Sumitomo

Initial Review, 50,000 Miles on Tires
February 11, 2013

I bought these tires for the tread pattern and mileage. Got 50k miles over 8 yrs, they're down to 4/32 now and still going strong, only deep water bothers them. I drive the car hard and these tires have always held tough no matter how far over the speed limit I am. I do put snows on for the winter so I can't talk to snow traction from the rear, but the fronts will track well if you give them a chance. Considering that I tend to drive the T-Bird in the rain and snow, I ride a motorcycle whenever possible, these tire are good at what I ask of them, grip well in the garbage and go baby go. I got 200+ horses under the hood and these tires can be hard to break loose on a dry road unless I'm really abusing the car. Will I put these back on, very good chance, I'm eyeing up another set of Sumitomos though, so we'll see. As for the people that wore them out real fast, I can only guess how they drive and if they keep the tire pressures right.

Initial Review, 30,000 Miles on Tires
January 17, 2013

I negotiated a new set of tires from the dealer that I bought my car from tires as part of the deal to buy the car I knew nothing about the tires but I figured that they were not going to be the greatest given what I had to go through to get him to buy them. When I asked the service advisor were they any good he assured me that they were even after I offered to pay the difference in price between those and a better set. I have had these for 2.5 Ohio winters (luckily last winters was very mild) and they are horrible in snow and ice my traction control light is always coming on when I accelerate from stop and the tires are always spinning and struggling to gain traction on pavement driving and stopping on light snow is very tricky and almost impossible in heavy snow in the summer on dry pavement they are great but anything else they are unacceptable from a safety standpoint. I bought a set of Goodyear Weatherhandlers for my previous 2002 Impala and they were great and I was looking to purchase another set before I did some research and found out about the Michelin Defenders and I am looking to purchase a set within the next few weeks (hopefully before the next snowfall) If you can help it spend more money if you live in a rainy or snowy area (unless you are a thrill seeker) you will be happy that you did.

Initial Review, 2,000 Miles on Tires
January 11, 2011

I've had these about a month. Purchased them as a less expensive replacement for the OE Michelins at about 70,000, based on reviews and Tire Rack testing of them. They are the best choice for the money. Half the price of the OE tires. They are quieter and more responsive. Traction except for snow is very good and I expect to get good mileage from them. They do seem stiff in winter until warmed up like another reviewer has mentioned. A great value for the money.

Initial Review, 4,000 Miles on Tires
June 16, 2009

I'm extremely impresed by these tires. They are fantastic. They have ULTIMATE dry grip and traction. They are very comparable to the Goodyear Eagle F1 Assymmetrics I just had previously to these, but at a much cheaper price. In fact, after a few canyon runs on highway 2 in CA (Los Angeles Crest Highway) I'd say these out perform the Goodyear F1 Asymmetrics and are the superior tire. They have slightly more ultimate dry traction and it seems a bit more effortless and complaint free doing it. I can't believe how high the limits of these tires are in speed around sharp corners.



Time will tell on whether the treadwear can be better, but they certainly can't be any worse than the Goodyears, and at $40 to $80 less per tire, you can't go wrong with these.

Initial Review, 68,000 Miles on Tires
January 23, 2013

While these tires are mostly in expernsive but they are way to noisy.
I would not buy another set of them,the more they ware the worse they get!

Initial Review, 20,000 Miles on Tires
December 27, 2012

Instead of the normal P185/65R14 that turn at 902 revs/mile, I tested and fitted P185/70R14, 867 revs/mile . . . about a 6%, permanent overdrive. The mileage remains 52 MPG and handling improved. The larger diameter tires 'track true' at highway speeds versus the 'neutral stability' of smaller diameter tires. At 51 psi, they take curves wicked fast causing tailgaters to back off (and usually left behind.) It also lets the car run in 'hybrid mode' a little faster, keeping up with traffic while getting hybrid mileage. Since I'm into fuel savings, acceleration is not my problem.

Initial Review, 3,500 Miles on Tires
January 19, 2011

Look. I'm a high school kid, with not much money, and I researched a lot on TireRack to get 4 sumitomo HTR A/S P01s after a sudden accident on the way back from K.C. It was the best tire that the store carries. So I got them for 398. Which is not so cheap but.. hey it is the only thing that touches the road.



Dry and Wet has been excellent. I have to admit sometimes I used the tires too hard and then the ABS warns in the rain... Well. It's my fault not theirs. One time, some nobrainer driver with Pontiac 6.0L even lost me in an unintentional racing in a roundabout.. which shows how good these sumitomos are. Very quiet. There's a section of city 40mph road right outside our hwy exit ramp, and I run that road a lot... Wow. You only can hear the engine! Highway has been impressive, since I go to K.C. frequently with my family... and I always drive; handling has been excellent. Recently we had 2 snows in the city.. and it's a tiny town so not much municipal snow cleanups on the roads. But the tires run nicely. I'm not saying it'll ever beat SNOW TIRES, but if you give them a deal with low speed, early breaking, they can really show you how efficient they work. keep the tire pressure steady, folks... I'm going to bump my tire PSI a little higher too... they say low temps decrease air volumes--> tire rigidity... which sounds make sense. Anyways. Good tires, recommended. Better than the Cooper Cobra GT fronts + Goodyear Eagle G/A rears for sure.

Initial Review, 1,600 Miles on Tires
November 16, 2012

Pretty new, they still make a little edge noise when veering at all, and when cornering. I assume this is normal for new tires--don't they have to wear down at the sharp outside edges to break in?

They are filled a 2 PSI higher than the door badge to slightly boost MPG. Instead of 32, it's 34. Nitrogen.

These are FANTASTIC. They make my boaty Focus wagon feel like a Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! Mazda! (Well...as much as a Focus can feel like a better, sporty car.) I spun around an empty parking lot for half an hour when I got them, they were such an improvement over my old bald tires! (The old ones I bought used, General Altimax...but my shocks were so worn, I never got good use out of them. They quickly ground down to bald before the needed suspension fixes were done.)

They feel smooth and supple, with very low road noise. The Focus makes a fair amount of noise anyway, but the noise is lower compared with any tire I've had.

They don't smush on turns, but feel firm-- as if they can handle anything. The ride is as comfortable as a Focus can be. Which means a lot of road feel and hard on bumps. Don't try to text on your phone as a passenger in my car!

Well, maybe I'll take them down to the exact PSI. Maybe it'll improve the bumpiness.

Can't wait for winter on my new Sumis! These are a No. 1 rated ("Recommended," in their words) tire by Consumer Reports.

Initial Review, 600 Miles on Tires
January 07, 2013

Those are excellent tires, I was aboout to get a GT Radial tires , thay are made by yokohama but I loook at thses sumitomo at a great price and the 100K miles on warrantie and the price is hard to beat. I change my bridgestone OM tires for these Sumitomo and could not be happier, I live on a the Sonora desert so most is a dry drive, so far in highway the response at 75-80 mph is great no need for higher speed with the family, good grip on corners at 75mph. I have not test them on wet but here almost nevers rains. Noise and smood level is very good better than the OM tires. so I will buy them again for sure. I use to be Yoko's fan (still) but Sumitomo quality/price is excellent. If you are a average driver or the wife-family car this are a GREAT tires for sure, if you want to speed buy tires for that.

Initial Review, 19,000 Miles on Tires
December 29, 2012

I purchased a set of Sumitomo tires for my 95 Honda VX. Unsure of which of only 3 brands available I have come to realize the decision was the correct one. I purchased the vehicle with the wrong size/dry-rotted tires, and when I put the correct size Sumitomo tires, I instantly felt like had had just installed power steering aswell. Using the incorrect size or any other than manufacturer recommended tires made steering very tiresome. I now have 19,000 miles on my tires and they still look like new. I highly recommend these tires and Tire Rack. Alan, Stockbridge, GA

Initial Review, 25,000 Miles on Tires
December 19, 2012

Ran these tires on my 2000 mustang after wearing down a set of Generals. The road noise and feel were the first things I noticed. Must quieter, much better feel of the road. Didn't feel like I was driving on hard plastic tires anymore. The treadwear was what you'd expect, probably last between 30-35k depending on conditions. These also lasted longer, and were more responsive then a set of Kumho ecstas I ran before the Generals. For the price this was one of my favorite tires.

Initial Review, 2,000 Miles on Tires
December 21, 2012

The tires are great for the price, but just not as sticky as I thought a max performance tire would be which is why I wouldn't buy them again. They are pretty predictable as far as break away, but there isn't much noise from them when you are about to break them loose. Wet traction is fine, but nothing to write home about.

Initial Review, 1,000 Miles on Tires
July 22, 2011

Although it may be premature, I felt it was acceptable to state my opinion. The previous tire on my wife's car was a Big-O Euro Tour. They were by far the worst tire ever produced. PLEASE stay away from them regardless of price. I am soft on the petal but the car would spin out on dry pavement. It was necessary to replace them from a safety perspective. The Sumitomo was a drastic improvement. Traction was tight. I could floor the car and the tires wouldn't spin out. Ride and noise level are good. It is too late to critique tread ware, but time will tell.

Initial Review, 3,500 Miles on Tires
November 05, 2012

My second set and so far my favorite choice for the S class. Fantastic summer tires and great performance for the money. Rear tires last approx 15,000 miles. Front tires good for 30,000. Road force balanced and these are very smooth, very quiet and have fantastic grip. This is a summer tire only - not for winter use.

Initial Review, 18,000 Miles on Tires
October 23, 2012

Probably the best rain tire I've ever driven on, but these tires wear out completetly at the shoulders. They were worn out after 18,000 miles of driving by my middle age schoolteacher wife. Alignment was not an issue. There just isn't enough tread at the shoulders.

Initial Review, 27,000 Miles on Tires
October 29, 2012

I'm an aggressive driver. I don't do burnouts but I drift around corners from time to time. I never see snow but I do see a lot of rain. This is my third set of tires and definitely the best so far.

At first they were amazingly quiet, the quietest I've ever driven. That went away after a few thousand miles (8k-10k?). The big surprise is their longevity. They always performed well in wet and dry but, after 27,000 miles I don't get nervous on them like I used to on other tires. The tread is low so it's time to go but I only feel this way because of the tread and not because of the way they handle. They also held their air pressure better than any tire I've ever had. I'm sure that reads strange and I feel odd writing it but I almost never added air to these tires. FWIW, it just stands out in my driving experience with these tires.

For comparison I had the Bridgestone RE92s and General UHPs . I never like the RE92s and they wore out after about 18,000 miles. Their dry traction was particularly weak. I loved the Generals for their weight. They were incredibly light and you could feel it on launch. As for performance, all I can really say about them is that they were better than the RE92s in every way. They weren't great, just better and cheaper than the RE92s. They lasted 20,000 miles.

I will probably buy the HTR Z IIIs again. Everything that I find that looks better is far more expensive. For the price, I don't think you can touch these. It's only a probably because I love to try out new tires. I really don't have a good reason to leave these, though.

Initial Review, 25,000 Miles on Tires
October 29, 2012

I'm an aggressive driver. I don't shred the tires on launch but I do drift around corners from time to time. I've never even seen snow but it does rain a lot.

The RE92s were not impressive tires. They were OEM on my car and, despite the mileage shown above, wore out quickly. I should have replaced them much, much sooner. They were finished after about 18,000 miles. After that they were pretty scary even on dry roads. They are also seriously overpriced.

I've run General UHP and Sumitomo HTR Z III's since. Both tires were better with the Sumitomos the clear winner and both were much cheaper too.

By way of comparison, the Generals lasted 20,000 miles. That's actually a little better than the RE92s since I replaced them promptly. The Sumitomos lasted 27,000 miles. The Sumitomos actually feel better at 27,000 miles than the RE92s did at 20,000 but they need to go now. I would never consider the RE92s given my experiences with these and other tires.

Initial Review, 10,000 Miles on Tires
October 15, 2012

While I find it ridiculous that Lexus put such a large wheel with such a low profile (45mm), for what it's worth this tire does a great job. It handles well - this is more of a boat, so if it handles this well with this car, smaller cars should fare even better. It handles wet roads like a charm. The tread is pretty impressive as well.

Initial Review, 750 Miles on Tires
October 01, 2012

Bought these tires as I wanted improved cornering agility and steering responsiveness and these did just the trick. They STICK to the road during aggressive cornering with no squeeling. Impressive! Ride comfort is still very good and no noise issues whatsoever. Excellent tire for the money. Note: I run these as a summer only set (convertible).

Initial Review, 10,000 Miles on Tires
September 15, 2012

Great tire in inclement weather for an all season. Seem to be wearing excellent. Couldn't believe the traction in snowy conditions on such a lightweight compact car ( Volvo S40). Would probably buy again when these wear out.