Best tires for the Mazda Tribute
Top picks across four categories for the Mazda Tribute, anchored to the current-generation OEM size 235/70R16. Every recommendation is selected from our 22,000-tire catalog by ranking on UTQG treadwear, mileage warranty, cabin-noise rating, and season class; no commission-weighted reordering.
Daily driver
Best all-season touring
Long warranty, low noise, balanced ride. The one-tire compromise that works for 80% of owners.
Pirelli
Scorpion all terrain plus
UTQG 600 with a 50,000-mile warranty; long-wear all-season compound built for the daily-driver mileage profile typical for Mazda Tribute owners.
BFGoodrich
All-Terrain T/A KO2
Reinforced sidewall all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Bridgestone
Blizzak DM V2
Touring-tuned all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Bridgestone
Dueler H/T D684 II 235/70R16
Touring-tuned all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Lowest cost per mile
Best budget
Best price-per-warranty-mile in this size. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options, not safety.
Michelin
Defender LTX M/S
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
BFGoodrich
Advantage T/A sport LT
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Continental
CrossContact LX25
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Cooper
Discoverer SRX
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Lowest cabin noise
Best quiet
Tread patterns engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning. Pick this if you commute long highway distances daily.
Pirelli
Scorpion all terrain plus
73 dB cabin-noise rating per the EU tire label; well below the segment median. Tread pattern engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning.
BFGoodrich
All-Terrain T/A KO2
75 dB cabin-noise rating per the EU tire label; still quieter than most competitors in this size. Tread pattern engineered to break up the harmonic peaks that cause highway droning.
Side-by-side
Pick the trade-off that matches your driving
| All-season Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus | Best budget Michelin Defender LTX M/S |
|
|---|---|---|
| UTQG treadwear | 600 | 800 |
| Mileage warranty | 50,000 mi | - |
| Cabin noise | 73 dB | - |
| Season class | all-season | - |
| Type | truck-suv | - |
OEM tire sizes by year
What size does the mazda tribute use?
Recommendations on this page are anchored to the latest model-year's OEM size. Confirm yours against the driver-door placard before purchase.
| Year | OEM size | |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 215/70R16 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 2001–2011 | 235/70R16 | Year-specific fitment → |
How we ranked these tires for the mazda tribute
We started with the latest model-year's OEM tire size; 235/70R16; and filtered our catalog of 22,000+ tires to those offered in that exact size. From there, four parallel rankings:
- Best all-season ranks on a weighted score: tire type matches passenger car segment, season is "all-season", premium brand bonus (Michelin / Continental / Bridgestone / Pirelli / Goodyear / Nokian).
- Best budget ranks on cost-per-warranty-mile; the lower the better. Premium brands get no bonus here.
- Best quiet ranks on the EU tire-label dB rating; lower is quieter.
- Best winter filters to tires marked 3PMSF severe-snow rated or all-weather class, with a small premium-brand bonus because winter-compound R&D is capital-intensive.
For sedans and compacts, the all-season touring tire below is the best default; long warranty, low cabin noise, reasonable cost per mile. Switch to the quiet pick if highway droning is a deal-breaker; switch to the winter pick if you see significant snow each year. Use the side-by-side comparison above to weigh the trade-offs against your specific driving; highway-heavy, winter-state, performance-oriented, or budget-constrained.
NHTSA-reported issues for mazda tribute
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (19) · Tread / Belt (8) · Sidewall (2)
Reported across: 2001 – 2008 (7 years)
What owners described
Blowout or sudden deflation is the most common description, in 23% of these reports. Percentages are shares of the 22 reports covering every model year of the Mazda Tribute that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 23% | 20% | 1.1× |
| Sidewall failure | 23% | 15% | 1.5× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 9% | 9% | 1.0× |
| Tread or belt separation | 5% | 13% | 0.3× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 5% | 8% | 0.5× |
Mileage at failure
15 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 28,000 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 11,000 and 112,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Mazda Tribute. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
WHILE TRAVELING ON A CLEAN, SMOOTH HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 60 MPH WITH ONE DRIVER AND UNLOADED, REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE EXPERIENCED BLOW OUT IN MIDDLE OF SIDEWALL. THE TIRE WAS SHOWN TO A LOCAL DEALER FOR WARRANTY REPLACEMENT. THE DEALER INITIALLY REFUSED TO REPLACE THE TIRE, CLAIMED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A ROAD HAZARD, THAT TIRES DON'T JUST EXPLODE. THE DEALER ULTIMATELY REPLACED THE TIRE BUT DID NOT ADMIT TO ANY TIRE DEFECT.
I HAVE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS HT P235/70R16 104T M+S TIRES WHICH CAME WITH MY 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE SUV UPON PURCHASE IN NOVEMBER OF 2000. RECENTLY, WITH 30,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, I NOTICED A CRACK RUNNING ALONG THE SIDE CIRCUMFERENCE OF ALL FOUR TIRES. THE CRACK RUNS ON THE SIDE OF THE TREAD WHERE I BELIEVE THE TREAD IS BONDED TO THE TIRE. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE P235 / 70R16 MODEL HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED UNDER YOUR CONSUMER ADVISORY OF 1 SEPTEMBER, 2002 OR IN ANY RECALL AND MAY BE A SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE DIGITAL PHOTOS CLEARLY SHOWING THE CRACKING WHICH I HAVE SENT TO YOUR WEB MASTER EMAIL. I CAN RESEND THEM AT YOUR REQUEST. NLM
I JUST PURCHASED A NEW 2004 MAZDA MPV, VIN [XXX]. I NOTICE THE OWNER'S MANUAL SPECIFIES A TIRE INFLATION PRESSURE OF 240 KPA (35 PSI), BUT THE VEHICLE PLACARD STATES 240 KPA (32 PSI). SINCE THE CORRECT CONVERSION FROM 240 KPA TO PSI IS 35 PSI, IT APPEARS THE VEHICLE PLACARD IS INCORRECT. MOST USERS IN THE USA WILL USE THE PSI AMOUNT TO DETERMINE PROPER INFLATION PRESSURE. THEREFORE, THE INCORRECT PLACARD INFLATION PRESSURE OF 32 PSI WILL CAUSE UNDERINFLATION OF THE TIRE WHICH CAN LEAD TO TIRE FAILURE AND VEHICLE ACCIDENT.*AK UPDATED 07/26/2012 *JSS.C. 552(B)(6)
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MAZDA TRIBUTE. THE VEHICLE HAS CONTINENTAL CONTITRAC TIRES, SIZE P235/70R16. AND DOT# A30846JB3604. WHILE DRIVING 73 MPH THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TREAD SEPARATED, LOST AIR, AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FISH TAIL. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HE HAD TO PURCHASE TWO NEW REAR TIRES BECAUSE HE WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS TREAD SEPARATION ON THE PASSENGER REAR TIRE AS WELL. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGES TO THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT, STEP GUARD WAS BENT, GLASS WAS CHIPPED IN THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW, AND THE MOLDING IN THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL WELL WAS BROKEN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,500. UPDATED 08/18/08 *BF UPDATED 08/19/08
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Mazda Tribute →
FAQ
What's the best all-season tire for the Mazda Tribute?
Should I get a cheaper tire for my Mazda Tribute?
Does the Mazda Tribute need winter tires?
Can I run a different tire size on my Mazda Tribute?
Where can I buy these tires?
Last verified 2026-10-07.