Tacoma, Frontier, Colorado, Canyon - Best Aftermarket Tires For On and Off Road

Once your OEM tires have lived their useful life, what is the best tire for off-road, but can still be quiet on the highway?

Tires are a big part of the ownership experience with midsize pickup trucks that are taken off road. If you are lucky enough to own a 2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-road, the tires on that truck are likely the Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure with Kevlar. If you own a previous generation Tacoma TRD Pro your truck came with BF Goodrich All-Terrain LT265/75R16. Torque News tested the BFGs on the TRD Pro off-road and came away impressed. GM has announced the new Colorado ZR2 will come with 31-inch Goodyear Duratrac off-road tires, which look pretty tough.
- How Do the Wranglers Do In Snow? - Our Test

All that said, OEMs choose tires to balance the needs of an owner. That’s why the Tacoma doesn’t use just one tire type among the various trims. So what should an owner consider if the needs break down to good off-road ability for weekends, but a decent, quiet ride on the work days?

Torque News reached out to our most respected tire resource, Doug Blake at Medfield Tire and Battery in Millis, MA. Doug is the guy we turn to when we get a test vehicle with a shimmy or vibration and we need a proper balance. Doug does the work himself and he has the most modern machines to make tires perform optimally (Roadforce tire machines).

We asked Doug for his suggestion, and he didn’t hesitate. He suggested two models for owners to consider. First, the Cooper Discover AT3. This tires has a 4.5 out of 5 rating in reviews. Owners report good bite, but limited treadlife. Doug says his customers that opted for Coopers were very happy with the choice.

Doug also suggested the Firestone Destination AT2. This is Doug’s choice and a tire we have tested at Torque News on a Jeep Cherokee in snow. It was amazing in our testing, besting a Highlander equipped with Blizzaks. Doug cautions that the Firestone Destination looks great on a truck, and it is definitely quiet, but he says treadlife is below 50K in actual use based on his customers’ experience.

TRelated: Why DId Toyota Choose Firestone Destination Tires For the Tacoma?