The following post was created from content submitted via Tire Rack's consumer surveys. Information shown is the opinion of the consumer and meant to be used for comparison shopping purposes.
| Sumitomo HTR Sport H/P | Reviewer's Overall Rating: 5 |
|  Buy/More Info | |||
| Miles driven on tires: | 800 | |||
| Location: | Los Angeles, CA | |||
| Driving Condition: | Average | |||
Initial Review, 800 Miles on Tires Replaced OEM Continental 4x4 Contacts. Sumitomo is ill-suited for R350's combination of weight (5,000 lb) and suspension/chassis/handling characteristics. Sumitomos borders on UNSAFE! Sheer lack of steering response @ hwy speeds! Slightest steering correction (follows ruts like any fresh tire) results in (1) momentary delay, followed by (2) front end dive/veer, then (3) excessive rear kick-out/sway. And all this despite recent alignment. W/ 30 yrs experience driving both hi-performance and family European vehicles, I can reasonably conclude that the Sumitomo's lack of sidewall stiffness and slight added weight (37 lb vs 35 lb for Continental 4x4) mate poorly to weight/chassis/suspension combination of R350. I agree w/ other noted respondents and family friends that the OEM Continentals have below average tread life. But in retrospect, the OEM Continentals exhibited a very good combination of sidewall stiffness, grip, and ride quality, which understandably can be difficult to satisfy in 5,000 lb crossover vehicle. I'm very concerned over the Sumitomos; so much so that I have swapped vehicles w/ my wife. I will monitor the tires, and if they do not improve following a reasonable break-in period (say 1,000-1,500 mi), I will have to replace them, despite hurting my pocketbook. Read All Reviews for This Tire | Write a Review for This Tire | ||||
2008 Mercedes-Benz R350
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