These replaced my previous LT2s which still look quite good for the age. Previous tires took me across Norwegian mountains in the worst winter weather, the new LT3s are even better. This truck has a plow as well and I use it to clear my road (I live on the top of a hill) for the other cars, so it just has to work. We have a lot of ice around here, so running these with studs is almost a requirement.
235/85 R16 Tyres
Everything we know about the 235/85 R16 tyre size: 34 owner reviews covering 610,070 miles of driving, and EU label data for the tyres you can actually buy in it.
- 34owner reviews
- 610,070 milescovered on them
- 114tyres made in this size
The quick answer
| Season | Owners' pick | Owner rating | Latest test winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Season | Continental Cross Contact AT 6.5 Current version: Continental CrossContact AT2 | 90% from 5 reviews | - |
Owner picks are the highest weighted owner score in 235/85 R16; test winners come from the most recent independent test conducted in this size. The full evidence is below.
The best rated 235/85 R16 tyres
Rated only by drivers running this size. Each tyre needs at least 3 reviews in 235/85 R16 to be ranked; the order weights a tyre's score by how many reviews back it, so one glowing review cannot top a table.
All Season tyres
The highest rated All Season tyre in 235/85 R16 is the Continental Cross Contact AT - 90% from 5 owner reviews in this size. The current tyre in that line is now the Continental CrossContact AT2.
| # | Tyre | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed | TR Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Continental Cross Contact AT
Replaced by Continental CrossContact AT2
|
90% | 5 | 184,778 miles | 6.5 |
| 2 |
Triangle AgileX AT TR292
|
77% | 3 | 17,000 miles | - |
| 3 |
BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2
Replaced by BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO3
|
73% | 3 | 12,000 miles | 6.2 |
Want test data as well as owner opinion? Best All Season Tyres → Test winner: Goodyear Vector All Season 4
TR Score is the tyre's overall Tyre Reviews rating out of 10, built from independent test results and every owner review of that tyre - not just the reviews from this car. The owner rating column is this car only.
235/85 R16 EU tyre label data
EU label values are declared for each individual size, so the figures here are exact for 235/85 R16 rather than a range across a model. 43 tyres carry label data in this size. The most common load index is 120 (up to 1,400 kg per tyre). Speed ratings on offer: T (190 km/h), S (180 km/h), R (170 km/h), Q (160 km/h). 24 tyres in this size carry the 3PMSF severe snow marking.
A Best wet grip
3 tyres in this size hold the top EU wet grip rating, class A. The highest scoring on Tyre Reviews:
- Accelera Omikron AT All Season
- Accelera Omikron HT Summer
- General Grabber AT3 Plus All Season
71dB Quietest tyres
The quietest 235/85 R16 tyres are labelled at 71 dB external noise:
- Westlake SL369 All Season 8.5
- Michelin Latitude Cross All Season 8.4
- Toyo Open Country AT plus All Season 7.8
- General Grabber HTS60 All Season 7.8
- Maxtrek TREK M7 Winter 6.6
- Hifly VIGOROUS AT601 All Season 5.7
Label values come from the EU EPREL database and apply to the EU market versions of each tyre. Wet grip and rolling resistance run from class A (best) to E; noise is the measured drive-by figure. A good label is a floor, not a verdict - the tests and owner ratings above tell you far more.
What does 235/85 R16 mean?
A 235/85 R16 tyre is 235 mm wide, its sidewall is 85% of that width (200 mm) tall, and it fits a 16 inch wheel. That gives an overall diameter of roughly 806 mm.
| Section width | 235 mm |
|---|---|
| Sidewall height | 200 mm |
| Rim diameter | 16" (406 mm) |
| Overall diameter | ≈ 806 mm |
| Circumference | ≈ 2,532 mm |
| Revolutions per km | ≈ 395 |
| Revolutions per mile | ≈ 636 |
Also written as
235/85R16 235/85 ZR16 235-85-16 235 85 16
Figures are calculated from the nominal size. A loaded, rolling tyre runs a few percent smaller, and true widths vary slightly between makes.
What cars use 235/85 R16 tyres?
The cars most often running this size in our owner reviews. Each links to the best rated tyres for that exact car.
Land Rover Defender
23 reviews in this size
Mercedes Benz SsangYong Actyon 2.0xdi 4x4
2 reviews in this size
Suzuki Samurai
1 reviews in this size
Toyota Landcruiser
1 reviews in this size
Mercedes Benz W460 230GE G Wagon
1 reviews in this size
Land Rover Discovery Series 2 TD5
1 reviews in this size
Land Rover Discovery 1 1996
1 reviews in this size
Ford Ranger
1 reviews in this size
Toyota Land Cruiser Utility SWB
1 reviews in this size
Every tyre reviewed in 235/85 R16
The complete record, including discontinued tyres and tyres with too few reviews to rank, ordered by the amount of evidence. A further 14 tyres have a single review each; they count toward the totals but are not listed.
| Tyre | Season | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental Cross Contact AT Replaced by Continental CrossContact AT2 | All Season | 90% | 5 | 184,778 miles |
| Goodyear Wrangler MT R Discontinued | All Season | 79% | 3 | 75,012 miles |
| Triangle AgileX AT TR292 | All Season | 77% | 3 | 17,000 miles |
| BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO2 Replaced by BFGoodrich All Terrain TA KO3 | All Season | 73% | 3 | 12,000 miles |
| Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT3 | Winter | 86% | 2 | 22,000 miles |
| General Grabber UHP | Summer | 77% | 2 | 45,000 miles |
| Michelin Latitude Cross | All Season | 76% | 2 | 4,050 miles |
Reviews only cover part of the market: 114 tyres are made in 235/85 R16. Browse every 235/85 R16 tyre →
What drivers say about their 235/85 R16 tyres
The most recent owner reviews fitted in this size, in their own words.
Not driven in snow or ice so cannot comment. I am on my second set both have done more than 20k miles. for a mud terrain they have good road manners and howl before sliding in dry but are prone to suddenly sliding on wet tarmac (like all MT tyres). I do 50% road 30% gravel 10% rock and 10% mud. Generally these are very good MT tyres but have stopped representing value at the available price point available in the UK. I have been offered some BFG MT for less per tyre. I replaced with Maxxis Bighorn 764`s which are louder, The performance between the Maxxis and Cooper are similar overall. (but only done a few hundred miles to compare so far.) Note both sets cracked (to the point of UK MOT failure) in the sidewalls before wearing out. Both sets at around 5 years old.
Amazing as expected, though costly but I have used them on the trails on my land cruiser and interesting how they can carry heavy loads, I don’t regret buying and would recommend in Kenyan Safari always go for the BFGoodrich on your terrain trails.
It's roughly a 60/40 tire; it's not a true MT, it's a bit softer. Mounted on a G-Class W460, it's ideal because the car can handle even slicks, but I've driven to Morocco from the EU and used them on the Draa Valley and the Atlas Mountains, as well as some terrible roads and highways, without a single puncture. In my opinion, for the price, they could be considered premium.
Went with the Nokian LT3 as it's one of the few tires I could get in an 85 aspect ratio. As an unabashed sidewall (and pizza cutter) fan, I'll optimize for that over quite a few other things.
Starting grip (accelerating from a full stop) is ok in 2WD, but I think this is largely because these are load E LT tires. It's worse than the blizzaks I had prior, but those were much lower load tires. Never had an issue with 4X4 engaged.
Lateral grip is excellent. There's occasionally a little initial softness going into a corner with ice or compacted snow, but this is pretty rare, and the tires are very good at letting you know how much grip you have left. Even with a bed rack and rooftop tent, it usually takes some effort to make the backend swing out (again speaking to the good lateral grip.) Even if the backend does swing out, it's a very forgiving tire to recover.
Rock solid in slushy conditions, I change these out for 235/85R16 Falken AT4Ws in the spring so I can't speak as much to the purely wet or dry performance (but I've never had an issue either.)
Been incredibly happy with them, and the only annoyance is that starting grip from a full stop, but I have chains if it ever bothers me too much.
Starting grip (accelerating from a full stop) is ok in 2WD, but I think this is largely because these are load E LT tires. It's worse than the blizzaks I had prior, but those were much lower load tires. Never had an issue with 4X4 engaged.
Lateral grip is excellent. There's occasionally a little initial softness going into a corner with ice or compacted snow, but this is pretty rare, and the tires are very good at letting you know how much grip you have left. Even with a bed rack and rooftop tent, it usually takes some effort to make the backend swing out (again speaking to the good lateral grip.) Even if the backend does swing out, it's a very forgiving tire to recover.
Rock solid in slushy conditions, I change these out for 235/85R16 Falken AT4Ws in the spring so I can't speak as much to the purely wet or dry performance (but I've never had an issue either.)
Been incredibly happy with them, and the only annoyance is that starting grip from a full stop, but I have chains if it ever bothers me too much.
Me again, at 10000 mixed town/offroad miles. Tires have barely felt them, wear is minimal. Tried them on snow - pretty decent for fluffy snow (for an M+S tire), worse on packed snow, but still doing somewhat decently. Definitely not an extreme winter tire. They are also HORRIBLE in the mud. These are NOT mud tires.
For casual off-roading in the summer, or less muddy trails in the spring and winter - very, very good tire, will definitely be recommending them. Very robust also for dense forests and rocky trails, mine have no damage whatsoever after some rough trails.
For muddy trails or cold, snowy climates - not your best choice. They do the job in the snow, but definitely not made for it. In the mud, you're asking to get stuck.
Amazing low wear, I expect them to dry-rot long before they wear out. Then again, my vehicle is only 2 tons.
For casual off-roading in the summer, or less muddy trails in the spring and winter - very, very good tire, will definitely be recommending them. Very robust also for dense forests and rocky trails, mine have no damage whatsoever after some rough trails.
For muddy trails or cold, snowy climates - not your best choice. They do the job in the snow, but definitely not made for it. In the mud, you're asking to get stuck.
Amazing low wear, I expect them to dry-rot long before they wear out. Then again, my vehicle is only 2 tons.
235/85 R16, on stock steel rims, 4000 km so far with no problems
Bought them second hand for my SsangYong Actyon. Surprisingly trustworthy tyres, I keep expecting them to break grip at some point, but they hold on. Good tread life in summer pavement driving, solid off-road, haven't had them hydroplane in rain yet. Haven't driven them in snow yet. Just ordered 2 more new, surprisingly cheap.
Drive on 235/85 R16 tyres?
Review your tyres and help the next driver choose. It takes about five minutes, and every review on this page came from a driver who took them.
Where this data comes from
Owner ratings are submitted through the review form on this site, naming the tyre, the size and the distance covered, and are checked by hand before publication. Test results come from independent published tyre tests indexed by size, and label values from the EU EPREL database.
About the TR Score
The Tyre Reviews Score rates each tyre out of 10 using independent test results and the full body of owner reviews, so you can check a car-specific ranking against the wider evidence.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tyre Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tyres independently since 2007.