Here is our buying guide for summer and all-season tires for 2022 in Canada. Today, the best summer and all-season tires for trucks and larger SUVs.
See also: The Best All-Season and Summer Tires for Cars in Canada for 2022.
Times have changed. In the past, when people talked about truck tires, they were mostly anonymous, rugged tires created for work. But that has changed, and quite radically, as the concept of the pickup and its uses have changed as well.
First of all, what really is a truck? If you’re talking about an SUV or CUV, sometimes you’re actually dealing with a car on stilts, or a high-sitting replacement for station wagons of yesteryear (which is why, it’s worthwhile to also check out our earlier guide to tires for cars and smaller SUVs).
As for the other vehicles, the bigger, more rugged SUVs and the pickups that are designed for work purposes, those do double duty, becoming expensive playthings in addition to being workhorses.
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As a result, the tires on these vans, SUVs and pickups have to play multiple roles, to handle work AND recreation needs. And the balance can shift depending on individual users. For example, a vehicle might only need to cover a few kilometers a week for work, but then rack up them up on the weekends for trips to the cottage or off-roading expeditions.
This is also why manufacturers are offering more and more pickup trucks aimed at the adventure crowd. Even the largest SUVs like the Ford Expedition and the Chevrolet Tahoe are offered in "off-road" versions! In those editions, the first parts to be changed are the tires and wheels, the factory ones being replaced by off-road specialists. This even though the users of these beautiful vehicles will never or almost never go off-road!
Let’s face it, for many consumers, the adventure look is just as important as - if not more important than - actually getting out there. We’ve seen the phenomenon particularly prevalent among mid-size SUVs and pickups, and even smaller ones. So after the big Ford Raptor and Ram TRX, here come the smaller Ranger Raptor, Chevrolet Colorado Bison, Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, Ford Bronco Everglade and even Bronco Sport Badland models! And it’s de rigueur that these beautiful vehicles display very aggressive off-road tires! And this, even if the vehicles will never be used in inhospitable terrain.
Some of these models are already showing their age and need to be replaced, while others, used or new, are owned by car enthusiasts who want to give their vehicles a more rugged look. This is the current trend. While for the more modest cars and SUVs, it's all about quietness and fuel economy, for these tougher looking trucks, it's all about...toughness.
As a result, many tire manufacturers have new tires to offer their customers (more than for the car market!). Read on to learn what’s what on the market this spring for tires for larger SUVs and pickups.
See also: Are All-Weather Tires a Good Choice?