# of Locations in Oklahoma: 22 stores
First Oklahoma location/opening date: Oklahoma City, October 23, 2008
Common vehicles: Pickup trucks like Ford 150, Chevy Silverado, GMC Yukon; passenger sedans like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry
Major regions/cities: Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Stillwater, Norman, Broken Arrow, Lawton
Road conditions: well kept toll roads, dirt and gravel roads; generally dry with increment wet seasons; some snow, mainly in northwestern region
As fun as it is, the musical Oklahoma! doesn’t do the unique obstacles of the Sooner State justice. There are plenty of farmers and cowboys running around, though.
Oklahoma is an ecologically diverse state with a broad spectrum of climates. It ranges with a number of transitions between its semi-arid western end (the panhandle), a humid continental north and a humid subtropical east and southwest regions. With close to five million residents (a 5.66% increase from 2010’s census) where roughly 2/3rds of the population live near Oklahoma City and Tulsa, the majority of Oklahomans live in humid, subtropical or continental weather conditions.
With an increasing population, challenging weather patterns, two major cities and a significant system of highways, it’s more important than ever for you to choose the best tires for driving in Oklahoma.
BEST CAR TIRES FOR OKLAHOMA
Continental ControlContact Tour A/S Plus
The most typical passenger cars in Oklahoma tend to be sedans and other commuter friendly vehicles. Since Oklahoma isn’t known for its public transportation (but it is known for its wide open spaces), it shouldn’t be a surprise that residents need reliable touring tires that can handle Oklahoma’s high speed roadways and occasional myriad dirt roads.
Oklahomans know how to do that: with the Continental Control Contact Tour A/S Plus. This all-star all-season performance tire has no problem going to bat thanks to Continental’s proprietary wear-resistant tech that also helps you save gas, great for commuters.
This all-season beauty also features a comfort band, which absorbs bumps and shocks while you joyride over to grandma’s on her dirt road driveway. This tire is a jack of all trades, you can drive with confidence over all types of road surfaces including city streets, parking lots, residential driveways and highways with its enhanced traction via a unique tread compound.
Michelin Defender 2
Oklahomans who live in areas that get more rain and a bit more snow prefer the Michelin Defender 2, a veritable all-season powerhouse from Michelin. It's good to have a tire that can handle the sudden downpour regardless of the season. Not only does it boast an industry leading tread mile warranty (80,000 miles!), it offers class-leading ride comfort, high performance traction in wintry weather and long expected tire life to keep you on the road safely—for longer.
Falken Pro G5 A/S
For those looking to maximize performance and value, the Falken Pro G5 A/S is the most popular choice. This budget friendly all-season offering from Falken delivers excellent wet and dry performance for both winter and summer driving, utilizing a strong system of interlocking sipes to give responsive handling in wet conditions.
BEST TRUCK TIRES FOR OKLAHOMA
Michelin Defender LTX M/S
But of course, passenger and commuter vehicles don’t make up the entire driving population of the Sooner State. The ever popular pickup truck is another common site to see out there between the rolling hills. From work trucks, farm equipment, family vehicles and toy haulers, there’s no shortage of pickups of any make or model in Oklahoma.
When asked which tires are the best options for Oklahoma, Matt Hummel, store manager at the Norman Discount Tire store, immediately had two specific truck tires in mind.
First up was the Michelin Defender LTX M/S, an all-season touring tire. An extremely popular option from Michelin, the Defender is practically standard equipment on pickups and SUVs. Ideal for highways and surface streets, the Defender offers an attractive balance between reliability, durability, wet and winter performance and comfort.
Its M+S rating gives drivers confidence in mud and snow and reduces winter and wet weather stopping distances compared to other tires in the same class. Fuel efficient and quiet, the Defender makes driving those long highway miles a pleasure. The robust 50-70,000-mile (dependent upon speed rating) manufacturer warranty is nothing to sneeze at either.
Goodyear Wrangler UltraTerrain A/T
On the other hand, if your pickup tends to tread on roads less travelled like dirt or gravel, then the Goodyear Wrangler Ultraterrain A/T is the better option for you. A true all-terrain tire, the Wrangler Ultraterrain A/T is engineered for aggressive traction in mud and snow while still providing on-the-road stability with its optimized contact patch.
It’s also puncture resistant, so you can confidently face harsh off-road conditions. Especially good to know is that it features the 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake rating, making it an excellent option for those wintry days in the panhandle.
Nitto Ridge Grappler
For enthusiasts, Austin Cooke, store manager and 8 year Discount Tire veteran from the Garnett Road Discount Tire in Tulsa, finds a big favorite is the Nitto Ridge Grappler. Off-roaders enjoy this Nitto’s aggressive look and feel but quiet performance on the highway. It also offers excellent handling in all weather situations, making it ideal for Oklahoma.
BEST SNOW TIRES FOR OKLAHOMA
Have you heard of Tornado Alley? Oklahoma is right in the thick of it. Its humid, hot weather in the east is perfect for those twisters. Its dry, higher elevation panhandle brings chillier temperatures with some chance of snow (less than half a foot, usually). But where most Oklahomans call home, there isn’t quite so much snow or even much rain for that matter. Roads tend to be clear except during Oklahoma’s two short wet seasons (late spring and fall).
This is probably why, according to store manager Matt Hummel at our popular Norman Discount Tire store, most people just equip their vehicles with all-season tires. Winter and snow tires aren’t really a need unless you live in the northwestern region of the state in the panhandle where it averages 20-30 inches of snow per year. However, that snow isn’t a reliable factor each year either, with a significant snowfall occurring in 1-2 year intervals.
For most Oklahoma drivers, we recommend choosing all-season tires that offer as high a level of winter traction possible, so the previously mentioned tires (in both car and truck categories) should all be appropriate. Discount Tire recommends snow tires if temperatures regularly drop below 45 degrees.
However, if you really want to make sure you’re choosing the right tire for you or are having trouble deciding, let Treadwell help you. Treadwell is our intuitive tire buying guide that takes your commute, drive style, vehicle and climate into consideration when tire shopping.
And if you have questions or want to upgrade your wheels or tires, give us a call or make an appointment! We’ll get you taken care of.
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