A good set of tires provides a smooth ride and ensure you can stop when needed while helping increase the aesthetic of your car. There are many similarities between the 245 and 265 tires but then again they have their differences.
Here we’ll compare the two to help you make an informed buying decision.
245 tires: Pros and cons
Pros
- Lowest noise level
- Good fuel economy from lower rolling resistance
- More affordable than the 265
- Great traction on dry road, in snow and wintery conditions
Cons
- Slightly slower than the 265
- Ride comfort is not as good as the 265
265 tires: Pros and cons
Pros
- Aesthetically pleasing
- Great ride on gravel and small obstacles
- Better traction on turns and corners
- Better safety with shorter stopping distances
- Improved traction on wet and dry roads
Cons
- Poorer fuel economy
- More expensive than the 245
245 vs 265 Tires: How Do They Differ?
1. Load capacity
The load capacity of both the 245 and 265 is 2469 pounds.
Winner
The same load capacity makes this contest a tie.
2. Gripping the road
245 tires
The 245 offers excellent traction all around.
265 tires
While the 265 offers good traction, it grips better on wet and dry roads.
Winner
The 245 with excellent traction in all conditions is the winner.
3. Stopping the vehicle
When considering stopping distance, it is important to consider that many factors affect how the vehicle stops. Things like tire pressure, road conditions, the condition of your brakes, and the distance you start braking affect how the car stops.
245 tires
The 245 offers a standard stopping distance as good as the 265 without the added safety claim.
265 tires
The 265 claims to have added safety that translates into a shorter stopping distance.
Winner
The 265’s enhanced safety gives it an edge over the 245 – the winner in this round.
4. Stabilization
245 tires
The 245 offers good stability but not so well as the 265.
265 tires
The 265s ability to interlock each shoulder creates better stability.
Winner
The 265 wins with its superb stability.
5. Maneuvering
245 tires
While the 245 provides good maneuverability, the smaller tire width of the two offers slightly less maneuverability.
265 tires
The increased width of the 265 ensures better maneuverability over the 245.
Winner
The width of the 265 offers better maneuverability.
6. Driving in wet conditions
245 tires
The 245 offers excellent traction on wet roads.
265 tires
265s offer good traction but stand out in snowy weather.
Winner
The 245 drives away with this in wet conditions.
7. Driving in snow
245 tires
The 245s excellent traction on wet pavement does not crossover into snow conditions. While they drive well in the snow, they are not as good as the 265.
265 tires
The 265 offers superior driving in snowy conditions.
Winner
The 265s superior driving in snow conditions is the clear winner.
8. Accelerating
245 tires
Traction is the key to better acceleration. The 245 offers smaller width that causes less traction and thus less acceleration.
265 tires
The wider of the two tires, the 265 offers more contact grip for better acceleration.
Winner
The 265 offers a slightly wider tire, and the better grip provides better acceleration for the win.
9. Cab noise
Both tires offer a little cab noise, and it could be considered a tie. The 265 is slightly wider, so you could say the 265 has a very slight edge in noise reduction.
10. How it clears the ground
245 tires
While the difference in ground clearance is not significant, the 245 offers less ground clearance than the 265.
265 tires
The ground clearance is higher on the 265 vs. the 245.
Winner
The 265 offers a slight distance in ground clearance.
11. Handling of road conditions
245 tires
The 25.5-inch width of the 245 offers good contact with the pavement. The enhanced grip on the road makes handling much easier.
265 tires
The 265 provides 26.5-inches of road-gripping tire that offers easy road handling.
Winner
The 265, with its slightly larger road grip of 1-inch, is the winning road-handling tire.
12. Comfort of the ride
Both tires offer a comfortable ride. You need to look at the tire application to get a real winner.
Winner
In the comfort category the 245 and 265 tires are tied.
13. Fuel economy
245 tires
Smaller width and lower rolling resistance make the 245 the more fuel economic tire option.
265 tires
The 265’s width goes against them in fuel economy with its larger rolling resistance.
Winner
The 245’s lower rolling resistance is the clear winner in fuel economy.
14. Tire options by size
There are no winners or losers in tire options. It is all about what you like and need!
20? choices
20-inch is the largest rim unless you are looking for a specialty tire which is much harder to find.
245 tires
- 245 30 R20
- 245 35 R20
- 245 40 R20
- 245 45 R20
- 245 50 R20
- 245 60 R20
265 tires
- 265 30 R20
- 265 35 R20
- 265 40 R20
- 265 45 R20
- 265 50 R20
- 265 60 R20
19? choices
Both 245s and 265s have six options in a 19-inch rim
245 tires
- 245 30 R19
- 245 35 R19
- 245 40 R19
- 245 45 R19
- 245 50 R19
- 245 55 R19
265 tires
- 265 30 R19
- 265 35 R19
- 265 40 R19
- 265 45 R19
- 265 50 R19
- 265 55 R19
18? choices
The 245 offers one more option than the 265 in an 18-inch rim.
245 tires
- 245 35 R18
- 245 40 R18
- 245 45 R18
- 245 50 R18
- 245 55 R18
- 245 60 R18
- 245 65 R18
265 tires
- 265 35 R18
- 265 40 R18
- 265 45 R18
- 265 60 R18
- 265 65 R18
17? choices
The 17-inch rim provides an aesthetically pleasing tire choice.
The 245 offers many more options than the 265 in a 17-inch choice.
245 tires
- 245 35 R17
- 245 40 R17
- 245 45 R17
- 245 50 R17
- 245 55 R17
- 245 60 R17
- 245 65 R17
- 245 70 R17
- 245 75 R17
265 tires
- 265 40 R17
- 265 60 R17
- 265 65 R17
16? choices
Since the tire height and width of the 245 and 265 remain the same, the rim will only be an inch larger.
245 tires
- 245 45 R16
- 245 50 R16
- 245 70 R16
- 245 75 R16
265 tires
- 265 70 R16
- 265 75 R16
15? choices
In the 15” options there is no real difference in the tires.
245 tires
- 245 40 R15
- 245 50 R15
- 245 60 R15
265 tires
- 245 40 R15
- 245 50 R15
- 245 60 R15
15. Treadwear
245 tires
The tread wear on the 245 provides a ride free of vibration and noise. Most consumers say the ride is comfortable. With regular tire maintenance, the treads hold up for a long time.
The 265
The 265 tire treads are excellent for off-road and muddy conditions. With a 60,000-mile treadwear warranty, they are great for throwing gravel and rocks from the tires.
Winner
The 265, with its 60,000-mile treadwear warranty, is the winner.
16. Weight of tire
245 tires
The 245 weighs about 44 pounds.
265 tires
The 265 weighs about 53.6 pounds. So if you put a new set of four tires on your vehicle, that is 50 pounds more than the 245, which will definitely affect your gas consumption.
Winner
The 245 with its lighter tires is the winner.
17. Cost
245 tires
The 245 is the more affordable of these two tires. The difference can be as much as $100 to $150 in price.
265 tires
While the price difference can be significant, the 265 is the more expensive tire.
Winner
The 245 and its affordable price drives away the winner.
When 245 tires are best for you?
The most common use for the 245 is on cars, though you may occasionally see them on a truck. They are made for road and pavement driving and not off-roading. The 245s made for trucks are an exception manufactured for off-roading.
When 265 tires are best for you?
You will usually see a 265 on medium to light-duty trucks. They are a premium tire for off-roading when used on 4-wheelers and offer excellent traction, especially in snowy road conditions.
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