Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. We research rather than test, and commissions never change our rankings. This site is reader-supported: those commissions pay for hosting, research and keeping every guide up to date, so if a guide helped you, buying through our links is an easy way to support it. How we rank · Full disclosure
TL;DR
- Warranties run to 75,000 miles on the Michelin Defender LTX M/S2's H- and T-rated sizes, the longest of any tire in this library. The General Grabber HTS60 carries up to 65,000 miles and the Nitto Dura Grappler 60,000 on P-metric and metric sizes.
- That advantage shrinks on LT sizes. Michelin's LT sizes drop to 50,000 miles, and Nitto's warranty doesn't cover the Dura Grappler's LT sizes at all.
- LT highway tires aren't shallow. The Dura Grappler LT265/70R17 has 16.8/32in of new tread, more than Nitto's hybrid Ridge Grappler in the same size (16.4/32in), and weighs about 4 lb less.
- None of the three carries the 3PMSF severe-snow symbol.
- NHTSA estimates that a 10% cut in rolling resistance improves fuel economy by 1 to 2%.
At a Glance
| Tire | Sizes | Load ranges | New tread depth | Mileage warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Grabber HTS60 | 27 on 15–22in wheels | SL, XL, E | 10–14/32" (varies by size) | Up to 65,000 mi |
| Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 | 54 on 16–24in wheels | XL, E, F | 11–14/32" (varies by size) | 75,000 mi (H/T-rated sizes); 50,000 mi (S-rated LT sizes) |
| Nitto Dura Grappler | 24 on 16–22in wheels | SL, XL, E | 12.6–17.3/32" (varies by size) | 60,000 mi (P-metric/metric sizes) |
What Makes a Tire a Highway Truck Tire
"Highway" and "highway-terrain" are makers' labels for truck and SUV tires built for pavement. The tread uses continuous ribs and siping rather than separate, widely spaced blocks. Nitto's Dura Grappler shows the design choices. Its multi-rib pattern links tread blocks to reduce flex, which Nitto says improves tread life and makes the tire quieter. Waved sipes add wet traction, and circumferential grooves move water out of the footprint. Nitto uses a 4-rib tread on LT-metric sizes and a 5-rib tread on P-metric sizes.
Michelin positions the Defender LTX M/S2 for pickups and full-size SUVs, with traction in dry, wet and light snow. General calls the Grabber HTS60 an all-season touring tire for crossovers, light trucks and SUVs, with what it calls DuraGen Technology for durability. NHTSA's buying guide describes all-season tires as handling a variety of road conditions with some mud and snow capability.
Warranty Terms, Model by Model
- Michelin Defender LTX M/S2: 75,000 miles on H- and T-speed-rated sizes and 50,000 miles on S-rated LT sizes, under Michelin's Promise Plan with a 60-day satisfaction guarantee.
- General Grabber HTS60: a limited treadwear warranty of up to 65,000 miles, a 45-day trial and 12 months of road-hazard coverage. General doesn't say on the product page which sizes get less.
- Nitto Dura Grappler: 60,000 miles on P-metric and metric sizes. The LT sizes have no mileage warranty.
Michelin also publishes the test behind its tread-life claim. In 275/55R20 on 2020 Ford F-150s, it says the Defender LTX M/S2 showed an estimated life of 95,200 miles, against 45,300 for the Bridgestone Alenza AS Ultra, 65,900 for the Continental TerrainContact H/T and 61,100 for the Pirelli Scorpion All Season Plus 3. Michelin converts that into "2 extra years" using the DOT average of 13,500 miles a year. It is Michelin's own test in one size.
Mileage warranties are prorated. Under Nitto's formula, the owner pays actual miles driven divided by warranted miles, times the current dealer price. A 60,000-mile tire that wears out evenly at 48,000 miles gets a 20% credit.
P-Metric Versus LT: Which One Your Truck Needs
Most of the warranty gap between categories is in passenger sizes, so the size type matters before the tread. The Dura Grappler's P265/70R17 113S is rated 2,535 lb at 44 psi with 13.1/32in of tread. Its LT265/70R17 Load Range E is 121/118Q, rated 3,195 lb at 80 psi with 16.8/32in of tread, and weighs 50.71 lb against 42.58 lb.
FMVSS 110 sets the rule. On a truck or SUV, the maximum load ratings of the tires on each axle must add up to at least the gross axle weight rating (GAWR) on the certification label. A passenger tire has its rating divided by 1.10 first. That P265/70R17 counts as about 2,305 lb, or 4,609 lb per axle, against 6,390 lb for two of the LT tires. Goodyear's advice is to never go below the original tire's load index. The original size and cold pressure are on the door-jamb placard, and NHTSA stresses inflating to that placard figure, not to the maximum molded on the tire.
Towing and Heavy Loads
For towing, the specs that matter are load range, load index and inflation, not tread design. All three models offer Load Range E sizes, and the Defender LTX M/S2 adds Load Range F. An LT sidewall shows two load indexes, such as 121/118. The first is the single-tire rating and the second applies when the tire runs as a dual. Goodyear's chart converts 121 to 3,197 lb and 118 to 2,910 lb.
Speed ratings also differ by size type. The Dura Grappler's LT sizes are Q or R (99 or 106 mph on Goodyear's chart), while its passenger sizes run S, T or H (112 to 130 mph). Goodyear advises replacing tires with an equal or higher speed rating than the originals.
When to Step Up to an All-Terrain
Three published specs decide it. For severe snow, you need a 3PMSF-marked tire, and none of these three has one. Several all-terrain tires do, as do some rugged-terrain models. For regular gravel, rock or mud, makers add stone ejectors, open shoulder blocks and reinforced sidewalls to all-terrain and mud-terrain tires. The highway tires here don't claim those features. If you run LT sizes anyway, the warranty gap is small. Several all-terrains here carry 50,000 to 60,000 miles on LT sizes, which matches or beats the highway tires' LT coverage. See the all-terrain and mud-tire hub and the towing and payload hub for the wider setup.
Getting the Warranty Miles
Mileage warranties depend on maintenance records. Nitto's warranty requires tires to be worn evenly to the treadwear indicators with rotation records, and excludes irregular wear caused by wrong inflation, overloading or misalignment. NHTSA says proper inflation can extend a tire's average life by 4,700 miles. It says to check pressure cold, meaning the tire hasn't been driven for at least three hours. Tires should be replaced at 2/32in of tread. The raised treadwear-indicator bars in the grooves mark that point.
Highway / All-Season Truck Tires in This Library
How We Cover Highway Truck Tires
Specs come from each maker's own spec page. We do not buy, install or physically test tires; see how we rank. Our best all-terrain tires for highway driving roundup covers quieter all-terrains, and the all-terrain vs all-season tires comparison covers the category decision.
Sources
- Michelin — Defender LTX M/S2 product page — 54 sizes, 50,000- and 75,000-mile warranty tiers, 13/32in tread (Michelin FAQ), the 275/55R20 F-150 treadwear test behind the 'two extra years' claim, the note that UTQG does not apply to light-truck sizes, and the +/-3% section-height and +/-4% width tolerance on published dimensions.
- General Tire — Grabber HTS60 product page — All-season touring positioning for crossovers, light trucks and SUVs; DuraGen Technology; up to 65,000-mile limited warranty, 45-day trial and 12-month road-hazard coverage.
- General Tire — Grabber HTS60 launch announcement — Up-to-65,000-mile limited mileage warranty and DuraGen cut-and-chip-resistant compound.
- Nitto — Dura Grappler product page and size table — 4-rib LT-metric and 5-rib P-metric tread designs, 60,000-mile warranty on P-metric/metric sizes, UTQG 600 A B, and per-size tread depth, maximum load and weight (LT265/70R17 E 16.8/32in, 50.71 lb).
- Nitto — Ridge Grappler product page and size table — Ridge Grappler hybrid-terrain positioning, features, UTQG 500 A B on metric sizes, and per-size tread depth, overall diameter, width, rim range, maximum load at pressure and weight.
- Nitto — Limited Warranty and Owner's Manual, Replacement Passenger and Light Truck Tires (PDF) — Free replacement for uniformity issues in the first 1/32in; free replacement at 25% worn or less within 60 months; proration by usable tread worn; mileage warranties only for models listed on nittotire.com; replace at 2/32in.
- NHTSA — Tires (TireWise) — Replace tires at 2/32in; inflate to the vehicle placard, not the sidewall maximum; M+S means some mud and snow capability; LT sidewall single and dual load markings; DOT code date format; some makers recommend replacement at six to 10 years; a 10% cut in rolling resistance improves fuel economy 1-2%.
- 49 CFR 571.110 — FMVSS No. 110, Tire Selection and Rims (Cornell LII) — The door-jamb placard lists the original tire size and cold inflation pressure; on trucks and MPVs the tires on an axle must add up to at least the axle's GAWR, and passenger tires are derated by dividing by 1.10 (S4.2.2, S4.3).
- 49 CFR 575.104 — Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards (Cornell LII) — UTQG applies to new tires for passenger cars and excludes deep-tread, winter-type snow and limited-production tires; traction grade A requires a coefficient above 0.47 on asphalt and 0.35 on concrete.
- USTMA — TISB Vol. 10, Snow Tire Definition for Passenger and Light Truck Tires (PDF) — M+S marking criteria: tread-edge slots reaching at least 1/2in toward the center, at least 1/16in wide, and at least 25% void area, all based on mold dimensions.
- USTMA — TISB Vol. 37, Definition for Tires for Use in Severe Snow Conditions (PDF) — The three-peak mountain snowflake symbol requires a snow grip index of at least 1.10 (SRTT14) or 1.12 (SRTT16) in the ASTM F1805-20 medium-packed-snow test, recognized by manufacturers.
- Goodyear — Load Index and Speed Rating — Speed ratings Q 99, R 106, S 112, T 118 and H 130 mph; load index conversions to 120; replace with an equal or higher speed rating; mixed ratings limit the vehicle to the lowest-rated tire.
- Goodyear Canada — Tire Load Index Chart — Load index conversions above 120 (e.g. 121 = 3,197 lb, 123 = 3,417 lb, 126 = 3,748 lb) and why LT tires carry a second, dual-fitment load index.