The Ford Explorer is one of the ideal vehicles to use if you have a family of your own since it has a good size that can fit up to seven people inside. This car has a huge size and space inside to accommodate your family’s things while still having a spacious and comfortable riding experience. It is best to create good and memorable moments with your family during your travels wherever your Ford Explorer can take you.
The Ford Explorer can also be used in your adventurous travels with its excellent and powerful horsepower ability to handle any terrain type. What you need are tires that can match the performance of your car. Continue reading this review to know the best tire brand to have and features that you can look for before buying one for yourself.
List down below are the top ten best tires that you can buy for your Ford Explorer:
Top 10 Best Tires for Ford Explorer Reviewed
- All-Terrain T/A KO2 Radial Tire - 285/75R16 126R by BFGoodrich – Best Overall
- SL369 All-Terrain Radial Tire - 245/65R17 107S by Westlake – Best Value
- Defender LTX All- Season Radial Tire-275/55R20 113T by Michelin – Editor’s Choice
- Blizzak W965 Winter Commercial Light Truck Tire LT245/75R16 120 Q E by Bridgestone
- SCORPION VERDE Season Plus Touring Radial Tire - 225/65R17 102H by Pirelli
- ContiProContact Radial Tire - 245/40R18 97H by Continental
- Parada Spec X High Performance Tire - 255/45R20 105VR by Yokohama
- Premier LTX All-Season Tire 235/65R18 106H (41120) by Michelin
- Latitude X-Ice XI2 Winter Radial Tire - 235/65R17/XL 108T by Michelin
- CrossContact LX20 Radial Tire - 255/65R18 111S SL by Continental
Contents
- 1 #1. All-Terrain T/A KO2 Radial Tire - 285/75R16 126R by BFGoodrich – Best Overall
- 2 #2. SL369 All-Terrain Radial Tire - 245/65R17 107S by Westlake – Best Value
- 3 #3. Defender LTX All- Season Radial Tire-275/55R20 113T by Michelin – Editor’s Choice
- 4 #4. Blizzak W965 Winter Commercial Light Truck Tire LT245/75R16 120 Q E by Bridgestone
- 5 #5. SCORPION VERDE Season Plus Touring Radial Tire - 225/65R17 102H by Pirelli
- 6 #6. ContiProContact Radial Tire - 245/40R18 97H by Continental
- 7 #7. Parada Spec X High Performance Tire - 255/45R20 105VR by Yokohama
- 8 #8. Premier LTX All-Season Tire 235/65R18 106H (41120) by Michelin
- 9 #9. Latitude X-Ice XI2 Winter Radial Tire - 235/65R17/XL 108T by Michelin
- 10 #10. CrossContact LX20 Radial Tire - 255/65R18 111S SL by Continental
- 11 1. Winter Tires
- 12 2. Summer Tires
- 13 1. Touring Tires
- 14 2. Highway Tires
- 15 3. Sport and Street Tires
- 16 4. Off-Roading
- 17 5. Season and Climate
- 18 How often should you rotate your tires?
- 19 Does using a low profile tire will affect the quality of your driving experience?
- 20 What type of tires is best used during the rainy season?
- 21 What is the benefit of driving your car in its proper tire inflation?
- 22 What are the benefits of driving on properly aligned tires?
#1. All-Terrain T/A KO2 Radial Tire - 285/75R16 126R by BFGoodrich – Best Overall
Product Specification:
- Length: 33 inches
- Width: 33 inches
- Height: 12 inches:
- Weight: 24.2 pounds
- Size: 285 or 75R16
- Load Capacity: 3,750 pounds
The All-Terrain KO2 Radial Tire by BFGoodrich is a good tire to opt for if you use your Ford Explorer for adventurous travels that include driving on rocks, mud, and sand type of terrains. This tire has a sidewall armor feature and increased thickness of its tire rubber to provide extra durability and also a loose object rejection feature as you drive on rough surfaces. It has a mud-phobic bars feature that helps your tire release solid mud forms to increase the tire’s traction on soft soil surfaces.
These tires provide good traction and better stability and braking system to drive dry and wet road surfaces easily. This tire can also be used on snow surfaces and provides you a 50,000 miles warranty if you encountered any durability issues while using the tire.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Can provide you strong, durable, and exceptional driving experience | Can be quite noisy compared to other all-terrain tires |
| Provides you a 50,000 miles warranty in case the tire wears down | |
| Provides you good traction against the road's surface | |
| Tires can be bought at an affordable price | |
| Recommended to use in off-road drives |
#2. SL369 All-Terrain Radial Tire - 245/65R17 107S by Westlake – Best Value
Product Specification:
- Length: 29.5 inches
- Width: 29.5 inches
- Height: 9.8 inches
- Weight: 36.7 pounds
- Diameter of Rim: 17 inches
- Size: 245 or 65R17
Westlake has been providing its service to the market since 1958 by producing quality tires that can be used in different types of roads and terrains and can provide good durability. This tire can handle 2,149 pounds for its load capacity, so you don’t have to worry about limiting what you can put in your car. Westlake provides you a good road performance to drive in all-season types around the year and different weather conditions.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Has a fast shipping process of the tire product | Limited product feedback from previous customers |
| Provides you an excellent road performance | |
| Tires have a load capacity of 2,149 pounds | |
| Can be used in snow weather condition | |
| Can be bought at an affordable price |
#3. Defender LTX All- Season Radial Tire-275/55R20 113T by Michelin – Editor’s Choice
Product Specification:
- Length: 32.2 inches
- Width: 32.2 inches
- Height: 10.83 inches
- Weight: 39 pounds
- Diameter of Rim: 20 inches
- Load Capacity: 2,535 pounds
If you are looking for a replacement for your Ford Explorer, you can try out Michelin’s tires called the Defender LTX All-Season Radial Tire-275/55R20 113T. This tire gives you outstanding performance with its high-speed stability, even if there is an additional trailer attached to your car. It has a good brake system to give you good control and precision while driving. This tire produces a quiet sound while in use for a more comfortable ride. These tires may be quite expensive, but it provides you a 70,000 miles treadwear warranty in case of damage.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Provides you a strong and effective brake even with a heavy carload | Sold at a more expensive price compared to other competitors |
| Provides you good control in dry and wet weather conditions | |
| Michelin offers its customers a 70,000 miles warranty | |
| Quiet to use for a more comfortable ride | |
| Best use for your towing services |
#4. Blizzak W965 Winter Commercial Light Truck Tire LT245/75R16 120 Q E by Bridgestone
Product Specification:
- Length: 30.47 inches
- Width: 30.47 inches
- Height: 9.76 inches
- Weight: 48.9 pounds
- Diameter of Rim: 18 inches
- Size: LT245 or 75R16
This Blizzak W965 Winter Commercial Light Truck Tire made by Bridgestone has a loading capacity of 3,042 pounds. It has an innovative tread block and zigzag sipes feature to provide your tire better traction against the snow. You can drive around during the winter season and on muddy roads with these tires since it gives you a good grip with the help of its multi-cell compound feature. Bridgestone constructed its tire with the help of a computer-optimized component system to improve its tire’s performance to give you better results while driving.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Has a long link feature to prevent the tire from cracking and tearing for better durability | Does not offer treadwear warranty to its customers |
| Has a tread block feature for better traction, especially on slippery snow surfaces | Expensive price of the tire product |
| Provides you a multi-cell compound to take out water on the tires for better grip | |
| Gives you a comfortable and smooth ride while driving | |
| Can be used in snow and muddy roads |
#5. SCORPION VERDE Season Plus Touring Radial Tire - 225/65R17 102H by Pirelli
Product Specification:
- Length: 28.5 inches
- Width: 28.5 inches
- Height: 6.5 inches
- Weight: 29.5 pounds
- Diameter of Rim: 17 inches
- Load Capacity: 1,874 pounds
Pirelli’s tires called the SCORPION VERDE Season Plus Touring Radial Tire is a good tire to use, especially if you usually drive your car on twisted types of roads. This tire provides good response and handling to give you better control while driving your car. It has a good grip, brake system, and friction against dry and wet road surfaces. It is also quiet to provide you better riding experience, and it was a lower fuel consumption than other tire products. Pirelli offers its customers a 65,000 miles treadwear warranty so they can replace your tire if it breaks down below the given treadwear number of miles.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Has a low rolling-resistance so you can save more fuel while driving | Tires can be loud to drive around |
| Provides you good handling and grip on dry and wet surfaces | Minor tire durability issue |
| You can rely on its excellent braking performance | |
| Provides you good responsiveness while driving | |
| Has a 65,000 miles warranty for its tire |
#6. ContiProContact Radial Tire - 245/40R18 97H by Continental
Product Specification:
- Length: 25.8 inches
- Width: 25.8 inches
- Height: 9.7 inches
- Weight: 21.5 pounds
- Diameter of Rim: 18 inches
- Size: 245 or 40R18
This tire product made by Continental is called the ContiProContact Radial Tire – 245/40R18 97H. This tire product has a total load capacity of 1,609 pounds. If you are on a tight budget, you can opt for this tire, which can be bought at an affordable price compared to its competitors, to have a quality driving experience.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The tire received matches its product description | No warranty provided for its customers |
| Provides you an excellent driving experience | Bubble problems while using the tire |
| Tires ha a load capacity of 1,609 pounds | Durability issue |
| Can be bought at an affordable price |
#7. Parada Spec X High Performance Tire - 255/45R20 105VR by Yokohama
Product Specification:
- Length: 29.1 inches
- Width: 29.1 inches
- Height: 10.1 inches
- Weight: 32.2 pounds
- Diameter of Rim: 20 inches
- Size: 255 or 45R20
These tires, called Parada Spec X High-Performance Tire – 255/45R20 105VR made by Yokohama, provide you with a good response while driving your Ford Explorer vehicle. These tires are an all-season tread and have a linked shoulder blocks feature with two continuous ribs to provide you good braking, cornering, and better acceleration while driving. It has a wide circumferential center groove together with its sweeping lateral grooves to prevent hydroplaning build-up on your tires. Its internal structure has twin steel belts with wrapped nylon topped with a polyester cord body for better strength and durability to enhance comfort while driving to improve your ride quality. Parada Spec X is recommended for wet road surfaces, giving you good traction against the ground.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Have a sweeping lateral groove feature to prevent hydroplaning and to increase traction | The tire brand does not provide a treadwear warranty |
| Provides you an outstanding responsiveness tire performance | Poor traction on snow surfaces |
| Provides you good traction on wet surfaces | |
| Comfortable and quiet to drive around | |
| Gives you a good cornering ability |
#8. Premier LTX All-Season Tire 235/65R18 106H (41120) by Michelin
Product Specification:
- Length: 30.04 inches
- Width: 30.04 inches
- Height: 9.25 inches
- Weight: 29 pounds
- Diameter of Rim: 18 inches
- Load Capacity: 2,094 pounds
If you want a tire that can match your adventurous lifestyle, you can opt for Michelin’s tire called the Premier LTX All-Season Tire 235/65R18 106H (41120). These tires can give you good responsiveness in all types of the season and dry or wet weather conditions. It has a strong and secure brake feature to ensure your safety while driving. These tires can handle light snow conditions and are quiet to drive around for better riding experience. Michelin offers its customers a three-year flat tire changing service and also a 60,000 treadwear warranty.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Offers you a 60,000 warranty and a three-year flat tire changing service | Limited feedback and reviews from previous customers |
| Excellent grip and traction, especially on wet and dry road surfaces | |
| Tires are quiet to drive around to provide you a comfortable ride | |
| Can be used in all type of seasons and has a good brake system | |
| Provides you good tire responsiveness |
#9. Latitude X-Ice XI2 Winter Radial Tire - 235/65R17/XL 108T by Michelin
Product Specification:
- Length: 30 inches
- Width: 30 inches
- Height: 10 inches
- Weight: 31.3 pounds
- Diameter of Rim: 17 inches
- Size: 235, 65R17, or XL
The Latitude X-Ice XI2 Winter Radial Tire – 235/65R17/XL 108T made by Michelin can give you excellent driving in all-season types, whether it is wet or dry. This Michelin tire is best recommended for your winter drives to provide you a quality and comfortable experience. These tires have good traction against the slippery ground of snow and provides you good handling and maneuvering on icy roads to prevent accidents. It also has good braking power and cornering feature to offer for maximum performance. This tire has a distinctive contact patch shape to lengthen the years of its tread life.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Provides you a 40,000 miles treadwear warranty if you have an issue with the tire | Price are quite expensive compared to competitors |
| Gives you a good grip and traction while driving during the winter season | |
| Has excellent snow traction against slippery surfaces | |
| Has a loading capacity of 2,205 pounds |
#10. CrossContact LX20 Radial Tire - 255/65R18 111S SL by Continental
Product Specification:
- Length: 31.1 inches
- Width: 31.1 inches
- Height: 10.1 inches
- Weight: 35 pounds
- The diameter of Rim: 18 inches
- Load Capacity: 2,403 pounds
Continental’s tire called the CrossContact LX20 Radial Tire – 255/65R18 111S SL is an excellent tire to use, especially in wet weather conditions. This tire has a good feature that prevents hydroplaning build-up on your tires so you can safely drive even in heavy rain conditions. This CrossContact LX20 Radial Tire is a touring type of tire that is quiet to use for a more quality driving experience. This tire also has a low rolling-resistance feature so that it will have a limited fuel consumption while you are driving so you can better save. Continental offers its customers a 70,000 miles warranty tread wear so you can return the tire if you encounter any issues with it while you are driving.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Provides you good handling performance, especially in dry road conditions | Limited reviews from previous customers |
| Tires are good to drive around even in wet weather conditions | |
| Can provide you a quality and comfortable ride experience | |
| Quiet to use on the road for a more pleasant ride | |
| Has a hydroplaning resistant feature |
Top Pick section
If you can’t decide which tire is best to buy for your Ford Explorer, you can choose this product called All-Terrain T/A KO2 Radial Tire – 285/75R16 126R that is made by BFGoodrich. This tire product has the number one spot on this review since it can provide you a strong and durable driving performance. You can use this tire for your off-road drives to explore different places while ensuring that your car’s tires can handle the activities. It also gives you good traction on the ground to ensure your safety while driving. BFGoodrich also offers you a 50,000 miles warranty to return it if you encounter problems with the tire.
Best of Tires for Ford Explorer Brands
If you want to know the different types of tires, you can use for your Ford Explorer, and you can read the buyer’s guide below since it discussed the different uses of these tires. On the other hand, discussed below are the tires that are specifically made for your drives in the hot and cold weather of the year:
1. Winter Tires
Many accidents happen during the winter season due to the ground’s slippery surface because of the snow. To prevent these accidents from happening, you need to have the best tires suitable specifically for the winter season. Winter Tires are best recommended during winter, especially in harsh snow conditions. These tires can provide you the best traction even on wet, snowy, and icy conditions of the ground’s surface. It can also offer you the shortest braking distances to ensure your safety and prevent accidents while driving in the middle of the winter season.
2. Summer Tires
If you live in areas with hot weather conditions, it is best to go for summer tires to provide good handling while driving. Summer tires can make sure that your tires stay glued on the pavement of the road even if you are driving your car at a fast rate.
Things to Consider When Buying Tires for Ford Explorer – Buyer’s Guide
Buying the best tires for your Ford Explorer depends on the type of activity you intend to drive it. The different types of tires for your Ford Explorer are each made to serve a specific purpose. This guide helps you decide which tire would best cater to your driving needs to purchase the right tire worth your money. List down below are the type of tires that can best suit your driving need and factors you must consider before deciding to have one for yourself:
1. Touring Tires
Most owners of Ford Explorer vehicles are using touring tires. Touring tires are considered entry-level and mid-level models for the different capacities the types of tires can offer. If your Ford Explorer’s purpose is only to serve as a transportation mode for you and your family and you don’t need to have intense features, you can opt for this tire. Touring tires are more affordable if you compare them to specialized tire products like all-terrain and high-performance types. These tires have a durable tread line that could usually last for five to six years.
Touring tires can provide you with a smooth and comfortable driving experience as your tires quietly work on the streets or even on fast-moving highways. If you are going to use your car for everyday drives, touring tires are good to use because it has a high-level grip, good braking system, and a traction feature. It can give you good performance on wet pavements, especially during the rainy season, with the help of its circumferential grooves and ample siping features. However, if you own a version of Ford explorer that has a powerful and advanced model, touring tires are not recommended to be used.
2. Highway Tires
Highway tires are recommended to use vehicles that you usually use to tow or carry heavy cargos and hauling purposes. These tires are made for heavy-duty drives and usually have a large amount of loading capacity. Highway tires have a hard casing and commonly have a cut-resistant feature to handle roads with gravel and dirt. Highway tires have some similarities with touring tires, for they are both durable, cheaper, quiet to use, and have safe traction for wet and dry grounds. However, these tires usually have lower treadwear warranties to offer since they are used on heavy-duty activities.
3. Sport and Street Tires
If you are looking for a type of tires that you can use on your adventures, you can choose the sport tires. These tires are specially made to provide you better performance while driving with good acceleration and better traction against the ground. It has good responsiveness to improve your control and give you a satisfying car performance while driving. These types have a secured cornering, and its brakes have shorter distances so you can drive in at a faster, stable rate while still ensuring your safety while driving. However, sport tires are more expensive than the other types of tires, requiring frequent replacement.
4. Off-Roading
If you prefer driving on different off-road conditions, it is recommended to opt for all-terrain tires. It offers you a good traction performance, whether you are driving on dirt, mud, gravel, sand, or snow. All-terrain types of tires can provide you good performance wherever the type of ground you drive it on, and these are quieter to use compared to mud-terrain tires.
5. Season and Climate
It is important to consider the season and climate you will drive on since each tire is specifically made for a certain temperature type. It is important to use the recommended tire that fits the temperature to ensure your safety while driving. Some rubber material tires can not give you good traction and grip on the temperature; it was not intended to be used. Using the wrong tire on the wrong temperature can lead to unwanted accidents, especially on wet and snow types of surfaces. If you want a tire that can accommodate you all year round, you can opt for an all-season type of tire.
Conclusion
Ford Explorer can provide you good performance on the road, and it has more space to provide for its passengers and your cargo. This vehicle is ideal to use for your road trip and travel adventure with your family. If you are looking for heavy-duty tires that can match your need, you can opt for the BFGoodrich product called the All-Terrain T/A KO2 Radial Tire – 285/75R16 126R. This tire can give you good performance with its better traction feature and can handle your off-road drives. You can have this product at a good price while ensuring your family’s safety while you are driving on the road.
Frequently Asked Question – FAQs
How often should you rotate your tires?
Tires usually wear out unevenly over time. However, it could last longer if and maintain its good traction feature if the tires are regularly rotated, ideally by a tire expert. It is recommended to try rotating your car’s tires every six months from 5,000 up to 8,000 miles or check its owner’s manual to prevent your tires from wearing out. This kind of maintenance will let you know the status of your car’s brakes, steering parts, and suspension if it also requires proper maintenance to ensure your safety while driving your car.
Does using a low profile tire will affect the quality of your driving experience?
Yes, using lower-profile tires and larger wheels can damage the driving quality of your Ford Explorer. It is important to remember that street or sport tires are commonly available on cars with low-profile sidewalls.
What type of tires is best used during the rainy season?
Touring, high-performance, and summer tires are the best type to choose from if you want to have a good grip and friction against the ground, especially during the rainy season. Opting for a tire that provides the best traction will ensure your safety during your heavy-rain drives to prevent your tires from slipping on the road that may lead to an accident.
What is the benefit of driving your car in its proper tire inflation?
Driving on a properly inflated tire can save your car’s fuel use, and it can improve the handling and better driving performance of your car. It is recommended to check your tire’s pressure at least once a month. It would be best if you also took note to inflate your tires based on its recommended PSI rating. It can be found inside the doorframe of your car.
What are the benefits of driving on properly aligned tires?
It is recommended to have your car an alignment check every 30,000 miles that you drove to know if you need to buy new tires. Having aligned tires will let you have a smooth and straight driving experience that can easily be handled. A correct tire alignment will also help you extend your tire’s life and improve its performance on the road and its gas mileage.
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