What are the Best Tires for Southern California?

Locations in Southern CA: 92
First Southern CA location opening date: CAL01 | March 28, 1988
Common vehicles: electric vehicles, hybrids, commuter-type vehicles, large SUVs and crossovers, imported brands
Major regions/cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, Riverside, Santa Clarita, San Bernardino, Oxnard, Torrance, Ventura, Indio
Road conditions: Traffic/congestion for days, potholes, unpredictable rain and drivers, frost in higher elevations

With its ideal Mediterranean-like climate, bustling and iconic movie industry, gorgeous natural wonders and coastline, is it really any wonder Southern California is one of the most populous regions in America? As of 2020, Southern Californians have had to put up with more than 23.5 million residents and staggering numbers of tourists on the roadways on a yearly basis. Downtown LA alone sees over 22 million guests annually.

And although the weather may be mostly ideal driving conditions (barring natural disasters like fires and mudslides), that doesn’t mean choosing the right tire for you and your vehicle is any less important. The right tire for Southern California can make all the difference in safety, efficiency and performance.

So what’s the best tire for Southern California? We’ve asked the on-the-ground experts at our SoCal Discount Tire stores for their recommendations. Check them out!

Are you from NorCal? Check out the best tires for Northern California!

If you want to start your tire search yourself, check out our huge catalog of the best priced tires anywhere!

Got an electric vehicle? We cover EV tires for California here.

BEST CAR TIRES FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Marvin Martinez, manager of the Convoy America's Tire store in San Diego, CA finds that his customers prefer all-season tires. Southern California weather conditions are typically pretty mild, he notes, and his customers want a reliable tire that can handle a variety of weather without switching between sets.

We compare all-season and summer tires here but to summarize: all-season tires are engineered to provide good performance across the mildest of any road condition, from dry, wet and very light winter conditions. That makes it an appealing jack-of-all-trades option. Summer tires typically have excellent wet and dry traction but do not last as long as all-seasons.

Guillermo Campos, manager of the Huntington Beach America’s Tire store, says that SoCal customers focus on longevity (probably because everyone drives everywhere) and all-season tires are great for that compared to summer tires: “New all-season tire models handle almost as well as a dedicated summer tire in dry and wet conditions,” he explains. This eliminates the major reason customers may prefer a summer tire.

Marvin’s customers by and large prefer the Michelin Defender 2. This touring and performance all-season tire comes with a huge 80,000-mile warranty and glowing reviews. It’s available in a large range of sizes to fit everything from your Pontiac Vibe to your Toyota Sienna. You’ll also like its stellar all-season grip and excellent stopping distances. Ultra-long life tread compounds means your tire will last, too.

The Defender 2 is also a great tire for your EV, such as your Tesla (which are plentiful on SoCal’s freeways).

Jesse Morris, senior assistant manager at the Santa Clarita America’s Tire store, recommends the Yokohama YK-GTX as another option. It is nearly identical to the Michelin Defender 2 in performance and reliability but with some cost savings. It also offers a 70,000-mile warranty. Its advanced high resin-based oil compound gives you boosted tread life while the high silica compound with wide spaced grooves gives you traction in wet and dry conditions (so you’re ready for anything).

His customers also like the Continental Pure Contact LS for its fuel-saving comfort and reliable all-season grip. Bolstered by Continental’s ComfortRide Technology that utilizes a new tread compound, road noise drops by 50% compared to previous models. Confidently manage unexpected weather with enhanced traction grooves for dependable handling. Pleased customers note the great wear and easy wet condition handling, too. It’s topped with a 70k mile warranty.

Customers on extreme budgets tend to migrate over to Mohave, Phantom and Sentury branded tires to equip their vehicles. But Guillermo cautions: “While they are perfectly safe tires, their good ratings reflect new tire performance. Budget tires quickly lose their comfort and traction. After about 10,000 miles, you’ll start to notice obvious signs of wear so I recommend looking for a longer commitment tire.”

Customers at the Convoy San Diego America’s Tire store turn to the Arizonian Silver Edition All Season tire when they want to max out their budget without compromising safety or tread life. This exclusive tire offers high-end features at a modest price point with a long-lived tread, quiet ride and dependable performance in weather adverse driving conditions. Customers rate the Silver Edition All Season high in all categories, especially loving the affordable price point.

BEST TRUCK TIRES FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Despite being a largely commuter-based region, plenty of Southern Californians drive pickup trucks and larger SUVs like the Rivian R1S, Jeep Wrangler and Chevy Silverado. Minivans like the Honda Odyssey are also a common sight.

Most of Marvin’s San Diego truck customers are on the fleet side of things but those with a personal pickup gravitate toward all-terrain truck tires with an aggressive look and high degree of traction.

For a premium level of both, he recommends the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 (the KO3 was also recently released). “It handles great and the longevity is definitely appealing,” Marvin says. Consistently on the top of every all-terrain tire list, the KO2 backs up its popularity with well-earned performance based on Baja-style features. Tough, extremely capable and able to handle a variety of both terrain and weather (three-peak mountain snowflake rated), it’s frequently the de facto off-road tire for both workhorses and enthusiasts alike. BFG’s Serrated Signature Shoulder design maxes out grip in snow, mud and over rocks (especially when aired down). The 50,000-mile warranty is also unusual (for an all-terrain tire) but exceedingly welcome!

Guillermo agrees that the KO2 is an excellent tire and the most popular truck tire for his Huntington Beach truck customers. “Its looks grab everybody, and they’re readily available and in stock.”

He says if you want a super-mean and aggressive looking tread (but one that doesn’t drive like it), his truck customers are falling over themselves with the Toyo Open Country A/T III or the Toyo Open Country R/T. The A/T III offers exceptional value with a rugged off-road performance that can’t be denied. Its combo of staggered shoulder lugs, brand new tread compound and sidewall design make it a go-to option for all-terrain needs. Lean, rugged and excellent in inclement weather like rain and snow, the generous 50-65k mile warranty is the cherry on top.

The Open Country R/T is from a new, emerging tire category called rugged-terrain tires, which offer a hybrid experience between tough mud terrain and capable all-terrain tires. The Open Country R/T seamlessly blends the great strength of a mud tire with the better on-road manners of an all-terrain. Long-lasting durability, dual sidewall designs and impeccable traction are just some of its excellent qualities. It comes with a 45,000-mile warranty.

You may also like the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W. Its three main priorities are wear, wet and winter performance, so it’s become a great favorite with any pickup owner looking to handle inclement weather. Heading up to the mountains? No problem. It also includes a 50-55k mile warranty and utilizes a heat diffuser in its lower sidewall to maintain structural integrity for a longer wearing tire. Its aggressive sidewall design, step down features and support ramps are frequent call-outs from happy customers. Even better, the A/T4W was recently released to much fanfare and is spanning out to be just as popular (if not more) than its predecessor. At Jesse’s Santa Clarita store, customers no longer even ask for the A/T3W and instead prefer the newest iteration.

Jesse’s Santa Clarita truck owners (who tend to be younger), also like the Nitto Ridge Grappler. Its heavy duty mud terrain inspired tread pattern offers mild on-road manners. Zigzag lateral grooves deliver on-demand grip in both soft terrain (like mud and soil) and pavement. Reinforced block foundations yield a comfortable, responsive on-road drive too so you’re not shaken to pieces between trailhead and home. It’s featured on our Best All-Terrain Tires of 2024, too.

Looking for a value truck tire for SoCal? Marvin’s customers turn to the Pathfinder AT, an America’s Tire exclusive option with all the packed features of an all-terrain without the premium price tag. It includes a 50-55k mile warranty, stable and responsive handling and steering, plus a smooth, comfortable ride. Zigzag circumferential grooves deliver all-season traction and competent off-road performance. This isn’t the tire to take your truck to Moab but it’s perfect for around home off-the-beaten-path roadways of gravel, dirt and mud. Need to head to the worksite? This tire has you covered. Need to traverse trailheads and outdoor recreation? You got it.

DO I NEED SNOW TIRES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA?

You may need winter tires in Southern California depending on where you plan on driving.

If you live in the mountains or frequently head up to higher elevations, winter tires are probably a good idea and investment in your safety. Southern Californians do not typically have much need for winter tires unless they’re traveling north or participating in enthusiast sports like off-roading and overlanding.

Winter tires (sometimes called snow tires) start performing in 45F or lower temperatures and provide traction in wet, slippery conditions like rain, snow and ice. However, their main feature is that they stay pliable and functional in low temps unlike other tire types. This is why we prefer “winter tire” over “snow tire” because snow is not a requirement.

Regular tire rubber stiffens and sees a reduction in tread element functions. So, even if your tire is rated very well for wet or light snow conditions, they may not do so well because of the temperature.

Unfortunately, all-season tires do not perform as well as winter tires, and they cannot brake as well as dedicated winter tires, either.

For SUV, truck and 4x4 drivers, it’s important to note that all-terrain and mud terrain tires aren’t as good in winter as dedicated winter tires. We compare all-season, all-weather and winter tires here.

We frequently hear customers say they’ll never go back to all-season tires in winter time again; the confidence and security they feel driving on a dedicated set of winter tires can’t be overstated.

Discount Tire makes your winter tire changeover easy. Some stores also offer tire storage options as well (please call to verify if your store participates) but proper tire storage is easily achieved at home, too.

The Best Winter Tires for California

If you do happen to need a set of winter tires (heading up to Mammoth Lake or Big Bear?), you can’t go wrong with a set of Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires. Highly dependable, wet and slick traction on demand and easily found due to their huge catalog of sizing, they’re the go-to winter tire across the nation.

For your sedan, crossover or even minivan, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 is our recommendation. It features reduced braking distance on ice with incredible grip in wet, snowy and slushy conditions.

For your SUV or pickup truck, we recommend the Bridgestone Blizzak DMV2 for a winter tire. Long-lived winter traction is yours with large treadblocks and siping boosted with bite particles in the tread compound for additional control and braking.

ARE STUDDED TIRES AND TIRE CHAINS LEGAL IN CALIFORNIA?

Yes, tire chains and studded tires are legal in California. Tire chains may be required in some places. Studded tires are legal from November 1 to April 30 but cannot be used in lieu of tire chains when required.

Tire chain, studded tires and winter tire requirements for specific roads will be posted both on physical signs and online.

The state of California has many difficult or dangerous roadways leading up in elevation, such as to Big Bear, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe or other outdoor recreational areas. Many of these are chain control areas which require tire chains to pass, such as Interstate 5 north of Redding and Interstate 80 between Reno and Sacramento (Donner Pass).

Depending on the severity of the weather or difficulty of the road, some vehicles with 4WD that are equipped with winter tires may be exempt. Consult relevant signage and the Caltrans website for more specific information.

Other Southern California Wheel & Tire Services

You really don’t want to be stranded on the 405 with a debris damaged tire, right? “Tire blowouts happen quite often,” advises Jesse Morris in Santa Clarita. We understand that life happens sometimes and that’s why we offer our Certificates. These are our one-of-a-kind tire repair guarantees, where if your tire is damaged beyond safe repair (from a manufacturer’s defect or road hazard), then we’ll replace it free of charge.

Marvin, manager of the Convoy San Diego store also advises drivers to be cautious of SoCal’s numerous potholes: “They’re just atrocious. Potholes get eaten up by rain and are field patched so they open up again pretty quickly. They damage tires and wheels.”

Luckily, our stores offer wheel repair services. Plus, we have the largest aftermarket wheel inventory at the lowest prices. If your ride is ready for a style upgrade or needs a wheel fix, we can help you out with new rims!

Still not sure what tire works best for you? Use Treadwell, our smart tire buying guide that matches you with the best tires for your vehicle in less than a minute. It takes into account what, where and how you drive so you’re sure that you’re choosing the best tire possible.

Don’t forget 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, and we’ll install your new wiper blades for free during your wheel or tire service!

Heading up to the mountains? Check out our pick of the best winter wiper blades!

Ready to roll with the best tires for Southern California?

We don’t just sell tires and wheels, we also take care of them too. Let us help you keep you and your vehicle as safe as possible with our suite of tire services, including flat repair, rotation and balancing, tire air pressure checks and more!

Jesse in Santa Clarita advises drivers to check their air pressure frequently. “No one here wants to check their air!” Correct air pressure is an important factor in the safety of your vehicle and your passengers. Tire air pressure also affects fuel efficiency and treadwear. Air pressure is also affected by temperature.

We are eager to answer your questions or address concerns. Just give us a ring, drop by or make an appointment online. Customers who buy their products online and book an appointment ahead of time wait less time in-store!

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