Tire Rack Inc. compared three models of CUV/SUV touring all-season tires: the Kumho Crugen Premium, the Michelin Premier LTX and the Yokohama Geolandar G055.
The tires were mounted, at full tread depth, on the 18x8.0 wheels of a 2016 Porsche V6 Cayenne and evaluated on Tire Rack’s own test track and along a six-mile road loop.
A summary of Tire Rack’s findings follows:
Kumho Crugen Premium (Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season 255/55R18 109V)
Liked: Nice driving feel and reasonable wet and dry traction.
Improve: A modest bump up in wet traction.
Conclusion: A nice option for your SUV or crossover vehicle.
Michelin Premier LTX (Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season 255/55R18 109V)
Liked: Good road manners and excellent wet weather performance.
Improve: Not much improvement needed here.
Conclusion: This tire raises the expectation of what a Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season tire can do in wet weather.
Yokohama Geolandar G055 (Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season 255/55R18 109V)
Liked: Capable dry handling.
Improve: Make a big improvement in wet traction and soften the ride a little.
Conclusion: An adequate tire for drivers who do not place any emphasis on wet traction.
Tire Rack says that in dry conditions, the three tire models performed remarkably similar. The distances that each needed to complete a panic stop from 50 miles per hour were separated by only one foot. The difference in time needed to complete a lap around the test track spanned just one quarter of a second.
Fuel consumption differences were also negligible. The Michelin model generated an observed 22.7 miles per gallon in fuel economy, with the Kumho and Yokohama tires close behind at 22.5 miles per gallon each.
However, wet conditions delivered a clear leader. Tire Rack says the Michelin Premier LTX tires stood out from the pack, demonstrating superior traction that raises the bar for tires in this category. The Kumho tires performed well in terms of handling, traction and stopping distance, however they couldn’t quite measure up to the Michelin model. Yokohama tires lagged behind, literally, with a wet-course lap time almost five seconds slower than the best model, according to Tire Rack.
Tire Rack awarded the Michelin Premier LTX the top score in both the road tests and the track tests. These tires provided good handling and a smooth ride with minimal noise. The Kumho Crugen Premium took second thanks to a slightly lower level of wet traction than the Michelin. In third, the Yokohama Geolandar G055 proved an adequate tire in search of more wet surface traction.
Check out Tire Rack's video report of this latest test:
For complete test results, visit the Tire Rack website.
