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Sumitomo is a key player in the tire industry, operating its own line as well as providing tires for several other well-known brands across the globe. But among all the tires it produces, which Sumitomo tires are the best?
In this Sumitomo review, we’ll discuss the brand in detail, going over company history, industry ratings, popular models, and more. We’ll also offer our top recommendations for tires based on our comprehensive review of the industry’s best tires. A new set of tires can be a costly purchase, so it’s smart to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.
To start comparing a variety of tire brands, Sumitomo included, visit TireRack.
Established in 1919 in Osaka, Japan, Sumitomo Rubber Industries is the fifth-largest tire manufacturer in the world, according to a 2019 Tire Business report. Sumitomo not only produces its own tire line but also Dunlop, Ohtsu, and Falken tires in certain regions.
Sumitomo tires are known for their quality and affordable price range. Unlike other big-name brands, Sumitomo models rarely exceed $160 per tire. While they’re not as low-cost as Ironman tires or Cooper tires, Sumitomo’s pricing is accessible to many drivers.
Including its sub-brands, Sumitomo offers a broad range of tires. However, Sumitomo itself produces a relatively conservative number of models. It offers a greater selection of all-season and performance tires, but the manufacturer does not produce the most diverse range of all-terrain or winter tires.
Sumitomo tires follow an evaluation system created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This system is called Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG), and it grades tires – except specialized tires – based on their treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance.
Here’s an explanation of the UTQG grading system:
Treadwear: This grade estimates the longevity of your tires. To calculate treadwear, tires are measured against a control tire given a rating of 100. If a tire has a 500 treadwear rating, that means it lasted five times longer than the control. Most passenger tires have between a 300 and 500 treadwear rating, according to data from SaferCar.gov.
Traction: This grade measures how well your tires “grip” a wet road. Traction grades are given on a scale of AA, A, B, or C. Good day-to-day passenger tires typically receive A ratings.
Temperature: This grade evaluates a tire’s heat resistance on a scale of A, B, or C. Tires need to withstand different temperatures based on their specialization. Performance tires, for example, usually move at much higher speeds than all-season tires, and in turn, have higher temperature ratings.
It’s important to note that the NHTSA does not oversee UTQG tests.
Manufacturers and independent companies hired by brands are responsible for tire testing and reporting.
Below, we’ve listed a few top-rated Sumitomo tire models and their treadwear, traction, and temperature scores using data from SaferCar.gov.
| Sumitomo Tire Model | Tire Type | Treadwear Score | Traction Score | Temperature Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HTR A/S P02 (H- or V-Speed Rated) | Passenger High-performance All-season | 600 | A | A |
| HTR Enhance L/X (T-Speed Rated) | Passenger Standard touring All-season | 700 | A | B |
| Encounter AT | Light truck/SUV All-terrain | 600 | A | B |
| Touring LS T | Passenger Standard touring All-season | 520 | A | B |
If you want to know the UTQG scores for your current tires, they can be found on the tires’ sidewalls.
The most popular Sumitomo models are lauded for their traction, handling, and stability. The company offers excellent high-performance tires as well as notable all-season models for coupes, light trucks, and SUVs. These highly rated tires also boast long-lasting tread life warranties, many of which are between 60,000 and 70,000 miles.
Below, we’ve detailed a few of the most popular Sumitomo tires currently available.
Tire Type: Ultra high-performance all-season tire
Cost: $95.97 to $126.82 per tire
Tread Life: Up to 65,000 miles
The Sumitomo HTR A/S P02 (W-Speed Rated) tire is best-suited for speed enthusiasts and sports car owners. Also available in an H- or V-speed rated model, the tire features an asymmetric tread with silica compounds for an improved grip year-round. Its 3D sipes, an unusual design for a performance tire, make the tire suitable for some winter driving as well.
The next generation HTR A/S P03 further improves on the model’s cold-weather driving capabilities.
Tire Type: Max performance summer tire
Cost: $105.02 per tire
Tread Life: Not listed
If you’re in the market for a budget-friendly performance tire, the Sumitomo HTR Z III is your best bet. The tire offers a comfortable ride, stability, and notable traction in wet and dry conditions. Like many Sumitomo tires, this performance model features a silica-enhanced, asymmetric tread.
Tire Type: Highway all-season tire
Cost: $102.99 to $210.99 per tire
Tread Life: Up to 60,000 miles
The Encounter H/T can bear loads up to 3,750 pounds, depending on the tire size. It excels in wet and dry braking as well as has a long-lasting tread life warranty. This Sumitomo tire is designed with a symmetric tread pattern for even wear and four circumferential grooves to reduce hydroplaning on wet roads.
Tire Type: Standing touring all-season tire
Cost: $71.99 to $102.99
Tread Life: Up to 65,000 miles
The Sumitomo Touring LS T comes in sizes suitable for passenger cars, sedans, minivans, and crossovers. Though this all-season tire may not be the best model for snow and ice, it does provide good traction on dry and wet roads. The symmetric tread pattern ensures an even wear, while a carbon black compound increases the tire’s fuel efficiency and tread life.
Like most tire brands, Sumitomo offers a limited manufacturer warranty. The company covers its tires for six years after the initial purchase, which protects buyers if their tires malfunction due to defective materials or workmanship. Sumitomo’s tread life warranties are above average. Many of its models come with warranties above 50,000 miles, which is the industry standard.
Sumitomo tires are in the low to mid price range.
On average, most models cost $100. You won’t find any exceptionally cheap tires from Sumitomo – between $50 and $60 – but its products also rarely cost more than $165. Sumitomo models are best suited for drivers looking for tires more affordable than those from big-name brands but with better quality than your standard budget tire.
Here are the prices of a few Sumitomo tires:
Sumitomo tires are praised for their overall value – they offer a solid performance without an expensive price tag. Throughout the years, the brand has also won several design and eco-sustainability awards for its technological advancements.
Based on our research, most Sumitomo models hold around a 4.0-star customer rating.
To give you a better idea of Sumitomo’s pros and cons, we’ve detailed a few customer reviews from TireRack below.
“While we do have these tires on the family minivan, I consider myself a ‘spirited’ driver, and I am fully impressed with the Sumis. [The Sumitomo HTR Enhance L/X tires feature] very quiet highway cruising, comfortable ride, responsive handling, great traction, and braking in all conditions.”
– via TireRack
“Recently installed a full set of these Sumitomo Encounter AT, replacing the 1/2 worn Hankook Dynapro tires. My first driving impression is [the] 90% reduction in tire noise. Ride is much smoother over washboard and rough, uneven roads. City and highway driving [is] much improved.”
– via TireRack
“[The Sumitomo Touring LS T tires are] so loud.
These tires drove me crazy. I’ve never experienced a loud tire before, and didn’t understand how aggravating it could be.”
– via TireRack
“Not sure what happened with [the Sumitomo HTR Sport H/P] tires. It was my second set of the same tire of the same size on the same truck. The first set wore well, rode well and performed reasonably well. This new set rode awful and would not balance out. They also started to feather badly after just a few weeks and began to get [really] noisy.”
– via TireRack
Sumitomo offers some excellent options for drivers looking for high-quality and budget-friendly high performance tires. The manufacturer produces well-regarded all-season models for trucks and SUVs, especially its Encounter line. However, Sumitomo does not have the most diverse product lineup. We also wouldn’t put Sumitomo at the top of any of our “best” lists – they’re good, but not exceptional.
Michelin and Cooper secured the top two spots in our industry-wide tires review.
Michelin is best for buyers interested in a wide variety of tire types as well as superior quality and performance. Cooper tires, on the other hand, are a great budget-friendly option for replacement tires.
We rate Michelin tires the Best Tires Overall. The company has been a market leader for years, with customers coming back time and time again for Michelin’s tire variety and durability. In our review, we were impressed with how long the tires last – tread life warranties span up to 80,000 miles – which helps justify the tires’ hefty price tags. The brand also had several models appear on our list of the industry’s best all-season tires.
To start comparing prices for Michelin tires, visit TireRack.
If you’re looking for affordability, make sure to look into Cooper tires. Based on our research, this brand is unmatched when it comes to cost-effectiveness. Although the company hasn’t been in business for as long as some of its century-old competitors, it’s already built up a strong reputation for its low-cost, high-quality tires.
To start comparing Cooper tires, visit TireRack.
The Sumitomo Tire brand is regarded as one of the most technologically advanced tire manufacturers in the world. Products are made and exported by the Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. Company, located in Japan. The brand is renowned for using efficient manufacturing strategies to offer customers quality tires at an excellent value.
The brand offers a wide range of tire models for an array of vehicles, including passenger cars, light trucks, SUVs and crossovers. The brand also offers specialty vehicle tires for RVs and commercial trucks. Sumitomo tire ratings prove that each of their designs offer a safe and dependable driving experience.
Sumitomo Passenger Car Tires
The passenger car tires offered by the tire company are known for incredibly high performances and sporty handling. This trend can be attributed to carbon based rubbers and robust asymmetric tread patterns.
Sumitomo HTR A/S P02 For tires that deliver sporty, responsive handling for a fun but safe drive, look no further than HTR A/S P02. This all-season model offers great grip on dry roads as well as wet, snowy, and icy ones.
Sumitomo HTRZ III is a tire model that offers superior traction with straight wide grooves for water propulsion and stronger grip. It also uses a 3-D wave wall and steel belts for stability, as well as high tension casing plies and advanced silica tread for a durable tire that can withstand high speeds.
Sumitomo Ice EdgeFor winter and snow tires, this model is a top pick for passenger vehicles because of the unique 3-D sipe technology for a better grip on packed snow or icy roads. It also comes with studdable pins for reinforced traction on cold roads.
Sumitomo Light Truck and SUV Tires
Sumitomo’s line of SUV and light truck tires are created with extra stability and a sporty performance.
Sumitomo Encounter HT For highway driving and a quiet ride, this tire is a great starting option. The all-weather traction provides great grip in deep water.
Sumitomo HTR Enhance CX is made for highway driving in all-seasons for a safe, smooth ride on both wet or dry roads.
Both the Encounter and the HTR come with unique special features that make them some of the best quality large vehicle tires on the market. Here are some of the highlights:
The twin reversible sidewalls stay clean for long-lasting wear and give off a “brand new” tire appearance.
Top of their class grip design with Sumitomo’s patented 2-in-1 shoulder blocks for even wear and long-lasting tread life.
Special tread rubber and polymer materials for better traction on wet roads.
Sumitomo Commercial Truck, Bus, and RV tires
The tire brand offers top-quality tires for large road vehicles that match up to the same durability standards as their other lines.
They sell road tires for line-haul rigs, regional P&D service, and waste management vehicles. For motorhomes and RVs, the company sells both 19 and 22-inch low profile tires that fit most popular models. According to reviews, these are the most popular tire models for larger road vehicles.
Sumitomo ST 788 SE: This long-haul steer tire is SmartWay verified for its low rolling resistant and high fuel efficiency rating. It also features the classic de-coupling groove on the tire shoulder for even wear to promote a longer tread life.
Sumitomo ST 938 SE Another SmartWay verified model, this long haul drive tire has a long-lasting traction pattern for one of the lowest cost per mile rates among competitors./p>
Sumitomo ST 710 SE This SmartWay verified trailer tire provides a higher fuel economy without compromising on traction or durability. Its reinforced sidewalls with shallow tread depths and durable rubber make this model ideal for high scrub turning.
Even though these tires are top of the line in terms of quality, Sumitomo tire prices are still incredibly reasonable. You can easily find the tires you need on Tires-easy. Take a look through our vast selection of sizes and models and be sure to read the Sumitomo tire reviews to help find the best option for your driving needs.
In 2017, Sumitomo entered the TOP-10 of the world's leading tire manufacturers. She took 5th place, which previously belonged to the Italian concern Pirelli. The volume of sales of products increased by 16.7%, including in Europe - twice. To increase the number of products sold in the EU, the company acquired the UK distributor Micheldever.
Dunlop keiretsu rally tire range expanded. Line 9 Direzza Model4R W01 is designed for racing on wet pavement. An analogue from this family, the 94R S11 tire was developed for high-speed driving on a dry track.
The products have an asymmetric tread pattern, and the compound formula allows for maximum grip in different weather conditions.
Models range in diameter from 15" to 18", with a total of 5 specifications available. Tires with a characteristic asterisk sign are distinguished by increased load capacity (Extra Load category). In total, the range of rally models includes seven types of products that allow you to operate the car on different roads, including wet and dry surfaces, gravel.
The Direzza 94R tubeless meets the Extra Load standard. It must be installed on disks of the same type. Increased level of adhesion when compared to a radial tire allows you to compete on snowy, icy roads, primers.
Direzza 94R W01 has excellent adhesion to wet asphalt. A product from the same family of the S11 range is a rally version for dry racing. It has an asymmetric pattern and a new compound formula designed for high-speed riding.
The sports model Direzza β04 came out in one version: a tread with asymmetric cutting provides movement in high-speed mode without losing grip on the asphalt.
Winter Maxx 02 non-studded tires were offered to Russians and residents of the CIS. The tire tread surface is asymmetrical, has a universal design that is suitable for driving on any surface. The developers have created blocks with sharp edges that provide high-quality grip on ice and ice. Drainage grooves have been expanded to simplify the self-cleaning of the tire from snow and ice slurry. Lateral grooves serve as drainage channels from the contact area with asphalt.
So that the tread has good contact with the snow and does not slip, its pattern “compresses” the snow mass with certain areas of increased adhesion. The slats of the model are made in the form of zigzags of increased length compared to their predecessors. The Mega Nano Fit Rubber compound is flexible and contains elastomers made from biomass.
The novelty was presented in 36 specifications, the diameter ranges from 13 to 19 inches.
In the future, Sumitomo Rubber plans to launch smart tires. The list of innovative concepts shown at the Tokyo Motor Show included intelligent design know-how, including a responsive tread with built-in sensors, a sensitive core, dynamic performance and tire pressure control under different load levels.
SRI tires can analyze asphalt and evaluate tread wear. The functionality of the rubber compound varies depending on the type of road surface. On icy and slippery roads, the tire is made wider to increase the contact patch area, improve traction and provide control over the ride.
In Brazil, the Sumitomo concern will increase tire production to 1,000 units daily. This is due to an increase in demand across the country for bus and truck models.
So far, the company's management plans to invest an amount of $37 million, which will be 49% of investments from 2016 costs.
According to SRI, the number of tires produced is growing at a rate of 2-3% per year. Expansion of output volumes minimizes losses caused by currency fluctuations. The plant was opened 5 years ago. Passenger and light truck tires were the first items in the product list.
In Ladysmith, South Africa, Sumitomo launches truck tires to complement its bus lineup. The modernization of the enterprise began 4 years ago, in 2016 investments amounted to a tidy sum of $ 65 million. The number of workers at the plant is 1060 people.
It is expected that the demand for the country's truck tires will be almost completely satisfied before the end of 2018, when they begin to be sold. According to the general director of the SRSA branch Riaz Khaffeji, the full size range of models will be presented in a year.
Now 12.5 thousand tires are stamped daily, and the number of daily truck models produced in 2 years will reach 750 units.
06/25/15
Most recently, the Japanese company Sumitomo has announced two new winter tires specifically for Russia, which are called Dunlop SP Winter Ice02 and Dunlop Grandtrek Ice02. The first tires are designed for all kinds of cars, and the second - for crossovers and SUVs. Sales of both tires should start in Russia in autumn.
Recall that after the recent termination of cooperation with Goodyear, Sumitomo received the exclusive right to use the Dunlop trademark in Russia and the CIS.
Dunlop Grandtrek Ice02 and Dunlop SP Winter Ice02 tires are made according to the same technology, although they are designed for different types of cars. Of the features of the new tires, it should be noted an improved composition of the rubber compound, new durable spikes, as well as advanced Miura-Ori sipes of increased length, which significantly improve grip on snow.
Manufacturers say they have used a completely new 4D Nano Design technology to develop the tires, which can analyze a 3D model of a material at the molecular level. In this case, this technology was used to improve grip on slippery surfaces. Subsequently, the tires were successfully tested on Lake Baikal (Russia), in Okayama and Naero (Japan), as well as in Elvsbin (Sweden).
As for the tread of the new tires, the tread pattern has been designed to wick away water and slush as quickly as possible. Between the side blocks of the tread there are special bridges that increase the rigidity of the shoulder area and thereby improve the car's handling. The central line of the tread blocks provides the car with stable behavior on the road.
The studs on the new tires have a rather original design, which is patented by Sumitomo. Each spike consists of a rectangular core with grooves and a large base. The core is made of tungsten carbide alloy, which is a very durable and temperature resistant material.
