Vehicles using 285/35R21 tires include:

• Alfa Romeo Stelvio
• BMW X6
• Dodge Magnum SRT
• Lexus LS
• Maserati Ghibli
• Rolls-Royce Wraith
• Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class AMG

1. Continental ContiSportContact 5 - Best UHP tire

Let’s kick this list off with the Continental ContiSportContact 5, an ultra-high-performance tire option. Continental designed the ContiSportContact 5 initially around the performance and driving dynamics of Mercedes-Benz SLK350 roadsters, with great cornering and braking traction along with reduced rolling resistance. Continental’s Black Chilli tread compound blends long-chain and short-chain polymers for excellent wear properties, sticky adhesion to the road for shorter braking distances, and good heat dissipation. This tread compound, along with a solid center rib that helps boost stability and steering response and a “macro-block” outboard shoulder, adds up to handling that’s good enough to pull in a SimpleScore of 9.9. Wet-weather grip is boosted by circumferential grooves and sipes, for a SimpleScore of 9.9 for traction. The ContiSportContact 5 gets a SimpleScore of 8.6 in the traction category, thanks to the ContiSportContact 5’s twin steel belts and spiral-wrapped polyamide layer. We should mention that the ContiSportContact 5 also keeps road noise low with ContiSilent Technology, a layer of foam that helps absorb and neutralize sound waves and vibrations from the road. Like most UHP tires, the ContiSportContact 5 is not designed for colder weather; its softer, stickier tread formulation will stiffen up and lose traction on cold days and it shouldn’t be used if temperatures are below 40-45 degrees F.

2. Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT - Great UHP tire

Next up is the SP Sport Maxx GT from Dunlop, another tire that’s standard equipment from the factory on several models of Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT delivers dependable grip and long wear from a rubber compound that’s infused with silica and high levels of carbon black, along with wide, deep circumferential and sweeping lateral grooves that help resist hydroplaning by channeling water away from and behind the tire’s contact patch. That, along with Dunlop’s Multi-Radius Tread Technology, is all we needed to see to give this tire a SimpleScore of 9.3 for traction. Cornering and response are top-notch too, thanks to a flat footprint that ensures there’s more rubber in contact with the road, a continuous center rib that boosts steering response, and Dunlop’s Aramid fibers and Hybrid Jointless Band construction that helps keep tread squirm and deformation to a minimum during hard cornering. That all comes out to a SimpleScore of 9.3 for handling. Longevity is a little less of a strong point with this tire since it’s a summer ultra-high-performance tire and uses a softer, stickier tread formulation that will harden and lose grip if temperatures are below 45 degrees F. SimpleTire gives a SimpleScore of 8.0 for longevity for the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT. Still, if you’re the kind of driver who likes to push your vehicle’s performance envelope to the limit, you should check out the race-inspired Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT.

3. Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow - Best Winter tire

In parts of the country that have extreme winter conditions where snow, slush, and ice stays on the ground (and roads) for weeks at a time, most all-season tires just are not going to be capable of safely getting you from point A to point B. If that sounds a lot like where you live, you already know this – and you know that dedicated winter tires are the only thing for it. The Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow is a purpose-built tire designed for strong performance in winter weather, earning SimpleScores of 9.9 for handling and traction. Pirelli started at the molecular level, designing a tread formulation with polymers and additives that allow it to stay flexible for traction in extreme cold. The Scorpion Ice & Snow’s angled independent tread blocks deliver consistent grip in sloppy winter weather, and the robust shoulder blocks help with secure, confident cornering and braking performance on wet or dry pavement. Finally, the Scorpion Ice & Snow’s internal construction is closer to that of all-terrain tires, for a truly durable winter tire. The end product is a tire that you can count on for unbeatable traction even on ice (where usually only studded tires will work) without sacrificing noise levels, handling, ride quality, and road manners. Not surprisingly the Pirelli Snow & Ice is Three Peak Mountain Snowflake rated for severe winter service.

4. Yokohama Advan Sport V107 - Great UHP tire

Let’s talk for a minute about the Advan Sport V107, a top-flight UHP tire from Yokohama. The Yokohama Advan Sport V107 gets SimpleScores of 8.8 for traction, 8.8 for handling, and 7.7 for longevity, with an overall average SimpleScore of 8.4. Designed specifically for high-performance sedans and crossovers, the Advan Sport V107 has an asymmetric tread pattern with wide grooves to evacuate standing water and resist hydroplaning on wet roads. Its advanced tread compound boosts traction and adhesion to the pavement, and it’s computer-tuned to cancel certain frequencies and resonances to keep road noise low. Solid center ribs ensure the best road contact for stability and cornering, and a combination of rayon and polyamide cap plies give this tire great high-speed stability. The tread formulation of the Advan Sport V107 is designed for warmer weather – this tire shouldn’t be used if temperatures are below 40-45 degrees F.

5. Accelera Iota ST68 - Great All-Season tire

Let’s wrap this list up with the Iota ST68 from Accelera, our pick for an affordable all-season tire in the 285/35R21 tire size. Don’t be put off by the affordable price point, the Accelera Iota ST68 is a tire that’s packed with advanced features like an asymmetric tread pattern with three interlocked block lanes for improved steering response, netting itself a SimpleScore of 8.5 for handling. We also took notice of this tire’s wet-weather and dry-weather grip, with its circumferential grooves and sipes (SimpleScore of 7.9 for traction). Durability is also pretty strong, as Accelera covers the Iota ST68 with a 35,000 mile tread life warranty, which was all we needed to give this tire a SimpleScore of 7.7 for longevity.

Buy 285/35R21 tires online

Whether you drive an Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Maserati Ghibli, or something else, SimpleTire has a set of the best 285/35R21 tires that meet your needs at a great price.