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Last updated 3/05/2025 - Originally published 3/05/2025
Written by SimpleTire, Expertly reviewed by Brett Antosh
Designed to provide a balance of durability, comfort, and performance for SUVs, light trucks, and CUVs, the Firestone Transforce HT3 and the Kumho Crugen HT51 are great choices in the Highway Terrain (HT) tire category. These cater to drivers who primarily use their vehicles on paved roads but may occasionally encounter light off-road conditions or tow trailers.
The Firestone Transforce HT3 emphasizes long-lasting treadwear and dependable all-season traction, making it a practical choice for daily commutes, highway driving, and occasional work duties. Its robust construction and tread design are engineered to handle heavier loads and resist wear and tear, contributing to a longer lifespan and reliable performance.
The Kumho Crugen HT51, on the other hand, focuses on providing a comfortable and quiet ride along with confident all-season handling. It aims to deliver a refined driving experience without compromising traction or durability. This makes it a suitable option for drivers who prioritize a smooth and quiet ride, especially on long journeys.
This comparison will delve into the specifics of each tire, exploring their traction, handling, longevity, and overall value proposition based on our proprietary SimpleScore, which rates each trait on a scale of 0-10 to help you decide which tire best suits your driving needs and preferences.
Firestone Transforce HT3 tires
Introduced in October 2024, the Firestone Transforce HT3 is an all-season all-terrain tire designed for trucks, SUVs, and vans that prioritize durability, long tread life, and all-season traction. Built for commercial and regular driving use, it offers a balance of performance, reliability, and value. The tire features a robust rubber compound and a symmetric tread pattern with continuous shoulder ribs that promote even wear and extend the tire's lifespan. Its deep circumferential grooves and lateral notches efficiently evacuate water to enhance wet traction and reduce the risk of hydroplaning. The Transforce HT3 also incorporates Firestone's Long Link Carbon technology, which helps to reinforce the tire's construction and improve durability.
With an 8 out of 10 average SimpleScore, the Firestone Transforce HT3 promises great handling and traction with a solid tread life.
Get Firestone Transforce HT3 tires at the best deals for your vehicle here.
Kumho Crugen HT51 tires
The Kumho Crugen HT51, launched in 2016, is an all-weather highway terrain tire designed for SUVs, crossovers, and trucks. It focuses on delivering a comfortable and quiet ride while providing all-season traction and long-lasting treadwear. Kumho backs this tire with a 70,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty for peace of mind. The Crugen HT51 features a symmetric tread pattern with four wide circumferential grooves that efficiently evacuate water to enhance wet traction and reduce the risk of hydroplaning. Its variable pitch tread design helps to minimize road noise for a quieter ride, while the optimized tread block stiffness enhances handling and stability. The Three Peak Mountain Snowflake-certified tire is perfect for driving in moderate to severe winter conditions.
With an 8.5 Simpletire score, the Kumho Crugen HT51 promises a balance of performance, comfort, and value.
Get Kumho Crugen HT51 tires at the best deals for your vehicle here.
Firestone Transforce HT3 vs Kumho Crugen HT51 tires on traction
Highway terrain tires offer excellent on-road traction in dry, wet, and light wintry conditions, lending enhanced grip for braking, accelerating, and cornering on paved roads. The Firestone and the Kumho tires promise adequate traction but one is better than the other. Let’s check their scores.
Scoring an 8.3 in traction, the Firestone Transforce HT3 features a symmetric tread pattern and wavy sipes for effective grip in dry, wet, and light snow. Thanks to the wide circumferential grooves, the highway terrain tire clears water quickly from the tread to mitigate the risk of hydroplaning and boost wet traction.
On the other hand, the Kumho Crugen HT51 scores marginally better in traction (8.4) than the Firestone. Thanks to the zigzag groove design, optimal block shape, and hundreds of sipes, the Kumho tire returns great gripping capability in dry, wet, and moderate to severe winter conditions of snow and ice. The Three Peak Mountain Snowflake certification makes it a perfect tire to navigate in unpredictable weather conditions.
With a slightly better score, the Kumho Crugen HT51 is the winner of the traction section.
ADVANTAGE: Kumho Crugen HT51
Firestone Transforce HT3 vs Kumho Crugen HT51 tires on handling
Highway terrain tires offer stable and predictable handling on paved roads, providing a comfortable and controlled driving experience at highway speeds. Both offer predictable handling and stability, leading to great handling performance.
The Firestone Transforce HT3 scores an 8.5 in handling assuring great control, stability, and accurate steering response. Featuring solid shoulder blocks and a strong center rib, the Transforce HT3 returns improved stability and handling in different driving conditions. Meanwhile, the reinforced construction and optimized tread design lead to improved control on paved roads, especially when towing trailers or carrying heavier loads.
Contrarily, the Kumho Crugen HT51 is neck-and-neck with the Firestone in handling, scoring the same 8.5. Prioritizing on-road comfort and stability, the Crugen HT51 features optimized design and solid construction for a smooth and controlled driving experience. Not intended for aggressive maneuvering, the Kumho tire offers predictable handling performance for everyday driving situations.
With the same performance, the handling department is evenly balanced as scores are leveled.
ADVANTAGE: Tie
Firestone Transforce HT3 vs Kumho Crugen HT51 tires on longevity
Longevity is a significant, and most probably, the final deciding factor for a tire. Highway terrain tires last long and, hence, are preferred for most SUV and light truck drivers for consistent year-round performance. The Transforce HT3 and Crugen HT51 promise decent tread life, with one outperforming the other by a big margin.
The Firestone Transforce HT3 scores a modest 7.3 longevity thanks to its special rubber compound that improves wearability in different driving conditions while, at the same time, resisting uneven wear. While the symmetric tread design leads to better wearability, the absence of a mileage warranty is a thing to worry about for Firestone tire buyers.
Knocking the Firestone Transforce HT3 out of the park is the Kumho Crugen HT51 with its superb 8.8 longevity score along with an excellent 70,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty. Thanks to the optimized rubber compound and symmetric tread pattern, the Kumho highway terrain tire promotes regular wear leading to a longer lifespan.
With a formidable lead and a mileage warranty, the Kumho Crugen HT51 outlasts the Firestone Transforce HT3.
ADVANTAGE: Kumho Crugen HT51
When to use each
Highway terrain tires are designed for trucks, SUVs, and crossovers, offering a balance of on-road comfort, durability, and light off-road capability. They provide a smooth and quiet ride on paved roads while also being able to handle occasional gravel or dirt roads. The Kumho Crugen HT51 is a good option for drivers wanting great handling, traction, and longevity with a limited tread life warranty on their highway terrain tires. However, the Firestone Transforce HT3 is suitable for folks wanting a reliable all-season tire with great durability, handling, and traction along with a modest tread life.
Which one should you choose?
In a nutshell, the Kumho Crugen HT51 beats the Firestone Transforce HT3 2-0 as it ties the handling area while winning traction and longevity departments. However, each tire has its own attributes which should be considered before buying a tire.
Comparing the prices of the LT275/65R18 123/120R E tire size, the Firestone Transforce HT3 costs around $256 per tire, and four such tires cost $1024, while the Kumho Crugen HT51 costs around $241 per tire, and four such tires cost $964 (difference of $60).
Based on SimpleScore, you should choose the Firestone Transforce HT3 if you:
- Drive vehicles like the Dodge Ram 2500, Nissan Titan, and Ford F-150
- Prefer latest tire technology (2024 vs 2016)
- Want a reliable highway tire with great handling and traction and decent tread life
On the other hand, you should purchase the Kumho Crugen HT51 if you:
- Drive vehicles like the Honda Ridgeline, RAM 1500, and Toyota Tacoma
- Want better traction (8.4 vs 8.3)
- Prefer longer tread life (8.8 vs 7.3)
- Want a highway terrain tire with a limited manufacturer tread life warranty (70,000 miles)
- Prefer a slightly affordable tire with improved performance
- Want a tire with 3PMSF certification for use in moderate to severe winter weather
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.