Top 5 Best Tires For Nissan Frontier [2023 Review]

By Tire Expert, Ryan Nichols

Your Nissan Frontier is an adventure vehicle, and now it’s time to replace its hiking boots.

I’m here to help you find the right tires to maximize offroad performance and smooth out highway driving. There’s a lot of good to be said about the Nissan Frontier. Its smaller 16-inch wheels and 9-speed transmission (on the newer ones) make for decent fuel economy, and this truck is comparable to the Toyota Tacoma because it will take you to places you couldn’t reach before.

Venturing through dirt roads in the south of Chile in an old 1990s diesel-powered Nissan Frontier made for some of the best times of my life. And let me just mention how rad the Nissan Frontier equipped with a 2.5L Cummins diesel engine is. I’ve rallied newer Nissan Frontiers on native beaches far away from anywhere and they never get stuck in the sand.

I’ve also found the cheapest best tires just in case you need to paint some lipstick on that metaphorical pig of a trashed Frontier before selling.

End rant. Anyway, here are the best tires for Nissan Frontier based on my weathered opinion:

Our Top Pick

Falken Wildpeak AT3W

★★★★★ 4.0/5

4.0

Read Review

Best Budget

Hankook DynaPro HT

★★★★★ 3.5/5

3.5

Read Review

Best High End

BFGoodrich All-Terrain TA KO2

★★★★★ 4.0/5

4.0

Read Review

Most Economical

Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015

★★★★★ 4.0/5

4.0

Read Review

Best Tread Life

Michelin Defender LTX

★★★★★ 4.5/5

4.5

Read Review

Updated as of May 26, 2023

Falken Wildpeak AT3W

Our rating:

4.0/5

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Pros and Cons

Ratings

Wet Traction:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Ride Handling:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Dry Traction:

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Ride Noise:

★★★★★ 3.5/5

Snow Traction:

★★★★★ 3.5/5

Ride Comfort:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Tread Life:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Value For Money:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

A 55-thousand-mile warranty is solid for an all-terrain tire, and that’s just one of the reasons why these are our top choice for your Nissan Frontier.

I love how Falken Wildpeaks dominate offroad driving and highway mileage at the same time. Sure, they’re a bit heavier than all-season or touring tires, but for a Frontier, they’re ideal. Falken Wildpeak AT3W’s ‘S’ speed rating makes them safe for speeds up to 112 MPH, and they feature a heat-diffusing technology that makes them great for long road trips.

Falken brings it with the facts when it comes to their research and technology features on these tires. Take advantage of the optimized tread pattern designed to expel rocks and prevent punctures. Falken tires also feature a polyamide reinforcement ply that helps firm up faster turns and maneuver with weight on the back. The 3D Canyon Sipes create biting edges that handle the business on dirt roads and lighter snow conditions.

I’ve worked on quite a few Mercedes Sprinter vans that have Falken Wildpeaks mounted up, and they seem to always wear evenly and endure through their full potential. Nissan Frontier owners seem to drive most of the time on the highway, but when they do hit the trails, they hit them hard, and these tires do both.

Check the price on these Falkens compared to others on the list (they’re reasonably priced), and keep in mind that they’re the perfect match for your Frontier.

See our in-depth review on Falken Wildpeak.

Hankook DynaPro HT

Our rating:

3.5/5

★★★★★ 3.5/5

Pros and Cons

Ratings

Wet Traction:

★★★★★ 3.0/5

Ride Handling:

★★★★★ 3.0/5

Dry Traction:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Ride Noise:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Snow Traction:

★★★★★ 2.0/5

Ride Comfort:

★★★★★ 3.5/5

Tread Life:

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Value For Money:

★★★★★ 3.5/5

Don’t put cheap tires on your Nissan Frontier. But if you do, mount up these Hankook DynaPro HT. This is the best price you’re going to get for light truck tires, so get after it.

The ‘T’ rating for safe driving up to speeds of 118 MPH max. The Frontier has a max speed of 112, so you should take a chill pill when driving on the highway anyway. These tires will do the trick, and they’ll save you some money.

Although they’re technically the OEM ‘stock’ option for the Frontier, putting these on a newer Frontier for me would be like mismatching my clothes at a party. There are just better options on the table for as capable as the Frontier is.

But these are an ultra-solid option for those old beater Frontiers that need to take ladders to the job, carry tools, etc—any light work that needs to be done can be easily handled by these tires.

Don’t expect to pile on weight with these tires. Their load index rating is sufficient, but you’re not going to have a lot of sidewall control hauling those water machines to the lake. You’re also going to slide all over the place if the dock is wet. And you’d better take a spare and be prepared to switch it out on rocky dirt roads because these will guarantee to get punctured if you start driving too fast while offroading.

On a positive note, these have low rolling resistance and an acceptable (not great) sipe design for evacuating water when hydroplaning on the highway. But remember, these are a symmetrical tire design, meaning they have independent tread blocks, and they’re mostly great for strictly smooth road driving. Southern Californians love this tire because it saves them money on their maintenance costs.

And despite all the trash talk, these come with a 70-thousand-mile warranty. Not bad!

BFGoodrich All-Terrain TA KO2

Our rating:

4.0/5

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Pros and Cons

Ratings

Wet Traction:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Ride Handling:

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Dry Traction:

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Ride Noise:

★★★★★ 3.5/5

Snow Traction:

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Ride Comfort:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Tread Life:

★★★★★ 3.5/5

Value For Money:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

I recommend these if you do a lot of offroading. Commuters, these tires aren’t for you, so back off! Buy Yokohamas or something. These are high-performance tires for offroading and slow cruising with bigger loads. Hitch up the boat or load the bed with gravel using these BFGoodrich tires, and notice how much control they leave you with compared to your previous tires.

I like the 75 aspect ratio number on these because they’re super high profile, and they’ll give your Nissan Frontier an added suspension boost.

Just be really careful that your alignment and suspension are in mint condition before mounting these or it will be a complete waste of money. Seriously, I’ve seen BFGs wear terribly unevenly after just a few thousand miles.

And because they hold a lot of air, they have the potential to lose air pressure through the tire bead (that’ll kill your tires fast). I advise you to clean up the wheels on your older Frontiers nicely to help that tire bead seal nice and tight when mounting these up.

I’ve had these on a Toyota 4×4 van and they were great. Despite the pitiful ‘E’ speed rating (43 MPH safest top speed), I still drove them on I-15 at speeds of 75 MPH without an issue. And these tires were really boss when I wanted to cruise up to the ski resort on a blizzard day—I was passing everyone because of the traction they provided on the steep and snowy roads.

BFG All-Terrain TAKO2 comes with a reasonable 6-year/50 thousand-mile warranty.

Read my in-depth review on BFGoodrich All-Terrain TA KO2 tires for more info.

Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015

Our rating:

4.0/5

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Pros and Cons

Ratings

Wet Traction:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Ride Handling:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Dry Traction:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Ride Noise:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Snow Traction:

★★★★★ 3.5/5

Ride Comfort:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Tread Life:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Value For Money:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Yokohamas for the win for the economical choice. I might just pick these over our top choice (Falkens) because I’m a bit partial to the Yokohama brand. It just seems like every time I hop in a car with Yokohamas they have noticeable grip and performance compared to other tires.

These are versatile and capable for both on and offroad driving which is why I like them so much. Click to check the price on these Yokohamas and you’ll notice that their tread pattern is badass. Trust me, these have a nice feel to the touch when you roll them out to mount them on a truck.

These tires will safely travel 118 MPH with their ‘T’ speed rating. That’s way better than BFG All-Terrain’s pitiful 42 MPH speed rating (although BFGs have insane offroad treads). Also, keep in mind that although these tires have the snowflake symbol on them, they’re not dedicated winter tires. They’ll do pretty well in fresh snow storms especially because tread compound stays nice and soft, but take great caution in extremely cold conditions where black ice might be prevalent.

Throw down a buck fifty a pop for these Yokohamas for a solid all-terrain option for your Frontier. You definitely won’t regret it.

Michelin Defender LTX

Our rating:

4.5/5

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Pros and Cons

Ratings

Wet Traction:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Ride Handling:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Dry Traction:

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Ride Noise:

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Snow Traction:

★★★★★ 3.5/5

Ride Comfort:

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Tread Life:

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Value For Money:

★★★★★ 4.0/5

Michelin’s pickup truck tires are top of the line. These Defender LTX light truck tires will help improve the gas mileage of your Nissan Frontier,

These tires are solid as a rock for boat and ATV/UTV owners that want to pile on some weight and drive long distances to remote locations. These will hold up on rocky roads as long as you drive slow, and they also have a ridiculously great mileage warranty of up to 80 thousand miles. So you can’t go wrong. I highly recommend these for fleet vehicles and any Nissan Frontier that run long miles on the highway.

There are a few technology features that set Michelin Defenders apart from the completion. For example, their Maxtouch Construction helps each individual tire tread make equal contact with the road for great control and even tread wear, especially when cornering.

Their slight asymmetrical design also helps to expel water from the tires so that you maintain control when driving over puddles/wet roads at high speeds. That same asymmetrical design also significantly reduces ride noise to help you focus more on your podcast or music and less on that ugly grinding noise that all-terrain tires sometimes produce.

See our complete review of Michelin Defender LTX light truck tires to learn more.

What To Look For When Buying The Best Tires For Nissan Frontier?

Since the Frontier is a weekend warrior, you ideally want tires that have good offroad traction without losing highway mileage.

Just accept the fact that you don’t live in Baja California (unless you do)—if you’re not constantly driving on bumpy dirt roads, you need to focus more on purchasing a well-balanced tire that still provides a bit of traction that performs in those times where you want to explore that dirt road.

In other words, if you’re doing a lot of road driving, you don’t want Goodyear Wranglers. You want something more like the Michelin Defender LTX.

Light truck/SUV rating

Check the load index rating to make sure the tires can hold the weight of your Nissan Frontier.

Rebates

Keep an eye out for rebates and other deals that are always running for certain brands. Sometimes the deal matters more than the brand.

How Much Do Tires For Nissan Frontier Cost?

Here’s a quick ballpark estimate for Nissan Frontier tires to keep you in the loop:

Four New Tires

Four new tires will cost anywhere from $500 to $1000+ for a complete set plus mounting and balancing for your Nissan Frontier.

Two New Tires

Personally, I’d pay about $300 for two new tires plus installation. Give or take, it’s up to you. The Yokohamas we mentioned cost something $130, and I’d probably go with those honestly.

Single Tire

You’re looking at $100 per tire at the absolute bare minimum. Plus the cost of mounting and balancing from your local tire shop or stealership (dealerships typically charge more).

What Tire Size Is Best For A Nissan Frontier?

265/75R16 is the most common size for your Nissan Frontier, but there are plenty of submodels, so my best advice is to either match the three-number tire size exactly from your previous tires or plug in your Frontier’s submodel and year on Tire Rack’s website.

How Long Should Your Nissan Frontier Tires Last?

All-terrain tires can unfortunately crap out after only 30 thousand miles if your Frontier isn’t aligned properly or has suspension problems. On the upside, if you keep tire pressures to spec and rotate the tires every 3-5 thousand miles, tires like the Michelin Defender will last 80 thousand miles plus some.

When To Replace Tires On Your Nissan Frontier?

It’s pretty easy to inspect your tire treads since the Frontier sits a bit higher than a sedan. The rule of thumb is to replace tires when they wear down to 2/32” (two thirty seconds of an inch) or 1.6 MM, and you might want to replace the tires on your Frontier even earlier to maximize tread in offroad/snowy conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does The Brand Matter For A Nissan Frontier When Replacing Tires?

Brand matters when shopping for Nissan tires. It all depends on the quality that you’re looking for. Some other tire brands you might like are Pirelli, Bridgestone, Toyo, Michelin General Grabber, Nitto Ridge Grappler, Cooper, Goodyear, Firestone, etc. I recommend going with one of the five tire sets from our list because I picked them out specifically for your Nissan Frontier.

Does the Year of Your Nissan Frontier Matter When Buying New Tires?

No, unlike many vehicles, Nissan Frontier has a pretty consistent wheel and tire size from submodel to submodel (265/75/R16). Most of the stock wheels are 16-inch, but you will find that some that come with 17 and 18-inch wheels. There are a lot of different submodels of the Frontier, including LE, S, SL, SE, SV, XE, NISMO, Desert Runner, and Pro-4X.

What Are The Biggest Tires I Can Put On A Nissan Frontier?

Your Nissan Frontier is good to you. Be good to it by giving it some beastly treads. The largest Nissan Frontier comes with stock wheels of up to 18-inches. Technically, you can put as big of wheels as your suspension upgrades allow. Go to town!