Highway and Touring Tyres
Many of us are planning a trip away this summer, either to visit family or friends, or even just a solo trip to get away from it all. On top of the regular maintenance recommended before a road trip such checking the oil, wiper fluid, coolant and so on, it’s a fantastic idea to double check your tyres for tread depth and possible tyre damage.
Winter can be a brutal season on our roads with increased rainfall and potholes wreaking havoc on our tyres. If you’re going over your vehicle getting it ready for a long trip only to find chipped or torn sidewalls, worn down tread or uneven wear it’s best to get your tyres inspected or replaced.
You may be tempted to go with the cheapest tyre available in order to get you on the road, but there are other options available to you. See our article about Zip Pay here!
If you’re a driver who covers many kms on sealed roads and are looking for new tyres, there are a few considerations to make when choosing new tyres including:
- Price
- Durability
- Tyre noise
- Rolling resistance
- Warranty
While covering all of these is a bit much for one article, we’re going to list a few standout tyres you may want to consider if you’re covering a lot of on-road kms this summer!
Highway Terrains for your 4x4 or suv.
Most tyre manufacturers are offering highway terrain tyres (HT) for 4x4 and SUVs who see a large percentage of their use on sealed roads. HT tyres are normally characterised by low rolling resistance for better fuel saving as well as low tyre noise. Due to their design they’re often outclassed by All Terrain (AT) tyres for off-road adventures as the tread on HT tyres doesn’t have enough ‘bite’ into sand, rocks and mud.
Michelin Latitude Sport 3.
The Latitude Sport 2 was a fantastic tyre that was rated very highly for decent mileage and excellent braking performance. Michelin has upped the ante with the Latitude Sport 3. Michelin claims that it has even greater mileage expectations, a lower rolling resistance leading to increased fuel economy all the while improving wet weather braking performance. If you’re after a 4x4 or SUV tyre that gives you confidence on the road, take a look at the Michelin Latitude Sport 3.
Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Plus
Aside from having a mouthful of a name, Pirelli has made a tyre that manages to be ‘eco-friendly’ by requiring less materials and harmful chemicals to be constructed. Adding to the eco-credibility, Pirelli has improved rolling resistance qualities, leading to much longer lifespan and reducing CO2 emissions. Pirelli has also optimised the tread pattern to create a tyre that produces very little tyre noise at highway speeds. The Scorpion Verde All Season Plus comes in a variety of sizes to suit larger cars and SUVs. Pirelli advise that this tyre is intended for 15% off-road and 85% on road use.
Touring tyres for sports and luxury cars
What if you’re planning a roadtrip in a sports car or luxury tourer? Summer is the perfect time to be out cruising. The difference between an outright ultra performance tyre and a touring tyre is how easy they are to live with day-to-day as well as durability. Touring car tyres are designed to provide excellent grip in all conditions, be it rain, hail or shine but to be durable enough to handle commuting, highway driving and start stop traffic. Let’s have a look at a few options.
Pirelli P Zero Rosso
Designed to work in tandem with the latest stability and traction control systems, the P Zero Rosso has been designed as a comfortable tyre able to keep up with medium-to-high powered sports touring cars and luxury performance vehicles. The 4 tread grooves along the tyre work to provide wet weather performance with excellent aquaplaning resistance. Outright dry weather grip has been forgone in exchange for durability. A true touring tyre that steers well, has great mileage expectations and is comfortable.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Michelin has put the work into creating a tyre that offers a direct steering feel with an Aramid and Nylon hybrid belt system inside the tyre along with firmer shoulders and stiffer sidewalls. As opposed to dedicated ultra performance tyres that work best when warm, the Pilot Sport 4 has excellent cold and wet weather performance, with “braking distances up to 3.7 metres shorter than competitors.” Living with a ‘friendly’ tyre on a high performance vehicle used to be a compromise but with the Pilot Sport 4, it doesn’t have to be.
Looking after your new tyres.
No matter what tyres you choose, we recommend a wheel balance and alignment to ensure you get the most from your new investments. Adhering to periodic tyre rotations, alignment checks and re-balancing will ensure many kms of trouble free motoring.
Contact us!
If you’re planning a summer road trip and want to make sure your tyres are going to give you the comfiest trip possible, get in touch with Barry and the staff at Tyrepower Kogarah. We do tyres, wheel alignments, wheel balancing as well as pink slip inspections to get you on your way in a car that handles its best.
Call (02) 9587 3366 today, or drop by the store at 433 West Botany Street, Kogarah.
