Sumitomo Tire Reviews
Sumitomo Tires is a division of Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) which itself is a part of the Sumitomo Group, a conglomerate that traces its routes back to 1615.
The tire business dates back to 1909 when the company invested in Dunlop’s Japanese subsidiary and eventually purchased full control in 1963. From there it’s had a rather complex business relationship with Goodyear, which ended poorly. The main casualty of that failed experience is Dunlop Tires which is a brand that’s now controlled by either Sumitomo or Goodyear depending on what part of the world you’re in.
In 1985 Sumitomo focused its US strategy around the launch of the Falken Tires brand, which had launched to years previous in Japan.
Despite the larger marketing focus on Falken, Sumitomo offers 14 tires for passenger vehicles and light trucks in the United States and Canada, as well as offering a line of heavy duty truck tires. And it is expanding the Sumitomo offering regularly.
When it comes to tires for trucks, SUVs and crossovers Sumitomo has six specific offerings.
HTR Sport HP – A high performance all-season tire designed for SUVs
HTR Enchance CX2 – A premium touring all-season tire for SUVs and crossovers
Touring LX – A budget-focused touring tire for SUVs and crossovers
Touring Plus LX – A crossover-specific tire with longer tread life
Encounter HT – A highway terrain tire for pickup trucks and SUVs with some light off-road capability mixed with on-road civility
Encounter AT – An all-terrain option for pickup trucks and SUVs that’s designed to go anywhere while still offering on-road performance and even comes certified for true winter use.
In addition to these, Sumitomo also offers the Ice Edge winter tire which is suitable for passenger cars as well as utility vehicles.
Sumitomo Tire Reviews
Are Sumitomo Tires Any Good?
In general, Sumitomo tires tend to perform mid-pack when compared with rivals. While we don’t want to generalize across the entire product lineup you’ll generally find that they offer solid value and, while hardly a household name, they are a long-standing brand with a long tradition of making tires. Sumitomo offers mileage warranties on its tires which are in the industry average, and as of 2020 offers a new road hazard protection plan on most of its tires. This covers things like punctures due to rad hazards that make the tires unserviceable ad applies during the fist 2/32-inch of tread wear or first year of ownership, whichever comes first. Tires will be replaced free of charge.
How Many Miles do Sumitomo Tires Last?
Ultimately how long any tires last depends on how hard you run them, as well as how well you maintain them. Proper tire rotation and inflation are critical to achieving the factory tread life estimates listed below. To that end, Sumitomo does provide guidance on how long it expects the majority of its tires to last. That data is listed below. Tires not found on this list are either winter tires, which rarely come wth any sort of mileage guarantee, or high performance summer tires, which also don’t usually come with a warranty as a result of their aggressive rubber compound and intended hard use.
HTR AS P03 65,000 miles
HTR AS P02 65,000 miles
HTR Enhance LX2 90,000 miles
HTR Enhance WX2 55,000 miles
Touring LS 65,000 miles
Tour Plus LS 90,000 miles
HTR Enhance CX2 65,000 miles
Touring LX 50,000
Tour Plus LX 60,000 miles
Encounter HT 60,000 miles
Encounter AT 60,000 miles