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What kind of tires do you have in your car? It is likely that the “round and black” tires in a car, minivan or SUV are all-season tires, and in that case there is an easy way to upgrade the performance and safety of your vehicle. A good set of summer tires can give you more grip for brakes, cornering and acceleration in dry, wet conditions in warm climates.
Editor of Motor trends This list of the best summer tires, Tire rack. in Motor trends, Tests over 200 vehicles a year With all kinds of tires, while testing dozens of tires each year Real-world roads and their dedicated test trucks. Together, we know a few things about tires.
What are summer tires?
Most of the new cars, SUVs, Minivan Trucks are all seasons orMud and snowtire. The treads on these tires are notable for their block-like structures that are gripped and cut to expel mud and snow, with narrow “sipes” or thin grooves. Automakers offer all seasons to adopt a dilemma with every season, regardless of season or region, regardless of season, and prefer all seasons to provide acceptable traction in all weather conditions. A much more common dry, damp road compromise.
Summer tires are made of softer rubber compounds that provide more grip in warmer and hot climates. They have circumferential grooves that “pump” water from under the tires to improve wet traction. They also mean that there is a higher “land to sea and sea” ratio than tires in all seasons. This means there is less space between the treads and leads to better contact with the road, but also increases the chances of becoming a hydroelectric line through standing water.
This is a real world example of the difference between summer tires and all-season tires. Motor trends Recently, data on the performance of two mechanically similar 2024 Porsche Cayenne recent SUVs, one for all-season tires and the other for summer. Not only did the Porsche summer tires stop 10 feet shorter from 60 mph (103 vs 113 feet) and held 100 feet of deadly corners with more grip (1.04 g vs 0.90 g), but summer tires provided more traction for acceleration. This approximately 10% increase in drying traction was typical, with a difference of up to 20% in similar tests.
But as tire racks explain, summer tires are responsible.As temperature drops to your 40s, the tread compound of summer performance tires changes from flexible elastic to inflexible plasticPlus, it significantly reduces grip and safety. Additionally, summer tires are only exposed to a temperature of 20 degrees, and gradually return to at least 40 degrees, adjusting inflation pressure for at least 24 hours, some people live on the wheels, and driving the car to adjust intense pressure and drive the car. Rotate a special set of winter tires into the vehicle From late autumn to early spring, whether it snows or not, whether you use all-season or summer tires during warm months.
The list below shows both summer tire choices Motor trends Tire racks are also tested and recommended for shoppers looking to replace worn summer tire sets and graduate from standard-questioned all-season tires. Prices vary depending on the size. The Tire Rack website allows you to easily check pricing and find the right tire for your vehicle.
The best super high performance summer tires
Ultra-high performance summer tires are designed to balance performance with road sophistication. They often sacrifice some grip in the interest of keeping the price down, maintaining a more comfortable ride, and making the tread last longer. Tires in this category are great for streets, but they may not be the best option for anyone competing in Autocross or taking part in high-performance driving events at the racetrack.
Firestone Firehawk Indy 500
Currently, for 25 consecutive seasons as a tire supplier for the IndyCar series, Firestone has used 500 Indy trademarked users for good reason. The aggressive look of tread pattern creates design statements that are backed up with excellent light handling on wet dry. The downside is the stiff ride at high speed and peaky grip, and the steering input must be slightly slower. Its flashy tread pattern converts mild noise into a dry cabin. Most sizes are designed for sports cars, sporty coupes and sedans, but there are even fitments for minivans. This tire is not all performers, but an attractive and good everyday driver.
guarantee: none
Fitment: Size 69 for 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 inch wheels
nitto nt555 g2
While NITTO may sound like a wild card on this list of household brands, since joining forces with longtime manufacturer Toyo in 1979, it has been offering the perfect size and tire for the crowd of off-road, hot rods, sports compacts and sports car enthusiasts. Larger block tread design. The majority of tire rack customers (mostly using muscle cars) give them 4 out of 5 stars and focus on good grip, quiet running and economical pricing. This may be the best deal for a bargain hunter.
guarantee: none
Fitment: Size 61 for 17, 18, 19- and 20 inch wheels
Best Max Performance Summer Tires
Maximum Performance Tires generally offer a level of grip beyond ultra-high performance summer tires, while retaining the characteristics of making tires liveable on the road. Some tires in this category are factory equipped for sports cars, sports sedans and muscle cars. Max-performance summer tires usually pay a sudden price for this type of performance, making them ideal for drivers who demand performance at any cost.
Bridgestone Potenza Sport
Bridgestone has been manufacturing and improving Potenza’s high-performance tires since 1979. The current Potenza Sport is designed for high-performance sports cars, coupes and sedans. Maximizes warm, wet and dry. It offers impressive wet dry grips for brakes and cornering and excellent steering response, but rather in a more progressive analog way, it tends to “let go” with a bit of a peaky in rather digital fashion. Mid-corner steering correction to maintain a stable line is not uncommon. This tire is often described in the term “love/hate”.
guarantee: none
Fitment: 145 sizes of 16, 17-, 18-, 19-, 20-, 21-, 22-, 22-, 145
Continental ExtremContact Sport 02
Continental’s ExtremContact Sport02 is both preferred tires BMW Performance Driver School and Mercedes-AMG Experience. It fits sports cars, performance coupes and sedans as well as muscle cars. It is an already impressive evolution of his predecessor. This tire offers almost effortless lateral grip and friendly progressive limitations in both wet and dry conditions, providing the unusual advantage of a comfortable ride. If there is a downside to this balanced performance tire, it means that the steering feel on the centre might be better.
guarantee: Up to 30,000 miles
Fitment: Sizes 77 for 16, 17-, 18, 19-, 20 and 21-inch wheels
Pirelli P Zero (PZ4)
Pirelli’s Stalwart P Zero first appeared in 1987. Since then, the model has evolved and split into an entire P-Zero Tire family, including all-season, track-optimized, and EV-optimized runflats. It is supplied as original equipment to many Audi, Lamborghini and Porsche vehicles. P Zero PZ4’s powerful suits are numerous. This is all while reverting exceptional wet traction, extremely stable track etiquette, comfortable comfort despite praise on the streets, and good fuel economy of the fuel economy. Using this resume, there are very few maximum performance summer tires.
guarantee: none
Fitment: 410 sizes for 18, 19, 20-, 21-, 22-, 22-, 410
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S
The Pilot Sport 4S comes from a long line of highly respected Michelin pilot sports tires. It is well known in the enthusiast market as it was developed in motorsports and in conjunction with Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, and as they are often supplied as original equipment. Often considered a summer tire benchmark, the Pilot Sport 4S doesn’t dominate in a single category, but at any speed combined with a limited warranty of 30,000 miles, it makes it a top competitor due to its impressive ride and predictable behavior.
guarantee: Up to 30,000 miles
Fitment: 210 sizes 17-, 18-, 19-, 20-, 21-, 22-, 22-inch wheels
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Photo by manufacturer, Motortrend Staff, Alan Muir
