Sumitomo Tires Review: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (SRI) is a global company based in Japan that specializes in the manufacture and sale of tires, diversifying in sport and lifestyle products, and industrial products. The company is well-known for its Dunlop (Asia & Africa) and Falken brands, and is one of the largest tire manufacturers in the world. Sumitomo is among the top 10 tire companies globally in terms of revenue.
In America, Sumitomo offers a wide range of tire products for various types of vehicles and driving conditions. Their product range includes:
- Passenger car tires: Sumitomo offers a variety of tires for passenger cars, including all-season tires, summer tires, and winter tires. They also have tires designed for specific driving conditions, such as high-performance tires and tires for fuel-efficient vehicles.
- Light truck and SUV Tires: Sumitomo has a range of tires for light trucks and SUVs, including all-terrain tires, mud-terrain tires, and highway tires.
Even though Sumitomo brand has only been in America since 2010, it has an obtained a reputable status as a mid-tier value brand with top quality standards. Below are our short review highlights based on the wonderful testing from Consumer Report.
Table of Contents
Sumitomo Tires Review: UHP Summer
Sumitomo HTR Z5
The Sumitomo HTR Z5 is an ultra-high-performance tire manufactured by Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. The tire is designed for sports cars, luxury vehicles, and high-performance sedans. Its dry braking performance is one of the best in the market, which rivals Michelin by any standard. It got the maximum rating of 5/5 from Consumer Report’s testing report. It also has a good 4/5 rating for wet & noise performance category.
Its main weakness lies in ride comfort & rolling resistance as both performance criteria is a classic summer target conflict against wet/dry performances. However it still managed a mid-tier mileage as it has a 35,000 miles rating. With an overall score of 66/100, HTR Z5 finished in the mid-pack and its value proposition is definitely strong for a mid-tier segment tire.
Sumitomo Tires Review: All season
All-Season SUV Tires: HTR Enhance CX2
Sumitomo HTR Enhance CX2 is one of the best-performing all-season tires from Sumitomo’s all-season lineup. It has the highest possible rating for noise with a 5/5 score, while performing well in dry braking, wet handling, hydroplaning, rolling resistance & snow traction. In terms of mileage, it has a respectable 75,000 miles actual tested results, which is really not bad for its price range. While its ultimate weakness is a mid-level wet braking performance. Overall at a 65/100 overall rating relative to the highest rating tire 74/100, HTR Enhance CX2 value for money proposition looks really solid.
Performance All-Season Tires: Sumitomo HTR Enhance LX2
Sumitomo HTR Enhance LX2 main strength is in dry braking, noise & hydroplaning. It managed a ranking of 4/5 which constitutes a “good” level performance criteria. One of its main weaknesses comes in the form of ice braking, ride comfort & rolling resistance. With a 60,000 miles actual tested mileage rating, it finishes at the mid-tier level of the ranking chart. With an overall rating of 56/100, it ranks at the bottom end of the ranking.
Ultra High Performance All Season: Sumitomo HTR A/S P03
One of HTR A/S P03’s main strengths is its ability to hydroplane, with a converted 5/5 rating. It also has a good 4/5 rating for dry braking, snow traction, and ice braking. However, its major weakness is wet braking, which is rated at 2/5, which is a significant drawback for a UHP all-season performing tire. Ride comfort and rolling resistance are also rated at 2/5, making them weak points.
HTR A/S P03 does offer a respectable mileage value of 50,000 miles, which is in the middle of the rating scale. With an overall rating of 56/100, HTR A/S P03 does not have the power to compete with top players like the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4, which has the highest rating of 73/100. However, it may be a good option if hydroplaning is a priority and it fits your budget.
All Season Truck: Sumitomo Encounter HT
Sumitomo Encounter HT is the worst performing tire among Sumitomo’s offerings in the USA. With a rating of 1/5 in wet braking, it is one of the weakest tires in this category for wet conditions. It does, however, manage to redeem itself with a good rating of 4/5 in dry performance, noise and hydroplaning. With an actual tested mileage of 65,000 miles, it positions itself in the middle of the pack. With an overall rating of 53/100 (the highest being the Continental TerrainContact H/T with 69/100), it has a reputation for being a lower end product on the market.
Sumitomo Tires Review: Studdable Tires
Sumitomo Ice Edge
In the winter tire market, Sumitomo has chosen to offer a studdable option, which is not commonly used in the USA. The typical options are studless, middle European winter, or studded tires. Unfortunately, based on test results, Sumitomo Ice Edge performed weakly in ice and snow, finishing with scores of 3/5 and 4/5 respectively, compared to the top contenders which had scores of 5/5 for both ice and snow. Its worst weakness was in wet braking and handling, which were rated 2/5. Overall, Sumitomo Ice Edge was rated 58/100, which is second to last in the ranking.
3 peak mountain
- HTR Z5: No
- HTR Enhance CX2: No
- HTR Enhance LX2: No
- HTR A/S P03: No
- Encounter HT: No
- Ice Edge: Yes
Only the Studdable Sumitomo Ice Edge has the elusive 3 peak mountain logo which qualifies legally as a winter tire. All tires which have this certification are required to pass a snow traction threshold as defined by the regulation. Surprisingly non of Sumitomo’s all season tires have the 3 peak mountain certification.
Mileage
As mentioned in the individual tire reviews, Sumitomo provides a respectable amount of mileage for its tires across various segments. It consistently performs around the mid-tier range, which may be a good value proposition for some consumers.
Summary
Based on the test results, an in-depth Sumitomo tire review has been conducted, with all six of its products (HTR Z5, HTR Enhance CX2, HTR Enhance LX2, HTR A/S P03, Encounter HT, and Ice Edge) individually evaluated. In our opinion, only the HTR Z5 and HTR Enhance CX2 are worthy tires that are able to challenge the premium tires. The rest of the tires generally lack the required performance to be considered as high-performing tires in their respective segments.
FAQ
Is Sumitomo a good tire?
Sumitomo is a reputable tire manufacturer with a top 10 ranking among global tire companies. They offer a wide range of tires for different types of vehicles and driving conditions, and have a reputation for producing tires that offer good value for the price. Based on what we have reviewed, both HTR Z5 & HTR Enhance CX2 are well rounded tires with good value for money proposition.
Who is Sumitomo tires made by?
Sumitomo tires are made by Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (SRI) which is a global company based in Japan that specializes in the manufacture and sale of tires, diversifying in sport and lifestyle products, and industrial products.
Are Sumitomo tires made by Michelin?
Nope. Sumitomo tires are made by Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (SRI).
Is Sumitomo made by Dunlop?
Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd is not the same as Dunlop Tires. The rights for Dunlop is split between 3 companies based on the region of sale. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company owns the rights for Dunlop in North America (passenger car & light truck), Europe, Australia and New Zealand. While Sumitomo Rubber Industries owns the rights in Asia ( Japan, China, Indonesia, Thailand and Russia), Africa and Latin America (except Mexico). Continental owns its rights for South East Asia (Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei).
Is Sumitomo a Chinese company?
No, Sumitomo is a Japanese company & has its headquarters located in Kobe Japan.