performance pedigree. The most popular Michelin truck tire is the Michelin Defender LTX M/S. The Defender offers excellent all-season traction and dynamic handling all wrapped up with industry-leading performance and tread life. And a robust 50–70,000-mile warranty doesn’t hurt either.
If you want stable handling on-road and rugged performance off-road, Tyler from our Waite Park Discount Tire store suggests the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2. It offers maximum grip in mud, snow and rocks (especially when aired down). For similar off-road grit supported by stone ejectors that remove debris from the tread, the Cooper Discoverer ATP II is for you.
He also finds that the Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac is popular with truck owners. This is due to its severe weather rating (some LT sizes are studdable), rugged, damage-resistant design, self-cleaning tread pattern and long tread life.
Minnesotans on a budget will love the Pathfinder AT, a Discount Tire exclusive all-terrain that delivers on everything, including a low price. It offers a comfortable ride, impressive on-and-off-road traction and a price that won’t break the bank. It’s the all-terrain most recommended by Minnesota store managers.
The Rochester Discount Tire senior assistant manager notes that off-road buggies and side-by-sides are starting to take off. If you’re looking for tires for your four-wheeler or side-by-side, we’ve got the best tires for your ATV/UTV.
They also noted that travelers and locals alike have a penchant for the outdoors and regularly turn to us for our selection of trailer tires for their trailers, campers and RVs.
WHEN TO PUT ON SNOW TIRES IN MINNESOTA?
With regular ice, snow and even whiteout conditions, when it comes to winter tires in Minnesota, it’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when.
Yes, you need snow tires in Minnesota, and you should change over to your winter tires when temps regularly begin to hit 45F and lower.
We can help you with your winter/snow tire changeover and installation!
Without a doubt, the most popular snow tire in Minnesota is the Bridgestone Blizzak family of winter tires. Tyler Michaelson at our Waite Park location in St. Cloud isn’t surprised his customers repeatedly make the right choice, either: “Our customers are pretty well versed in tires; they know what they need,” he said. At the end of the day, Minnesotans want to get the most performance for the most reasonable price possible!
For car tires, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 is the way to go, with its three-peak mountain snowflake rating, excellent snow and ice traction, large contact area and amazing grip.
Another option is the Michelin X-Ice Snow (one of those rare winter tires with a mileage warranty). With peerless ice/snow grip, a 40,000-mile warranty, a long lasting tread life and the three-peak mountain snowflake and M+S ratings, it’s the perfect tire for drivers who want confident performance regardless of the weather.
Scott over at our Eden Prairie location in Minneapolis notes the popularity of the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10. Hakkapeliitta tires are built in the far north of Scandinavia, allowing for exceedingly high performance in the foulest weather imaginable. The Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 SUV gives your SUV the same great features!
For an affordable snow tire, Mike from the Midway store in St. Paul suggests the Cooper Discoverer True North. Its noise dampening features cut out unwanted road noise, while its Snow Grooves provide snow-on-snow traction and its high density sipes dig into ice and snow. Plus, it’s all backed by the 3PMS designation.
Our Rochester store senior assistant manager notes that some of his truck customers think they don’t need winter tires if their all-terrains are severe weather rated. However, we don’t recommend relying on your all-terrain/mud tires for safe winter traction. All-terrain and mud tires tend to perform poorly when ice and snow are on the ground.
For your crossover, SUV or even light truck, the Bridgestone Blizzak DMV2 is for you, delivering advanced control for braking in snow or slippery slush and fantastic traction.
For winter and snow truck tires, Mike mentions that 80% of his snow tire sales are the Bridgestone Blizzak line, specifically the Bridgestone Blizzak LT. Strong, tough, designed for extreme weather and hard work, it’s an appealing option for pick up truck owners. The General Grabber Arctic LT Studdable is another popular snow truck tire. Studdable, with impeccable ice, snow and wet traction, a loyal fan following and a small price tag, this tire offers trucks the works.
The heavy winters in the North Star state are notorious, but something you may not have realized is the heavy toll salt plays on the roads. Salt seeps in between cracks in driving surfaces and causes deterioration (read: potholes). There are plenty of potholes to go around, too. Mike Sarauer at the Midway Discount Tire store joked that St. Paul was “Pothole city.”
Potholes can lead to tire and wheel damage and unsafe driving conditions, especially when snow and ice are present. Paired with the Gopher State’s tendency to throw winter at you all at once, it’s imperative to choose the right winter/snow tire.
(If you need wheel and tire services, including flat tire repair, air pressure check, TPMS reset and more, we provide those too!)
Salt can also cause serious damage to your OE or aftermarket wheels. You can protect your favorite rims from the torments of Jack Frost by using an alternate set of wheels for winter driving. Check out our winter wheel selection to keep your regular rims safe. Save even more with a winter wheel and tire package!
It’s always a good idea to check your windshield wiper blades before you hit the road. We recommend changing wiper blades every 12 months. Need new wiper blades? You’re in luck. We stock a full supply of high-quality, low-priced windshield wipers!
Check out our pick of the best winter wiper blades, too!
Ready to roll?
If you’re still feeling a little lost or overwhelmed with our picks for the best tires in Minnesota, we understand! Treadwell, our smart tire buying guide, can find the ideal tire for you using your driving style, vehicle, budget and even region of Minnesota.
If you have other questions or want to upgrade your wheels or tires, just give us a ring, drop by or make an appointment online! (Customers who buy and book an appointment online wait less time in-store!)
For more information on this and other tire and wheel services, check out our YouTube Channel or reach out to us on X, Facebook and Instagram.