Vehicles using LT235/80R17 tires include:

• Chevrolet Avalanche
• Ford Expedition
• GMC Sierra 1500
• Hummer H3
• Jeep Wrangler
• Land Rover Defender
• Lincoln Mark LT
• RAM 2500
• Toyota Tacoma

1. Goodyear Wrangler Workhorse HT - Best All-Season tire

Let’s go ahead and kick this list off with our pick for a premium all-season tire for light trucks, the Goodyear Wrangler Workhorse HT. The Wrangler Workhorse HT gets a composite SimpleScore of 9.2, which breaks down as 9.8 for handling, 9.9 for traction, and 7.9 for longevity. With a 60,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, the Wrangler Workhorse HT is certainly durable – it’s designed with a long-wearing tread formulation, a 2-ply polyester casing, 2-ply polyester-reinforced sidewalls, twin high-tensile steel belts, and a polyamide spiral-wound cap layer. That very strong SimpleScore number for traction comes from the Goodyear Wrangler Workhorse HT’s all-season tread design, with a combination of circumferential and angled grooves, a closed shoulder with slots for water drainage, and a dense network of sipes for enhanced winter performance, all of which interlock and perform as a system for grip in wet, dry or winter conditions. All those tread features and the rigidity of the Wrangler Workhorse HT’s casing and tread face also help contribute to that excellent score for handling.

2. Falken Wildpeak A/T3W - Best All-Terrain tire

Next up, let’s talk about the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W. According to Falken, the 3W stands for Wet, Winter, and Wear. That’s pretty accurate - after all, the Wildpeak A/T3W is certified with the tire industry’s Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification for severe winter service. The Wildpeak A/T3W delivers confident grip with an aggressive all-terrain lug tread and a tread depth that’s a full 19/32”. Lateral traction for cornering or ruts gets a boost from lugs that wrap around from the shoulder onto the sidewall. That’s all the reason we need to give the Wildpeak A/T3W a SimpleScore of 9.9 for traction. The Wear part of the 3W designation is also a real strong point with this tire – the Wildpeak A/T3W is designed around a durable silica-infused tread formulation, with step-down features and support ramps for offroad toughness, a reinforced sidewall, and heat dispersal technology that helps to protect the tire’s internal construction against excessive heat buildup. Falken stands behind the Wildpeak A/T3W with a 55,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, sufficient for SimpleTire to award a SimpleScore of 8.9 for longevity. The Wildpeak A/T3W is a rugged all-terrain tire that doesn’t necessarily come with many tradeoffs or sacrifices too much in the way of road manners and civilized behavior on the pavement, for a SimpleScore of 9.6 for handling.

3. Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 - Best Mud Terrain tire

Of course, if you’ve got a 4WD-equipped light truck and you like to get offroad into deep, soupy, sticky mud, there’s no other solution that’s better than a set of quality mud-terrain tires like the Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003. The Geolandar M/T G003 is designed to take on some of the roughest and nastiest kinds of mud and terrain, with Yokohama’s GEO-SHIELD construction (triple-polymer tread compound and robust internal design) making for a tire that’s durable and damage-resistant. Even though the Geolandar M/T G003 isn’t covered by the factory by a mileage warranty (many mud-terrain tires aren’t), we give it a SimpleScore of 8.1 for longevity. On the pavement, the reinforced sidewall and aggressive tread pattern deliver excellent control off-road and surprisingly civilized cornering and steering performance, so we give the Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 a SimpleScore of 9.4 for handling. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that grip and offroad performance are where a tire like this excels. We give the Geolandar M/T G003 a very strong SimpleScore of 9.7 for traction, thanks to that tough tread compound and mud-terrain tread design with lugs that wrap onto the shoulder for lateral traction.

4. Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT3 - Best Winter tire

Nokian is a Finland-based manufacturer (yes, the same parent company as Nokia phones) with decades of experience in designing the kind of next-generation winter tires that are up to handling the rigors of a Scandinavian winter. The Hakkapeliitta LT 3 is a great example – this light truck tire is tough enough for commercial service, with 10-ply construction and an Aramid-reinforced casing, raking in a longevity score of 7.8. Where the Hakkapeliitta LT3 truly shines, though, is its winter grip. The Hakkapeliitta LT3 is designed with a directional pattern with tread block notches, sweeping grooves, zigzag tread blocks, and interlocking 3D sipes, all of which interlock and work together as a system to help you safely get through the most severe winter conditions. In case of an ice storm that turns roads slicker than a hockey rink, the Hakkapeliitta LT3 is pre-drilled so that a tire shop can easily install studs (remember to check your state laws for the legality of studded tires where you live). Unsurprisingly, it is 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake rated for severe winter service. SimpleScore for traction: best-in-class 9.9. Cornering and control are responsive and accurate, with a solid center rib, reinforced sidewalls, and large shoulder blocks for a SimpleScore of 9.7 in the handling category. Like all winter tires, the tread compound of the Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT3 is designed to stay flexible for dependable grip in subfreezing weather but will wear prematurely in warmer temperatures – this tire shouldn’t be used if temps are above 40-45 degrees F.