Comparing a Couple Tires

D

Delta

Joined
Apr 20, 2014
Messages
3,720
Location
Franklin County, PA
So the WRX is going to need some new tread in a couple months once it starts warming up and I've been bouncing back and fourth between a couple tires. Doing some research before hand. They all seem to get decent enough reviews.

Prices are from my tire shop plus $60 mount/balance and taxes. 235/45/17 size.

#1 - General G-Max AS-07 - $140/ea
#2 - Vredestein Hypertrac - $145/ea

And for the wild card...

#3 - Sumitomo HTR A/S P03 - $99/ea


I am aware that all these are UHP all season tires. I do not plan to drive the car in the snow, nor do any track days or high speed driving. This is a summer/good weather car.

Before it's brought up, I will not even entertain Michelin's...


Anybody have experience with any of these tires?
 
Approximate anticipated miles/year on the WRX?
I ask wondering if "dry-out" can occur before "wear-out".

Of course being UHP (Ultra High Performance), they'll be softer thus faster wearing than the "thrifty papa's" I buy.
 
Delta said:
So the WRX is going to need some new tread in a couple months once it starts warming up and I've been bouncing back and fourth between a couple tires. Doing some research before hand. They all seem to get decent enough reviews.

Prices are from my tire shop plus $60 mount/balance and taxes. 235/45/17 size.

#1 - General G-Max AS-07 - $140/ea
#2 - Vredestein Hypertrac - $145/ea

And for the wild card...

#3 - Sumitomo HTR A/S P03 - $99/ea


I am aware that all these are UHP all season tires. I do not plan to drive the car in the snow, nor do any track days or high speed driving. This is a summer/good weather car.

Before it's brought up, I will not even entertain Michelin's...


Anybody have experience with any of these tires?
Click to expand...
I have #3 wild cards on a 2018 Highlander - Sumitomo HTR A/S P03.
They have been great 2 years in. Expecting they will do well for another 3 yrs or so. Wearing well, alot of tread left, not even close to the wear bars.
Underrated tires. You will not be disappointed.
 
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Vredestein, Sumo then General a distant third in that order. Based on my experience with the brands, not necessarily the specific tires although I have a second hand positive opinion of the Vredestein Hypertracs. Vredesteins generally tend to be soft and quicker wearing though, not a factor in your use case.
 
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You're doing research on these tires, but don't list any of the tires' UTQG, speed, or load ratings? What are your data points...peoples' reviews and/or opinions? Kind of expensive tires to go on opinion.

- General G-Max: UTQG 500AA A; "W" speed rating (168mph), load rating 94
- Vredestein Hypertrac: UTQG 500AA A; "Y" speed rating (186mph), load rating 97
- Sumitomo HTR A/S: UTQG 540 A A; "W" speed rating (168mph), load rating 94

All in all the Vredestein tires have the highest ratings (and an 8-yr/50K-mile warranty), although they're all in the same general ballpark. These tires appear to be made in Hungary. Don't know where the others are made. Country of origin is a consideration for me, but might not be for you.

Data matters, specifications matter. Peoples' opinions? Nice to have, but not great data.

​

 
krzyss said:
Why all seasons for car driven in "a summer/good weather" and "5-6K per year" miles?

Krzyś
Click to expand...

In the event I do run across bad weather. I will drive the car on clear winter days, and sometimes PA weather can be un-predictable. Ran into that a couple weeks ago. Summer tires would have really been bad.
 
Ive used all season Sumitomo before. Decent tire IMO. The only drawback was that they were not too good in the snow. So, i just adjusted my driving habits for snowy weather here in New York, and they were fine.
 
Capt W said:
You're doing research on these tires, but don't list any of the tires' UTQG, speed, or load ratings? What are your data points...peoples' reviews and/or opinions? Kind of expensive tires to go on opinion.

- General G-Max: UTQG 500AA A; "W" speed rating (168mph), load rating 94
- Vredestein Hypertrac: UTQG 500AA A; "Y" speed rating (186mph), load rating 97
- Sumitomo HTR A/S: UTQG 540 A A; "W" speed rating (168mph), load rating 94

All in all the Vredestein tires have the highest ratings (and an 8-yr/50K-mile warranty), although they're all in the same general ballpark. These tires appear to be made in Hungary. Don't know where the others are made. Country of origin is a consideration for me, but might not be for you.

Data matters, specifications matter. Peoples' opinions? Nice to have, but not great data.

​

Click to expand...

Price wise honestly none of them are really expensive, at least to me.

Speed, load, etc. data for the most part doesn't mean a whole lot to me. I've never had this car over 95, and don't plan on doing that much. The tires will age out well before I even need to worry about wear, that's why I haven't focused too much on that.

I don't really know how to respond to this. Guess this is going to get into some debate here 🤷‍♂️
 
Capt W said:
You're doing research on these tires, but don't list any of the tires' UTQG, speed, or load ratings? What are your data points...peoples' reviews and/or opinions? Kind of expensive tires to go on opinion.

- General G-Max: UTQG 500AA A; "W" speed rating (168mph), load rating 94
- Vredestein Hypertrac: UTQG 500AA A; "Y" speed rating (186mph), load rating 97
- Sumitomo HTR A/S: UTQG 540 A A; "W" speed rating (168mph), load rating 94

All in all the Vredestein tires have the highest ratings (and an 8-yr/50K-mile warranty), although they're all in the same general ballpark. These tires appear to be made in Hungary. Don't know where the others are made. Country of origin is a consideration for me, but might not be for you.

Data matters, specifications matter. Peoples' opinions? Nice to have, but not great data.

​

Click to expand...
Opinions are not great data as a standalone, but neither are the UTQG treadwear ratings (manufacturer provided data) and the other UTQG ratings are effectively hurdles; better tires will exceed the ratings but by how much? I've experienced significant differences with UHP tires in, for example, wet weather and near limit behavior in tires with nearly identical UTQG ratings. Same with all weather/ M & S tires, but anything with the 3MP I've found to be decent in my somewhat limited experience.

So, yes data is important but more to establish a minimum set of qualifications, and beyond that I'd argue real world experiences or trusted reviews will be as valuable if not more depending on what performance aspects one values.
 
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If you're not demanding nor a high speed driver, the lesser expensive options become increasingly acceptable.

9 years ago, a car I bought had new Goodyear RS-A tires on it.
They're a middle of the road tire which didn't engender a slew of reviews on whatever site I was shown.
A guy warned me against them claiming "See, nobody buys them except car dealers.....those tires will kill you when next it rains".

I ran them for ~50k over 5 years without issue. You're in a similar boat.
Go for a less dear UHP, enjoy driving and, as is said on BITOG, move on.
 
wings&wheels said:
Vredestein, Sumo then General a distant third in that order. Based on my experience with the brands, not necessarily the specific tires although I have a second hand positive opinion of the Vredestein Hypertracs. Vredesteins generally tend to be soft and quicker wearing though, not a factor in your use case.
Click to expand...
^This.
 
Kira said:
If you're not demanding nor a high speed driver, the lesser expensive options become increasingly acceptable.

9 years ago, a car I bought had new Goodyear RS-A tires on it.
They're a middle of the road tire which didn't engender a slew of reviews on whatever site I was shown.
A guy warned me against them claiming "See, nobody buys them except car dealers.....those tires will kill you when next it rains".

I ran them for ~50k over 5 years without issue. You're in a similar boat.
Go for a less dear UHP, enjoy driving and, as is said on BITOG, move on.
Click to expand...
Do slower drivers drive 60-70mph or they stick to 25mph? Because braking distance difference at 60-70 mph is huge in rain between top rated tires and budget tires.
 
wings&wheels said:
Opinions are not great data as a standalone, but neither are the UTQG treadwear ratings (manufacturer provided data) and the other UTQG ratings are effectively hurdles; better tires will exceed the ratings but by how much? I've experienced significant differences with UHP tires in, for example, wet weather and near limit behavior in tires with nearly identical UTQG ratings. Same with all weather/ M & S tires, but anything with the 3MP I've found to be decent in my somewhat limited experience.

So, yes data is important but more to establish a minimum set of qualifications, and beyond that I'd argue real world experiences or trusted reviews will be as valuable if not more depending on what performance aspects one values.
Click to expand...

We don't disagree. In most cases the UTQG ratings merely provide clearer comparison between the buyer's selected tires. The AA traction rated tires ostensibly provide better traction than an A-rated tire, and a higher treadwear rating is typically longer lasting. Mileage warranties are OK for most, but I find the 8-year Vredestein warranty kind of appealing as the others don't seem to have a similar time-based warranty (which might be really good for the OP and his projected use...or lack thereof).

I'm only advocating to grab all the data (specs, warranty, price, and testimonial) to make a truly informed decision. No variable is the be-all, end-all. Therefore, get all the data you can.

In my personal opinion, country of origin is very high on the list. China or India tires? Hard pass. Indonesia or Vietnam? Probably not. I prefer USA-made rubber, but will take European or South American if the former is unavailable. That's just me, though.
 
Capt W said:
We don't disagree. In most cases the UTQG ratings merely provide clearer comparison between the buyer's selected tires. The AA traction rated tires ostensibly provide better traction than an A-rated tire, and a higher treadwear rating is typically longer lasting. Mileage warranties are OK for most, but I find the 8-year Vredestein warranty kind of appealing as the others don't seem to have a similar time-based warranty (which might be really good for the OP and his projected use...or lack thereof).

I'm only advocating to grab all the data (specs, warranty, price, and testimonial) to make a truly informed decision. No variable is the be-all, end-all. Therefore, get all the data you can.

In my personal opinion, country of origin is very high on the list. China or India tires? Hard pass. Indonesia or Vietnam? Probably not. I prefer USA-made rubber, but will take European or South American if the former is unavailable. That's just me, though.
Click to expand...
Agree.

CoO is a tough one. I generally avoid China CoO, but not for quality. I’d take a quality brand China, India or wherever tire over a bargain basement US tire, if we even make them but I typically buy European or US CoO.
 
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