What are the best tires for Wisconsin?

Locations in Wisconsin: 14
First Wisconsin location opening date: WIM01 | January 2, 2006
Common vehicles: Sedans, SUVs, pickup trucks and electric vehicles
Major regions/cities: Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Kenosha, Racine, Appleton, Waukesha, Eau Claire, Oshkosh, Janesville
Road conditions: Plenty of potholes, rural roads and busy metro highways, severe winter weather like snow, ice, slush and snowdrifts

Wisconsin is home to more than just dairy cows, bratwurst, beer and the Packers! With nearly six million residents and over 100 million visitors per year visiting breweries, Lake Michigan (and other fun lakes), the Wisconsin Dells, the Harley-Davidson museum, sports games and other recreational good times, there’s plenty of people and vehicles on the Badger State’s roadways.

Add to this Wisconsin’s vigorous cold and wet seasons filled with rain, ice and heavy snowfall (not to mention snowdrifts) and you’ve got a recipe for some serious driving challenges.

What’s a Wisconsinite to do when it comes to selecting the best tire for your ride? Our on-the-ground tire experts have weighed in and offered a handy guide for the best tires for Wisconsin to help you make this important purchase. Check out our picks for the best car, truck and winter tires for Wisconsin below!

(Do you have a handle on this already? Check out our entire tire inventory!)

BEST CAR TIRES FOR WISCONSIN

As a northerly-situated midwestern state, (most of) Wisconsin experiences a climate with warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. Wisconsinites typically either maintain two sets of tires (warm and cold weather types) or roll on either all-season or all-weather tires year-round. Eric Taylor’s customers at the Madison Discount Tire store run either all-season or all-weather tires, depending on their budget and driving needs.

(You can check out our picks for the best all-season tires and the best all-weather tires on our blog!)

All-season tires offer confident handling and traction in a variety of road conditions, delivering a good mix of grip, performance and treadwear. All-weather tires give drivers more robust protection in severe weather and can be used for longer in the year. You can think of all-weather tires as souped up all-seasons.

Wisconsinites favor large, familiar and reliable branded tires from well-known tire manufacturers like Michelin and Continental.

When it comes to Madison’s favorite all-season tire, it’d have to be the Michelin Defender 2. The Defender 2 is hugely popular thanks to its long list of desirable features. These include a long expected service life, wet and dry traction and handling, a quiet and comfortable drive and a huge range of available sizes. It’s designed to wear evenly and smoothly so you experience a consistent ride from the first to last mile. And to top it all off, it includes a whopping 80,000-mile treadwear warranty.

Eric’s store also sees quite a few electric vehicles like Teslas with drivers who are all looking for that EV stamp on their tires. You can check out our EV tire buying guide here!

A favorite EV tire for Wisconsin? The Continental ControlContact Tour M A/S! Not just for electric vehicles, this newer model from Continental also offers a huge warranty (70-80k miles). An enhanced layout with noise optimized pattern design gives you an amazingly quiet, comfortable ride with that touch of luxury you’ve been missing. EcoPlus Tech with Tg-F polymers improves both tire wear and your fuel efficiency. And when it comes to weather, traction grooves and +Silane additives in the tread, its terrific tread design means that dry, wet or even light snowy conditions are no problem.

Want more Continental all-season options? The Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus stacks on the weather-related features and ramps them up with a silica-enhanced rubber mixture, Traction Grooves for light snow grip and tuned performance indicators. It resists uneven treadwear and comes with a 50,000-mile treadwear warranty.

Looking for a tire with an appealing combination of performance and price? Waukesha, WI Discount Tire store manager Jon Carter says his customers like the Falken Pro G5 CSV. This entry level tire includes a 60,000-mile warranty and luxury touring design. Responsive highway handling, hydroplane resistance and great wet and dry traction make it a viable option for customers looking to avoid premium tire prices. It also comes in a wide range of sizes. Commuting customers like the way they feel on the highway, too.

Another middle of the way option? Dyson Eisner, senior assistant manager at the Bellevue, WI Discount Tire store likes the Yokohama YK-GTX. This customer favorite includes a 70k mile warranty, performance-oriented tread and boosted tread life thanks to its advanced high resin-based oil compound. Customers like the control they feel in both dry and wet conditions, smooth ride, on-the-nose braking and excellent value.

For another budget tire option, Jon in Waukesha says his customers often tend to choose the Arizonian Silver Edition All Season. Affordable performance can be yours with its Low Noise Tread Pattern, precise steering response and dependable grip in adverse weather. It’s topped off with a solid 60,000-mile warranty and includes glowing reviews from happy customers.

The growing popularity of the emerging all-weather tire category is pretty apparent in Wisconsin with over half of our customers preferring to equip their vehicles with them. All-weather tires offer boosted traction and capability in cool, wet months which allows you to keep the same set on your vehicle for longer in the year. Many Wisconsin customers opt to rely on them instead of dedicated winter tires (see why we don’t recommend this).

Jon’s Waukesha customers gravitate toward the Michelin CrossClimate2 thanks to its 60,000-mile tread warranty and seriously ramped up weather performance. Dry, wet and light snow are no problem thanks to its 3-D Sipe Lock technology and V-formation tread design. Like other all-weather tires, it’s badged with the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol to designate it for extreme weather use. Customers love its excellent all around performance in nearly every tire feature category, including traction, comfort and handling.

Eric Taylor’s Madison customers prefer the Nokian Encompass AW01. Customers like the price point and its proven superior handling in inclement weather, which is what you’d expect from Nordic winter expert Nokian Tyres. Like the Michelin CrossClimate2, it includes a 60k warranty but includes Snow Claws and 3D Centipede Sipes to help claw and channel water and light snow away from the tire’s contact patch. Silent Sidewall Tech and Aramid Strong Sidewalls provide cut and chip resistance while allowing for reduced road noise, too.

BEST TRUCK TIRES FOR WISCONSIN

The Badger State comprises almost fifty percent rural landscape and runs about the middle of the pack when it comes to pickup truck ownership. Dairies, farmland and breweries’ workhorses are common but so are the family Ford F-150 commuter trucks.

Depending on what your truck is used for, you’ll either need an all-terrain or a highway-terrain tire.

Eric Taylor’s Madison Discount Tire location doesn’t get a huge amount of trucks, but his customers with larger vehicles such as pickups and large SUVs tend to be higher-end models that require premium tires, like the Michelin LTX M/S2. His most common truck and SUV customers tend to drive Ford F-150s and the GMC Yukon which are perfectly suited to the LTX M/S2. This highly rated highway-terrain truck tire comes with a blended all-season and performance tread and robust 50-70,000-mile treadwear warranty. It features shorter stopping distances, evenly distributed acceleration, braking, and cornering forces via its MaxTouch construction. Its weather-focused design also makes it very handy when needing to handle Wisconsin’s frequent rain and light snow.

Jon Carter, manager of the Waukesha Discount Tire store, agrees that the LTX M/S2 is an excellent tire and his customers also regularly come in asking for it.

But if you’re looking for a more entry level highway-terrain truck tire, Dyson’s Bellevue customers regularly order the Pathfinder HT, especially for their work trucks. This Discount Tire exclusive option offers an ideal mixture of value and performance with a 45-60,000-mile warranty and a confident all-season tread. It’s great for vans, pickups and SUVs and features confident weather handling and traction. It’s designed to be strong and durable for towing and hauling (trailers, toy haulers, livestock–you name it) while equally excelling on the highway or city streets.

But chances are you want that aggressive look and off-road performance that’s standard to the all-terrain tire.

The most popular all-terrain tire across the state is definitely the BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2. Eric, Jon and Dyson all agree on this. Unlike many other all-terrain truck tires, the KO2 includes a 50,000-mile warranty (rare for this category) and a severe weather rating, making it perfect for Wisconsin’s notorious precipitation. BFG’s signature Serrated Shoulder Design maxes out grip in mud, snow and over rocks (especially when aired down). Its tread also resists bruising and splitting while allowing for nice on-road manners.

The KO3 was recently released, so we’ll see if it surpasses its predecessor in performance and popularity.

Some of Dyson’s customers turn to the Goodyear Wrangler UltraTerrain AT when the KO2 isn’t available, but this tire stands on its own regardless. That’s because of its excellent off-road capability and aggressive traction in mud and snow. Also three-peak mountain snowflake rated, it has an optimized void ratio tread which reduces road noise and self-cleans to keep traction constant in mud and sand. Its long-lasting tread compound resists chunking and weak points, too, so your tire is tough enough to withstand some abuse.

Jon’s Waukesha truck owners also come in asking for Nitto Grappler truck tires very frequently, and for good reason. The Grappler line of truck and SUV tires are a reliable tire family designed for extended capability and performance. Once an “up-and-coming” tire brand, Grapplers are now frequently the model of choice for off-roading and all-terrain needs. Jon likes the Nitto Ridge Grappler for Wisconsin because it gives drivers a surprising (for an all-terrain tire) mixture of on and off-road comfort and handling. Best of both worlds, the Grappler uses a reinforced foundation to stabilize treadblocks for a comfortable and responsive on-road ride while rugged, staggered shoulder lugs grip soft and challenging off-road terrain for amazing traction. Customers also love the dual sidewall design and aggressive tread look.

His Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner customers also really like the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W (the A/T4W was just released, too). This wildly popular all-terrain is a fan favorite with a combination touring, all-terrain and performance tread design backed by a 50-55k mile warranty. Its three main draws? Wear, winter and wet performance! These “3 W’s” from the Wildpeak are perfect for the Badger State. This tire includes heat diffusers in its lower sidewalls to disperse heat so that the internal construction stays at safe temperatures, maintaining its structural integrity. Step down features, support ramps and an outer apex sidewall offer bolstered strength and damage resistance, too.

If you’re looking for a more mild all-terrain tire, one that’s better suited for mid-level off-road conditions and towing, Eric recommends the Michelin LTX A/T2. This offering from Michelin features a 60k mile warranty and a great balance of all-terrain toughness and on-road comfort and capability. Road noise and vibrations are kept at a minimum due to Michelin’s Comfort Control Tech while grip is maxed out on gravel via Michelin’s MaxTouch construction. This also makes it an excellent tire for towing!

Want something that keeps budget in mind? Dyson says choose the Pathfinder AT, a Discount Tire exclusive option. Extremely well reviewed and frequently requested in-store, the Pathfinder AT gives drivers just enough all-terrain capability to handle dirt road jaunts, gravel worksites and bumpy terrain without wasting an entire enthusiast-oriented tread. The Pathfinder AT is perfect for those looking to work around their land or commute to their job site. It’s just right. The 50-55,000-mile warranty and all-season tread elements are an excellent finishing touch, too. Customers love the affordable price point.

DO I NEED SNOW TIRES IN WISCONSIN?

Discount Tire recommends drivers use winter/snow tires when temperatures are regularly below 45F, regardless if there’s snow or rain on the ground. This is why we prefer the term “winter tire” instead of “snow tire.”

Winter tires are specifically designed to start performing at 45F or lower temps. This is not true for other tire types, including all-season and all-weather tires. The rubber of a tire must remain flexible in order for its tread features to properly work. Non-winter tire types will stiffen and not function as well in colder temperatures. So, even if your tires have excellent wet condition or even light snow handling, you won’t see the same levels of competency in winter when the temps drop.

The unfortunate reality is: 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 also.

We understand many drivers try to “make do” with all-season tires in order to save money and avoid switching between sets of tires. We do not recommend this as they are not intended for true winter conditions. Even all-weather tires are not able to completely cope with severe winter weather and temps. We compare all-season, all-weather and winter tires here.

We cannot overstate the huge difference in safety and performance of a true winter tire compared to any other tire type in winter conditions. Your safety is the priority.

Also, you will actually get more mileage out of both sets of tires (winter and all-season or summer tires) by changing over during the off-seasons. This is because they will wear more slowly as they are not used year-round!

The confidence that winter tires offer can’t be overstated. Ask anyone who has ever tried winter tires and they will tell you the same thing: “I’ll never go back to all-seasons again!”

Plus, 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.

You may also consider keeping a set of dedicated winter wheels, too. These rims will be more resistant to damage and corrosion from harmful road salt and chemicals. Plus, it will make switching between your winter and non-winter set much easier…simply remove the entire wheel and tire assembly all at once instead of remounting your all-seasons on the same rim!

The Best Winter Tires for Wisconsin

When it comes to choosing the best winter tire in Wisconsin, you can’t go wrong with anything from the Bridgestone Blizzak family of winter tires. Bridgestone Blizzaks are readily available and come in a huge range of sizes to fit everything from your coupe to your Cadillac Escalade. Dependable and available in tons of studdless models, these tires utilize Multi-Cell tech to stay flexible and keep their bite in winter conditions.

“Bridgestone Blizzaks are great options because they’re reliable, they’re always in stock and everyone likes them,” Eric notes.

For your passenger car in Wisconsin, you can’t go wrong with the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90. Boosted treadwear, reduced braking distance (on ice!) and superior grip in slushy and snowy conditions are major features. And they cost about the same as your ordinary mid-level touring car tire!

What about your pickup or SUV? No worries, the Bridgestone Blizzak DMV2 has you covered. It's a great option for ice, snow and slush thanks to large treadblocks with dense siping. Reliable grip for the whole winter season is yours as the bite particles in the tread compound deliver additional stopping power and control.

Jon Carter’s Waukesha customers also like Bridgestones but a second favorite is the Michelin X-Ice Snow, a rare winter snowflake with a 40,000-mile warranty. Michelin’s proprietary Flex-Ice 2.0™ tread compound keeps the tire’s flexibility even in the most extreme cold so you experience consistent traction no matter what. Its sporty v-shaped tread design optimizes the tread pattern and puts more biting edges in contact with your driving surface. Snow, ice, cold or slush are no problem.

What about your performance vehicle? Jon’s sports car customers like Pirelli winter tires. You might like the Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 for your Audi A4, BMW X3 and Mini Cooper! Its double arrow-shaped directional tread pattern grabs onto snow and propels you forward in such a controlled manner that you may forget the season. Wide circumferential grooves quickly clear the contact patch while extra wide blocks and center tread blocks deliver optimal road contact and control.

If you’re looking for a middle-of-the-road option for a winter tire, Dyson suggests the Falken Eurowinter HS01. This newer tire is aimed at spirited winter driving for performance vehicles and features a sleek tread pattern, 3D Canyon Sipes and lateral notches for on demand traction plus stable, responsive handling and improved grip.

For your non-performance vehicle, the Falken Espia EPZ2 (there’s a light truck/SUV version too!) is up your alley. Hydroplane resistance, wide shoulder blocks and groove pockets keep your tires on the road where they belong and at a more moderate price point than premium brands. Customer’s cite how quiet, comfortable and reliable these are. And without emptying your wallet!

ARE STUDDED TIRES AND TIRE CHAINS LEGAL IN WISCONSIN?

Tire chains are legal when they do not directly touch the road’s surface in Wisconsin. This effectively makes them illegal.

Studded tires are illegal in Wisconsin except for emergency and public service vehicles.

The state of Wisconsin does not allow metal to touch driving surfaces in order to keep roads clear of debris and maintain their integrity for longer. For this reason, only a few instances call for tire chains or studded tires for public service vehicles in the Badger state.

Other Wisconsin Wheel & Tire Services

Are you still not sure what works best for your dairyland ride? Try Treadwell, our smart tire buying guide that matches you with the best tires for what, where and how you drive. Get personalized tire recommendations in a minute or less!

Jon from our Waukesha store says that Wisconsin’s bad roads play a factor in damaging customer tires and wheels. Luckily, many of our Discount Tire 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!

Wisconsin weather can be a challenge. That’s why it’s 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, and we’ll install your new wiper blades for free during your wheel or tire service!

Check out our pick of the best winter wiper blades, too!

Ready to roll with the best tires for Wisconsin?

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!

Manager Eric at our Madison Discount Tire store wants everyone to know: “Come see us, we’re ready to get everyone taken care of!”

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!

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.