Contents
- Top 9 rating according to KP
- How to choose summer tires for your car
Any rubber is not eternal, even if you are a supporter of driving on complete tires to the state of “slicks”. In the end, there are different situations on the road – piercing the sidewall of a tire is far from fantastic. And someone wants more from the car and he starts sorting out wheels and tire sizes. In general, a motorist will always have reasons to buy a set of new summer tires.
The marking of the tires recommended for your car is indicated in the owner’s manual. As a rule, at the end of the brochure – where technical specifications and recommended fluids are given. Or, alternatively, the dimensions of the tires approved for your car can be indicated on the B-pillar under the driver’s door lock bracket, on the gas tank hatch, or even on the inside of the glove box lid (on some localized models).
As a rule, several acceptable dimensions are indicated there. However, if you are not going to change rims (officially – “wheels”, because what we used to call “wheels” is called “wheel assembly”), you should choose tires with exactly the same bore diameter.
Top 9 rating according to KP
1. Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
A popular model of summer tires from Dunlop. It is produced in a huge number of variations, so the price for one tire can be completely different. Tire diameters range from 15 to 22 inches, widths from 195 to 325mm, and profile heights range from 60mm to the low profile 30mm.
Older versions of this tire can provide the car with movement up to 300 km / h (index Y). The advantages of the model include that it holds both wet and dry roads well. The tire itself is relatively strong and resists cuts and hernias to a reasonable extent. The downside of this strength is rigidity – the car on this rubber can become somewhat shaky, and the bumps in the road will be felt more strongly. Some drivers also complain about the acoustic accompaniment – with these tires in the cabin it can become noisier.
Advantages and disadvantages
2. Pirelli Cinturato P1 Verde
Summer tires from the Italian-Chinese tire manufacturer. Cinturato P1 Verde can be easily found in standard equipment of some cars. For example, they put it on the “stuffed” Lada Granta. The tire is available in several sizes. Diameter – from 13 to 20 inches, width – from 145 to 275 mm, profile – from 70 to 30 mm. The tire is not afraid of ruts and feels good even in a sharp turn. Pits Cinturato P1 Verde endures stoically, but do not overdo it – the tire sidewalls are relatively soft.
Because of this, you can easily get a hernia or cut, after which the tire will go to a landfill. The tread pattern is designed in such a way that the rubber is not afraid of hydroplaning. But even on a muddy primer it’s better not to meddle on it – the car has every chance of getting stuck.
Advantages and disadvantages
3. Toyo Proxes CF2
The tire from the Japanese brand Toyo is by no means created for the “eaters” of kilometers of tracks. This is a balanced and inexpensive summer tire mainly for city driving. Available in diameters 13-20 inches, widths 165-245 mm and profile 40-80 mm. Rubber in motion is soft and quiet.
Tires provide good traction with the road surface, but in a sharp turn (especially if the profile is higher) they can break. Someone thinks that the sidewalls of the Toyo Proxes CF2 are soft, but they definitely won’t suffer from contact with the curb.
Well, the tread gives out a purely highway purpose of the tire – even on a dirty road after rain, the car can start to slip.
Advantages and disadvantages
What other summer tires are worth paying attention to?
4. MICHELIN Pilot Sport 4 S
An elite tire for elite cars – this is how the Pilot Sport 4 S can be characterized. The special position of the tire can also be understood from the considerable price – one wheel costs more than a set (with a spare tire) of rubber for a small car. The sizes in which rubber is produced correspond to: diameter from 18 to 22 inches, width from 135 to 355 and low profile 25-45 mm. Moreover, for all tires, the speed index is indicated by Y (up to 300 km / h). Of course, on public roads, even on a powerful car, such speeds are incredible, but on a sports track, such a tire will come in handy. Needless to say, this rubber provides excellent grip and steering in corners.
The low profile imposes its limitations – even small potholes on the roads should be avoided, and the sidewall may not withstand contact with the curb. The flip side of excellent grip is also quick wear – rubber, as they say, can go away in a season.
And one more feature – in the off-season, when the air temperature drops below +10 degrees, the tires begin to make excessive noise.
Advantages and disadvantages
5. Yokohama Bluearth ES32
Inexpensive summer tires from the Japanese tire manufacturer Yokohama. It is presented on the market in several dimensions: diagonal – from 13 to 18 inches, width 145-245 mm, height – 40-70 mm. On the road, the Bluearth ES32 has proven itself to be a quiet tyre, with medium stiffness and durability. Low rolling resistance can also be recorded as an asset of the model, which means that the roll increases and fuel consumption decreases.
By the way, tires of this series, which are sold in Our Country, are produced at a plant in Lipetsk (which does not affect the final quality of the product). Some motorists complain about the soft sidewall, but the tire is relatively new on the market, and there are no real cases when the curbstone pierced the wheel.
You can complain about the tread pattern, in which small stones strive to fill up, after which the wheels begin to click on the asphalt.
Advantages and disadvantages
6. Belshina Artmotion
Although the products of the Belarusian tire manufacturer are ignored by many motorists, because they are considered very simplified, but if the budget is limited and you need to buy summer tires, then you can take a closer look at Belshin Artmotion. It is available in four diameters: 13-16 inches. The width of the profile can be from 175 to 215 mm, and the height – from 55 to 70 mm (low profile is not about Belshina). Despite the low price, the tires hold the road well and are not afraid of hydroplaning.
Users’ opinions differ about acoustic comfort – some motorists consider it noisy, while others complain about howling. Rubber by the standards of our time is “oak”, which not everyone will like.
The problematic part of Belshina is its unstable quality. Someone is unlucky and he is faced with a bundle of rubber after 10 thousand km. Other car owners struggle with the imbalance by securing loads.
Advantages and disadvantages
7. Bridgestone Alenza 001
The considerable price for this model from Bridgestone is explained by two points. Firstly, although the tire is road, it is focused on SUVs. Secondly, in the Alenza 001 line, you can find models made using RunFlat technology, when you can drive up to 80 km on a flat tire. But you will have to pay extra for this option. The tire is produced in diameters from 16 to 22 inches, width can be from 215 to 315 mm, and height – 35-70 mm. The tire handles rutting and hydroplaning very well.
Car enthusiasts also like this tire for handling at high speeds. Wear resistance is also good. But you need to be prepared for noise, pushes into the cabin almost from the road markings and, no matter how strange it sounds, imbalance. Some buyers encounter it on new tires.
Of course, everything can be fixed with balancing weights, but is it necessary?
Advantages and disadvantages
8. Nokian Tires Nordman SZ
The popular summer tire model from the Finnish Nokian has been produced for more than a year. Available in three sizes – 16-18 inches. The width of the profile can be 205-245 mm, and the height – 40-55 mm. Handling on dry and wet pavement is not bad, good rubber bites into the pavement and when braking.
The tires are relatively soft and quiet. In addition, despite their road nature, they feel good in light dirt (but without fanaticism). The tire seems to be strong, but there is a marriage in the form of tread peeling. There is another problem – after 100 km / h, the tires begin to buzz a lot.
Advantages and disadvantages
9. Kumho Ecsta PS71
Korean summer tire with speed index up to 300 km/h. Can be found in diameters from 16″ to 20″, widths 195-295mm and profile heights 30-60mm. The tire feels good at high speeds, and grip is good on both dry and wet roads.
The manufacturer managed to make rubber soft in motion, the sides of which are not afraid of contact with the curb. But it was not without drawbacks – motorists compare the noise from this rubber with winter Velcro. Someone complains about the resource – the tires wear out relatively quickly.
Advantages and disadvantages
How to choose summer tires for your car
We sorted out the models of summer tires worthy of attention. Now it’s worth figuring out how to choose tires for a specific car and your driving style. This will help us Alexander Studkov, owner of a tire shop.
dimensions
The marking of the tires recommended for your car is indicated in the owner’s manual. As a rule, at the end of the brochure – where technical specifications and recommended fluids are given. Or, alternatively, the dimensions of the tires approved for your car can be indicated on the B-pillar under the driver’s door lock bracket, on the gas tank hatch, or even on the inside of the glove box lid (on some localized models).
As a rule, several acceptable dimensions are indicated there. However, if you are not going to change rims (officially – “wheels”, because what we used to call “wheels” officially – “wheel assembly”), it is worth choosing tires with exactly the same bore diameter. Don’t quite understand what I mean? Do you find it difficult to read the numbers “encrypted” in the dimension? In fact, everything is simple!
For example, in the specifications or on the tire mounted on the wheel of your car it says: 205/65/R16, where
- 205 – tread width (the surface on which the tire is in contact with the road – a “pattern” is applied to it), in millimeters,
- 65 – tire profile height or, in other words, the ratio of the height of the tread to its width; the higher the value, the higher the profile and the visually greater distance from the road to the metal surface of the wheel (“disk”). In usual millimeters, this will be: 205 × 0,65 u133,25d XNUMX mm,
- R16 – tire “radial” (in principle, most tires are now radial), and “16” is the landing diameter of the wheel (“disc” – metal or cast).
After you have decided on the dimension: whether it is the same size, or another, but with the same landing radius, or with another, but then you have to buy the appropriate wheels (“rims”), we proceed to the selection of the best summer tires for your car.
Tread
The tread pattern of a summer tire can be symmetrical non-directional, directional or asymmetric. The first option is considered the most versatile for the city and the highway. Versatility adds to them and the fact that the tires can be easily interchanged, this does not degrade their properties. With directional symmetry, wet contact is greatly improved. But you need to put them strictly in the direction of rotation. An asymmetric pattern can also be called universal – the characteristics of such a tire are highly dependent on what engineers have invested in it. For example, part of the picture may be responsible for working on dry pavement, and the other – on wet pavement. Install such tires carefully, based on the markings on the wheel.
full speed
The speed at which you can drive on a particular summer tire depends on the speed index of a particular model. It is indicated by English letters from M (130 km / h) to Y (300 km / h). Tires with maximum performance have a high coefficient of grip with the road and a minimum braking distance. But, of course, such wheels will look logical on the new Mercedes, and not on the urban Solaris.
Smooth running and acoustic comfort
When choosing new summer tires, it should be remembered that good handling often comes with a harsh reaction to the road surface. And vice versa – soft tires that swallow pits and markings can break even in a simple turn at moderate speed. So choose a tire carefully, looking not only at tests on the Internet, but also at the reviews of real motorists.
How quiet your car’s interior is depends not only on the soundproofing, but also on the tires. Summer ones, of course, are much quieter than winter ones, but there are also loud models. Sometimes the tire starts to click because of the projector, or rather, the features of its pattern, into which small stones can be packed.
Resource
There are two things to distinguish here – the wear resistance of the projector and how the tire withstands road adversity. With the first one, everything is more or less clear – a hard tire most likely goes through more, and if you are a fan of “sinking” or arranging a burnout, then the rubber can go away in a season.
Pay attention to how strong the sidewall of the tire is. Side cuts when parking are not uncommon, and repairing this is often impossible – you will have to buy a new tire. For expensive cars, RunFlat tire technology has been used for several years now. Even with such a punctured wheel, you can drive several tens of kilometers to a tire shop. They are not suitable for all car models, but if it is possible to put them, then do not save.