Choosing the Right Tires: The Best Tires for the Honda CR-V

Last updated: June 19, 2020 by Tire Deets

I’m not a big fan of crossover SUVs. But it’s hard to deny the reasons why crossovers are popular. One of the finest examples is the Honda CRV. The first-generation CRV quickly became a hit, and the latest model is now home to the latest tech equipment and advanced safety features.

What’s more enticing is the turbo engine in the 2019 Honda CRV, which is available in the EX trim. It pumps out 190-horsepower and 179 pound-feet of torque. But even the base 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine is sufficient with 184-horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque.

Contrary to popular belief, crossovers need different tires from compact cars. Yes, you can essentially fit the same set of tires in a Honda Civic and Honda CRV. But if you have a newer model with bigger wheels, you’ll need the right set of tires to do the job.

Choosing the wrong set of tires will not destroy your car per se, but problems such as tire roar, wiggling, and bad fuel economy are not easy to live with on a daily basis. And with the dizzying array of tire choices, it’s easy to get lost in the confusion.

In order to help you out, we created a handy list of the best tires for Honda CRV. The first part is about the best OEM brands that are highly recommended for the Honda Civic. Mind you, brand name tires are not cheap, but they have tons of features to give your CRV a smoother and safer ride.

The bottom part of the list is dedicated to aftermarket tire brands that offer the same bang for a lesser buck. Our choices for cheap Honda CRV tires will help you decide which tire is applicable for any type of budget.

What are the best tires for Honda CRV?

You can save significant money if you choose a set of all-season touring tires. You can go for a standard touring or grand touring set of tires depending on your preference. It’s no use spending ridiculous amounts of money on summer tires of performance tires since we’re not talking about a sports sedan or sports car.

But for the Honda CRV, the best choice is a quality set of all-season touring tires that offer year-round traction and comfort. You can opt for high-performance tires if you want tighter handling, but this comes at the expense of faster wear and a less comfortable ride.

The Best OEM Tires for Honda CRV

1. Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max

The Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max is specifically applicable to crossovers and sport-utility vehicles. It’s an all-season touring tire that offers superior resistance to wear while giving the driver better handling and a comfortable ride.

The tire is constructed from Goodyear’s proprietary fuel-saving compound with low rolling resistance. It is formulated to minimize the energy consumption as the tire rolls on the pavement. However, the tread design is unique and helps keep the tire planted on all types of surfaces, including snow and hard ice.

The inboard and outboard shoulders of the tire have sturdy read blocks to deliver precise handling and better traction on dry roads. However, the central Dual Aqua Channel grooves are designed to evacuate water from the contact patch. This gives better grip on wet, slippery, snowy, and icy roads. The multiple sipes provide the necessary biting edges to handle changing road conditions.

The Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max is a perfect match to the Honda CRV. It’s not the most affordable option starting at $185 each for a set of 18-inch tires, but you get a 6-years/75,000-treadwear warranty for the price. This tire is a wise choice if you drive a lot of miles in your CRV.

2. Michelin Premier LTX

The Michelin Premier LTX is an all-season touring tire for light trucks, crossovers, and small SUVs. This tire is famous for providing relentless traction even as the treads wear out. Michelin proudly claims the Premier LTX is engineered for shorter stopping distances when worn compared to a brand new set of comparable tires.

That’s a bold claim, and you better believe it. And it better be true since it costs around $200 each. This is not a budget tire for Honda CRV, but you get your money’s worth in terms of features and durable all-weather performance.

It starts with a silica enriched tread compound infused with sunflower oil. This improves traction and grip on both wet and dry roads. The symmetric tread design has a continuous center rib with notched intermediate ribs to improve handling and stability. The linked shoulder blocks provide great handling and better steering response.

The tire also comes with Michelin’s Expanding Rain Grooves that widen as the tire wears out. In the meantime, the Emerging Grooves open up across the shoulders of the tire to provide the required biting edges. It’s a tire that grows new grooves as the initial layer of the tread wears off!

If you can afford it, the Michelin Premier LTX belongs to the top of the best tires for Honda CRV.

3. Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Plus

The Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Plus is a steal at around $160 each. It’s not as costly as the Michelin Premier LTX, but it’s loaded with eco-friendly features to reduce carbon footprints as you drive. This tire is rated as one of the best tires for Honda CRV.

The Scorpion Verde is Pirelli’s eco-friendly all-season touring tire. It is designed for crossovers and small SUVs but is lighter than comparable tires. Pirelli utilized a silica-enhanced tread compound with reduced rolling resistance. This improves fuel economy without penalizing traction and grip. The asymmetric tread design provides a uniform contact patch for longer wear and a silent ride.

The tire also comes with four circumferential grooves and longitudinal sipes to enhance traction over rainy, slippery, or snowy roads. As we said, the Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Plus provides terrific value, especially if you consider the unlimited-time tread life warranty that comes standard with each purchase.

If you’re looking to improve the fuel economy and ride silence in your Honda CRV, the Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Plus is the best choice.

4. Michelin CrossClimate SUV

The Michelin Cross Climate SUV is a special kind of tire. It’s designed to handle changing weather conditions and light snow. However, it still falls short of a proper snow tire even though it comes with the 3MPSF or three-peak mountain snowflake symbol. But most all, it remains a quiet and comfortable touring tire for all-season driving.

What’s impressive is how this tire performs in both dry and wet roads. It is constructed using an all-season tread compound. The sporty and rugged directional tread pattern is highly distinguishable. It comes with wide lateral grooves and open shoulders top evacuate water faster than normal tires. The transverse ribs are nearly solid and provide the necessary amounts of traction in dry weather.

The tire is also equipped with Michelin’s Emerging Grooves and 3D self-locking sipes. The former widens or opens up as the shoulder wears out. This helps maintain solid handling. The latter creates additional biting edges to support driving in adverse weather conditions.

As an added bonus, the Michelin Cross Climate SUV is a looker. It will improve the sporty style and stance of your Honda CRV. But this tire is also the most expensive in this list at $250 each. But if you live in tropical climates or four-season weather conditions, it’s hard to compete with the Michelin Cross Climate SUV.

5. Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport A/S

The Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport A/S is an all-season sporty tire for crossovers, light trucks, and SUVs. It’s also pricey at $180 each, but it comes with a 40,000-mile limited treadwear warranty. This tire is constructed using an all-season and low rolling resistance tread compound to improve fuel economy and deliver more miles.

Bridgestone gave the Dueler H/P Sport A/S four circumferential grooves and high angle slots to improve the wet performance of the tire. It’s a good choice for changing weather conditions and light snow.

But this tire is not only built for all-weather traction and grip. It manages to deliver a silent and comfortable ride with reduced emissions and better fuel economy. The Bridgestone name is one of the most trusted and renowned brands in the tire industry. In fact, the Dueler brand has been around for quite some time and is dedicated to improving the driving experience in your crossover SUV.

6. Yokohama Geolandar G055

The Yokohama Geolandar is a tire specifically made for small and medium-sized utility vehicles including crossovers and SUVs. It’s an all-season touring tire that delivers year-round traction, confident handling, and eco-friendly driving experience.

This tire is constructed from a special blend of silica-enhanced all-season compound and orange oil technology. The rubber is designed for lower rolling resistance and resistance to wear while still providing all-season and all-weather grip. The Geolandar G055 has a symmetrical tread design with integrated shoulders and a continuous center rib. The treads are computer designed to reduce road noise and promote even wear.

It also comes with notched siping and transition grooves to maintain block rigidity. They also provide the required biting edges when traversing over snow, mud, ice, and rain. With unique circumferential zigzag grooves that channel water away from the contact patch, the Yokohama Geolandar remains one of the best all-season and all-weather tires for the Honda CRV.

There’s more good news. This tire is more affordable and starts at around $165 each. This is not the cheapest option out there, but it remains a solid choice for an SUV tire.

7. Kumho Crugen Premium

The Kumho Crugen Premium is admittedly an expensive choice for a crossover tire. However, these tires are sportier and sleeker with lower-profile designs. It’s an excellent all-season touring tire that also excels over light snow, ice, and mud.

Kumho utilized a premium all-season tread compound with lower rolling resistance in constructing the Crugen Premium. It is formulated for enhanced all-weather traction and longer wear. Kumho is offering a 6-years/60,000-mile tread life warranty in each tire, so that’s saying a lot.

The tire also comes with a symmetrical tread pattern with variable-pitch tread design. This feature enhances the quiet nature of the tires even in sustained high-speed driving. The tire is also equipped with wider circumferential grooves and independent tread blocks to provide outstanding traction over loose, slippery, or demanding pavement.

Like we said earlier, the Kumho Crugen Premium is an expensive choice at around $125 each. But then again, you get a solid and reliable set of all-season tires with a comfortable and silent ride. It even comes with a solid warranty.

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The Best Cheap Tires for Honda CRV

We understand not everyone can afford $150 for a new tire. Luckily for you, the market is filled with great choices that won’t burn a hole in your wallet. Here is our list of the best cheap tires for the Honda CRV.

1. Hankook Dynapro HP2

Hankook’s entry in the crossover/SUV touring category seriously undercuts the premium competition in price, yet it promises excellent performance across the board.

Unlike other touring tires from the company, the Dynapro HP2 is specifically designed for owners of crossovers and SUVs, such as the Honda CR-V.

Hankook utilized an all-season tread compound enhanced with silica, molded into a symmetric tread pattern. The pattern itself features four circumferential grooves for better water evacuation and numerous sipes across the shoulder blocks for enhanced winter traction.

As a result of that design, the Dynapro HP2 resists hydroplaning like a real champion, providing the driver with safe handling. Moreover, the tire works excellently over light snow, something that can’t be said for most cheap all-season tires. Dry handling is very impressive as well, at least for the category and price.

Comfort levels are outstanding – the Dynapro HP2 is supremely quiet on the highway, and it eats smaller and larger imperfections with ease. Owners also report excellent treadlife, even though the 65,000-mile treadwear warranty isn’t very impressive for class standards.

The only real gripe I have with the Dynapro HP2 is the average performance on damp courses. In these circumstances, the tire lacks the grip and traction of more expensive premium options.

2. Kumho Solus KL21

The Kumho Solus KL21 is an all-season touring tire with a unique feature: the symmetric tread design is derived from the markings of a bamboo tree! That’s right, Kumho managed to infuse nature’s design in a supreme all-season tire.

However, the Kumho Solus KL21 is not as cheap at $135 each. But compared to OEM tires, it remains a solid choice for the budget conscious consumer. The tire is constructed from a high-dispersible silica-enhanced tread compound for solid all-weather traction, even over light snow or cold weather. It’s also formulated to deliver lower rolling resistance for better fuel economy and longer wear.

The Kumho Solus KL21 is also built for the long haul. It features twin high-tensile belts with a reinforced spirally-wrapped nylon ply to improve strength and durability. This is a great tire if you do a lot of cross-country driving in your Honda CRV.

3. General Altimax RT43

Another great choice for a low-cost SUV tire is the General Altimax RT43. General Altimax RT43 tires are one of the best tires for Honda CRV should have on your vehicle. The RT stands for Road Touring, but the Altimax is classified as a premium grand touring tire. This means higher levels of comfort with the ride silence of a mausoleum.

This tire features an innovative dual compound construction. General utilized a low-density foundation compound that absorbs vibration and cushions the ride. The top layer of compound is a twin-cushion silica-enhanced formula that offers year-round traction and superior cold weather performance.

The General Altimax RT43 features a symmetrical tread design with independent tread blocks and a continuous center rib. This not only gives the tire a sportier appearance but it also utilizes sound wave suppression technology to further minimize road noise.

The General Altimax RT43 is a safe and reliable choice at around $115 each. If you want lasting comfort in your Honda CRV, the Altimax RT43 is as good as it gets without breaking the bank.

4. Laufenn G Fit AS

There are many reasons why the Laufenn G Fit AS belongs in the list of best cheap tires for the Honda CRV. It all begins with the price. Costing around $95 each, it’s hard to find a cheaper tire with the same capabilities as the Laufenn G Fit AS. It’s an all-season grand touring tire that offers year-round comfort and all-weather traction.

The Laufenn G Fit AS is equipped with a symmetrical tread design. It comes with noise-reducing rib blocks and a computer-optimized five-variable pitch tread design to deliver better ride comfort with lesser noise. The tire even comes with chamfered groove blocks to offer better grip in wet and snowy weather.

The tire is also constructed for enhanced durability. Laufenn utilized two high-tensile steel belts with a jointless nylon cover to improve handling and resistance to early wear. If you can’t spend more than $400 for a complete set of four tires in your Honda CRV, the Laufenn G Fit AS is worth a second look.

5. Hankook Kinergy ST

The Kinergy ST is Hankook’s standard touring tire. It offers all-season traction with a comfortable ride. It starts at around $110 each and remains a sterling choice in the budget tire category. Hankook constructed the Kinergy ST from an abrasion-resistant all-season tread compound. The symmetric tread design is optimized to bite the road surface while minimizing rolling resistance. The result is a tire with tons of usable grip while still giving you better fuel economy.

The optimized pitch sequence is engineered to reduce tire roar while independent tread blocks and variable siping offers better grip in slippery, wet, or snowy roads. While this tire is meant for all-season driving, it’s not good enough over ice or light snow. But that weakness is counteracted by the tire’s smooth ride and stable handling.

With deep circumferential grooves and open shoulder slots, the tire is able to pump out water and slush from the face of the tread. This allows the tire to offer stronger breaking and continuous grip when driving in heavy rain or slippery pavement. Hankook made sure the Kinergy ST is durable enough to handle the weight of your Honda CRV. The tire carcass is crafted from two steel belts, a full-width nylon cap, and a high-stiffness bead filler. All of these features allow the Hankook Kinergy ST to perform like a more expensive tire when the going gets tough.

Other recommended tires

You can also check out the other types of recommended tires for Honda CRV

All-season touring tires:
Bridgestone Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia
Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza Plus
Continental CrossContact LX20

All-Terrain tires:
BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2
Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015
Pirelli Scorpion ATR
Cooper Discoverer A/T3

Highway Tires:
Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Yokohama YK-HTX
General Grabber HTS60

Street/Sport Tires: (High Performance all-season tires):
Yokohama Parada Spec-X
Nitto NT 421Q
Falken Ziex STZ05
Cooper Discoverer HTP
Continental CrossContact UHP
Michelin Latitude Sport
General Grabber UHP

Conclusion

When choosing new best tires for your Honda CRV, you don’t have to rely on the best OEM brands. But of course, it all depends on what you can afford. Our list of the best tires is proof that you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a quality set of tires.