Sumitomo has built its reputation as a reliable tire manufacturer with its high-performance and premium product lines. You can easily find many top-tier tires in many categories at a very affordable price from this brand.
Nevertheless, there isn’t a perfect product, and the Sumitomo tires are no exception. So, what should you expect when choosing Sumitomo tires? What makes them stand out from the other products?
In this Sumitomo tires review, I will give you an overview of the top features of this brand and help you gain more insights into its main tire series.
Now let’s jump straight in!
Contents
Sumitomo Tires Overview
Sumitomo is one of the largest tire manufacturers and exporters, with their products leaving a mark on every terrain of the globe. This brand brings customers a mix of different qualities and features in its tire series.
The main advantages of Sumitomo tires lie in their innovative and beautiful design. The high build quality and utter precision in the making also earn this brand a good reputation.
With more than one century in operation, Sumitomo has produced millions of tires with sustainability and outstanding performance. So, do the Sumitomo tires deserve their reputation? The following sections will tell you everything.
Who Makes Sumitomo Tires?
Similar to many tire brands, Sumitomo doesn’t reveal many details about its product manufacturers. The brand in charge of all the manufacturing processes is Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
Sumitomo Rubber Industries is a subsidiary division belonging to the Sumitomo Group, based in Japan. At the moment, SRI is one of the largest and most productive manufacturers around the globe.
Where Are Sumitomo Tires Made?
Sumitomo Rubber Industries put its manufacturing facilities and large factories abroad in many countries like the USA and Japan. These two sites produce the majority of Sumitomo tires every year.
Sumitomo tires are also produced in Asian countries (China and Thailand) for a cheaper production cost.
Are Sumitomo Tires Good?
In my opinion, Sumitomo is one of the rare tire brands that offer the highest value for your money. You can find numerous high-performance tires with the newest technologies at a very humble price range.
The all-season tire series holds the spotlight in its product lines, which are compatible with SUVs, trucks, sedans, and even crossovers. The innovative design and high build quality of the tires also impressed me.
Though a beautiful appearance is not hard to achieve, Sumitomo tires provide great reliability with their good tread wear and construction. It’s the pivotal quality that many low-end tire makers often lack.
Of course, the performance of Sumitomo tires is solid, though they don’t bring the highest satisfaction. The tires possess a beautiful look and affordable prices, making them more accessible to many drivers.
At such a tempting price range, it’s hard to demand more of the Sumitomo tires. There are also some noticeable setbacks like noise comfort and traction, which I will discuss in more detail in the in-depth reviews.
However, most Sumitomo tires are a good option for low-end and mid-end product lines. Now let’s move on to my experience trying some main tire series offered by Sumitomo.
Most Popular Sumitomo Tires
Similar to many low-end tire manufacturers, Sumitomo aims to provide customers with versatile and accessible options. Its product lines range from all-season, touring, and high-performance.
There are also tire series designed specifically for wet and dry conditions. This review is based on my real driving test on these tires to give you an unbiased view of their performance and quality.
1. Sumitomo HTR Enhance LX2
Touring All-Season Tires
The experience with Sumitomo HTR Enhance LX2 is satisfying with its excellent traction. I can feel the tire’s grip and responsiveness when making the fast cornering on wet terrains.
There is no hydroplaning or slipperiness felt under heavy rain. The smooth and noise comfort are just decent, but this tire brings excellent value for its cost.
A small minus point is the tire’s poor ability to handle the bumps on the road. I don’t think HTR Enhance LX2 is a great option for off-road terrains, but its all-season performance is really good.
2. Sumitomo HTR Enhance WX2
Touring All-Season Tires
The noise level and comfort saw significant improvement on this tire, which is significantly quieter than the HTR Enhance LX2 series. The steering response is very good and precise, giving me great confidence when driving at high speeds.
The tire’s luxury appearance is a great advantage, which adds more classiness to my sedan. Even when I push the tire off its limit, HTR Enhance WX2 still gives a fantastic performance with a smooth, comfortable, and quiet ride.
3. Sumitomo HTR Enhance CX2
Touring All-Season Tires
In my opinion, the Sumitomo HTR Enhance CX2 is an excellent choice for people prioritizing safety and comfort. It encounters no difficulty when handling 3-inch thick snowy tracks and slippery terrains.
The braking is also safe and reliable, even when I drive on wet terrains. On regular dry city tracks, the traction and responsiveness of Enhance CX2 certainly exceed my expectations.
4. Sumitomo Encounter HT2
Highway All-Season Tires
I took the Sumitomo Encounter HT2 on my cross-country trip, and it didn’t disappoint me. It can handle wet, dry, and all types of driving conditions well with excellent traction and grip.
The noise of this tire stays at a comfortable level, but it will get louder when riding on country roads. Nevertheless, I can still enjoy my favorite soundtracks in the cabin and get a satisfying trip.
5. Sumitomo HTR A/S P03
Ultra High Performance All-Season Tires
The Sumitomo HTR A/S P03 is my first pick for commuting on dry and balanced city roads. Its dry traction is just phenomenal, allowing me to make the fast cornerings or braking at high speeds (above 40 miles per hour).
It's great all-season performance tires for the money I've ever owned on my Mazda 3. After a lot of heavy rain in Idaho, these tires still provide excellent traction without hydroplaning.
Its steering response on the street and highway is excellent. I have no complaints about this.
The HTR A/S P03 achieved a balance between comfort and sporting characteristics. It delivers a robust and high-end performance without sacrificing riding quietness, which gave me a strong impression.
However, my only complaint is probably that it no longer remains comfortable and quiet on rough roads.
So far, after about 12,000 miles on my Mazda 3, its wear seems to be as I expected.
6. Sumitomo HTR Z5
Ultra High Performance Summer Tires Good for Dry and Wet Roads
The Sumitomo HTR Z5 is a good bang for the buck with phenomenal dry traction and riding comfort on highways.
On wet pavement, the grip was still good when I drove in the city at a reasonable speed. But, the water slide happened when I was driving on the highway at about 70 mph and wet traction has been significantly reduced.
Besides, the noise is not loud enough to bother me, and the tires still provide reasonable comfort on the road.
Overall, the HTR Z5 is my recommendation for dry terrains, but don’t hesitate to use it when the rainy seasons come.
I'm not a fan of high-speed driving on the track, so I mostly only use it on the street. And I am satisfied with this tire for the price with the performance it offers.
7. Sumitomo Encounter AT
I have to admit that the Sumitomo Encounter AT is one of the best mid-end products in the all-terrain series.
I've driven many times into the countryside on trails with a lot of gravel and dirt, and the tires provide excellent grip on those trails.
Also, I don't recommend going over large rocks, sand or deep mud with this tire. You can get stuck in those terrains if you do it on purpose. It is not a specialized mud tire.
The tires are also great on dry roads as well as on the highway and aren't nearly as noisy as some A/T tires I've run on before. I'm really surprised about this.
When driving on wet surfaces, the grip handling was still very good, and I could easily get through deep puddles without any problems. The Sumitomo Encounter AT sometimes makes me forget that I’m driving on a wet road.
While these are not specialized snow tires, they provide excellent traction and handling in the Idaho winter weather, including light snow and heavy snowfall.
Regarding tire durability, I am still very satisfied after more than 5,700 miles of using it on many different terrains. Tire wear is almost nonexistent so far.
8. Sumitomo Ice Edge
Winter tires
Sumitomo Ice Edge can handle snow and ice surfaces. I can clearly feel its quality on snowy tracks with precise handling, sensational snow traction, and high riding comfort.
I went through roads with a snow depth of about 9 to 10 inches very easily, even on ice, it didn't have any problems.
However, the tire’s loud noise will be a major inconvenience if you love a quiet ride. The sound of the tire crushing ice flakes is really noisy even when I have closed all the cabin’s windows.
Nevertheless, it will wear down much slower on harsh and cold surfaces. For the winter months, I will recommend this tire for its durability and performance.
Pros and Cons of Sumitomo Tires
Pros:
- Beautiful and trendy designs
- Excellent build quality
- Impressive traction and steering on all terrains
- Great value for an affordable price
Cons:
- There’s much room for improvement in the tires’ treadwear
- Off-road and snow tire series are quite noisy
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Is Sumitomo owned by Goodyear?
The current owner of the Sumitomo tire brand is Sumitomo Corporation, not Goodyear. However, the two brands had reached a mutual venture in 1997 to produce the products for each other’s markets.
- Are Sumitomo tires made in China?
A small part of Sumitomo tires is produced in China due to the lower production and laboring cost. It’s also easier to distribute the products to the China market and minimize the transportation cost.
- Are Sumitomo tires good in the rain?
Most Sumitomo's all-season tires bring decent to great traction and grip on wet surfaces. The cornering and steering feel responsive and precise, giving you a more confident and satisfying driving experience.
- Are Sumitomo tires good in snow?
The Sumitomo all-season tires and HTR A/S P03 deliver just decent performance in snow. However, the Sumitomo Ice Edge will meet your expectations with its great traction and ease of handling.
The tire feels responsive and confident on snowy terrains. If you regularly drive on snowy terrains, choose the Sumitomo Ice Edge.
- How many years do Sumitomo tires last?
It depends on the type of terrain and riding conditions the tire has to cope with.
If you use the tire on terrains that suit the conditions it’s designed for, Sumitomo tires bring an average tread life of 60,000 to 70,000 miles.
Conclusion
So that is everything you should know before considering a Sumitomo tire.
The brand’s products are not at the top of the tier, but they certainly won’t let you down with amazing build quality and great performance.
If you’re looking for a satisfying driving experience throughout the year on the city roads, I recommend the Sumitomo HTR Enhance LX2 or Sumitomo HTR A/S P03. Also, the Sumitomo HTR Z5 is a great choice for summer with a tight budget of its impressive value.
For a more robust riding experience on snowy tracks, go for the Sumitomo Ice Edge. I hope that this Sumitomo tires review can help you make the decision.
Thank you for your time!
I’m Ivo Gievski, the content writer for Tireer. We built our website with over 15 years of experience and extensive research in the automotive and technology sectors. My dedication to delivering high-quality content is unwavering, and I strive to continuously hone my skills to stay ahead of industry trends and provide readers with informative, engaging, and valuable insights.