Top 10 Best Tires for GMC Sierra 1500: Recommended & Reviews

While most people regard pickup trucks as work-related vehicles, the real truck aficionados buy them for other reasons as well. Those that want a dependable work-truck for the day and luxurious vehicle for the night usually opt for the GMC Sierra 1500.

Even though this truck is based on the same architecture as the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, it offers its passengers a lot more style and features in a muscular, yet refined body. You can consider it as the “premium” vehicle among the full-size truck category.

The newest Sierra 1500 is the most refined truck right now, but not without the right set of tires. To fully exploit all of its qualities, you will need to buy the best tires for GMC Sierra 1500. Depending on your driving style, these Sierra tires should offer you a dependable and durable solution for the next several years.

Choosing the best tires for GMC Sierra 1500 is not as straightforward as it sounds. There are many options on the market available. Some would suit you better than others; that’s why it is very important to choose the best ones for you.

In this article, you can read everything there is to know about tires for GMC’s most luxurious truck. Obviously, we will provide you with the list of Top 10 best tires for GMC Sierra 1500, but with a twist. Instead of making the usual 1-10 list, our list will be divided into several categories.

We firmly believe that there is no set of tires that will work for everybody. For example, the best tire for the street won’t do much for off-roading and vice-versa. That’s why choosing a set of tires according to your needs, and your budget is as important as getting a high-quality product.

To make things even easier for you, we will take you on tour, explaining all tire types that are viable for the GMC Sierra 1500. If you know those things already, you can just go and choose a set of tires from the list (links to our retailers are provided).

However, if you don’t know much about GMC Sierra tires, we recommend reading the buying guide first and then choose Sierra tires that will suit your driving needs.

Top 10 List of the Best Tires for GMC Sierra 1500 Recommended & Reviews

1. Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza Plus

Best Touring Tires for GMC Sierra 1500

The Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza Plus is the most popular touring tire among owners of crossovers, SUVs, and trucks that don’t tow often. The reason is very simple – they offer a balanced driving experience and long-lasting performance.

This is the most durable tire for GMC Sierra 1500 right now – it comes with an 80,000-mile treadwear warranty. It is also very quiet and comfortable – very important for a more luxurious ride.

Finally, the Dueler offers excellent handling capabilities in dry and wet conditions, regardless of the temperature. Braking is also very good, as is high-speed stability. Snow traction could be better, though.

2. Continental CrossContact LX20 with EcoPlus Technology

Best Touring Tires for GMC Sierra 1500

The Continental CrossContact LX20 is an excellent choice for those that want to save on fuel while driving. Thanks to the low-rolling-resistance compound, these tires improve the fuel economy of any truck.

On top of that, the Continental CrossContact LX20 very quiet and comfortable – excellent for trucks like the GMC Sierra 1500. they are also very responsive in the corners, provide the driver with ample grip, traction, and braking in dry, wet, and snowy conditions.

Finally, this GMC Sierra tires comes with 70,000-miles treadwear warranty, which is very good, but still trails the best touring tires for SUVs right now.

3. Pirelli Scorpion Verde All-Season Plus

Best Touring Tires for GMC Sierra 1500

The Scorpion Verde is one of the best touring tires for trucks, especially for those that want an elevated driving experience and to save money on fuel. 

Apart from the slightly lower 65,000-mile treadwear warranty, Pirelli’s competitor is excellent elsewhere. You can expect excellent high-speed stability from this tire, as well as high levels of traction and grip.

Wet performance is excellent, especially thanks to the asymmetric tread pattern that provides outstanding hydroplaning resistance. Pirelli even increased the number of sipes for improved snow traction on this model, and we can confirm that they work.

4. Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Best Highway Tires for GMC Sierra 1500

The Michelin Defender LTX M/S is easily the best highway tire right now. It offers the most dependable traction on dry and wet pavement, excellent grip, and outstanding high-speed stability. Higher load range models offer excellent stability even with a large trailer attached. That said, while hydroplaning resistance is very good, light-snow traction could be better.

Like most Michelin tires, the Defender LTX M/S is very quiet and comfortable, even at higher speeds. It also comes with an outstanding 70,000-miles treadwear warranty for T- H- & V-Speed Rated, and 50,000-mile treadwear warranty for W-Speed rated models.

5. Cooper Discoverer HTP

Best Highway Tires for GMC Sierra 1500

The Cooper Discoverer HTP is a cheaper option than the Defender LTX. However, don’t let the price fool you – this is an excellent all-season highway tire for the GMC Sierra 1500.

On the road, the Cooper is very quiet and comfortable, almost on the level of the Michelin. Traction and grip are also very good, and the same can be said for responsiveness. The Cooper works great in heavy rain but doesn’t have the best winter traction out there.

The Discoverer SRX even comes with a 65,000-mile treadwear warranty, which is very high, considering the price of this tire.

6. General Grabber HTS60

Best Highway Tires for GMC Sierra 1500

The General Grabber HTS60 is a very popular highway option in the USA, especially among trailer aficionados. It is very strong and durable, even though the treadwear warranty doesn’t reflect that (65,000-mile treadwear warranty for S- & T-Speed Rated models, and a 50,000-mile treadwear warranty for LT Sizes & H-Speed Rated models).

On the road, the General Grabber HTS60 provides the driver with ample traction and grip. Wet performance is also very good, but only on lower load ranges that have more siping. On the positive side, the General’s competitor is very quiet and comfortable.

7. Yokohama Parada Spec X

Best Street/Sport Tires for GMC Sierra 1500

If you own the sportiest version of the Sierra 1500 with the largest 275/55R20 wheels, the Yokohama Parada Spec X is an outstanding choice.

Super responsive and precise, the Parada will enhance your driving experience significantly. Grip and traction are also excellent, while braking performance is among the best of any truck tire.

The Yokohama is also one of the best tires in wet conditions, thanks to the wide circumferential center groove and sweeping lateral grooves, unlike its competitors. That said, light-snow traction isn’t as good.

On the positive side, despite the focus on performance, the ride quality is very good, and there is not a lot of noise on the highway. If Yokohama offered a treadwear warranty, the Parada Spec X would’ve been a perfect tire.

8. BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2

Best All Terrain Tires for GMC Sierra 1500

Thanks to the race-derived Krawl-Tek compound, the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 offers amazing off-road traction on gravel, rocks, sand, and mud, almost on the level of mud-terrain tires. The T/A KO2 also has a Sidewall Armor for extra durability and loose object rejection for added peace of mind.

Despite the outstanding off-road performance, the BF Goodrich is still very dependable on the road, both on dry and wet pavement. It even works on snow as well, covered by the 3PMSF rating. That said, noise can be an issue on the highway.

On the positive side, this tire comes with an excellent 50,000-mile treadwear warranty.

9. Falken Wildpeak AT3W

Best All Terrain Tires for GMC Sierra 1500

Falken sadly doesn’t offer any treadwear warranty on the Wildpeak AT3W. However, we firmly believe that it is strong and durable. This tire can withstand even the harshest off-road terrains.

It will also provide you with ample traction while doing that, thanks to the deepest tread in the category. On the road, the Falken provides the driver with excellent high-speed stability, especially thanks to the heat diffuser technology that keeps the tires cool during towing or hauling very heavy loads.

Handling and braking are excellent both in dry and wet conditions. However, like most all terrain tires, noise can be an issue on the highway.

10. Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2

Best Winter Tires for GMC Sierra 1500

The Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 comes with the NanoPro Tech Multicell compound that has a water-loving hydrophilic coating. This coating literally takes the water out of the snow or ice beneath you, improving traction and braking along the way. Sounds silly, but we can confirm that it works.

Apart from its amazing snow performance, the Bridgestone also provides the driver with excellent traction, grip, and braking on dry and wet surfaces when the weather is very cold, thanks to the Multicell compound. That said, the Bridgestone doesn’t come with any treadwear warranty.

Best Tires for GMC Sierra 1500: Buying Guide

1. Touring Tires are Great if You Don’t Tow or Haul Heavy Stuff

The touring category offers the most balanced tires available for pickup trucks and SUVs. In other words, these tires are the best choice for the average GMC Sierra 1500 driver. Firstly, they are very cheap today, even models made from premium manufacturers such as Michelin, Bridgestone, and Pirelli. The biggest reason why they are so popular amongst truck owners, though, is a comfort.

Touring tires provide their passengers with the best possible ride quality, both when driving over smaller and larger imperfections on the road. They are also very, very quiet, even at highway speeds. In the past, the noise was an issue on trucks, especially the one that came from the tires; that’s not the case on modern touring tires anymore.

Then, touring tires are also long-lasting. They don’t have the toughest casings, which means that they can’t be used on very uneven terrain, but their tread life is better than any other type of tire. Most premium touring tires for trucks today come with 70,000 to 80,000-miles treadwear warranty, which is pretty amazing if you ask us.

But what about performance? Well, you shouldn’t expect an exhilarating driving experience, for sure – they aren’t designed for handling. Nonetheless, every touring tire made from a reputable tire manufacturer today offers a safe and reliable driving experience.

On the road, modern touring tires are very responsive and offer a good amount of feedback through the steering wheel. Traction is excellent as well, even on some more powerful trucks, while the side-to-side grip is sufficient, even when driving on a windy road. Finally, the best touring tires provide enough braking for quick stopping.

The best thing when it comes to performance is that touring tires work both on dry and wet conditions. Even during heavy rain, these tires have enough hydroplaning resistance to make driving much safer and easier for the driver.

With all that said, while touring tires are capable of withstanding bigger loads, they aren’t the best choice for very heavy cargo. If you tow frequently with your GMC Sierra 1500 or haul heavy stuff, we recommend going for highway tires.

2. Highway Tires are an Excellent Towing and Hauling Option

Highway tires are similar to touring tires in the way that they offer a balanced set of qualities. However, while touring tires don’t come in high load range capacities, highway tires do.

On top of that, highway tires are often made of tougher casings, which makes them a much better choice for driving over uneven terrains, such as dirt or gravel.

On the road, highway tires offer dependable and safe handling. Much like touring tires, they will not make your GMC Sierra 1500 sporty if you want to drive like a racing enthusiast. Nonetheless, they will still give you ample traction, both on 2WD and 4WD models, very good grip in the corners, and strong braking.

Highway tires will work both on dry and wet pavement. In the rain, they have almost the same traction and grip as touring tires. However, while your Sierra 1500 will drive better with touring tires when it’s not loaded, it will be more stable with highway tires when you tow or haul stuff. With a large trailer attached in the back, highway tires are the best choice.

On the matter of comfort, highway tires have slightly busier ride quality, but that’s expected due to the stiffer sidewalls. More importantly, highway tires are very quiet, even on the highway. 

Apart from being tough, highway tires are also very durable. They are consistently offered with 60,000-miles to 70,000-miles treadwear warranty, amazing given the fact that they can carry so much weight on them.

3. But What If I Want Sporty Handling?

If you drive a GMC Sierra 1500 V8, you might want to think about Street/Sport tires, which will give you much better handling than touring or highway tires. Street/Sport models are made specifically to enhance the driving experience at higher speeds and during hard cornering or braking.

On the road, Street/Sport tires feel much livelier and more responsive. It will almost feel like you drive a lighter truck. They also have better traction, which can be felt during hard acceleration on more powerful versions of the Sierra 1500. The grip is also much better, which translates into higher cornering speeds. Finally, braking is stronger, especially when you drive fast. All these things are valid both on dry and wet surfaces.

These abilities do come at a cost, though. Street/Sport tires aren’t the most comfortable around, even when you compared them to highway tires. They also produce slightly more noise on the highway. Most importantly, though, they have worse tread life and higher starting price.

Street/Sport tires aren’t the best choice for towing or hauling and might get easily damaged if you use them on uneven surfaces, such as dirt and gravel.

4. What About Off-Road Driving?

Highway tires are a reliable choice for driving on dirt and gravel, but not on other off-road surfaces. If you want a more dependable choice for off-roading with the Sierra 1500, we suggest going for all-terrain tires.

The best thing about all terrain tires is that they aren’t designed only for off-road driving. This means that you will still get good traction and grip on the street, both on dry and wet pavement. Sure, these Sierra tires aren’t as responsive as touring or highway tires, but they are completely fine for everyday driving.

You can also safely use them on most off-road terrains. The best all terrain tires today are excellent on dirt and gravel and completely usable on rocks and in the mud. You can pretty much attack any type of terrain with these tires.

All-terrain tires are designed to be very durable as well. They are made from very tough casings that are cut- and -chip resistant and puncture-resistant, which means that even the toughest and most uneven terrain won’t damage them. They also come with 50,000-miles to 60,000-miles treadwear warranty, which is good for most people.

That said, the more aggressive tread pattern of all terrain tires produces more noise on the highway. The latest models are much better in this regard, but noise is still an issue at higher speeds. 

You will also find mud-terrain and maximum traction off road tires on the market, but we don’t think they are a good option for the GMC Sierra 1500. This is a luxurious truck that isn’t really designed for hardcore off-roading.

5. And What About the Climate?

That plays a very important role as well because the rubber compound of the tires is designed to work in a tight temperature range. That’s where you get the all-season, all-weather, summer, and winter designations.

For example, tires that work well in warm conditions will become too hard and brittle when the temperature falls. This will result in quick loss of traction, grip, and stopping power, especially on wet pavement. On the other hand, tires that are designed for cold weather will become too soft in hot conditions, resulting in loss of responsiveness and grip.

To mitigate these issues, most tires that are available for GMC Sierra 1500 are all-season tires. This means that they will work in a larger temperature window than other tires. In other words, they don’t become too brittle in the winter, nor too soft in the summer.

The best all-season tires today provide the driver with dependable handling and braking in dry and wet conditions, regardless of the temperature. However, while some of them work in light snow, that’s really stretching it. We don’t think that you should rely on these tires in harsh wintry conditions.

For real snow and ice traction, handling, and braking, we still recommend winter tires. These tires are specifically designed for very cold climates; the rubber compound here is soft and pliable. Thanks to that, winter tires offer by far the best traction in freezing weather, especially when driving over snow and ice.

All-weather tires are a nice option for those that don’t encounter very harsh wintry conditions, though. These tires belong to the all-season category in the way that they can tackle most conditions. However, while standard all-season tires are better in the summer, all-weather tires are better in the winter, especially in wet and snowy conditions.

Finally, if you want the best possible handling in hot climates, summer tires are the best option. Sadly, not a lot of truck tires today are available with a summer compound – only a few Street/Sport models.

Final Words

As you can see from the list of the best tires for GMC Sierra 1500 above, we mostly covered high-quality tires from reputable manufacturers. We made that choice because we think that the GMC Sierra 1500 deserves premium tires, but also for your own safety. Cheap tires made from manufacturers you don’t really know are not safe to drive and outright dangerous in wet conditions. They also don’t last very long and might be more expensive in the long run. To get the most out of your new tires, always choose high-quality GMC Sierra tires that suit your driving needs, the roads in your area, and of course, the climate.