Top tyres for a big car: R19 off-road summer tyres

The model from American tyre manufacturers under the name Goodyear EfficientGrip SUV has been produced for several years in a row. Its element is urban paved roads, on which the tyre demonstrates excellent coupling properties both in the rain and in the "dry".

There are 4 deep drainage channels running along the symmetrical non-directional pattern of the tyre tread. Numerous grooves of various smaller configurations tend to them, in turn, so that instantaneous removal of water from the tyre contact spot with the road is achieved. In the urban cycle of movement, the coupling properties of a tyre on wet asphalt are comparable to "dry" conditions.

The tyre impresses many with its softness — it "eats" the joints and irregularities of the roadway, making them almost invisible. In view of the above, the model is unlikely to appeal to adherents of an active driving style. Also, the tyre does not really like off-road trips, especially moving on wet ground, where there is a risk of digging into the mud.

The category of shortcomings of the Goodyear EfficientGrip SUV is often attributed to the increased noise of the tyre at high travel speeds (over 100 km/h). Otherwise, the tyre forms a completely positive impression about itself, providing a high level of driving comfort and having an attractive price tag against the background of other representatives of the squad of top summer tyres for crossovers and SUVs.

It is possible to unlock the potential of sports crossovers and SUVs only in tandem with high-quality high-performance tyres. This category includes the brainchild of the French tyre company Michelin — the Latitude Sport 3 summer tyre.

The hallmark of the model is excellent coupling properties, improved traction and braking characteristics on various types of road surfaces and long-term walking. These are the most significant advantages of the tyre over odnoklassniki, but its advantages also include resistance to hydroplaning, clear reactions to steering commands and fuel efficiency.

As part of the tyre testing by experts of the authoritative German publication Auto Bild, it took its place right in the middle among other significant players in the market of rubber with the SUV prefix. High scores were awarded to the tyre in the disciplines of ride comfort and traction on grass and sand, and the overall positive picture was slightly smoothed out by the deterioration of handling and the length of the braking distance on wet roads.

The sporty character of the tyre is given out by the features of the construction of a symmetrical non-directional tread pattern and its smooth surface. Three central stiffeners ensure the course stability of the car, and wide shoulder zones ensure confident entry into turns, including during high—speed manoeuvring. The high status of the Michelin Latitude Sport 3 is confirmed by the fact that the model is a tyre of the first configuration for luxury cars Porcshe Macan, BMW X5 and Volvo XC90, which a priori would not wear bad "shoes".

The third generation of high-speed summer tyres for ambitious SUVs from the Japanese brand Toyo has received improvements on all fronts: the tyre has become better to keep the road on both dry and wet canvas, brake more efficiently, and its wear resistance indicators have also "pumped up".

The tread pattern in Toyo Proxes S/T III is made in the form of a "Christmas tree", which is more typical for the winter rubber class. When designing the tread, three forms were used: the arrowhead (responsible for the directional stability of the car), the wings of the Stealth fighter (macroblocks that prevent deformation of the tyre and increase the clutch efficiency) and lightning (drainage channels for removing water from the contact spot). Despite this pattern, the tyre shows a low noise level when moving.

The tyre was created with an eye to driving on paved roads, and off-road it behaves far from the best way. Synthetic rubber has been added to the cocktail of the rubber mixture of the model, which ensures the wear resistance of the tyre and the dissipation of excess energy when heated. Thus, Toyo Proxes S/T III practically does not heat up when driving, which significantly improves the performance properties of the tyre.

Much attention in the design of the model is also paid to the shoulder zones — the ribs adjacent to them are made up of massive blocks in the form of a parallelogram. They are located at a slight angle relative to the axis of rotation of the wheel, which has improved the coupling properties of the tyre on a dry surface and gives the tyre's reactions to steering turns even more speed and accuracy. Among the many tyres with an SUV prefix, sharpened for high-speed driving, Toyo Proxes S/T III are one of the most preferred options for purchase.

The second iteration of the "blue" tyre from Nokian for SUVs turns driving on a wet road into as simple an activity as on a dry canvas.

The accelerated outflow of fluid from the contact spot of the tyre with the road is facilitated by wide hydro-evacuation channels, water to which flows through special micro-grooves between the blocks of the asymmetric tread pattern. As a result, the tyre is ready to show off to its peers increased resistance to hydroplaning, which increases the safety of movement in rainy weather.

In addition to asphalt surfaces, the tyre has proven itself well on gravel and sand tracks, for which it is necessary to say a special "thank you" to the ground hooks on the inside of the tread. Another distinctive feature of the tyre's character is its high tensile strength and resistance to side cuts. This is achieved due to the increased strength of the sidewalls, in which aramid fibers are used. The contact spot of the tyre is protected from possible punctures by stone repellents that prevent stones from getting stuck between the tread blocks.

Polymer and silica additives are included in the rubber mixture of the model, which reduce friction and reduce tyre heating. And low rolling resistance is a direct way to fuel efficiency of the tyre. In addition, a detailed tyre wear indicator scale is drawn on the central edge of the Nokian Hakka Blue 2 SUV — the numbers on it indicate the residual tread height in millimetres, and the droplet symbol signals the preservation of properties when driving on wet roads. As soon as it is erased, it is advisable to start looking for a replacement for the tyre.

The product of European tyre manufacturers with the prefix ATR in the name has an ardent off-road potential, which can be concluded from the nature of the tread pattern with a tangle of blocks to improve the grip of the tyre on the roadbed.

The tyre tread has a clear division into central and lateral working zones. The central edge of the model is dotted with numerous blocks combined in threes, which contributes to increasing the stability of the car and the softness of the ride. The shoulder elements, in turn, are physically connected by means of jumpers, which preserves the rigidity of the tyre when entering turns and creates an acoustic barrier to protect against noise generated in the central part of the tread.

Zigzag grooves and slats form numerous coupling edges, which helps the tyre to confidently overcome off-road. At the same time, the sticking of small stones in the tread is prevented by massive blocks. The absence of characteristic longitudinal drainage channels in no way affected the efficiency of water removal from the contact spot — the tyre manages it no worse than the vast majority of its peers.

With a complex tread pattern, the Continental ContiCrossContact ATR is almost an perfect solution for motley east european roads. As a highway tyre, the model demonstrates confident behavior on asphalt surfaces, and when driving off-road, it immediately transforms into an off-road version, which is not afraid of dirt or sand. However, you will have to pay a lot for such a favorable combination of qualities, which is more than repaid by the versatility of the tyre and its long walking time.