Nissan Frontier - Highway Tires w/Winter Traction

[TWG1572]

Well, I knew it was coming but was hoping I could go another month or so. I went to get my tires rotated this week and Discount Tire said there wasn’t any use because they were worn out. So here I am.

I’ve got a 2008 Nissan Frontier. Crew cab, four wheel drive. My miles are mainly commuting. But – I live in Wisconsin, land of way too much snow. I also live in the country on a road that is notorious for blowing snow and snowdrifts. Our township plows aren’t the fastest to make the rounds and there are mornings where I have to break the trail to the main road for my wife and I to give out. That includes doing some drift busting, which can get interesting at times. So I want to keep winter traction as a consideration in any tire purchase.

I’ve done some Tire Rack research and have the following short list and prices for a set. I’d be curious if I’ve missed any obvious contenders, or if anyone has perspectives from the listed tires.

Firestone Destination A/T $526: Don’t know much about this, other than it’s highly reviewed.
Michelin LTX M/S2 $666: The gold standard. Likely the most well rounded tire on this list. But pricy.
General Grabber AT 2 $540: I’ve got them now. They made it to 60K. Don’t love them, don’t hate them. Wish they were quieter, but I knew that going in.
Firestone Destination LE 2 $466: Everyone seems to love these tires. Last time I looked they were new and I stayed away. Now they have some history.

Discount Tire is my preferred shop, just because of proximity to my job. I know Cooper’s having good sales now, but they aren’t handled by Tire Rack. I can get them through DTD though.

I’ve yet to make it to the library to checkout CR to see what their list of top SUV/truck tires is. I always like to compare and see which tires are common between Tire Rack reviews and CR.

If I had to prioritize needs, I’d say a good highway tire that also had good snow traction. I’m not an off roader.

I’d appreciate any and all thoughts.

 

[Kuato]

I've had the Michelin LTX on several vehicles, great tire. They do cost a bit more, but the Wrangler's have 150k on them and the tread is still good.

On the previous Grand Cherokee, at 55k on the tires there was almost no appreciable wear.

 

[thunderfog]

On my Xterra, I had a set of Bridgestone Dueler APT IV that I had 40k miles on before I sold the truck (still had pretty good tread). It's not an off roading tire but more of a pavement truck tire, and I felt it did pretty well in snow. I mostly had to deal with 2-4" events as opposed to huge snowfalls. Price range was in the $150 range I believe. Sears was the only place I ever saw them... there are other Duelers out there, but this specific APT IV was hard to find reviews for on the net.

 

[TWG1572]

Originally Posted By: Kuato
I've had the Michelin LTX on several vehicles, great tire. They do cost a bit more, but the Wrangler's have 150k on them and the tread is still good.

On the previous Grand Cherokee, at 55k on the tires there was almost no appreciable wear.


I will admit that I've always wanted to try a set of the LTX tires on something I owned. My thrifty side has always won out. But if I can get even halfway to the types of miles I hear you and others talking about, the per mile costs drop quickly.

 

[gizzsdad]

I have an 07 Frontier CC 2WD. I just replaced Michelin Latitudes with General Grabber HTS's after less than 25K miles. This is NOT because the tires were poor, but rather because my wife's short commute includes 4 stop signs and 9 90 degree corners each way of a 1.5 mile commute, which she does twice a day (4 trips).

I don't believe any tire can stand up to this routine, so the Grabbers seemed like the best value proposition for us. I also compared the M/S 2's and the LE 2's.

So far the HTS's are incrementally louder than the Michelins, but do have a little better snow bite. But obviously they would fall short of the snow grip your AT 2's had.

 

[GutsyGecko]

I have the grabber AT2, I absolutely love the tire

 

[Ken2]

TWG, how long do you expect to own this truck? If you plan on enough miles to finally wear out the tires, get the LTX MS2. If not, get the Destination LE2.

 

[heavyhitter]

I have the same truck but 09' I have been very happy with some new Cooper AT3. I went with P rated instead of LT rated for a soother ride. It is awesome in the snow. I had bought them through discount tire and had them price match internet sites and had a rebate after all said and done it was $630 out the door and I have an $80 rebate. The BF Goodrich Longtrails before were decent but I over inflated them too much too long and wore them out too soon.

 

[MNgopher]

I have the Destination AT's and for your use they are probably overkill. Nice tires and they wear well, but you do take a hit on the MPG's with an AT tread design.

The Michelin is the gold standard for this type of tire. If you can stomach the upfront cost and will actually use the miles they can provide, then its a no brainer.

I know you mentioned Discount tire was your preferred shop - I don't think they carry the firestones.

 

[TWG1572]

Originally Posted By: Ken2
TWG, how long do you expect to own this truck? If you plan on enough miles to finally wear out the tires, get the LTX MS2. If not, get the Destination LE2.


Good point. The truck just rolled over 120K, and my plan is to own it till it hits 160-180K miles. That's about two and a half more years of driving. I'd prefer not to have to put new tires on it to sell it. The LTX may let me do that.

 

[TWG1572]

Originally Posted By: heavyhitter
I have the same truck but 09' I have been very happy with some new Cooper AT3.


That's good to hear. Since Tire Rack doesn't carry them, reviews are harder to find. I can get them through Discount Tire Direct, shipped free to Discount tire. Looks like $490 for the tires after rebate.

I also snuck to the library over lunch and looked at CR. It appears they are the #1 all terrain tire recommendation for 2014. FWIW

 

[123Saab]

These have been great thru this winter for my Wife's 08 Liberty.

Were pretty much in the same situation as you with the Slow Township plows. And were on top of a mountain.

Kumho Road Venture AT KL78

 

[NHHEMI]

Originally Posted By: TWG1572
Well, I knew it was coming but was hoping I could go another month or so. I went to get my tires rotated this week and Discount Tire said there wasn’t any use because they were worn out. So here I am.

I’ve got a 2008 Nissan Frontier. Crew cab, four wheel drive. My miles are mainly commuting. But – I live in Wisconsin, land of way too much snow. I also live in the country on a road that is notorious for blowing snow and snowdrifts. Our township plows aren’t the fastest to make the rounds and there are mornings where I have to break the trail to the main road for my wife and I to give out. That includes doing some drift busting, which can get interesting at times. So I want to keep winter traction as a consideration in any tire purchase.

I’ve done some Tire Rack research and have the following short list and prices for a set. I’d be curious if I’ve missed any obvious contenders, or if anyone has perspectives from the listed tires.

Firestone Destination A/T $526: Don’t know much about this, other than it’s highly reviewed.
Michelin LTX M/S2 $666: The gold standard. Likely the most well rounded tire on this list. But pricy.
General Grabber AT 2 $540: I’ve got them now. They made it to 60K. Don’t love them, don’t hate them. Wish they were quieter, but I knew that going in.
Firestone Destination LE 2 $466: Everyone seems to love these tires. Last time I looked they were new and I stayed away. Now they have some history.

Discount Tire is my preferred shop, just because of proximity to my job. I know Cooper’s having good sales now, but they aren’t handled by Tire Rack. I can get them through DTD though.

I’ve yet to make it to the library to checkout CR to see what their list of top SUV/truck tires is. I always like to compare and see which tires are common between Tire Rack reviews and CR.

If I had to prioritize needs, I’d say a good highway tire that also had good snow traction. I’m not an off roader.

I’d appreciate any and all thoughts.



I have run the LE2's on 2 different vehicles now and they are fantastic in the snow and are overall a great tire. They would be my recommendation based on your use and needs. You don't need an AT IMO.

 

[buck91]

Originally Posted By: heavyhitter
I have the same truck but 09' I have been very happy with some new Cooper AT3. I went with P rated instead of LT rated for a soother ride. It is awesome in the snow. I had bought them through discount tire and had them price match internet sites and had a rebate after all said and done it was $630 out the door and I have an $80 rebate. The BF Goodrich Longtrails before were decent but I over inflated them too much too long and wore them out too soon.


2nd. Very happy with them on my Michigan daily driven truck.

 

[GenSan]

I've got a farm plot in the Northwoods of Wi and I can tell you the Michelin LTX MS2s traction and braking in temps below 20F is quite poor attributable to its all - season formulated tread compound. I run all - seasons from when avg low temps are above 45F and anytime the avg lows are below 45F that's when the winter tires are put on regardless of snow. My wife and I are both Physicians and we may need to zip over to hospital at a moment's notice and we can't rely on if and when the local DOT salts and plows the roadways.

 

[rslifkin]

If your winters are that bad, you should look into getting some dedicated snow tires for winter. Even on a 4wd truck, it's a world of difference.

 

[TWG1572]

Originally Posted By: rslifkin
If your winters are that bad, you should look into getting some dedicated snow tires for winter. Even on a 4wd truck, it's a world of difference.


I know that's the best of both worlds approach, but I'm hesitant to buy snow tires for a vehicle that I will be selling in two to three years.

I’ve also found if I chose my tires wisely, I’ve got minimal problems in the snow anyway. This truck is pretty sure footed and I've only had it stuck once. Snow tires wouldn't have helped when it happened - I high centered it on the front skid plate while trying to punch through about two feet of really, really, wet snow. I was pushing it in front of me instead of going through it. The front wheels came off the ground, and the rest was history.

If I had a two wheel drive car, I’d absolutely be running winter tires.

 

[TWG1572]

Originally Posted By: GenSan
I've got a farm plot in the Northwoods of Wi and I can tell you the Michelin LTX MS2s traction and braking in temps below 20F is quite poor attributable to its all - season formulated tread compound.


Interesting. That's a piece of data I hadn't heard before. We have our share of 20F and below temps here.

My wife also works at a hospital, and for many years had a job similar to yours. There were no excused absences for weather, or anything else for that matter. Thankfully, she transitioned into a role with a more normal schedule and ability to work from home if needed.

 

[buck91]

Originally Posted By: GenSan
I've got a farm plot in the Northwoods of Wi and I can tell you the Michelin LTX MS2s traction and braking in temps below 20F is quite poor attributable to its all - season formulated tread compound. I run all - seasons from when avg low temps are above 45F and anytime the avg lows are below 45F that's when the winter tires are put on regardless of snow. My wife and I are both Physicians and we may need to zip over to hospital at a moment's notice and we can't rely on if and when the local DOT salts and plows the roadways.


We run the LTX MS2 on the trucks at work and I have no noticed this. Then again they are E350 duallies running 225/75r16 Load E tires, so the available handling and performance leaves something to be desired in the first place.

I have noticed the MS2 does MUCH better in light and slick stuff and much worse in heavy stuff than the old LTX M/S.

 

[nickaluch]

If your going to keep the truck go with the Michelin LTX. I run them on my two cutaways and never got stuck in snow and last a long time.Worth every penny only if your going to keep the truck.