Nitto Crosstek 2 Review 2024: Budget All Season Truck Tires

Specifications And Maintenance Indicators

Nitto proudly presents the Crosstek 2 as an exceptional all-season tire specifically engineered for trucks, SUVs, and CUVs. Designed with remarkable strength, these tires are built to endure the heavy weight of trucks, as well as any additional cargo being hauled or towed.

To meet the needs of light truck owners, Nitto Crosstek 2 is available in a diverse range of sizes, including sizes as large as 22 inches.

With six different tire sizes ranging from 16 inches to 22 inches, owners of trucks, SUVs, and CUVs can find the perfect fit for their vehicles.

The Nitto Crosstek 2 features an innovative asymmetric tread design incorporating specialized siping details and larger tread blocks. This unique combination enhances its grip on dry, wet, and winter roads. 

Typically, larger tread blocks on a tire imply increased off-road capabilities, but they can compromise the smoothness and result in more road noise, affecting the overall experience of highway terrain tires.

To counter this, Nitto incorporated specific design elements into the Crosstek 2. Firstly, they crafted a tread pattern design that is intended to minimize noise, ensuring a quieter ride. Additionally, they integrated three circumferential grooves with dense serrations on the walls of the tire.

These circumferential grooves serve multiple functions. One crucial role they play is actively countering the risk of hydroplaning by effectively channeling and expelling water, sand, dirt, slush, and ice from beneath the tire’s footprint.

This feature enhances traction and helps maintain control in wet or slippery conditions, contributing to a safer driving experience across various weather conditions.

Moreover, the Nitto Crosstek 2 tire incorporates dense serrations along the walls of its circumferential grooves. These serrations disrupt the smooth airflow that can generate a specific type of noise known as “pipe resonance noise.”

By minimizing these unwanted noise vibrations, Nitto has successfully created a tire that offers a smoother and quieter ride, even with the presence of larger tread blocks.

So, with the Nitto Crosstek 2 tire, drivers can enjoy the benefits of reduced road noise, increased safety against hydroplaning, and a more comfortable driving experience. 

It is always a hassle to keep track of the health of tire alignment and treadwear, especially when it comes to highway tires that endure long runs and extensive mileage. Fortunately, the Nitto Crosstrek 2 offers an exceptional solution to address this issue.

The Nitto Crosstek 2 comes with a special feature called service indicators. These service indicators are cleverly placed on the tire’s tread, specifically on both shoulder ribs, at six different positions.

The primary objective is to help and assist you in monitoring the alignment and treadwear of your tires. How do they work? Well, if you notice that the service indicators on one side of the tire have irregular wear than the other side, it’s a clear sign that your vehicle may require some additional servicing. With this feature nitto has for sure set itself apart from its competitors.

With these service indicators, you don’t have to rely solely on guesswork or wait for an expert to tell you when it’s time for maintenance.

Instead, you can visually see the indicators and take action accordingly. This makes it significantly easier to keep up with proper tire maintenance and rotation.

Nitto has instilled confidence in its tires by offering a 50,000-mile limited tread wear warranty, showcasing its trust in the Crosstek 2’s performance.

One standout feature of the Crosstek 2 is its 3D multi-wave interlocking sipes. These sipes play a significant role in extending the life of the tire’s tread and ensuring even wear, specifically on highway terrains.

This means the tire remains usable for a longer period, saving you from frequent replacements. Moreover, these sipes enhance stability when you brake or accelerate, providing a safer driving experience.

But that’s not all – the 3D multi-wave sipes also prove advantageous in other terrains, including winter or snowy conditions. When driving on snowy or icy surfaces, these sipes act as “bite marks” into the snow, giving you a better grip and improved handling.

This helps enhance traction and ensures you have better control in challenging winter weather.

Different Season Performance Testing Results

Nitto Crosstek 2 Review : Dry Performance

Dry traction is an essential characteristic of highway all-season tires. As highways are generally expected to be dry due to regular maintenance and cleaning, it’s important to look if these tires will be able to sustain dry long road journeys.

Moving on to the actual experience of driving with the Nitto Crosstek 2 tires from the east coast to the Rockies, I can say that it performed quite flawlessly in dry conditions.

Whether cruising on the highway or dry and unpaved roads, the Crosstek 2 tires provide a sense of safety and security.

The Nitto Crosstek 2 may not reach the level of the finest highway all-season tires for dry road performance, although it remains perfectly adequate for everyday driving.

Nitto Crosstek 2 Review : Snow And Ice Performance

The Nitto Crosstek 2 provides satisfactory performance in light snow conditions. However, if you live in an area with an extremely harsh winter climate, it is advisable to consider opting for a dedicated winter/snow tire equipped with a 3PMSF (Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake) feature to ensure ideal traction and safety.

Traction on highly slippery roads remains a challenge, even with the robust asymmetric tread patterns. Although these tires exhibit commendable performance when encountering light snowfall or icy surfaces, you can drive through them with remarkable ease.

Nitto Crosstek 2 Review : Wet Performance

When driving on wet surfaces, the tire’s performance in terms of traction is important. The Nitto Crosstek 2 incorporates three wide circumferential grooves specifically designed to effectively redirect water away from the tire’s contact area.

This particular feature has a significant role in improving wet traction, minimising the chances of hydroplaning. As a result, drivers can have a safer and more secure driving experience even in wet conditions.

On testing the Nitto Crosstek 2 in a puddle of water, I was genuinely impressed by its performance. The tires handled it admirably, but I noticed that if you drive them on wet roads, they tend to slip and slide, posing a risk. Therefore, there is still some potential for improvement in this aspect.

Nitto Crosstek 2 Review : Off Roading Performance

While it’s commonly believed that highway terrain tires are not suitable for off-roading due to their limited traction, it would be rather disappointing if tires designed specifically for light trucks were unable to handle off-road conditions.

However, the Nitto Crosstek 2 defies this notion by combining its rugged appearance with the inherent capability to handle rough off-road terrains, even though it may not deliver high-level off-road performance.

The Nitto Crosstek 2 impressively manages to provide the necessary traction for off-road adventures.

Features And Their Performance

Nitto Crosstek 2 Review : Noise and comfort

The Nitto crosstek 2 is a silent tire and beats most of its competitors due to the innovative groove walls designed with subtle serration. It effectively reduces tread growl, eliminating any pipe resonance noise resulting in quiet highway rides. 

The Nitto Crosstek 2 stands out as a remarkably comfortable tire designed primarily for highway terrain. What impressed me the most was its ability to maintain a high level of ride comfort even when venturing off the road.

Many consumers have consistently rated this tire as excellent when it comes to providing a smooth and comfortable ride experience.

Nitto Crosstek 2 Review : Steering Response And Handling

The Nitto Crosstek 2 is designed to provide exceptional steering response, enhancing the overall driving experience. This tire incorporates advanced technologies and features that contribute to its responsive handling.

One factor that contributes to the excellent steering response of the Nitto Crosstek 2 is its construction. The tire is engineered with a sturdy and optimised sidewall construction that helps maintain tire stability during cornering and maneuvering. 

Nitto Crosstek 2 Review : Tread Wear And Durability

As a highway terrain tire, the Nitto Crosstrek 2 places great importance on durability and tread wear due to the specific demands of highway driving.

The robust design of the Nitto Crosstek 2 helps the tire in withstanding the rigors of extreme conditions and maintains its integrity over time.

This focus on durability and tread wear is particularly important for drivers who frequently travel long distances on paved roads, as they can enjoy the tire’s reliable performance and longevity.

Nitto Crosstek 2 Review : Availability And Pricing 

The Nitto Crosstek 2, being a relatively new budget offering quality in the tire market, currently has somewhat limited availability. However, based on its increasing popularity and positive feedback from consumers, it is expected that its availability will expand. 

As more drivers discover the exceptional performance and features of the Nitto Crosstek 2, it is likely to become more widely accessible, allowing a broader range of individuals to enjoy its impressive capabilities.

The Nitto Crosstek 2’s strategic pricing gives it a distinct advantage in the market by providing high-quality products that cater to a wide range of consumers.

It strikes a balance between affordability and performance, ensuring that customers don’t have to compromise on either aspect. Taking these factors into account, it can be concluded that this tire provides exceptional value in relation to its cost.