On my Subaru Outback these studded tires are like being on magnetic rails in the winter in snow and ice. Drove across a bridge last winter in the total dark at 4am - I had no idea it was totally iced up - bunch of pickups and cars wrecked behind me. Climbed a mountain pass with a Ford F 150 in 4x4 mode spun out couldn't climb I just went around him no problem - he may have had all season tires on, IDK. Only cost me an extra $1 to get them studded.
SUV and 4x4 Winter Touring Tyres
All SUV and 4x4 Winter Touring Tyres on Tyre Reviews, ranked. The 60 tyres in this category are scored using 100 owner reviews covering 101,288,327 miles of driving.
- 60tyres in this category
- 100owner reviews
- 101,288,327 milescovered on them
The quick answer
| Pick | Tyre | The evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Fulda Kristall Control SUV 8.5 | TR Score 8.5 / 10 limited data so far |
| Owners' favourite | Toyo Open Country WT 7.7 | 91% from 5 owner reviews |
| Best budget brand | Achilles Winter 101 X 8 | TR Score 8 / 10 best of the Economy brands |
Best overall is the highest TR Score in the category; the owners' favourite is the highest rated by the drivers who run them. The full rankings and the evidence behind every pick are below.
The best SUV and 4x4 Winter Touring Tyres, ranked
The highest scoring tyre in the category is the Fulda Kristall Control SUV, with a TR Score of 8.5 out of 10. 21 of the 60 tyres here have earned a score; the rest are listed further down.
Central European winter tyres
| # | Tyre | TR Score | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Fulda Kristall Control SUV
|
8.5 | - | - | - |
| 2 |
Achilles Winter 101 X
|
8 | 89% | 3 | 10,500 miles |
| 3 |
Toyo Open Country WT
|
7.7 | 91% | 5 | 65,000 miles |
| 4 |
Gripmax Status Pro Winter
|
7.6 | 88% | 5 | 38,000 miles |
| 5 |
Ceat WinterDrive SUV
|
7.6 | - | - | - |
| 6 |
Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow
|
7.2 | 82% | 14 | 338,000 miles |
| 7 |
Toyo Snowprox S954 SUV
|
7.2 | - | - | - |
| 8 |
Matador MP 92 Sibir Snow
|
6.8 | 85% | 7 | 90,300 miles |
| 9 |
Cooper Discoverer MS
|
6.3 | 85% | 9 | 136,020 miles |
| 10 |
Lassa Competus Winter 2
|
6.3 | 82% | 7 | 30,000 miles |
| 11 |
Kumho WinterCraft WS71
|
6.1 | 74% | 3 | 53,000 miles |
| 12 |
Superia Bluewin SUV 2
|
5.7 | - | - | - |
| 13 |
Petlas Explero W671
|
4.8 | 76% | 6 | 66,555 miles |
| 14 |
Tomket Snowroad SUV 3
|
4.7 | - | - | - |
| 15 | Kormoran Kormoran SUV Snow | 4.4 | - | - | - |
| 16 | Riken Riken SUV Snow | 4 | - | - | - |
| 17 |
Tristar Snowpower UHP
|
2.9 | - | - | - |
Nordic friction winter tyres
| # | Tyre | TR Score | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nordman North RS3 SUV | 8 | - | - | - |
| 2 |
Maxxis Premitra Ice Nord 5 SUV
|
5.4 | - | - | - |
Studded winter tyres
| # | Tyre | TR Score | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Nordman North 9 SUV
|
7.2 | 83% | 2 | 17,000 miles |
| 2 |
Nankang Ice Activa Grip 2 SUV
|
5.4 | - | - | - |
Winter tyres split into three different products: Central European tyres for wet, cold roads with occasional snow, Nordic friction tyres for persistent snow and ice, and studded tyres for hard ice. They are ranked separately because they are not interchangeable.
TR Score rates each tyre out of 10 using independent test results and the full body of owner reviews, weighted by how much evidence backs them. Tyres are only scored once enough data exists; discontinued tyres are not ranked but remain in the complete record below.
Want to see the data behind the top picks? Best Winter Tyres → Test winner: Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
The best SUV and 4x4 Winter Touring Tyres for each condition
The overall ranking hides trade-offs: a tyre can lead in the dry and trail in comfort. These are the category leaders in each condition, from the per-condition TR scores.
Best in snow
Rated across 17 tyres in this category:
Best in the wet
Rated across 17 tyres in this category:
Best in the dry
Rated across 16 tyres in this category:
Most comfortable
Rated across 15 tyres in this category:
Best value
Rated across 16 tyres in this category:
Condition scores run 0-100 within each condition, built from the same test results and owner reviews as the overall TR Score.
What is a Touring tyre?
Touring tyres are everyday tyres that put value, comfort and wear first. They give up some of the wet and dry performance of the premium options in exchange for a lower price.
Winter tyres use soft, high-silica compounds and heavy siping that keep working below roughly 7C, on snow and on ice. The category spans three different products - Central European, Nordic friction and studded tyres - built for different winters.
The SUV and 4x4 Winter Touring Tyres owners rate highest
Rated purely by the people who drive on them, the top tyre in the category is the Toyo Open Country WT - 91% from 5 owner reviews. 14 tyres have enough reviews to qualify; this is the same ranking behind the category position shown on each tyre's own page.
| # | Tyre | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed | TR Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Toyo Open Country WT
|
91% | 5 | 65,000 miles | 7.7 |
| 2 |
Achilles Winter 101 X
|
89% | 3 | 10,500 miles | 8 |
| 3 |
Gripmax Status Pro Winter
|
88% | 5 | 38,000 miles | 7.6 |
| 4 |
Cooper Discoverer MS
|
85% | 9 | 136,020 miles | 6.3 |
| 5 |
Matador MP 92 Sibir Snow
|
85% | 7 | 90,300 miles | 6.8 |
| 6 |
Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow
|
82% | 14 | 338,000 miles | 7.2 |
| 7 |
Lassa Competus Winter 2
|
82% | 7 | 30,000 miles | 6.3 |
| 8 |
General GRABBER SNOW
|
79% | 3 | 34,000 miles | - |
| 9 |
Maxxis MA SW Victra Snow SUV
|
77% | 4 | 97,000 miles | - |
| 10 |
Petlas Explero W671
|
76% | 6 | 66,555 miles | 4.8 |
| 11 |
Continental ContiCrossContact Winter
|
76% | 4 | 120,852 miles | - |
| 12 |
Kumho WinterCraft WS71
|
74% | 3 | 53,000 miles | 6.1 |
| 13 |
Nexen WinGuard SUV
|
70% | 4 | 8,500 miles | - |
| 14 |
Gripmax Stature MS
|
47% | 3 | 17,000 miles | - |
A tyre needs at least 3 owner reviews to appear here. Owner ratings reward different things to tests - comfort, wear and value show up over thousands of miles, not on a test track.
What drivers say about SUV and 4x4 Winter Touring Tyres
The most recent owner reviews from this category, in their own words.
Happy to buy these again. They had a tough 20,000 miles. Lasted well, performed well, no problems at all.
Every next season there was nociteble diffrence in grip especially on snow and ice. 1st season very good, 2nd season avarage good, 3rd season in winter condition they were for trash after 45000km. So i recommend to change before that mark.
Good price/performance ratio. Will buy again because there is not any alternative in that price range for 235/55/18 and snow performance.
Good price/performance ratio. Will buy again because there is not any alternative in that price range for 235/55/18 and snow performance.
I've been using the Competus Winter 2+ model for two weeks now in snow, slush, ice, and rain. It doesn't give me any feeling of insecurity; it has similar road grip and braking distance to premium brands. I haven't seen many complaints about its durability. I plan to use it for many years.
The tires are on a 2020 Ford Explorer 4/WD 3.0L Twin Turbo. Just put them on in mid-October 2025 (purchased the vehicle earlier in the year, so these are the first winter tires on it). Living in the Northwest part of Montana, we get challenging winter weather and these tires have been a pleasure to have on the vehicle. By our standards, it has been a mild winter so far (only 22 inches of snow and unseasonably warm temperatures, day and night). However, we have had considerable rain and these tires have performed admirably, getting excellent traction and braking with no hydroplaning whatsoever. Our road is one lane with large pot holes, making getting off of the road to allow another car to go by a possibly scary situation. Again, no issues with traction or braking. Not much else to say, as I mentioned I would buy them again. Come spring, I'll be putting the Nokian Outpost nATs on the vehicle until October 2026 rolls around.
My car is a Skoda Kodiaq. I bought it in 2017. I used it with a separate set of wheels. My storage conditions are perfect. These are my first snow tires for this car (2040 km). I used them at the end of 2024 (16590 km). I can say there is no excessive wear (tread depth).
For two years, their performance in snow and wet conditions was average. After that, they hardened quickly. Noise increased. Road grip decreased. I used them with caution, especially in puddles.
Still, I used them on the roads between Bolu, Turkey - Abant and Kartalkaya. They didn't let me down in the snow. I didn't use chains.
A good price/performance product.
For two years, their performance in snow and wet conditions was average. After that, they hardened quickly. Noise increased. Road grip decreased. I used them with caution, especially in puddles.
Still, I used them on the roads between Bolu, Turkey - Abant and Kartalkaya. They didn't let me down in the snow. I didn't use chains.
A good price/performance product.
I use my CR-V daily for work and pleasure - work involves some off-road use (20%) - unmade tracks, muddy fields, hilly terrain etc. I chose these TOYO Open Country W/T Winter Tyres as a compromise over All Terrain tyres because they seemed great value for money and reviews were, on the whole, positive. 5,000 miles on and I'm very happy with them - roadwork is absolutely fine, no issues, albeit they are slightly noisy but not in any way intrusive. Off-road they have not let me down and I feel confident that they will get me in, and out, of where I have to go. Tyre wear so far, through spring / summer, is negligible after 5,000 miles - approximately 4K on road / 1K off-road. Would I buy again? Definitely.
Worst winter tire I've ever had! It was sliding on cold wet tarmac as brand new; several months later it didn't stop at all with 40 km/h on cold wet tarmac, and I almost hit another car. Had to slam my car against the sidewalk to stop it somehow. Never buy this tire if you need a winter tire!
Best price, best for all condtitons snow, ice, mude and on hight way.
SUV and 4x4 Winter Touring Tyres EU label data
33 of the 60 tyres in this category carry EU label data. These are the category's label headliners, using each tyre's best available size figures.
B Best wet grip
13 tyres reach EU wet grip class B. The highest scoring:
B Lowest rolling resistance
The most fuel efficient choice: 6 tyres reach rolling resistance class B. The highest scoring:
69dB Quietest tyres
The quietest tyres in this category are labelled from 69 dB external noise:
Label values come from the EU EPREL database and vary by size - the figures here are each tyre's best declared size. 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 rankings above tell you far more.
All SUV and 4x4 Winter Touring Tyres on Tyre Reviews
The complete record, including discontinued tyres and tyres with too little evidence to rank, ordered by the amount of evidence. The most researched this month: Kumho WinterCraft WS71, Lassa Competus Winter 2, Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow.
20 more tyres in this category have no reviews yet
Apollo Apterra Winter, Debica Frigo SUV2, Event Snowdrive SUV, Interstate Winter SUV IWT 3D, Kenda Klever WT KR37, Kenda Wintergen 2 SUV, Kingstar Winter Radial RW07, Lassa Competus Winter, Linglong Green Max Winter Ice I 15 SUV, Maxxis Premitra Ice 5 SP5 SUV, Nankang Ice Activa IA I, Nankang Winter Activa WA1, Rotalla SETULA W RACE S360, Rotalla SETULA W RACE S500, Sava Eskimo SUV 2, Sebring SUV Snow, Star Performer SPTV Winter SUV, Tigar SUV Ice, Toyo Observe GSi 6 LS, Zeetex WQ1000
Run SUV and 4x4 Winter Touring Tyres?
Review your tyres and help the next driver choose. It takes about five minutes, and every rating on this page came from a driver who took them.
Where this data comes from
Rankings combine independent test results with owner reviews submitted through this site, each naming the car, the tyre, the size and the distance covered. Reviews are checked by hand before publication, and the page rebuilds automatically as new evidence arrives.
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, weighted by how much evidence backs them.
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.