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Tire reviews & comparisons

Ozmen

Hi Folks. I'm Ozmen, and I work as a tire designer. I understand finding a tire isn't easy, as there are so many variables involved. But with me around, tire selection would never bother you again.

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Honda Pilot

Hankook Dynapro HT RH12 Review

Overall, the Hankook Dynapro HT RH12 strikes a nice balance between performance and comfort. It provides great capabilities in dry conditions, with superb braking and cornering, I mean comparing other tires in its highway all season category. Moreover, its wet performance is also appreciable, though the tire lacks in providing adequate hydroplaning resistance. In snowy settings, the tire although lacks a little on ice, its overall winter scores are above average. Other than this the tire comes with very mixed results in terms of comfort, tread longevity and fuel economy, where its P metric sizes are doing better, compared to LT.

Testing on Mazda CX-9

General G-MAX AS-05 vs BF Goodrich G Force Comp 2 AS Plus

Both tires here shine in different areas, so selecting one depends on what you value most and the roads you'll travel. The General G-MAX AS-05 excels in the following: Directional Grip: It has superior braking performance due to its three longitudinally aligned ribs and multi-directional in-groove slanted notches, alongside its lighter weight. Wet Traction: The innovative siping pattern offers enhanced grip on wet surfaces, maximizing traction from every angle. Tread Wear: It offers a greater tread depth and stiffer rubber compound that contributes to longer tread life, making it a value pick in its category. While the BF Goodrich g-Force COMP-2 A/S+ takes the lead in: Lateral Grip and Steering Responsiveness: It provides better handling due to superior lateral grip and on-center steering feedback, which translates to consistently better lap times. Winter Performance: The design features are more effective in snow, with directional patterns and thicker in-groove notches that optimize snow-to-snow contact. Impact Comfort: It has a construction that better absorbs road irregularities and provides a smoother ride, due to its robust nylon cap ply and rounded contact patch.

Jaguar

Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate Review

In conclusion, the Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate showcases a remarkable balance of performance and efficiency, characterized by its asymmetric tread pattern and various design features. It excels in dry traction due to its stable central footprint, and provides adequate grip in winter conditions. As for wet, well, its the tire's strongest suit, where it offers superb water clearance (from the tread), with advanced groove and sipe designs ensuring impressive traction and hydroplaning resistance. Other than this, the tire's ride comfort is another highlight, where it offers innovative noise reduction techniques and a balanced approach to road smoothness. And thanks to its reinforced foundations (underneath all lugs), it also does okay in terms of fuel economy and tread longevity.

Audi A8

Atlas Force UHP Detailed Review

Starting with dry performance, the Atlas Force UHP provides pretty decent braking and handling capabilities. Though the tire could use some enhancements in terms of its steering responsiveness. Moreover, it also provides you with decent winter performance, especially considering other budget options in its category. Though in wet conditions, its performance is less impressive, where the tire really struggles with traction, particularly in corners. And speaking of other drawbacks, the tire doesn't excel in overall ride comfort too. Though it does offer good enough durability and with it an okay tread longevity and fuel economy.

For Ranger

New Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac RT vs DuraTrac

So overall, it all comes down to this. While P metric sizes perform similar on roads, in terms of LT sizes the new Duratrac offers superior dry performance and older version is slightly better on wet. Other than that... The older variant also excels in terms of road comfort and fuel economy, though lacks when it comes to dampening on-road noise. And, yes, off-road, the Duratrac RT excels, which is not a surprise, given its more powerful sidewalls and internal construction. Though there's still room for improvement on rocky terrains.

DuraTrac RT's sidewalls

Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac RT Review

Overall, this Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac RT strikes a fine balance between durability, traction, and handling, making it an excellent choice for a wide range of driving conditions. Its enhanced tread structure with larger central lugs, aggressive siping design, and streamlined shoulder lugs provide superior grip and handling in both dry and wet conditions. Moreover, its winter traction is also much more appreciable, where it performs pretty great on soft snowy terrains, and average on ice. Furthermore, owing to its durability, the tire provides good enough tread longevity, and provides decent off-road traction, where it excels in mud, gravel, and rocky terrains, thanks to its effective stone ejectors and sturdy sidewalls, while also performing well on sandy dunes.

Mazda CX-5

Firestone Destination LE3 vs Michelin Defender 2

When all is said and done, the essence comes to this. Out of both boys, the Michelin Defender 2 excels in the following: Enhanced directional grip, due to its streamlined central ribs, providing better contact with the road. Superior dry handling and steering feedback, aiding in more precise cornering. Greater fuel efficiency, attributed to its lighter construction. Longevity in tread life, thanks to its MaxTouch Construction technology and EverTread compound. Quieter ride due to advanced pitch sequencing. While the Firestone Destination LE3 takes the lead in: Winter traction, with design elements like wave-like siping and chamfered edges that grip icy and snowy surfaces more effectively. Wet performance, with interconnected grooves and a softer rubber compound that excel in displacing water and preventing hydroplaning.

Nissan GTR

General G-MAX AS-07 Detailed Review

In conclusion, the General G-MAX AS-07 is a versatile Ultra-High Performance All-Season tire with various pros and cons. Its internal construction featuring reinforced sidewalls and advanced structures provides good handling and durability. And the tire shows strong lateral grip and steering feedback, making it responsive and stable, especially in handling and cornering. However, its performance in directional grip is underwhelming, meaning its braking isn't impressive. Wet performance is also compromised due to less flexible sipes, where both braking and handling gets impacted. Though surprisingly, the tire excels in winter conditions, offering effective snow-to-snow contact and grip. Ride quality is a mixed bag, where although it absorbs road bumps well, it tends to be noisier and less controlled over larger imperfections. Other than this, tread longevity is a strong point on this tire. However, fuel efficiency is not.

Fuel economy of all-season tires

Do All-Season Tires Use More Fuel?

In conclusion, while all-season tires offer a balanced performance in various weather conditions, they are not as specialized as winter or summer tires in their respective climates. Winter tires excel in cold temperatures but can reduce fuel efficiency in warmer weather, unlike all-season tires. Additionally, external factors like temperature changes significantly impact tire pressure and, consequently, fuel efficiency. Therefore, it's crucial to consider your local climate and regularly adjust tire pressure according to seasonal variations to ensure optimal fuel efficiency for your vehicle.

Testing out on Ford Escape SE

Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady vs Bridgestone WeatherPeak

With both tires giving off their own merits, your preference and the driving environment will guide your decision. The Bridgestone WeatherPeak excels in the following: Superior snow traction, with enhanced biters. Shorter braking distance in dry conditions, due to a greater contact patch. Faster dry handling times, with a more responsive steering. More efficient fuel economy, owing to it's lighter construction and better heat expulsion. Lower noise levels, with effective pitch sequencing. Greater tread life, with sturdier rubber composition. While the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady takes the lead in: Better ice handling and braking efficacy, with its multi-angled siping and in-groove notches. Superior wet performance, due to its flexible rubber and effective siping structure. Higher hydroplaning resistance, with interconnected groove design for better water expulsion.

Toyota RAV4

Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV Review

So what do we have here? Well the Michelin's CrossClimate 2 SUV is overall a pretty decent pick. In dry conditions, it offers superior linear grip and responsive steering, thanks to its streamlined tread design and lighter weight. And in wet, you get great overall traction, though it's steering response needs slight improvements here still. And same goes for hydroplaning resistance. Moreover, in light snow, although the tire shows above average acceleration and braking, it ice handling needs some attention. Other factors include, ride comfort, tread life and fuel economy, and in all of them, the tire is average.

Bridgestone Dueler All Terrain AT002

Bridgestone Dueler All Terrain AT002 Review

So overall it all comes down to this. Excelling in dry performance due to its superior grip and handling, and in wet conditions with its effective water dispersal capabilities, the tire sets a high standard. Moreover, its winter performance is notable too, especially in snow, thanks to its ample tread voids, numerous siping, and specialized rubber composition. And yes, the tire also manages to minimize noise, enhancing ride comfort. However, its performance in off-road conditions is mixed. While it handles rocky terrains effectively with its multi-angled grooves and chip-resistant rubber, it's just average in sandy environments and faces limitations in muddy conditions as well.

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