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Last updated 9/20/2024 - Originally published 9/20/2024
Written by SimpleTire
Whether you need tires for your passenger cars, SUVs, or pickup trucks, the names of Continental and Goodyear brands will surely cross your mind. Reliable, performance-oriented, and value-driven tires are what you expect from these brands, and they do not let you down. Even for selecting highway terrain tires for your truck or SUV, the German tire brand Continental and the American conglomerate Goodyear offer great choices. The two major highway tire lines include TerrainContact H/T from Conti and Wrangler HP from Goodyear.
Engineered for light trucks and SUVs, the Continental TerrainContact H/T and the Goodyear Wrangler HP offer enhanced durability, sturdy built, great highway performance, and longer tread life. Offering excellent performance in dry, wet, and winter conditions, these tires resist noise and vibrations on paved roads for a quiet and comfortable ride. We pit the Continental TerrainContact H/T against the Goodyear Wrangler HP based on our proprietary SimpleScore to find out the winner.
Continental TerrainContact H/T tires
Designed for CUVs, SUVs, and light trucks, the Continental TerrainContact H/T is a fantastic highway-terrain tire that features Continental's TractionPlus Technology, which improves traction and durability while reducing noise and vibrations. While the symmetric tread pattern allows improved highway performance, its traction grooves ensure effective grip in snow. With wide circumferential grooves and full-depth sipes, the TerrainContact H/T clears water quickly from the tread to reduce the risk of hydroplaning and boosts wet performance. Backed by a 70,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, the Conti features a sturdy construction to resist cuts and chips and return a longer service life.
With a great balance of comfort, traction, longevity, and performance, the TerrainContact H/T’s average ratings stand at 8.7 out of 10.
Goodyear Wrangler HP tires
An original equipment tire on a number of vehicles like the Toyota Tacoma, Honda Element, Mazda Tribute, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and more, the Goodyear Wrangler HP is known for its reliable performance and high durability. With a reinforced carcass, the Wrangler HP offers drivers increased durability and resistance to cuts, chips, and snags. While deep and wide circumferential and angled grooves allow quick water evacuation to resist hydroplaning and boost wet performance, the large intermediate blocks improve dry traction and braking. The wide shoulder blocks of the Goodyear Wrangler HP promote confident cornering in dry, wet, and snow while the internal structure features twin steel belts and a nylon cap layer for extra durability.
With a decent average score of 7.6, the Wrangler HP delivers adequate traction, stability, grip, durability, and longevity.
Continental TerrainContact H/T vs Goodyear Wrangler HP tires on traction
Be it a light truck, SUV, or passenger car, traction is a vital attribute of a tire that keeps it grounded without letting it skid. Vehicles with increased traction levels offer great confidence during highway driving. The TerrainContact H/T and Wrangler HP assure adequate traction performance throughout the year in dry, wet, and snow.
Scoring an 8.5 traction score, the Continental TerrainContact H/T features TractionPlus Technology that helps it have a firm grip on the road in dry and wet conditions. While special traction grooves boost grip and snow performance, the circumferential grooves evacuate water quickly from the tread to avoid the risk of hydroplaning and improve wet braking.
With an 8 traction score, the Goodyear Wrangler HP features wide and deep circumferential and angled grooves that allow quick water channeling to avoid the risk of hydroplaning and improve wet traction. Multiple sipes and a special rubber compound provide extra biting edges for effective dry, wet, and light snow grip.
With a better traction score, the Continental TerrainContact H/T has the upper hand over the Goodyear Wrangler HP.
ADVANTAGE: Continental TerrainContact H/T
Continental TerrainContact H/T vs Goodyear Wrangler HP tires on handling
Whether slow or fast, every vehicle requires control and stability, making steering response another crucial aspect to consider for tire shoppers. The Conti and Goodyear highway-terrain tires return decent handling performance.
The Continental TerrainContact H/T’s handling score is fantastic at 8.5 thanks to the TractionPlus Technology and sturdy internal construction that boosts stable and responsive rides while improving the driving experience on paved roads. While the optimized tread pattern allows better road contact for improved cornering, its reinforced sidewalls contribute to better handling under heavy loads.
Contrarily, the Goodyear Wrangler HP scores an impressive 8.4 in handling thanks to the large intermediate tread blocks and wide shoulder blocks that allow increased steering response and improved handling. Reinforced sidewalls and sturdy internal structure also help in maintaining tire shape under heavy loads during cornering and while straight-line driving.
Although marginally, the Goodyear enjoys a good time in handling as it beats the Conti by a whisker.
ADVANTAGE: Continental TerrainContact H/T
Continental TerrainContact H/T vs Goodyear Wrangler HP tires on longevity
The third and most vital aspect of a tire is longevity. For highway terrain tires, the reinforced construction plays a significant role in extending the tread life of a tire. While the TerrainContact H/T comes with a limited-period warranty, the Goodyear Wrangler HP lacks the same.
At its best, the Continental TerrainContact H/T scores the highest score for longevity- 9.2. With the TractionPlus Technology, the Conti delivers enhanced durability and excellent wearability. Laced with robust construction and sturdy carcass, it is backed by a 70,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.
With a low 7.1 score in longevity, the Goodyear Wrangler HP offers a modest tread life. The reinforced twin steel belts and nylon cap layer add strength to its carcass; however, it is not backed by a limited manufacturer tread life warranty.
The Goodyear Wrangler HP stands nowhere compared to the Continental, which enjoys complete dominance in the longevity section.
ADVANTAGE: Continental TerrainContact H/T
When to use each
Highway tires offer great durability and strength for carrying heavy loads. They feature solid sidewall designs that maintain tire shape even under heavy loads. Whether dry, wet, or light snow, highway tires perform year-round with consistent grip, traction, and durability. If you experience unpredictable weather conditions, all-weather tires are ideal as they feature special rubber compounds that remain flexible in moderate to severe winter conditions. However, if the temperature in your region consistently remains below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, you should choose dedicated winter tires as their tread formulae and tread patterns are designed to provide extra biting edges for superior ice and snow performance.
Which one should you choose?
In a nutshell, it’s the Continental TerrainContact H/T that wins two out of the three sections (traction and longevity), while the Goodyear Wrangler HP has a marginal edge in the handling department. If you want a highway tire for your SUV or light truck that offers great traction and lasting tread life, you should pick the Conti, whereas, if you prefer better steering response over longevity and grip, the Goodyear Wrangler HP should be your choice. Let’s compare their prices to see where each stands:
Comparing their prices for the 255/70R18 113T tire size, the Continental costs $235 per tire, and four such tires cost $940, while the Goodyear tire costs $429 per tire and four tires cost $1716 (a massive difference of $776!).
Based on SimpleScore, you can pick the Continental TerrainContact H/T Plus if you:
- Drive vehicles like the RAM 3500, Ford F-150, or Nissan Titan XD.
- Prioritize traction (8.5 vs 8) and want better handling (8.5 vs 8.4)
- Want a longer-lasting tire (9.2 vs 7.1) with a mileage warranty (70,000 miles)
You can go for the Goodyear Wrangler HP if you:
- Drive vehicles like the Chevrolet Tahoe, [GMC Yukon XL] (https://simpletire.com/vehicles/gmc-tires/yukon-xl), or [Cadillac Escalade ESV] (https://simpletire.com/vehicles/dodge-tires/escalade-esv).
- Want the Goodyear brand on your vehicle
- Your choice of vehicle features this as an OE tire
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents will be more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.