Need new tires!

[furmama76]

I have a 2021 Bronco Sport Badlands. It came with Pirelli Scorpion ATR 50,000 mile tires, 225/65R17. I'm at 35,000 miles and ALREADY need new tires! I am currently in PA and am wanted to choose the best tires for replacement. I want an all season tire...that's comfortable, looks great and are also great in rain and snow/ice situations....I've read that the 235 size would be better for snow and ice. I'm assuming though that I can't choose a wider tire unless I want to get new rims?? I know I'm not going to do that. I know nothing about tires....and want to get tires that are going to last and suit my needs at the same time. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

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[CactusBS]

I was in the same boat as you and only got about 32k miles out of the stock tires (awful in my opinion) so I swapped out for the Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail tire in 235/65/R17. They are an awesome tire and not as aggressive as other A/T tires, especially their AT3W counterpart. I haven't had them more than a week but my mpg hasn't decreased much and the road noise is a little noisier but nothing noticeable. Also the warranty on the Wildpeaks is 65k miles, can't beat that. The ride is so much smoother than the stock tires and I feel completely planted on the road.
Overall Highly recommended.

 

[Meanderthal]

You mentioned snow and ice being a primary concern and also that you thought a 235 (or wider) would be better in snow/ice. This is exactly 180° off. If snow/ice are a primary concern, then you want a narrower tire. Narrower tires in general will dig into the snow/slush, while a wider tire will float on top (essentially hydroplaning). On shear ice, there probably isn't a lot of difference between wider or narrower, maybe a small advantage for wider because it has more area to find some bit of traction somewhere.

 

[medhat]

I was in the same boat as you and only got about 32k miles out of the stock tires (awful in my opinion) so I swapped out for the Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail tire in 235/65/R17. They are an awesome tire and not as aggressive as other A/T tires, especially their AT3W counterpart. I haven't had them more than a week but my mpg hasn't decreased much and the road noise is a little noisier but nothing noticeable. Also the warranty on the Wildpeaks is 65k miles, can't beat that. The ride is so much smoother than the stock tires and I feel completely planted on the road.
Overall Highly recommended.

Did exactly same last week (same size as well, 235s). Very pleased with the ride quality, was worried that they would be louder and rougher than the Pirellis, and that hasn't been the case. Realistically the BS spends a lot more time as a commuter (all weather including the occasional snowstorm), but also needs to be acceptably capable for mild trail, as well as regular access to Rockies skiing (the Pirellis actually were fine in this regard). Last but not least they do look 100% better on the BS than the Pirellis!

 

[PugDad]

I have a 2021 Bronco Sport Badlands. It came with Pirelli Scorpion ATR 50,000 mile tires, 225/65R17. I'm at 35,000 miles and ALREADY need new tires! I am currently in PA and am wanted to choose the best tires for replacement. I want an all season tire...that's comfortable, looks great and are also great in rain and snow/ice situations....I've read that the 235 size would be better for snow and ice. I'm assuming though that I can't choose a wider tire unless I want to get new rims?? I know I'm not going to do that. I know nothing about tires....and want to get tires that are going to last and suit my needs at the same time. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

While the WIldpeak A/T Trail (optional tire for Badlands, not really a winter tire) is a great tire for light snowfall, I live in an area with heavy snowfall/colder temperatures and the reason why i only use dedicated winter tires. Winter tires will always provide the best traction and performance in heavy snow and cold weather conditions as the tire is softer and more flexable than all season tires.
I have used Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 in the past (no issues), for my new BS BL, I have purchased Michelin X Ice Snow SUV, and will use WIldpeak A/T Trail for the warmer months.

 

[Monkey]

35K miles out of the Scorpion ATR is about right... The upgraded tire option from Ford for our Badlands is the Falken Wildpeak AT3W in 235/65-17. They're a great all around tire that performs well in most conditions. Slush and ice being their weakness, but that's typical for most unless you get a dedicated winter tire. I would recommend these tires as we've been very pleased with them on our '21 Badlands and our daughter has a '22 Badlands with the same. Both have about 20K miles on them and tires still look real good.

If you want a tire that gets a little better slick road performance and less AT qualities and looks, then the Pirelli Scorpion Verde AS/3+ is a good option. We've run these on a few vehicles and they get great tread life and ride nice.

As for tire size, narrower tires can be better in winter conditions, but there's a number of considerations here. Going from 225 to 235 width is a difference of 10mm or 3/8" so it's not that significant. And the tire design/tread and composition is going to make all the difference in regards to winter performance. FWIW, there are no tires that serve as a top tier winter tire and also handle well in all other conditions and/or have great tread life too. All-season tires are as close as it gets and they're mostly just 3-season tires that handle everything pretty good but fall short in winter storm conditions.

I'm in Colorado and do a lot of mountain driving. Aggressive all-season or AT tires are the way to go here. Seasonal tire swaps don't make that much sense, IMO as we have such erratic weather in spring and fall... If conditions are wintery enough I'll put on cables or chains, or better yet I'll just just stay home.

 

[furmama76]

Did exactly same last week (same size as well, 235s). Very pleased with the ride quality, was worried that they would be louder and rougher than the Pirellis, and that hasn't been the case. Realistically the BS spends a lot more time as a commuter (all weather including the occasional snowstorm), but also needs to be acceptably capable for mild trail, as well as regular access to Rockies skiing (the Pirellis actually were fine in this regard). Last but not least they do look 100% better on the BS than the Pirellis!

Thanks to both of you for your recommendations! I called a local tire place and they also agreed that these would be great tires for my BS! I ordered them and having them installed on Saturday! Thanks again!

 

[PaulOinMA]

My wife and I will probably get Continental CrossContact LX25 when our OE tires are done.

I had the LX25 previously, and she had the LX20. Great testing, rating. and reviews at tirerack.com.

 

[NMhunter]

Wide tires really help on sand and rock. Not as much on mud and snow. I got the upgraded tires on my Badlands, and I've been happy with them on rock, sand, snow, and mud.

 

[Discount Tire]

We are a little late to the party, but that's what's great about this forum. There are many forum members that have had real world experience with their tires and are willing to take the time to share those experiences with others. That's awesome! Thank you all for the insight.

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