I recently tested the following tires on a Real World Road Ride and Performance Test Track Drive.
Michelin HydroEdge Green XDuring the Real World Road Ride, I found all four tires to be somewhat similar in ride quality and handling with the Michelin and Continental slightly ahead of the others. It was on the Performance Test Ttrack Drive and in the wet that their differences really came through. The Kumho was very hard to control on the course. Its braking traction was very poor as well. The Goodyear was much better, followed by the Michelin. My favorite was the Continental.
Official results will be online soon. Here is
more information on our testing program.
Our tire tests consist of two parts.
First, we drive on a 6.6 mile
Real World Road Ride to get a feel for a tire’s comfort, noise level and handling on all types of road surfaces. Next, we push the tires to their limits during our
Performance Test Track Drives. This allows us to test a tire in the areas of emergency braking and steering responsiveness. Our purpose-built track also has a sprinkler system so we can test the tires in rain-like conditions.
Having the opportunity to test tires allows Tire Rack’s sales specialists to understand the best tire for a customer’s unique driving style and vehicle.
Want to learn more? You can watch videos about our tire tests
online.
Last week, I tested eco-oriented Passenger All-Season tires -- the
Continental ProContact with EcoPlus Technology,
Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max,
Kumho eco Solus HM KR22 and the
Michelin HydroEdge with Green X -- on our 6.6 mile road course.
The road course was dry, sunny and temperatures were in the low 70s. I found all four tires to be very comparable in ride quality and noise. In handling, only the Kumho was a bit sluggish. The other three tires handled well for passenger tires.
Later, I was on the test track where conditions were sunny, dry and 79 degrees. I found the Michelins to be the best in braking and handling, the Kumho was the worst and the Continental and Goodyear fell in the middle.
Overall. I would place the Michelin first, the Continental second, the Goodyear third and the Kumho fourth.
Look for complete test results
online soon.
We just completed testing the three Street/Sport Truck All-Season tires pictured below.
The Road Ride portion of our test took place on a 6.6-mile loop of expressway, state highway and country roads. Because the weather was partly cloudy and dry, I was able to listen for noise differences between the tires and felt the Kumho was somewhat noisy. In handling, the Pirelli was the best of the three tires.
After testing the tires on the street, it was on to the Performance Track Drive portion of the test. I drove them on our test track that was wet from a recent downpour. The Pirelli tires were the best in handling and braking and the Kumho tires were the worst in cornering. Overall I rank the Pirelli first, the Firestone second and the Kumho third.
Complete Tire Rack team test results are
online.
I have finished testing the
BFGoodrich g-Force Sport,
Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval Indy 500,
Kumho Ecsta SPT KU31 and the
Yokohama S.drive Ultra High Performance Summer tires.
On our 6.6 mile road ride, the weather was partly cloudy, 72 degrees and the roads were dry. I thought all of the tires were fairly quiet but the Firestone was the quietest of all four. The Yokohama had the best ride quality and the Firestone was the best handling.
The conditions on the test track were just perfect for pushing these summer tires to their limits, it was 80 degrees and dry. It was an absolute blast!! All four performed very well, but the Firestone was a bit better in braking and overall response in cornering.
Overall, I'd place the the Firestone first, the Yokohama second, the BFG third and the Kumho fourth.
Watch for the complete test results
online that will include the wet handling results.
Looking to upgrade from conventional brake pads?
The Ate (Ah-Tay) brand has been developed by the Continental Teves' group which is responsible for many outstanding original equipment braking and stability control systems. Among these OE applications are the BMW 3-series and Mini Cooper.
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Test 2 - Track Drive
Today I tested the following tires on our test track in the wet:
I was surprised that the Michelin did so well considering it's not the newest tire. It did seem to give up some cornering and braking to the Sumitomo and Yokohama though. I really liked the Yokohama and Sumitomo. Their handling, cornering and braking abilities were all very good. The weakest was the Firestone. Its handling in the wet was not very confidence-inspiring.
I think the Yokohama and Sumitomo are the best overall tires in this group.
Official results will be online soon but here is
more information on our testing program.
I just finished testing the
Firestone Precision Sport,
Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S,
Sumitomo HTR A/S P01 and
Yokohama AVID ENVigor High Performance All-Season tires.
On our 6.6 mile
road course, the weather conditions were light rain so the roads were wet which made it difficult to test for noise levels. I found the Firestone to be the best handling of the four and I was also impressed with its ride comfort.
After the run on our
test track I pushed the four tires to their limits on a wet track and found the Sumitomo HTR A/S P01 to be the best in all areas of wet handling and braking.
Overall, I'd place the Sumitomo first, Firestone second, Yokohama third and Michelin in fourth.
Watch for complete team test results
online.
Now you may use your PayPal account to Buy Tires Online at Tire Rack. All you have to do is go to
Tire Rack and let us know what you want and we'll send it your way.
Get your Performance Tires, Wheels, Brakes, Suspension Parts, Windshield Wiper Blades and much more at
Tire Rack using your Pay Pal account.
Test 1 - Street Drive
Today I tested the following tires on a warm and sunny day here in Indiana:
I personally found the Sumitomo and Yokohama to be the best overall tires for handling and ride quality. The Michelin and Firestone were not as smooth or quiet and the handling was not as good. I didn't find any of them to be exceptionally noisy though. This is just the first part of our test. During part two we'll tes their handling and braking limits on our track.
Official results will be online soon but here is a
more information on our testing program.
Tire Rack is your complete source for all things auto tires and wheels. Aside from our collection of
rims and
tires online, you'll find first-hand product reviews from our sales specialists and Tire Rack consumers alike. We essentially don't hold anything back so that you can make the best purchase possible. And so that you can feel comfortable doing so.
In fact, now is most definitely the time to buy. With the onset of spring, we rolled out (pardon the pun) our biggest and best collection of aftermarket rims and tires to date...and a few other new things, too. Like car suspension products, a brake system upgrade and even a few engine tuning products.
Click here to see it all.
Now you have the perfect car, well almost...
Tire Rack can help improve the performance of your car from the rubber on the road to the car suspension system to engine performance. Check out some of the product areas Tire Rack can help with:
There are many tire websites available to use and buy tires from on-line. Tire Rack is commited to testing and offering the best information on the products we have. Find a tire, shock or brake product you like read some reviews or test results about them before buying and then give us feedback on what you thought of the product. We'll post it on our website for other customers to read.
Looking to upgrade from conventional brake pads?
Akebono ProACT™ ceramic brakes are an excellent option—they even appear as Original Equipment on some of North America's most popular cars, light trucks and sport utility vehicles.
"I chose these pads because I wanted something better than stock, with little fade, and less brake dust that would not eat up my rotors. These fit the bill. I've taken the same pads through two track days and a mountain run and experienced little to no fade and very little dust. Also I experienced NO noise at anytime." — Tire Rack Consumer Review, Lexus GS420, GA
This review,
among others, is so positive because of Akebono Ceramic Technology. It works to reduce vibration and harshness. And as ceramic brakes, you'll experience less brake dust, too.
Read more about the
Akebono ProACT™ ceramic disc brake pads, then
search our brakes online to see which products fit your vehicle.
Ever thought to buy brake pads and rotors online? With Tire Rack you can buy brake pads and brake rotors of your choice shipped to you, or your installer. Tire Rack has brake components to fit your vehicle broken down into
four performance categories to help with the selection process.
About a year ago, I noticed my Chevy Impala's brake system was not performing like I remembered. The Impala is used to get me back and forth to work in an efficient manor. All I needed was an Original Equipment replacement level brake product. I selected the Akebono ProACT Ceramic Brake Pads from the Premium Brake Pad category. I always like to use the products Tire Rack carries to see for myself how they work in the field, so I made the purchase and got to work updating the Impala with my new
Akebono ProACT Ceramic Pads.
The Akebono ProAct Ceramic Pads have met my expectations. They work well in rain and dry conditions and do not make a lot of dust. One thing I did notice during winter driving is the
Akebono ProAct Ceramic Pads do have a little more initial bite as the front wheels have locked up a few more times than last winter with my O.E. brake pads (no ABS on the Impala). No worries; a small change to my braking style and I'm happy with the overall performance of the brake system on
my car.
Not to forget the brake rotors, as its always a great time to replace brake rotors and brake pads at the same time. The
Centric Premium Rotor is a great Original Equipment replacement rotor. One thing I really like about the Centric Premium Rotor is the Electrocoating (E-coating) black finish. The finish really makes the rotors look sharp especially if you have a wheel that shows the rotors or, have a winter wheel that shows the rotor more than the summer wheels.
Check to see which
rotors or
brake pads work best for your car at
Tire Rack. Tire Rack has many brake system options to chose from. I just wanted something like the Original Equipment brake system. You may want to step it up for some additional performance. Tire Rack can offer you the custom brake pad and rotor package to meet your needs.
As an online wheel shop,
Tire Rack understands the importance of "try before you buy." We do everything we can to make sure that what you see on your computer screen is, in fact, exactly what you'll get. And we've created a virtual playground so you can literally try on wheels before you buy them.
The
Upgrade Garage takes your vehicle's make, model and year and creates a representation of it. In addition, we'll show you a list of wheels that fit. Pick the wheels you like and we'll virtually install them to create an accurate representation of the real thing. It's easy...
And it's informative, because the Upgrade Garage doesn't stop at wheels. You're well aware of the fact that we're an online tire retailer, so of course we'll show you tires that fit your vehicle. In fact, the Upgrade Garage introduces you to a wide variety of aftermarket products like brakes, suspension, bulbs and batteries for your vehicle, too. You just can't virtually install them on your vehicle like you can wheels.
It's one-stop shopping. And it's fun, too.
Come play.
ATE (
"Ah-Tay") brake pads come from one of the world's leading brake system manufacturers, Continental Automotive Systems—and we've put these brake pads online just for you.
Combining innovative technology with quality materials and expert engineering, ATE brake pads meet and exceed O.E. performance and safety standards across the board. And across the pond. ATE has been a trusted brake pad brand in Europe for over 100 years, and that proven expertise is something we at
Tire Rack are very excited to share with our customers.
Our list of ATE products includes the
PremiumOne™ brake pads. Advanced friction formulations enhance pad performance, reduce wheel dusting and extend pad life while shims, chamfers and slots minimize excess noise. These are excellent O.E. replacement options for both domestic and Asian vehicles alike.
Search our entire inventory of brake system products to
find ATE brake components for your vehicle.
At
Tire Rack, we strive to be more than just a tires online store. We post products like everyone else, but we take it a few steps further by offering multiple resources that guide you throughout the purchasing process. From the
Upgrade Garage to thousands of
Tire Rack Consumer Reviews, even
test results we achieved on our own
test track—we're all about educating you on the tire as it pertains to your specific vehicle.
But we also know a thing or two about
performance wheels, car and truck
suspension systems,
brake systems...even high performance
wiper blades and
car batteries. And we've got the information (and the reputation) to prove it.
Keep up with us as we keep up with the high performance tire and wheel industry.
Join our email list for product news, manufacturers' special offers and more.
Smooth, quiet braking. No dust.
It's not too much to ask for in a pair of ceramic brakes, really. Just make the switch to ceramic brakes and you'll notice the difference. Ceramic compounds and copper fibers replace their metallic counterparts, handling high brake temps with less heat fade. And that means you'll stop and go easier than before. Without all that excess dust.
And noise. How? That's the interesting part—it actually creates a sound frequency beyond what our little human ears can hear. We think that's pretty cool. (
Read more.)
At
Tire Rack, we offer ceramic brakes from the following manufacturers:
Like clothes and computers, you can buy wheels online. And at
Tire Rack, we do our best to be your top choice for an online wheel shop. Our
shopping tools are designed to enhance your buying process, giving you expert fitment and performance advice at every opportunity. And that's all available to you because we've spent years training on and testing the various products we sell—from brake pads and wheels, to winter tires and shock absorbers.
Our extensive collection of
wheels features a number of high-quality
brands that are available exclusively at Tire Rack:
•
Kazera•
Kosei•
moda•
MSW•
O.Z. Racing•
Rial•
Sport Edition•
Sport Muscle•
Sport Tuning•
TRMotorsports•
ZinikSee our complete collection including
American Racing,
Breyton,
Dale Earnhardt Jr.,
Enkei Performance Series and
more.
Search by vehicle and enter our
Upgrade Garage, which will show you all of the products—including wheels (right on your vehicle, on the screen)—that we have for your vehicle.
At Tire Rack, all the tools you need to find brake pads online are at your fingertips.
Understand the
four performance categories that are available:
• Premium
• Performance Street
• Autocross/Track
• Truck & SUV
Each category serves a distinct purpose for a specific type of vehicle. Check to see what type of brakes you currently have, then asses what it is you'd like to improve. You may want to upgrade your rotors, too.
There is helpful information in
Brakes Tech to outline the performance aspects of braking.
But what makes it easy is that you simply
search by vehicle to see a complete list of brake pads and other brake components that will perfectly fit your vehicle. No guesswork is involved.
Performance isn't only about speed. It's about controlling speed.
