Locations in Iowa: 14
First Iowa location opening date: Davenport IAQ01 | September 3, 2003
Common vehicles: Sedans, crossovers, SUVs and pickup trucks
Major regions/cities: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, Iowa City, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Waterloo, Ames, Council Bluffs
Road conditions: Roads generally good with some potholes caused by yearly freezing; inclement weather such as rain, hail and snow; maintained highways and dirt or gravel country roads.
In the heart of the Corn Belt, Iowans enjoy some of the best roads in the country. With minimal traffic (compared to mid-sized regions and metro centers) and a steady 3.1 million residential population not prone to fluctuations from tourism or migration, Iowa is consistently ranked high on lists of states with the best roads.
Iowans enjoy a robust economy based heavily on agriculture, green energy production, manufacturing, biotechnology and financial services. But it’s not all sunny in the Hawkeye State. While Iowans enjoy good roads and a varied economy, they also contend with a humid continental climate, including hot summers and freezing winters.
And even though roads are generally good, going from 0F to a balmy 86F leads inevitably to potholes, which wreak havoc on your wheels and tires.
(That reminds us: do your wheels need patching up? Or maybe it’s time for them to retire? We sell wheels and wheel repair services, too!)
This, paired with the realities of rain, snow, sleet, ice and hail, make selecting the right tires extremely important in Iowa. But where to start?
With such an important task at hand, we at America's Tire are offering you our research into the best car and truck tires for Iowa. We’ve done the legwork for you, all you need to do is make your purchase.
BEST CAR TIRES FOR IOWA
Thanks to its four season climate with humid heat, aggressive rain, sleet, ice, hail and snow, the all-season tire is the preferred tire pick. Iowa’s flat landscape makes an all-season touring tire an ideal solution to the tire-buying problem.
According to Andrew Snowder, assistant manager and 20-year DT veteran at the Wiley America's Tire in Cedar Rapids, IA: customers’ chief concerns are all-season protection and boosted winter traction.
Andrew recommends the Michelin Defender 2 because it combines all-season traction, class-leading comfort, long service life and stellar wet and light weather performance. The enormous 80,000-mile warranty is nothing to sneeze at either!
Dustin Katts, store manager and eight-year veteran at the Clive, IA America's Tire urges customers to check out the Continental ControlContact Tour A/S Plus. This America's Tire exclusive offers tire longevity, traction and very light snow performance. It’s also budget-friendly.
Do you have a sportier ride? Josh Cisco, senior assistant manager at the Davenport America's Tire has some pointers! He says the Continental Extreme Contact DWS06 Plus offers your high-powered ride full-tilt performance in all seasons with responsive handling and dry, wet and light snow traction, all with a considerable 50k-mile warranty. Customers give it top reviews!
Another solid, ultra-high performance all-season pick Josh recommends is the Continental Control Contact Sport SRS+. It offers agile maneuverability, hydroplane resistance and great all-season traction, perfect for drivers looking to pep up their daily grind. While both of these options provide big thrills and dependable all-season grip, you’ll want to swap over to a set of performance-oriented winter tires come winter time.
For customers looking for true year-round grip, Brett Paulson at the Mason City America's Tire points to the Nokian Encompass AW01, an all-weather alternative to the all-season tire. Brett says it has been selling like crazy due to its puncture-resistant construction, three-mountain snowflake rating, luxurious ride and reasonable price tag for its class.
Another well-rounded all-weather tire that can hang with winter weather is the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady. Rated for severe service use with great wet and dry traction, it features a soybean oil-infused rubber compound to stay pliable and provide your ride with necessary traction in ice and snow.
BEST TRUCK TIRES FOR IOWA
Brett Paulson finds that most pickup drivers in Iowa gravitate toward an aggressive tire to contend with the weather and driving conditions. Trucks often see plenty of off-road and soft-road use, whether for work, use on the farm or time on back country roads. Enter: the all-terrain tire.
Brett’s first suggestion is the Goodyear Wrangler UltraTerrain AT. His customers love its rugged tread, which has the performance chops to stand up to Iowa’s climate and off-road challenges. With its durable, aggressive design, it features the 3PMS severe weather rating and provides all the grip you need to tango with any terrain.
Andrew agrees, but adds the BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2, a heavy hitter in the off-road community. A powerhouse in mud, snow, rocks and other rough terrain (especially when aired down), this severe weather rated tire gives all it has.
(Do you want an even more rugged all-terrain tire? Josh says to consider the Nitto Ridge Grappler. Not only is it one of the best looking all-terrain tires out there, it’s an off-road warrior with on-road manners to impress.)
If your main concerns are tire wear, wet and winter performance, Josh suggests the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W. A rugged, off-road-ready tire with rugged puncture resistance and an in-your-face design, it’s the peak of all-terrain tires.
On a budget? Dustin says the America's Tire exclusive Pathfinder AT is every bit as capable higher tier tires. With a tough build and severe weather rating, it can conquer any terrain and weather any storm. It even has a mileage warranty for up to 55k miles!
Iowans who don’t need a rough-and-tumble all-terrain need not despair. We have plenty of amazing highway options for you, too. Andrew offers the Michelin Defender LTX M/S, the pinnacle of pickup performance. This rockstar is a top seller, and for good reason. Well-known and well-loved, it delivers dynamic handling, excellent all-season traction, a premium ride and a long-lasting tread life.
For similar performance with an added dose of luxury, try the Bridgestone Dueler LX. Our exclusive tire, the LX features controlled highway handling, a comfy ride and great grip in any weather, all backed by a warranty for up to 70,000 miles.
DO I NEED SNOW TIRES IN IOWA?
With temps that regularly dip into Arctic levels of cold, not to mention regular snowfall and ice, the answer is: yes, Iowan drivers need winter tires to achieve maximum safety come wintertime.
You should change to winter tires when temperatures are consistently below 45F.
Snow is only part of the problem; temperature is the real tire killer. Winter tires (AKA called snow tires) are engineered specifically to perform in cold conditions. Andrew and Brett both say only half their customers make the switch to proper winter/snow tires in the colder season. They instead opt to trust in their all-season or all-terrain tires. This is a mistake as winter tires perform and brake better in temperatures below 45F.
Iowans who trust in their all-season tires may be surprised to learn that all-season tires don’t perform as well as winter tires. Pickups and SUVs with four-wheel drive don’t do much better, and severe-weather rated all-terrains might not make as much of a difference as you’d think. In fact, all-terrain and mud tires perform poorly compared to designated winter tires.
Josh in Davenport, IA agrees: “All-terrains are not really good for snow. My customers think they do just as well as winter tires, but that’s just not the case.”
The best way to stay safe on winter roads is by rolling on a set of winter tires.
Josh says the Bridgestone Blizzak and Nokian Hakkapeliitta lines tend to make up 80% of his winter tire sales. For good reason too: they’re the most heavily tested and well-engineered winter tires we know of.
Dustin’s pick? The Bridgestone Blizzak WS90. It’s his most requested winter tire. It has superb stopping power on ice and snow due to its large contact area that ensures control on the road in even the most challenging conditions. Plus, it’s suitable for your coupe, sedan, crossover or minivan.
Andrew recommends the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10. With precise steering feedback, resistance to tears and uneven wear and polar performance in literally any winter weather, it’s a great option for your passenger car.
If you’re looking for a winter tire with a mileage warranty (a rarity), Brett says you’ll like the Michelin X-Ice Snow. This tire has a 40k-mile warranty and features both the three peak mountain snowflake severe weather rating and the M+S badge.
(Got a Tesla or other electric vehicle? Josh says the Pirelli Sottozero 3 is an excellent winter tire for your EV! Check out our electric vehicle tire buyer’s guide for more!)
Iowans with trucks will like the Bridgestone Blizzak DMV2. It has winter tire chops to power through ice and snow. Popular for a reason, it offers concrete control in braking, handling and traction.
Dustin recommends the Hankook I Pike RW11 Studdable. This high-value tire has a sturdy construction and offers amazing stability, even under load. With stone ejectors, puncture resistance and thousands of biting edges that dig into snow and ice, it’s a formidable winter tire for your light truck or SUV.
By the way, if you’re wondering, “are studded snow tires legal in Iowa,” the answer is: yes. Studded snow tires are legal in Iowa from Nov. 1 to April 1. That said, for many drivers a non-studded winter tire will likely meet your driving needs.
There’s so many good choices you might not be sure where to start. Find your footing with Treadwell, our smart tire buying guide that helps you find the ideal tire for your driving needs, budget and vehicle type. It’s so smart we use it in-store to make our tire recommendations!
If you have questions or want to upgrade your wheels or tires, give us a ring, drop by or make an appointment online! Customers who book and buy online first wait less time in-store!
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