Locations in Virginia: 20
First Virginia location opening date: North Chesterfield VAR01 | November 7, 2016
Common vehicles: crossovers, sedans, SUVs and pickup trucks
Major regions/cities: Northern Virginia/Washington-Metro, Hampton Roads, Richmond, Roanoke, Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Blacksburg-Christiansburg, Harrisonburg, Staunton-Waynesboro, Winchester, Alexandria
Road conditions: Good suburban road conditions with hazardous urban potholes, four seasons with wet road conditions like rain, ice and snow, mild traffic
You’d be hard pressed to find a Virginian who doesn’t love their state. And with its rich history, gorgeous beaches, bays and mountain views, Busch gardens, the nation’s capital a stone’s throw away, good food, a thriving economy, who can blame them? It’s clearly the place to be.
Old Dominion as it’s sometimes called, is also the forefront of some turbulent, bipolar weather. Call it a spring day today but tomorrow it will be a crisp fall or early winter morning. Pair this with tropical storms, hurricanes and a burgeoning population, which can lead to bloated traffic, and you’ve got some serious considerations for your next tire purchase.
If this seems like a lot to consider, don’t worry. We’ve taken the legwork out of the process for you and put together a list of the best tires for Virginia!
A quick note: if those nasty potholes have put a damper in your wheels, we sell and repair those too!
BEST CAR TIRES FOR VIRGINIA
With a climate that can’t seem to make up its mind (seriously, is it spring or winter this week?) Virgnians turn to ol’ reliable: all-season tires.
All-season tires offer a happy medium of wet and dry traction across a wide range of temperatures and suit a variety of performance needs.
According to Matt Gray, the manager at our Hull Street Discount Tire store outside Richmond, Virginia, customers turn to familiar and trusted tire brands when making their selection. The top brand? No surprise, it’s Michelin.
With their solid history of performance and safety, it’s no wonder the top recommended car tire in Virginia is the Michelin Defender 2. With a long lasting tread, dependable wet and dry grip and an enormous 80,000-mile warranty, it’s a hard tire to beat. Matt, a 20-year Discount Tire veteran, says this tire is his top recommendation 90% of the time.
Edgar Cordero, 7-year Discount Tire veteran and manager at our General Booth store in Virginia Beach, agrees. His customers also ask for Goodyear tires by name. The Goodyear Assurance A/S is an excellent car tire option that delivers reliable all-season traction, confident handling and a nice, quiet ride.
Edgar suggests customers looking for an all-weather tire with the three-peak mountain snowflake rating turn to the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady. He says that while customers might not be familiar with this tire yet, they’ll absolutely love its top notch traction, robust 60k-mile warranty, severe weather capabilities and fuel efficiency.
(Do you have a sporty sedan that demands low profile tires? Edgar says these Goodyear Assurance MaxLife tires are what you need to complete your setup!)
If you’re interested in exploring other options, Matt recommends the Continental ControlContact Tour A/S Plus. It’s the second bestseller at his store, likely due to its impressive 70 to 80-mile warranty, full-depth siping, all-season security, wear resistant tech and fuel efficient design.
John Trappe, senior manager and 8-year Discount Veteran from our Plank Road store near Fredericksburg, agrees. He says: “Customers like that they are cold-weather rated and offer dependable all-season traction.”
He also recommends the sporty Continental Extreme Contact DWS 06 because its dry, wet and snow traction are perfect for your high-powered coupe, sedan or crossover.
Working with a set budget? No problem. Plenty of Virginians have discovered the Arizonian Silver Edition All Season. THis high-value tire is well-loved thanks to its premium all-season performance and budget-friendly price tag. You’ll enjoy precise steering response, even treadwear, a quiet, comfy ride and excellent wet/dry traction.
BEST TRUCK TIRES FOR VIRGINIA
Despite the fact that, as Edgar says, most of his truck-driving customers don’t typically use their pickups for off-road play, there are still plenty of pickups trucking around Virginia And considering the pressure they’re under, it’s no surprise the most popular truck tires in Virginia are all-terrain tires.
Edgar’s customers most commonly roll out with the BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2. The go-to all-terrain tire with a 50k-mile warranty, aggressive tread that performs as well as it looks and a severe weather designation, it’s an understandably popular purchase. Matt finds that customers who want a tire with a highly aggressive tread seek out the KO2. If you want a similar look and feel but on a budget, the Pathfinder AT has all the grit without the cost.
The gold standard for the best truck tire in Virginia, though, according to Matt, is the Michelin Defender LTX M/S. Reliable, comfortable, strong and available in a wide range of CUV, SUV and pickup truck sizes, it’s perhaps the perfect pickup tire. Plus, it maintains its composure when the going gets tough.
John Trappe, from our store in Fredericksburg, says his customers need tough tires. Whether they use their pickups as the farm workhorse or they just prefer their 4x4 rigs for conquering the foul weather, John says that Virginia truck drivers seem to continuously request one thing: more aggressive tread, please!
The Nitto Ridge Grappler gives drivers just that with a hybrid on and off-road design that delivers the best of both worlds. Surprisingly well-mannered on-road yet with undeniable aggressive all-terrain prowess, its tread pattern is truly eye-catching. If you’re looking for a more no-nonsense tire with equally impressive capabilities, the Toyo Open Country A/T III is a great choice with its rugged tread, severe weather rating, softer ride and lengthy 50 to 65k-mile warranty.
DO I NEED SNOW TIRES IN VIRGINIA?
At Discount Tire, we highly recommend switching to winter tires when the weather turns consistently cold, regardless of whether or not your region experiences frequent snow or ice.
You should change to winter tires when temps regularly drop below 45F.
Many Old Dominion residents scoff at the idea of winter tires (“snow” tires they’re incorrectly called). It’s not hard to see why; Virginia averages less than half the snowfall the rest of the country sees. But winter tires aren’t just about snow.
As Matt says, “Temperature is key.” Simply put, winter tires perform better than all-season tires in the cold. While Virginia doesn’t get much snow, ice and rain are a significant problem, and sub-freezing temps are common. The fact is, you’ll get more peace of mind in these challenging conditions with a set of winter tires. Why? Because winter tires offer better performance and stopping distance in temperatures below 45.
Some of John’s customers think that they don’t need winter tires because they have four-wheel or all-wheel drive, or even mud or all-terrain tires. But it’s worth noting that all-terrain and mud tires actually do quite poorly in the snow and winter weather. These tire types use stiffer rubber compounds to resist damage off-road. While great in the gravel, these compounds make safe winter performance difficult when things get frigid.
That said: you don’t need to shoulder winter tires alone. We can help you with your winter/snow tire changeover and installation, too!
Edgar personally loves the Bridgestone Blizzak tire line. He especially recommends them for customers who travel north frequently. Matt Gray agrees, also finding that they are his most popular winter tire option, with about 80% of his winter tire sales being Blizzak tires.
The Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 is a popular option for its severe weather rating, fabulous traction on ice and snow and hardy winter tread compound.
For SUVs and light trucks, you can’t go wrong with the Bridgestone Blizzak DMV2. Customers like the confident control they get with this tire, even on slippery roads coated in water, slush and ice.
Edgar also pointed his customers to the Michelin X-ICE Snow, which boasts an unusual (for a winter tire) 40k-mile warranty, extreme weather compound and stellar traction in ice, snow and slush.
If you demand the best of the best, of course, then Edgar says you must turn to the Nokian Hakkapeliitta line of winter tires. Fun to say and fun to drive, these tires can weather the worst Mother Nature has to offer. For your passenger vehicle, the Hakkapeliitta R3 is a wonder. It offers a super-strong, puncture-resistant construction and long-lasting wear. Plus, it keeps its grip even in the most extreme weather.
For your truck, you’ll like the Hakkapeliitta LT3. It’s studdable, uses a 10-ply construction for long-lasting durability and towing, offers responsive highway handling even under heavy loads and dependable traction in unreliable conditions.
Lots in a sea of good choices? We understand. Find your footing with Treadwell, our smart tire buying guide that helps you and us find the ideal tire for your driving needs, budget and vehicle type.
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 book and buy online wait less time in-store!