Best Tires For Grip

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‍5 Best Tires For Grip

One of the most important attributes of a good tire is grip. The grip of a tire shows how well it sticks to the pavement and handles when driving.

The most basic type has less grip for high-speed driving in wet conditions but is also cheaper due to its lightweight and smaller footprint. This makes it perfect for those who are just starting out in racing or don't want to pay too much for their vehicle but still have a bit of fun with it.

The best tires for grip are designed to provide superior grip on wet and dry surfaces alike and prevent hydroplaning and traction loss, making them a great option for new drivers or those with limited experience behind the wheel.

Below are the five best tires for grip for you to consider for your vehicle.

1. Firestone Firehawk Indy 500

The Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tire features a silica-enhanced Long Link Carbon tread compound that is designed to keep you going for a long time with excellent road grip.

What sets this tire apart from others is the way it's built - it's made specifically to withstand high wear and tear. This means that you're less likely to encounter problems in the future with your Firehawk Indy 500 tire.

This is a tire designed for wet and hot summers. The tread design maximizes water release for better traction while the side strakes reduce hydroplaning.

Tires like these can be fitted to any car to match the owner’s needs. They also provide driver-side run-flats, which means that you can change the tire when the air pressure gets low without having to put air back into the tire after each change.

Tire Rack offers this tire for prices as low as $116.99 per tire with free shipping and plenty of sizes to choose from.

2. Michelin Pilot Sport 4S

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is the perfect tire for drivers who are looking for a good balance between performance, comfort, and mileage. This tire puts a full focus on providing accurate road grip on wet and dry surfaces.

This is a max-performance summer tire that uses an asymmetric tread pattern with a lower void ratio to improve the handling capabilities. The shoulder blocks are a bit wider to ensure more sporty handling and cornering too.

The silica compound used in the rubber makes this tire ideal for wet roads too. There are grooves embedded into the tread pattern for hydroplaning resistance and accurate short distance braking on these surfaces too.

The Variable Contact Patch 3.0 is the most vital feature that makes this tire so balanced yet aggressive when driving. It even creates longer tread wear too. This tire can be found at Tire Rack in many different sizes.

3. Hankook Ventus V12 Evo2

The Ventus V12 Evo2 tire by Hankook is a high-quality sport tire that offers amazing grip and performance. The company put forth its best effort into making this tire just as great as it looks.

It has a silica tread compound which, along with its compound design, provides grip and speed for the driver to stay in control of the road. The compound comes with an optimized contact area with the road surface while maintaining high lateral stability and traction.

This is a high-performance tire designed for all road conditions, delivering superior performance in wet weather. The silica compound will not only improve wet grip but also provide better rolling resistance on dry roads.

The directional tread pattern allows the notched shoulder blocks to provide more support on the road. There is also a continuous center rib that allows the tire to maintain more accurate balance and responsiveness.

One of the best things about this tire is its value. Tire Rack offers a range of sizes with prices starting as low as only $107.99 per tire.

4. Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus

The Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus tire features a tread compound that is designed to tackle wet and dry road conditions, while also providing excellent performance. It uses a special silica and polymer compound design that allows flexibility during cold temperatures.

This tire features a unique tread design, which comes with enhanced sidewall protection and a low-resistance rubber compound. It also has a feature that allows the driver to see how much tread is left by using an innovative 3D visualization system.

The P Zero All Season Plus provides an effective solution to winter traction problems that can be found on most vehicles with aggressive tread patterns. The tire also maintains its durability even when it encounters ice and snow conditions that could put wear on the tire.

With this tire, you can expect to get maximum tread life too. It is highly durable because of the sidewall design that aims to protect against external damages. The tread design is also optimized for more even wear.

The tire features lateral siping to improve wet grip, winter siping to improve braking performance in snow and ice conditions, enhanced tread pattern design with additional ribs to increase road contact.

For only $128.80 per tire, you can immediately upgrade to the Pirelli P Zero All-Season Plus today at Tire Rack.

5. BFGoodrich g-Force Sport Comp 2

BFGoodrich’s G-Force Sport 2 tire was developed with performance driving in mind, providing enhanced handling and control on any track or road – from wet to dry, from cold to hot – it is built for superior performance in any situation.

The new G-Force Sport 2 features less rolling resistance and increased grip for those who love to drive on twisty roads or race tracks and even more fun and excitement than before. The silica rubber compound is made from racing technology for sharper driving performance.

When it comes to performance, the g-Force Sport Comp 2 has an impressive number of features, including the stable shoulder blocks. This helps in reducing vibrations and keeping your engine at a lower RPM which translates to more fuel-efficient driving.

This is a summer tire though and should not be used during winter driving conditions. It works best on dry pavement in hot temperatures or in the rain on wet pavement. It can be bought at Tire Rack for $109.14 per tire.

What Type Of Tires Have The Best Grip?

The best tire to have on your car is one that has a low profile, has a long grip life, and can withstand changing temperatures. This is why the tires that provide the best grip are typically all-season or summer tires with an ability to provide sporty handling on the road.

The three primary tire types you can consider for grip are street tires, summer tires, and all-season tires. They all use versatile rubber compounds made from a more firm rubber that can maintain high performance with a strong road grip.

Street Tires

Street Tires are suitable for warm conditions, but they also make for an excellent choice in wet conditions. They are not designed to be puncture-proof, but the tread pattern prevents the tire from rolling off too much.

Street tires are some of the most notable tires that any car could have. They provide excellent road grip and sporty handling while still getting some fuel efficiency. The low profile of these tires gives them a sporty feel and makes them ideal for driving around corners at higher speeds with a lot of body lean at high speeds.

Summer Tires

Summer tires are tires that are designed to be used during the summer only. They are optimized for use on dry, hot roads and have a softer compound to reduce road noise, increase energy efficiency in the rolling resistance department, and provide excellent grip in wet or dry conditions.

Summer tires typically use patented technology to give you better traction in summer conditions so you can handle in wet conditions or on dry pavement with ease. The tread design is smaller so they also provide lower rolling resistance too.

All-Season Tires

High-performance all-season tires are designed to provide excellent road grip and traction in all weather conditions. They are longer lasting than other typical summer tires because they use special compounds that provide better durability.

The rubber is specially designed to withstand heat, cold, rain, snow, or any combination of these without having the effect of breaking down.

They also use more grooves that can work in both snow and rain too, but when it comes to grip on the dry pavement they are not as accurate as a street or summer tire.

What To Look For When Buying Tires For Grip

Tires are one of the most important parts of a vehicle and they need to be replaced every few years. However, tires often get damaged and worn out and give trouble when you need them the most, like when there is a sudden burst of speed or heavy braking.

If you're looking for a tire to improve your grip, then there are specific factors to consider. Here are some of the most important factors to look out for.

Tread Life

The importance of tread life is not only in terms of fuel efficiency and avoiding flats but in terms of safety too. Tires with high-thread life are less likely to have accidents or need early replacements.

The value of tread life cannot be overemphasized when finding the right tire. While tread life doesn't directly affect grip, it does mean that you'll have to change your tires less often which can save you money in the long run.

Tread Pattern

The tread pattern of a tire is an important factor when finding a tire for grip. When driving on wet roads, there is so much friction from the surface, that it's harder for tires to grip and control the car.

There are different types of treads depending on what type of performance you want from the tire. For example, some patterns use a smaller arrangement of grooves and treads to try and eliminate rolling resistance to create lower rolling resistance and road grip.

Rubber Compounds

Not all rubber compounds are made equally. For example, the higher the quality of rubber used, the better they last and provide more grip. This goes for just about every tire you will find too and it has a major impact on grip.

A tire with a good grip will help to keep the car in control while driving without skidding or sliding. It will also provide better stability while cornering and braking to always allow drivers to keep control of their vehicles.

Key Tire Technologies

Key tire technologies are what make a tire more suitable for the purpose it is designed for, like better road grip. The best brands in the world are always releasing new designs and products to improve the riding experience for drivers too.

For example, Firestone uses Pulse Groove Technology that improves the traction and road grip capabilities of a tire by evacuating water from the contact patch. It works well to combine features with the tread design to put a focus on creating the best road grip possible.

About The Author

Charles Redding

I've spent many years selling cars, working with auto detailers, mechanics, dealership service teams, quoting and researching car insurance, modding my own cars, and much more.