If that's your dillema, well, you have come to the right place. We will look at tyres that are at the sweetspot of durability, performance and affordability especially for SUVs.
You'll find that most of my top picks are Asian brands. These tend to last longer and are more affordable. European brands are engineered more for comfort and ride quality. So if comfort is your top concern when buying tyres, I would recommend Pirelli and Michelin.
1. Otani
Otani is a little known tyre brand made in Dubai. It however rates quite highly for durability and hardiness, with most of its tyres coming in 'Extra Load' specification. Extra Load tyres are designed if you carry a lot of weight or if you do a lot of towing. Even if you don't, it means you end up with more hardy tyres than your manufacturer recommends. Propelling Otani to the top of my ranking is their relative affordability.
2 . Toyo Open Country
Toyo's Open Country All Terrain tyres are rated as the best when it comes to durability, dependability, and comfort. All Terrain tyres are especially notorious for sacrificing comfort for hardiness, yet the Open Country manage to be all rounded. The tyre us also available for Highway Terrain, and for Urban Terrain designed for city hazards such as kerbs and potholes. It is prone to be more widely available than Otani, but slightly more costly. Toyo comes from Japan.
3. Kumho Crugen / Marshal Crugen
Straight out of Korea, Kumho has been quite innovative in striking a balance between cutting edge tyres and durability. The Crugen brand is especially designed to last longer while offering a comfortable ride with some of the latest technologies. It's especially a recommend fit for low profile tyres that face a lot of hazards and hence which will need to withstand the dreaded sidewall bulge. While these come in Extra Load, in a few countries such as Kenya, they will be available in the lesser, ordinary 'Standard Load' specification.
4. Pirelli Scorpion Verde AS
The only reason these tyres don't rank higher is that the Asian competitors is the bit that European tryes are more engineered for comfort. The Pirelli Scorpion is however an exception in that it's more of designed for durability. It therefore means the tyre has deeper treads, which means it's noisy for those who value quiteness in a tyre. On the other hand, it's less noisier than almost all the tyres on this list. The deeper treads are what make the tyre long lasting. It is also available in Standard Load and Extra Load variants, with of course the Extra Load tyres recommended for those looking for sturdier tyres and sidewalls. The Scorpion is highly recommended for those seeking a blend of comfort and durability. It's a well suited option for European makes.
5. Achilles Desert Hawk
The Indonesian brand has proven itself in making very durable tyres that the tread pattern lasts for years, way beyond the 3 to 4 year duration when you should replace your tyres. The tyres are equally hardy, coming in an "Extra Load" configuration for heavy duty usage.
6. Nexen
Nexen is a little known Korean brand, and quite unbeatable when it comes to affordability. However, little is unknown about this tyre hence why it ranks low, yet higher than Chinese tyres. Contributing to its positioning higher than Chinese tyres are its Korean origins.
7. LingLong/Atlas
LingLong is among the world's top 3 largest manufacturers of tyres. Their tyres are also known to last for ages. Why they don't rank higher in my list is due to their use of hard compound. This makes braking a task, especially in wet conditions. They are however quite affordable. If pressed for money, go for Extra Load rated LingLongs or Atlas. However, these aren't speeding tyres. So drive moderately!
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