Tires SUMITOMO or GOODRIDGE
I went from Sumitomo HTR Z2 tires to Michelin Pilot Super Sport and was left very disappointed in the Michelins. Initial turn in suffered (slight delay from steering input to vehicle changing direction). The Michelins are like sticky gummy bears, the Sumitomos had much stiffer side walls and that made driving far more enjoyable even though they were less sticky.
I went with Solar 4XS+ available from Walmart. They are manufactured by Sumitomo tires. These came in really cheap at $350 for all 4 tires including lifetime balance and rotation and road hazard warranty at Walmart. These are 89 H rated, so a bit soft which cut down the road noise a lot compared to my previous Bridgestone Ecopia. Efficiency is the same as the Ecopias at 4.3 mi/kwh but they ride smooth and quiet.
these Sumitomo HTR Enhance WX2 have been solid and cheaper than Michelins
I swear by Sumitomo Ice Edge tires. I've had three sets now on three different vehicles and other than a couple of nights when there was freezing rain, I've never had issues with them
Just reporting first snow, 6", with Sumimoto 205.60.16 Ice Edge snow tires on 16"Austin wheels, GREAT. Soft tire, slows cornering cheap really grips, comfortable.
I like them, they do great in the gravel, rain and snow but are a summer tire so they dont suck ass most of the time like most All Seasons (aka no seasons). Im on my second set, and will definitely get them again when needed.
I'm very happy with my [Sumitomo HTR Z III](https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Sumitomo&tireModel=HTR+Z+III), for an affordable high performance tire. It's not going to last 60k miles, but it was a lot of fun slaying the Tail of the Dragon.
I have them on my 86. The sidewalls are OK, not great. They do leave something to be desired as far as cornering, as they seem to break loose with little warning.
I learned this for myself a long time ago when I had decided to go cheap for once and get some Sumitomo. I could feel the car's handling characteristics changed immediately (it felt like the back was "gliding" in the turns leaving the parking lot, which was probably sidewall flex).
Im a tech who has installed these (customer requested) and had them on one of my cars a few years ago. The only good points about them were the tread wear and the affordable cost. They have a VERY hard compound which means they lose traction easy. I was told by a customer, as well as my experience, that they spun very easily on wet surfaces and were terrible in the snow. They were also noisy at highway speeds. I do NOT recommend them and dont sell them unless requested.
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