Table of Contents
Best All Season
Falken Sincera SN250 A/S
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The Falken Sincera SN250 A/S is an all-season touring tire that has been created to replace the SN211 A/S which is an older model. This new iteration has a couple of the innovations found on the Pro G4 A/S, with 3D Canyon Sipes proving traction in winter and wet conditions, and Dynamic Range Technology providing enhanced grip.
Falken utilized its bespoke all-season tread compound that has been created with additional silica elements. This helps to not only deliver enhanced wet and dry traction but also provides extended treadwear. The tread pattern on this tire is asymmetric and sports the Dynamic Range Technology in conjunction with the optimized tread block.
This results in a much more comfortable and smoother ride with increased stability and cornering grip. 4 circumferential grooves come together with the 3D Canyon sipes and elevated silica tread compound to provide increased traction on wet highways and streets.
This innovative technology has been designed to lower the occurrence of hydroplaning, as well as provide additional safety at every speed. The tread and the sipes provide biting edges which help with ice and snow traction.
General Altimax RT43 Tire
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The General Altimax RT43 was created by General to replace the Altimax RT. The new tire has been designed to provide elevated all-season handling and traction whilst providing an extended tread life and comfortable ride for sedans, crossovers, coupes, and minivans.
The tread compound is an innovative twin cushion silica compound that has been molded into a symmetric tread pattern. This combined with a peak anti-slip sipe design as General calls it, increases wet and dry traction, whilst improving ride comfort.
General has improved on its technology to enhance wet surface performance. This is possible thanks to its 4 circumferential grooves. With the addition of sipes located near the tread, grip has been increased on light snow-covered surfaces.
The internals of the tire has a continuous center rib which adds to its steering response and stability, whilst the bespoke acoustic modulation technology helps to suppress the sound waves made while the tire makes contact with the road. This ensures better ride quality and lower road noise.
Inside of the tread exists 2 steel belts with a polyester cord body, which adds durability, strength, and extra ride comfort. An additional feature found on the Altimax is the RTM or Replacement Tire Monitor which is a stamp that indicates when the tire needs to be replaced due to tread wear.
Visual Alignment Indicators are also included as they help extend the tread life letting drivers know when their vehicle is misaligned.
Best Touring
Continental ControlContact Tour AS
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The Continental ControlContact Tour AS has been created to deliver high performance, longer tread life, and a more comfortable ride. This tire model has been designed for all types of minivans, crossovers, sedans, and coupes.
A quick look at the ControlContact will show that the tread pattern is an iteration of the TrueContact by Continental. It utilizes the same 800 UTQG rating, design, warranty, and more. There is a difference, however, the ControlContact Tour AS comes with a 5 rib pattern while the TrueContact comes with 4.
The tire utilizes the unique tread compound developed by Continental. This compound includes +Silane additives and Tg-F Polymers for increased handling and traction on all kinds of surfaces. It also helps promote longer tread life.
The read has full-depth sides woven around it to provide the tire additional grip, whilst reducing the stopping distance on snow-covered or wet road surfaces.
Continental has added what it calls a comfort band on the tire, and it is situated between the tread and the steel belts to absorb road shocks and bumps, providing a more comfortable and smoother ride.
Cooper CS3 Touring
The CS3 Touring is the latest tire model to the Cooper lineup. It replaces the outgoing GLS and this has been designed to offer a longer tread life, quieter ride comfort, and improved fuel efficiency thanks in part to its lower rolling resistance.
It has been created for the minivans, sedans, and coupes of today and the CS3 Touring employs a few of the latest tire innovations by Cooper. To this end, a novel touring tread compound has been used, and when combined with a larger footprint, gives the CS3 Touring improved dry handling and traction.
StabilEdge technology has been incorporated by Cooper into this tire’s intermediate and center ribs. This has resulted in more responsive and quicker steering, increased cornering grip and handling, as well as enhanced overall stability. Every one of these features are a significant improvement over the GLS.
The tire construction consists of 3D Micro Gauge Siping and 4 circumferential grooves which help the CS3 Touring provide great traction on wet surfaces, whilst also lower the chances of hydroplaning. An additional benefit of the 3 D sipes is the improved winter traction on icy or snow-covered pavement.
The CS3 Touring has been created to provide more comfort, whilst also being quieter, thanks to the new design of the pitch sequence located in the tread. This helps to eliminate annoying road noise, which will be a plus for numerous drivers.
IT does offer an increased fuel economy with its 6% reduction in rolling resistance, even if this feature isn’t a main focus of the CS3 Touring.
Located inside the tire are twin steel belts that have been spirally wrapped using nylon to provide extra ride comfort and durability.
Best Summer Tire
Continental ExtremeContact Sport Tire
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The Continental ExtremeContact Sport is a great summer tire that was released to replace the ExtremeContact DW. It was specifically designed for all types of sedans, coupes, and sports cars. Engineered to provide maximum cornering grip and traction with refined ride comfort, The ExtremeContact Sport is capable of competing against the best in its class.
The ExtremeContact Sport utilizes an advanced summer tread compound that has been combined with Continental’s patented +Silane technology. This means that a 5 to 6 rib asymmetric tread pattern can be matched, providing increased handling and traction on both wet and dry surfaces.
The ExtremeContact Sport’s construction consists of larger outside blocks which, with the tire’s continuous center rib and the SportPlus Technology from Continental provide the tire improved steering feel and response.
It is also able to deliver the stability and cornering grip expected from a UHP summer tire. The inclusion of the +Silane compound into the large circumferential grooves help provide increased wet surface traction. The grooves, alongside the optimized footprint help reduce hydroplaning risks at higher speeds, providing the driver with full confidence when behind the wheel.
The internal structure of the tire houses 2 high-tensile strength steel belts spirally wrapped with a polyamide cap cord and 2 ply sidewalls. These add durability and strength throughout the speed range.
QuickView Performance Indicators have been added by Continental and they are similar to those on the DW and DWS06 models. The goal of these indicators is to provide you with an overall look on the tire’s tread wear and if it has sufficient tread depth for wet or dry road conditions.
Bridgestone Turanza ER300 Tire
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Bridgestone’s Turanza ER300 is the company's summer offering which is used as original equipment on various sedans. It also is used as a replacement tire on sedans, coupes, and other motor vehicles. Thanks to its environmentally friendly design and reduced rolling resistance, the ER300 has been developed to reduce CO2 emissions and increase fuel efficiency.
The tread compound consists of silica which has been combined with larger outside tread blocks and an asymmetric tread pattern that delivers increased wet and dry traction, whilst also improving cornering grip.
Stability is assured thanks to the continuous center rib. It also provides increased steering response at all speeds. There are 4 circumferential grooves, as well as unique lateral grooves that offer enhanced handling on wet surfaces, whilst reducing the chances of hydroplaning.
The tire’s interior consists of 2 steel belts which have been reinforced using a nylon and aramid wrap. This helps to provide extra stability and strength at higher speeds. There is also a polyester cord body which promotes even tread wear and increases ride comfort.
Best Winter
Kumho Wintercraft WP72
The Kumho Wintercraft WP72 is a studless tire that’s able to combine the ideal winter controllability, high-speed performance, and traction to improve the entire experience of winter driving. This winter tire offers great winter weather traction in a variety of conditions. The detailed tread design combined with the tread’s winter compound helps improve the grip on any surface during the winter.
Kumho put together a strong winter compound and an asymmetric tread design to create the WP72 that can significantly increase its gripping ability during the winter. This ensures that driving stability and steering responsiveness is enhanced. The tread's surface contact boosts steering accuracy and response time, ensuring the driver has full control over the vehicle during winter driving.
This helps to markedly shorten the braking distance while significantly increasing the tire’s grip on the road. The optimal outer shoulder tread block placement helps to raise the number of biting edges that grip the road during cornering.
The rubber is kept flexible even in colder temperatures thanks to the compound. This helps it retain its excellent traction. This ensures the tire’s winter performance and traction capacity is boosted, so much so that it received the three mountain peak and snowflake symbol. The asymmetric tread design used comes with a high-density siping which enhances the tire's grip on snow- and ice-covered surfaces. The block-shaped and zig zap stripes make sure the tire doesn’t lose its wonderful winter group with no help from studs.
The WP72 comes with an asymmetric tread design which helps boost its handling alongside a stronger internal construction. The tread has a wider inner shoulder pattern which with the ideal outer shoulder block pattern and center tread block placement function to keep the tire in contact with the road.
The WP72 also improves its cornering and braking abilities as a result of the updated tread design. The tread has a special high-density 3D siping detail combined with an angled lateral groove placement which boosts the tire’s braking power. Together, they create sufficient friction between the road and the tire during braking.
This helps to enhance the surface contact of the tire and its grip which results in improved maneuverability. The WP72 has tread wear indicators which are special tread elements that let the driver know the state of the tire's tread.
They ensure the tire is not used past its tread wear limit. To ensure this is considered, the Wintercraft WP72 has a unique hourglass shape tread identification element. This helps to prevent the tire from being used when its tread is worn out.
High-speed performance is improved thanks to the asymmetric tread design. It helps to ease the tire to road pressure off the tire. This is done by offering improved winter traction and providing closer road contact. When combined with the optimal internal structure of the tire, the WP72 can maintain its ideal shape even under high-speed pressure.
- Tire Rack: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/brand.jsp?brand=Kumho
- Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kumho-WinterCraft-Season-Radial-Tire-225/dp/B07LBM6T5B
- Priority Tire: https://www.prioritytire.com/by-brand/kumho/wintercraft-wp72-tires/
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
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The Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 is a winter tire that increases winter conditions traction by utilizing a durable winter compound and detailed tread design. The tread pattern used is a high-density zigzag siping on stabilized tread elements. It also includes a detailed notch and grove placement which work together to grip the snow and ice-covered roads.
The WS90 utilizes a Multi-Cell compound that has silica elements. This is Bridgestone's most effective winter compound as it can maintain the rubber element flexibility in versatile temperatures. This combination ensures that the tire can effectively and securely perform in even the harshest of winter conditions without requiring studs.
The lateral and circumferential groove of the tread, as well as the notch placement, enables the tire to actively resist hydroplaning. This results in the tire being able to perform securely and sufficiently enough for it to earn the three mountain peak and snowflake symbol.
This winter tire utilizes an ideal flat footprint and tread design which has greatly improved controllability. The tread’s continuous center rib and the flat footprint ensure that surface contact is maintained throughout the tire’s performance.
This ensures that the WS90 can greatly enhance steering response accuracy and time to the driver’s control. The structure has been designed to remain secure against road pressure. The stabilized shoulder block placement coupled with the detailed siping placement helps to increase power and cornering ability.
These detailed sipings provide extra biting edges which help the tire grip the road firmly and maintain surface contact when the vehicle is maneuvering. The tread uses a high-density block edge and siping pattern which helps to generate friction between the road and the tire. This results in a significantly lower braking distance, especially on snow and ice.
The WS90 has been designed to promote lengthened usability, with the stabilized tread block patterns helping to avoid tread flexing. When tread flexing happens unnecessary friction is generated and that causes the rate of treadwear to increase.
This process activates the even distribution of driving pressure throughout the tread area. The Blizzak WS90 can resist irregular and premature wear formations on the tread area, thereby elongating the service life of the tire.
To help with treadwear notification, the tread comes with special snow platforms that are visual representations so when the tire’s winter traction is wearing out. These only appear when the Multi-Cell winter compound used to create the tires are wearing out causing the tire to lose its more effective winter traction.
The indicators aim to ensure the driver changes the tires at the appropriate time, avoiding a scenario where the winter traction is worn out and they are being driven during the winter.
Best Performance Street
BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE92
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The Bridgestone Potenza RE92 is a high-performance all-season tire that has been made for passenger cars. The tire provides exceptional traction in all weather conditions, which means that it can grip the road effectively in wet, winter, or dry weather.
The tread design and special tire compound combine to provide great traction in all weathers while also ensuring that it doesn’t lose grip in colder temperatures. The circumferential grooves on the tire help it resist hydroplaning. It does this by getting rid of water just below the model’s footprint.
While it is a high-performance tire, this feature makes it suitable to use in every kind of weather condition. The internal structure of the tire has been improved to become even more resistant to damage and high-speed deformity.
The steel belt construction helps the tire resist accidental punctures, tearing, chipping, cracking, and any other damages. Internally is a special spiral wrap structure that ensures the tire's shape is maintained at high speed.
The Potenza RE92 also offers great steering responsiveness. The precise and swift steering responsiveness happens thanks to the maximum road contact area of the tire. With the footprint being wider, the tire comes with an increased road surface area which it can rely on.
Steering accuracy is improved and this tire quickly responds to the driver’s commands. The bigger footprint also ensures great road feedback, making drivers feel comfortable to steer the car in various road conditions.
The RE92 has a polyester cord body which helps absorbs vibrations caused by the road and noise as well. Given that the vibrations and noise both heard and felt are reduced, the Potenza RE92 can offer a quiet and comfortable driving experience.
Falken Pro G4 A/S
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The Falken Pro is another high-performance tire that puts out high traction which withstands all types of weather. It doesn’t matter if it is hot, wet, dry, or cold, the Falken Pro G4 A/S performs well. The treads used on this tire have been created using a high-silica compound which is made with Falken’s trademark Dynamic Range Technology.
It ensures that drivers get great traction coupled with enhanced handling in varying driving scenarios. As a high-performance tire, you can be sure of the best light snow, wet, and dry traction to be had. It comes as no surprise that the Falken Pro is not negatively affected by extremely hot or cold roads.
The Falken Pro G4 A/S comes with a variable tread depth ensuring that each thread block placement and size is varied. Due to this design, you gain a quitter ride with these tires regardless of where you are, off-road or on.
The Pro G4 A/s offers users a fairly reasonable price point and it also ensures that your vehicle gets improved fuel economy by providing a smooth ride to reduce engine stress. This in turn helps you save money on gas in the long run.
This tire has been manufactured using high-quality silica to produce high-quality tires. The Falken Pro ensures that users get reliability and a comfortable ride. With the Pro G4 A/S, users can be sure of an extruded tread wear capacity. Looks aren’t everything but the Falken Pro has a unique design combined with well-cut out and layered treads. This helps to add a spectacular look to your vehicle.
Best Highway
Firestone Weathergrip
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The Firestone WeatherGrip is a great all-weather tire that performs well on the highway. It has excellent dry traction which ensures that it hugs the road surface efficiently, particularly on winding roads. It also does a wonderful duty of digging into asphalt and concrete during city and town driving.
This tire has a light and comfortable ride quality. However, one issue users might have is the pervasiveness of road noise at certain speeds. Generally, this is down to the multi-pattern tread design used on all-season tires, with no part being made for the dryer months and the other made for snow.
The Firestone WeatherGrip helps to find a healthy medium between both needs. It can be a great day-to-day tire choice for individuals that want a high level of dependability from their tire. This tire's performance in snow and icy situations isn’t as good as a winter tire would be, however it can get you through the winter months.
Stability in light snow is great and at medium to low rolling speeds, users will witness little to no slippage. This tire’s stopping capability in moderate ice and snow is also great and it does a decent job as an all-season tire.
The Firestone WeatherGrip has been designed using the Hydro-Grip Technology which ensures the tires have decent traction in moderate to mild rainy conditions.
Overall grip during maneuvers such as acceleration and braking is great even on rear-drive vehicles where slip is typically common on wet surfaces. The open slots present on the tread can make quite a massive difference enabling water to become evacuated via the horizontal grooves. This ensures hydroplaning is effectively resisted.
Bridgestone DriveGuard
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The Bridgestone DriveGuard has been designed to improve performance in tread life, comfort, and traction. It was developed with sedans in mind and it features all-year drivability regardless of the weather condition.
The tire has a silica compound, added aqua slant grooves, sipes, and 4 circumferential grooves which help the tire improved wet grip, whilst also reducing the chances of hydroplaning.
The DriveGuard utilizes a special silica tread compound combined with a symmetric tread pattern which enhances both wet and dry traction. The unique 3D shoulder block technology in conjunction with its stiff continuous center rib help deliver faster steering response, as well as increased stability when cornering.
Lower road noise and improved ride comfort are accomplished via the Silencer Sipes placed by Hankook on the tread’s outer shoulders. These help to reduce harmonic noise from grooved or uneven pavement.
Each tread block has engineered siping to markedly improve the biting edges. This helps to provide improved snow traction. A significant benefit of this technology is that braking distances are reduced and a lower rolling resistance provides additional fuel efficiency.
The DriveGuard is a run-flat tire that has been specifically designed to enable the tire to move even after air pressure has been lost. This is down to being constructed using stronger materials. These materials help maintain the shape of the tire, aiding it to withstand the combined weight of the passengers and the vehicle.
The internal structure is reinforced, and it includes a special cooling fin pattern located on the tire’s sidewall to aid tire performance once damage has occurred. The spirally wrapped nylon cord reinforces the dual steel belt structure which helps stop it from deformation, guaranteeing the tire’s shape no matter what.
The tire is built using Bridgestone’s NanoPro-Tech which strengthens the sidewall compound. The unique cooling fin design located on the sidewall helps to redistribute friction and heat along with the tire once the loss of air pressure due to a puncture occurs.
This innovative enhancement means the driver isn’t stranded on the side of the highway once the tire gets damaged. Rather, they can safely drive to a location close by to resolve the issue, which could be changing the tire or fixing it.
Due to its special internal construction to enhance its durability, a run-flat tire is heavier. This does mean that it can’t be used with regular non- run-flat tires on the same car.
Michelin Premier LTX All-Season Tire
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The Michelin Premier LTX is Michelin's all-season offering for crossovers, SUVs, pickups, and light-duty vehicles. It is great for drivers that want increased traction, comfort, and tread life all season.
The Premier LTX is made using high levels of silica and sunflower oil in the tread compound to enhance wet pavement grip. This combined with Michelin’s EverGrip Technology and its symmetric tread pattern ensures that it provides sufficient grip.
Braking performance and traction aren’t the only new benefits the Premier LTX has to offer. The noise and comfort level of this tire model is exceptional, considering you have to make tradeoffs between ride comfort and traction on other tires.
This is down to the twin steel belts which have been reinforced using spirally wrapped polyamide cord. The result is a tire that offers durability, strength as well as safety all combined with the comfort and response level typically associated with a Michelin tire.
About The Author
Charles Redding
I've spent many years selling cars, working with auto detailers, mechanics, dealership service teams, quoting and researching car insurance, modding my own cars, and much more.
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