Top 2015 Summer Tires

Although winter is officially over (at least that’s what it says in the calendar), many of you may still want to hold on to your winter tires for a few more weeks.

In the meantime, it’s summer shoe shopping time! If they’re not already on, perhaps take a look at your summer tires to make sure they are in decent shape. Although the weather and road conditions will be clement (had better be!), rubbers in good condition are a must. It will rain this spring and summer so if your plan is to not aquaplane yourself into a ditch, a proper amount of remaining tread depth is a good thing to have.

Buying a new set of tires continues to be a complex undertaking given that countless new “inexpensive” brands persist and flood the market with new makes and models, all seemingly affordable and flawless. Needs, expectations, budget, and (most importantly) safety are important factors that must be met.

The following list of top recommendations, has been devised to help you along with selecting your best options.

As well, we’ve included P225/45R17 tires on the list, as it has become a common standard and optional performance tire size. The below recommendations apply only to those marked as “performance” .

Here are the picks:

Best tire in the $100-$150 range (P205/55R16)

Pirelli P4 A/S Plus (touring): Comfort biased, good handling, low-rolling resistance

Continental PureContact (performance): A high mileage, DWS rating*, low-rolling resistance tire with a “V” rating

Toyo Extensa A/S (touring): High mileage tread, good handling

Best tire in the $150-$200 range (P205/55R16)

Toyo Proxes 4+ (performance): A fairly high mileage performance tire with a “V” rating

Toyo Versado Noir (touring): Eco low-rolling resistance technology, average mileage, and quiet tire

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 (performance): Good low-temp and wet grip, excellent dry, strong lateral grip

Michelin Premiere (touring): High-mileage tread, good wet traction, EverGrip Technology**

Pirelli P7 A/S Plus (performance): Comfort biased, good handling, low-rolling resistance with a “V” rating

Yokohama Avid Ascend (touring): Eco low-rolling resistance technology, high mileage and quiet tire

Bridgestone Turanza Serenity + (touring): Quiet, comfort biased, good handling

Bridgestone Driveguard (touring): Comfort biased, good handling, quiet runflat replacement

Best tire: $225 + (P225/45R17)

Michelin Pilot Super Sport (summer performance): Fairly high mileage ultra-high performance, good wet traction   

Michelin Pilot A/S 3 (all-season performance): Good low temp and wet grip, excellent dry, strong lateral grip

Bridgestone Potenza RE97AS (all-season performance): Quiet, comfort biased, superior handling

Yokohama ADVAN Sport V105 (summer performance): Ultra-high performance, decent wet traction   

Toyo Proxes T1 Sport (high performance): Good handling, generous footprint, and quiet

To see complete report visit: http://www.auto123.com/en/news/top-2015-summer-tires/60514/