What are the Best Tires for Missouri?

Locations in Missouri: 17
First Missouri location opening date: Belton MOK01 | May 2, 2013
Common vehicles: sedans, half ton pickup trucks, crossovers and SUVs
Major regions/cities: Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, Columbia, Independence, Lee’s Summit, O’Fallon, St. Joseph, St. Charles, St. Peters
Road conditions: Generally good roads but prone to potholes due to freezing and extreme weather, unpredictable four seasons, easy going traffic outside of urban rush hour

Whether you’re getting toasted raviolis on The Hill in St. Louis, commuting through Kansas City’s multitude of highways (what state am I in again?) or camping in the Ozarks, the state of Missouri comes with challenging driving conditions.

Facing a climate consisting almost entirely of extremes (tornadoes, ice, pouring rain, frigid and sweltering temps anyone?) and a sizable population, Missourians must carefully consider their tire needs.

The best tires for driving in Missouri are the ones that keep you safe, after all. And you need to know what works for your budget, commute and vehicle. But where to start?

We’ve taken the legwork out of researching your next set of car, truck or winter tires! With a little help from our friendly tire experts, we’ve got the top tire picks for MO.

And if your wheels are in shoddy shape, good news: we sell and repair wheels and rims, too!

BEST CAR TIRES FOR MISSOURI

According to Adam Wheaton, senior assistant manager at the Springfield Discount Tire, Missouri’s ever-changing four season climate makes the all-season tire the top pick for most drivers.

Adam recommends the Michelin Defender 2. An extremely popular option at his store, this all-season wonder delivers terrific traction, ride comfort and a very long projected service life. Paired with an 80k-mile warranty, it’s a hard pick to beat.

Brandon Labaj, senior assistant manager at the St. Louis Discount Tire, says customers who want performance and value should consider the Yokohama YK-GTX. This capable-yet-affordable tire delivers great performance, adhesive traction and premium ride comfort, all backed by a 70,000-mile warranty.

Gunner Rodgers’ customers at the Joplin Discount Tire like the Continental ControlContact Tour A/S Plus. With a warranty for up to 80k miles and EcoPlus™ tech that provides strong all-season grip while helping you save at the gas pump, it’s an attractive all-season tire.

The Goodyear Assurance MaxLife is a popular tire for passenger sedans and crossovers. With built-in wear gauges, maximum all-season reliability and a long-wearing tread pattern thanks to its TredLife™ technology, it’s easy to see why. Plus, it’s backed by a huge 85k-mile warranty.

Need something designed to take on harsh weather? Featuring the three-peak mountain snowflake rating, the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady is the tire for you. With its asymmetric tread pattern and soybean oil rubber compound, it’s a true all-weather tire.

Zack Kilduff says a lot of touring tires fly off his shelves at the Blue Springs Discount Tire. Touring tires are ideal for commuting as they’re optimized for traction, fuel efficiency and long-lasting service lives.

His customers enjoy the Cooper Evolution Tour. It offers affordable wet and dry traction, hydroplane resistance and a long service life, all backed by a sizable 65k-mile warranty. Got a crossover or SUV? The Cooper Evolution HT is for you with its enhanced grip, controlled highway handling and 60,000-mile warranty.

Budget buyers can rest easy: some of the best car tires for Missouri are high-value picks!

Brandon in St. Louis says the Sentury Touring is a great option for customers looking for a healthy mix of performance and value. It’s easy to see the reason for the high customer reviews and ratings: with a sizable 40k-mile warranty, great dry, wet and light winter grip and a quiet, comfy ride, it’s a steal.

Adam’s Springfield customers frequently depend on the Arizonian Silver Edition All Season. The Arizonian offers a 60,000-mile warranty, dependable performance, precise steering response, a comfortable ride and all-season protection. Plus, it’s a Discount Tire exclusive!

These are all fantastic options, so it can be a little daunting to decide. Casey Cunningham at the Trafficway store in Kansas City encourages drivers to ask their Discount Tire store techs for input. And of course, there’s always Treadwell, our tire buying guide.

BEST TRUCK TIRES FOR MISSOURI

The “Show-me” state has plenty of trucks roaring down its highways and country roads. With a few major urban centers, large swathes of suburbs and rolling countryside, Missouri trucks use a huge range of tire types, depending on their application.

According to Zack in Blue Springs, MO, many drivers with land have to navigate both paved roads and gravel or dirt. Meanwhile, other drivers need towing capabilities and off-roading power for outdoor recreation (weekend to the Ozarks, anyone?).

That’s why you’ll see a mix of all-terrain tires and highway tires on pickups in Missouri.

In Springfield, MO, Adam’s customers tend to use their half-ton trucks for work and farming. They need tires with aggressive tread and traction. By far the most popular pick? An all-terrain tire that punches above its price point: the Pathfinder AT.

A Discount Tire exclusive, the Pathfinder AT delivers rugged off-road grip that doesn’t compromise its smooth ride and dependable all-season performance. And who could say no to a mileage warranty for up to 50,000 miles?

Many of Gunner’s Joplin customers use their trucks for work or off-roading. Besides aggressive tread, they also want tires that can handle severe weather like snow.

The BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 is the way to go, he says. Rated for severe weather, the stabilized tread center enhances everyday traction while its interlocking tread elements make this an off-road traction terror. The BFG KO2, as it's affectionately referred to, is your go-to all-terrain tire for true off-roading utility.

Want the same levels of off-road grit at a discount? Adam says to try the Goodyear Wrangler UltraTerrain AT. Its optimized void ratio self-cleans to reduce debris build-up in mud and sand while keeping road noise levels to a minimum. It’s rated for use in severe weather and optimized for durability, ride comfort and rugged all-terrain performance.

Gunner also likes the Cooper ATP II. It features stone ejectors to keep its tread free from damaging debris and rugged shoulder lugs for aired down grip. Meanwhile, it also offers a surprisingly quiet ride and competent wet and winter handling on pavement.

For a strictly off-road tire without the bells and whistles for road comfort, the Nitto Ridge Grappler is Zack’s pick. The culmination of 70 years of off-roading experience, the Ridge Grappler delivers extreme durability and traction in all-terrain environments. And we’d be lying if we said it didn’t look cool, too! Complete with stone ejectors and mud-clearing tread, it’s a top contender for your truck.

Brandon in St. Louis agrees that the Pathfinder is an excellent brand to choose from. Since many of his customers are on the hunt for a highway tire, he suggests the AT’s sibling, the Pathfinder HT. Not only is it budget friendly, it also provides stable highway handling and dependable all-season grip. All that and a mileage warranty for up to 60k miles? You can see why it’s the gold standard for value in Missouri.

In Kansas City, when Casey’s customers want a smooth-rolling highway tire, he directs them to the Michelin Defender LTX M/S. This customer favorite features an “Evertread” compound that brakes shorter in wet and wintry weather. It also resists treadwear for a longer service life, hence the mileage warranty for up to 70k miles! And because it's a Michelin tire, it also provides premium ride quality and increased fuel efficiency. In short, it’s one of our top sellers in Missouri, and it’s easy to see why.

Got a Ford? Zack’s truck customers love the Goodyear Fortitude HT. It’s an OEM tire on some Ford trucks with a loyal customer following. (There’s a Ford plant nearby, hence the preference.) Rugged enough for heavy loads, it delivers a smooth ride and surefooted foul weather grip.

When you want value and performance, look no further than the Corsa Highway Terrain Plus. “It’s a good tire at an economical price point,” Brandon at the St. Louis Discount Tire says. Great for personal and commercial vehicles, it offers reliable all-season traction, long-lasting durability and a 40k-mile warranty.

DO I NEED SNOW TIRES IN MISSOURI?

Wondering if you need winter tires (AKA snow tires) in Missouri? The answer is yes.

Even though MO only gets an average of 20’’ of snow in the north (half that in southern regions), it still sees freezing temps for a third of the year, according to the University of Missouri's Missouri Climate Center. That means winter tires are a must.

While folks used to (and still sometimes do) call them “snow tires” we like to refer to them as winter tires. That’s because they don’t just provide grip in snow and ice. Winter tires also brake better in temps below 45F. While your winter tires are purpose built to take on frigid climes, the same can’t be said of your all-season tires. In fact, all-season tires don’t perform as well as winter tires in sub-freezing weather.

And before you start to say, “But my truck…!” we’ll put this out there: all-terrain and mud-terrain tires perform poorly compared to winter tires. Don’t count on your off-roaders for predictable control in winter weather. For the safest winter driving experience, a dedicated set of winter tires is a must.

(Already have winter tires? We can handle your winter tire changeover for you! Schedule an appointment, kick back and let us get you taken care of!)

When Casey in Kansas City sells a set of winter tires, it’s usually from the Bridgestone Blizzak family. All of our Missouri managers agree you can’t go wrong with this comprehensive, high performing line of winter tires.

For your passenger vehicle, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 is a great choice. It features amazing traction for ice and snow with impressive stopping power and control. For your truck, Gunner points to the Bridgestone Blizzak DMV2. Also ideal for your crossover or SUV, this tire maintains confident control in ice and snow.

Zack in Blue Springs likes the Michelin X Ice Snow due to its 40k-mile warranty, which is a rarity for winter tires. Plus, it features a double weather rating (three-peak mountain snowflake and M+S), fuel efficiency and glue-like grip.

For top of the line winter tires in Missouri, Adam recommends the Nokian Hakkapeliitta line. A customer favorite? The Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10, with its high rating for the most severe weather imaginable. It also comes with run-flat technology (in some sizes) and has an optimized tread perfect for keeping its grip on ice, slush and snow. Plus, it’s studded! Remember, studded tires are legal in Missouri from Nov. 1st to April 1st.

Some customers want to cut corners (and cost) by only buying half a set, but this isn’t enough for winter control.

“Installing winter tires only on your vehicle’s front axle is NOT enough. In fact, this increases your chances of experiencing oversteer, AKA fishtailing,” Zack says. “There’s some bias when it comes to winter tires. Just because you’ve struggled through on your all-seasons yet doesn’t mean you don’t need winter tires to stay safe.”

If you’re not sure where to start, don’t sweat it. Get your footing with Treadwell, our smart tire buying guide designed to help you find the right tire for your unique driving needs.

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 their tires online and book an appointment ahead of time wait less time in-store!

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