Terpene-modified phenolic resins were used to improve the tires wet traction related to the driving safety and also rolling resistance related to fuel efficiency. In this work, alpha-pinene, beta pinene, and delta limonene resins, which constitute different basic structures of terpene-modified phenolic resins, were individually added to the tread compounds of tires and their physical properties were compared with those of the alkyl phenol resin compounds. Alkyl phenolic resins showed no significant difference in tangent delta from terpene-modified phenolic resins at 0 ℃, which is related to wet traction, but showed higher tangent delta at 80 ℃, which is related to rolling resistance, indicating smaller fuel efficiency improvement effects. Among the terpene-modified phenolic resins, beta pinene one showed improved wet traction and fuel efficiency compared to those of other resins. Delta limonene resin showed the best wet traction improvement effect, and alkyl phenolic resins showed relatively high tensile strength and abrasion property. All terpene-modified resins exhibited better rolling resistance than those of alkyl phenolic ones so that they can be said to have better fuel efficiency improvement effects and also to improve other properties compared to those of blanks. Terpene-modified phenolic resins could be used when mixing tire compounds referring to the properties of the phenolic resins revealed in this work, which could result in preparing compounds with improved wet traction and rolling resistance.