Are Sumitomo Tires any good?

[Motorhead350]

I just made a call to a shop since they were having a tire sale on Coopers. The Coopers weren't in our size, but they did price me with a set of Sumitomo tires 255/55/18's for $137 a piece and $382 for two tires, labor, taxes, disposal fee and everything.

I have never heard of these tires. Are they any good or worth picking up?

[Paul T. Casey]

Need the rest of the tire info to make the call. Speed rating, sidewall strength...

[Motorhead350]

Need the rest of the tire info to make the call. Speed rating, sidewall strength...

I better call them back then.

[RoyLPita]

I believe Tire Rack sells that brand.

[Paul T. Casey]

You want 103 for your sidewall strength, W for speed. Is this what you're looking at?

tomo HTR Sport H/P (Street/Sport Truck All-Season)
"Reviewer's Average Rating" is based on reviews
submitted by customers via our Online Tire Survey.
"N/A" denotes a tire that has not yet received
enough reviews to generate an average rating.7.4Reviewer's
Avg. Rating: Size: 255/55R18
Sidewall Style: Blackwall
Serv. Desc: 109HLoad Index 109 = 2271lbs (1030kg) per tire
Speed Rating "H" = 130mph (210kph)
UTQG: Treadwear: 480
Traction: A
Temperature: A
480 A A

[Motorhead350]

Ya I just called and they said they were W rated. For $1 more I could get Yokohamas and have a 60,000 mile warranty. I think I will go with them because of the small price difference and warranty. It's also nearly a $40 difference in final costs. $382 to $346. NTB to Discount Tire.

I will call Pepboys next and see what they have in stock since they are two miles from my house and these other guys are in the suburbs.

[LordVader]

Are they M&S rated All-Seasons? If you look at Tire Rack they will give you some info on how they will do in the messy stuff. After all winter ain't quite over anywhere yet.

[Motorhead350]

I need the tires for a drive to L.A. I just checked with Pepboys and they can get me Hankook tires for $325 for 255/55/18s. Tires and labor. They are also 2 miles away while these other guys are 12 miles out. I will ge going to Pepboys.

Thanks for the info guys.

[Paul T. Casey]

What's the sidewall strength rating? That's probably more important than the speed rating for highway use.

[Motorhead350]

What's the sidewall strength rating? That's probably more important than the speed rating for highway use.

Whatever they are, I remember asking Zack about these exact tires two summers ago and he told me they are fine. I will do one final check before I decide to purchase though.

[a_d_a_m]

For the record, and though it seems like a different route has already been taken, my dad has Sumitomo's on his '03 Mustang GT.

His tires are okay up to 30mph, then they behave strangely from 30-55mph. Then from 55 and up, they're fine again. What I mean by "behave strangely" is that they cause the steering wheel to shimmy, pull one way or another, etc.

The car has never been in an accident, is properly aligned, and the tires have been balanced by two different shops since installation.

Screwiest tires I've ever driven on. Close second is (also previously mentioned) Yokohamas. My mom has those on her Grand Am GT. They wear out faster than anything and suck in the snow and rain, even though they were rated highly for both.



On the flip, I have 255/55/18 Coopers on my Magnum and love them. Quiet ride, improved handling, excellent snow + rain traction.....
Plus, their HQ is in Ohio! :banana2:

[fastblackmerc]

I need the tires for a drive to L.A. I just checked with Pepboys and they can get me Hankook tires for $325 for 255/55/18s. Tires and labor. They are also 2 miles away while these other guys are 12 miles out. I will ge going to Pepboys.

Thanks for the info guys.

My Hankooks have been great!

[SC Cheesehead]

My Hankooks have been great!


You've got pretty good mileage out of them too, haven't you? I'm considering these as my next replacement, although the Generals I've got on are wearing real well so far.

[fastblackmerc]

You've got pretty good mileage out of them too, haven't you? I'm considering these as my next replacement, although the Generals I've got on are wearing real well so far.

Yep, wearing like iron. Gonna see if I can get a set for my widened rims.

[mrjones]

60K mile tire warranty? My car doesn't even have 60K on it, and I can't remember how many sets of tires it has had on it. Of course, they've all been stock tires. Best luck I had was running fronts all the way around and rotating every 5K. Put the 4.10s in and it was just too much.

255/55s for me next time around.

I had a set of Sumitomo's on my wife's Boxster for a while. They weren't very impressive, but they were the cheapest thing I could find. I was getting ready to sell the car and just wanted a matched set. Didn't stick well, but they were FUN to slide around on.