Top 4 Best Summer Tires 2023 [Reviews & Buyer Guide]

It is astounding how far tires have advanced in the previous two decades, especially all-season tires. Yes, those times are a distant memory. A truly defective all-season tire from a respectable manufacturer is difficult to find. Let’s explore the Best Summer Tires In 2023!

Despite these developments, summer tires continue to excel in performance in warm, sunny weather. Why? Since Mother Nature’s laws are unbreakable! The tread patterns of summer tires contain fewer grooves and no sipes, resulting in a wider contact area and higher traction.

Any amount of modification to an all-season tire will only make it as effective as a summer tire on a hot day. A four-season tire with remarkable performance in all weather conditions, whether on dry, wet, snowy, or lightly ice roads, is the Michelin CrossClimate2.

Summer tires are as hard to find in North America as a yeti on a unicorn. Many motorists take extra precautions by using all-season tires because of the USA and Canada’s various climatic conditions and weather. Who can blame them, though? A Swiss Army knife for your wheels, if you will.

The market for summer touring and grand-touring tires is struggling to breathe due to this change in demand. Some may be at your neighborhood tire shop, but they are probably older models with technology from when flip phones were in style. On the other hand, summer touring and grand-touring tires rule supreme in Europe because they perform better on those aging, winding roads.

Since the traveling and grand-touring options on the market don’t cut it, this list only includes performance tires. So fasten your seatbelt, and let’s explore the world of summer tires that will make you smile broadly!

Our Recommendations

Image	Product Name	Global Rating	Price
	Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV 225/60R18	4.5 Out Of 5 Stars	Check Price and Reviews on Amazon
	MICHELIN Pilot Sport 4 S Performance	4.7 Out Of 5 Stars	Check Price and Reviews on Amazon
	MICHELIN Pilot Sport Cup 2	5 Out Of 5 Stars	Check Price and Reviews on Amazon
	Falken Azenis RT615K+, 195/60R14 86H	4.3 Out Of 5 Stars	Check Price and Reviews on Amazon

Top 4 Best Summer Tires 2023

Our Top Pick Summer Tire – Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV 225/60R18

The Michelin summer street/sport tire is ideal for any contemporary performance SUV. And that’s not because of how it drives; in fact, it’s rather civilized, with steering that isn’t as communicative or sharp-feeling as its competitors.

However, since trucks and SUVs aren’t known for their responsiveness, the Pilot Sport 4 SUV’s other features become more significant. For instance, this is the most pleasant performance tire for SUVs because it smoothly avoids bumps and doesn’t get noisy even at higher speeds.

It also offers superb traction and grip on dry and wet asphalt. Therefore, you can depend on the Pilot Sport 4 SUV to give you short stopping distances, great lateral grip, and superb acceleration traction, whether it is raining or not. It is far superior to any all-season tire for an SUV, especially in warmer climates.

Personal Review

Overall, every time I test drive the Pilot Sport 4 SUV, which I did on several different cars, I’m always impressed. When I consider that I drive an SUV, all the additional benefits of the tire become apparent. It’s a tire that doesn’t immediately make me smile widely. Is it the only model in its class with a 30,000-mile tread wear warranty?

(Image Source: Pixabay)

Runner Up Pick Michelin Summer Tire – MICHELIN Pilot Sport 4 S Performance 

As simple to recommend as ice cream on a hot summer day is the Pilot Sport 4S. Michelin’s max-performance summer tire continues to impress with the grip it offers as well as with how comfy it is, despite being older than its direct premium competitors.

This tire impressed me with its comfort features throughout the many vehicles I tested it on. It offers a comfortable ride on all types of roads you’ll encounter and is a very quiet tire, even on the highway. The Pilot Sport 4S is less fun to drive on a tight road than the Potenza Sport or ExtremeContact Sport 02, requiring some steering sharpness.

But there is plenty of grips available. The exceptional lateral grip provided by the Pilot Sport 4S allows you to tackle turns at high speeds without fear of losing stability. You can catch the slide naturally and progressively when you reach the limit. Also, I never experienced slippage during high acceleration, and the stopping distances are among the smallest in the class.

The Pilot Sport 4S performs particularly well in wet weather. I never felt unsafe speeding on a wet tarmac with this tire because it consistently offered outstanding traction. It also has great hydroplaning resistance, maintaining its properties even in heavy rain. Thanks to the Pilot Sport 4S’s slow loss of traction, you can easily catch the slip and make repairs, just like on dry tarmac.

However, this tire’s tread life may be its best feature. My numerous friends who own these tires are satisfied with how long they last. These tires easily last 30,000 miles or more, which is remarkable for the class. For additional peace of mind, Michelin offers a class-leading 30,000-mile treadwear warranty.

Personal Review

The car is changed by these. An APR Stage 2 2016 Golf R. These have great torque retention. Ride quality is considerably improved despite road irregularities. This cornering is absurd. I had a lot of tires before. I purchased them based on reviews. Don’t think twice—these are the greatest options available.

(Image Source: Pexels)

Best Ultra High-Performance Summer Tires – MICHELIN Pilot Sport Cup 2

Recently, I bought a new smoker/grill, and putting it together took about one hour. The most recent software package download took an additional 30 minutes. It was only a question of time, as we all knew.

It makes it natural that your tires would be “connected,” given that everything from running shoes to refrigerators is now “connected.” As a result, Michelin’s new Connect version gives racers a whole new cause to obsess over tires, adding on the already top-notch Pilot Sport Cup2.

I must adjust my expectations whenever I get into a car with Cup2s. This tire performs more like a street performance tire than a race slick. The Cup2 rewards experienced drivers who know that the fastest way around the track involves doing the least driving—even more so than the Pilot Sport 4S. This precision tire follows your instructions exactly, good or bad.

The limits are rather high for a street-legal tire. However, there is a sharp drop-off after the limit. However, if you can dance right on edge, your friction circle hovers about 1.5G in all directions.

It’s like having a race engineer and driving instructor suction-cupped to your windshield on track days. This tire’s “connected” portion refers to connecting to your tires through Bluetooth, utilizing the Track Connect Kit hardware and Michelin’s software to deliver tire pressure and car setup advice. You’ll become a better track driver as a result.

Personal Review

I have experience driving the regular Cup2 on various vehicles on and off the racetrack. This is your best option if you want track tire performance without transporting a separate set of tires to and from the track. However, it is not a tire that inspires confidence in the rain.

(Image Source: Unsplash)

Best Summer Tire – Falken Azenis RT615K+, 195/60R14 86H

I compared the Falken Azenis RT615K+ to a few other mid-priced performance tires on an auto-X track a few years ago. I ordered a set for a job I was doing on a Fiat 500 Abarth in less than a week.

The Fiat is a throwback to hot hatches from the 1980s and 1990s in terms of feel and tire size. Since modern cars hardly ever have wheels smaller than 14 inches, Falken is kind enough to produce this tire in those sizes.

The Azenis RT615K+ is fun to drive despite its awful moniker. It offers a great performance envelope that makes driving it easier than the Continental. The tread pattern, which appears to have been lifted directly from a racing rain tire, is quiet, and the ride is supple. Even yet, automobiles from the 1900s are noisy.

As I previously stated, when I installed them on a Fiat Abarth, they significantly improved the vehicle over the Pirelli tires they replaced. With the Pirellis, the car seemed jittery and on edge all the time, but the Falcons were more predictable and put a lot more power down.

Although the car was much more stable, and the high-frequency vibrations from coarse pavement no longer felt like the tire skidding across the tops of the bumps, it remained eager to change directions. These tires have 200 tread depth and are allowed in those racing divisions.

However, stickier tires are in the category, so an all-out grip can be a worry in this situation. Although not the best tire for daily driving, these are hard to beat for weekend drivers and project cars, particularly those that call for smaller sizes.

Personal Review

I installed these on my 1983 Mazda RX7, which has performed admirably. That’s why I decided to get them—they appear to be rather sticky while turning around corners—all-around excellent performance tires. If anything alters, I’ll revise this assessment.

(Image Source: Picjumbo)

Product Testing

I’ll determine which premium touring summer tires are the best in this test!

We have five sets of tires in this test, including the most recent and top models from Continental, Michelin, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Hankook, Vredestein, Kumho, Toyo, Nankang, and more, so I’ll do my best to keep this concise as I can.

What are we testing, then? Whatever name you give them, premium touring tires are what most people use on their everyday, non-sports cars and automobiles. They are also known as comfort bias, normal, or high-performance tires.

To help you save money at the pump or extend the life of your battery, they strongly emphasize high levels of safety in both dry and wet conditions, good levels of comfort, minimal noise, and low energy use.

While none of these tires are specifically made for electric vehicles, some have the designation “EV ready,” indicating that they were created with both internal combustion and electric vehicles in mind.

Wet

Premium tires should shine in wet handling, which is crucial and where they consistently do. The Doublecoin, the least expensive tire tested, performed horribly regarding steering, grip, and feedback.

The Nankang could have been better; while it appeared to perform well at first and undoubtedly had more grip than the Doublecoin, it had the most oversteer of any tire. I’m always in awe of how much a tire can alter a car’s balance.

For example, the 1.5-liter basic FWD Golf can have tires in this category that offer extreme understeer or oversteer at every bend. Everything else ranges from good to superb for grip and subjective handling now that those two are out of the way. The GT Radial may not have been the fastest, but it was certainly in the running thanks to its excellent steering and stable balance.

Vredestein was the winner in the race between the old-school midrange tire brands—I’m thinking of Falken, Kumho, Toyo, and Vredestein—because it was only a tenth slower around the lap and had a large grip advantage when driving, even though the handling was a touch numb. Although it wasn’t the most enjoyable vehicle, the Toyo was the most enjoyable of the three in the rain.

Bridgestone and Hankook finished almost on time, but driving them was very different. While the Bridgestone had terrific grip but a lot of poorly communicated mid-corner understeer, the Hankook was fun and predictable but just picked up a little too much mid-corner understeer. However, understeer is safe, and Michelin also adheres to this balance.

The Goodyear felt it had the most sidewall deflection of the three tires we haven’t yet discussed, but the grip improved quickly, and the front axle had plenty of grips, making it a speedy tire. The new Continental and the Pirelli were the fastest, most exciting vehicles.

This is especially good news for the new Continental because the previous tire, the PremiumContact 6, was always one of the best in the dry, but in my tests, I never got along with it in the wet.

So, congratulations to Continental on the new product, but you also have to be impressed by the Pirelli and Goodyear, which aren’t the newest tires anymore but are still performing very well, and of course, the exceptional grip of the Vredestein. Continental had a little advantage over Michelin and Pirelli during the wet braking testing.

The outstanding Vredestein Ultrac, followed by the Falken and Michelin closely, was the finest tire in straight aquaplaning. The results for curved aquaplaning are at the bottom of the page.

Dry

Given that the Golf doesn’t have much power and naturally dry handling isn’t a major consideration for these tires, the times are extremely close. There are more disparities on a personal level.

Each pair of tires was put through many aggressive lane change movements to assess its stability in emergencies and the handling lap. Each set was also tested below the limit for steering reaction and linearity.

All the tires, except for the Doublecoin and Nankang, passed the lane change test with flying colors. The Nankang had a little too much oversteer, while the Doublecoin was a complete disaster all around.

If we compare dry handling and dry braking, Hankook, Bridgestone, Kumho, Pirelli, and Hankook, all had somewhat better dry grip than Continental overall. Even if many of them are relatively similar, there are still some standouts regarding the balance and driveability of the tires.

The Nankang gives fantastic grip if you’re looking for a cheap 16″ track day tire, and although it had too much oversteer for probably the optimal balance on the road, it was a great challenge on the track.

Similar to how the Kumho and Pirelli were fantastic all-around in the wet, the GT Radial was very good dynamically, even if it couldn’t equal the fastest grip.

But I’m delighted to announce that the Continental PremiumContact 7 was, once again, by the slimmest of margins, my favorite dry tire since it had the crispiest steering, nicely built-up steering forces, and was one of the tires you truly loved driving.

Environment

The Bridgestone Turanza T005 was a big success regarding rolling resistance, which measures how much the tire affects your energy or fuel use. It was over 10% better than the next-best tire. This is a unique mix of abilities, especially given how well it did in all the other areas. With the EfficientGrip Performance 2 living up to its name, Goodyear came in second, and Toyo came in third.

As usual, comfort and noise were fairly close. Although the budget tire had the lowest pass-by noise throughout the test, it was the least tuned and comfortable of the bunch inside the vehicle. The Michelin Primacy 4+ or Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2 offers the slightest advantages over the competition, even though all the other tires were very well matched.

Product Comparison

The Michelin Defender2 is a sensible choice if you’re seeking a summer tire that performs well, is long-lasting, and is ecologically friendly. In addition to having great traction on both dry and wet surfaces, it also has low rolling resistance, which lowers fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, helping to safeguard the environment.

The Michelin Defender 2 is a particularly tough tire that can resist regular wear and tear because of its EverTread technology. By enhancing the tire’s resistance to wear and minimizing degradation brought on by high temperatures, this technique lengthens the tire’s useful life.

A premium summer tire with great performance on both dry and wet surfaces is the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. Even at high speeds, Michelin’s TrackConnect technology offers remarkable driving precision, improved maneuverability, and superior grip.

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tire has a long lifespan and great wear resistance, making it highly durable. This makes it the perfect option for motorists who want to maximize their investment in premium tires. The Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus is a four-season tire with balanced performance in all weather, whether on dry, rainy, snowy, or icy roads.

This four-season tire has a V-shaped tread pattern that offers superior traction on slick surfaces. Furthermore, the Seal Inside technology enables the motorist to drive safely even after a puncture.

Additionally, the Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus has a Noise Cancelling System, which helps to lessen road noise for a calmer and more relaxing driving experience. This ground-breaking technology also improves the vehicle’s aerodynamics for greater fuel efficiency.

An all-season tire with great performance on every surface, whether on or off the road, is the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2. This tire’s cutting-edge characteristics enable it to deliver a greater driving experience, whether traveling on or off the road.

The KO2’s CoreGuard technology makes it resistant to the most typical punctures on roadways and off-road terrain. Utilizing cutting-edge materials and side reinforcements, this innovative technology guards the tread from harm caused by objects like rocks, branches, and trash.

Considerations Before Purchasing Best Summer Tires

Driving Style

Most people will notice few differences between the chef’s knives in a glass case besides minor color differences and logos. Professional chefs and ardent home cooks can debate the tiniest variations in forms, materials, blade bevels, and especially balance for hours.

The same applies to tires. First, you don’t need to read this section if you have no concept of a driving style. When choosing from a dinner menu in a foreign country that you can only partially understand, you may need to make the best guess as to what you enjoy if you know what I’m talking about but need to know your style.

Some tires have a lot of feel and precision, but they may seem dirty or edgy. Softer tires tend to be more forgiving and feel more stable, but they will slow down reactions and may muffle some sensations. The softer, more comfy tire is probably what you want if you’re commuting.

Whether You Have Run-Flat Tires On Your Car

In terms of every performance aspect of tires, the first few generations of run-flat tires saw a significant decline. Modern run-flats don’t sacrifice nearly as much performance for convenience, but they still need more conventional quality tires.

You’ll need a solid backup strategy in case of a flat if you don’t want to remove your run-flats. You can get a spare tire from a tire shop or even a salvage yard if your vehicle was sold with run-flat tires but still has room for one. If you don’t have room for a spare, you can bring an air compressor and a can of sealant.

Sizes Of Staggered Tires

Audi supplies the RS3 with bigger tires up front, unlike many strong rear-wheel drive vehicles. Sticking with the staggered arrangement is recommended if your car has one from the factory.

The effort the tire must perform when a car is pushed close to its limitations, such as during track driving in an emergency, determines tire width and the difference in stagger. Switching to a square layout will harm your car’s handling because the handling balance is adjusted with those wider tires in mind.

The Best Ultra High-Performance Tires’ Prices

It is challenging to give a summer performance tire a price of “X.” It depends on the tire’s dimensions and specifications. Tire prices may start at just under $100 per tire if you have an older performance vehicle with 14- or 15-inch wheels.

However, you might have to pay $1,200 each tire if you’re seeking for a modern hypercar. Remember that additional state and federal costs for car tires, such as those for mounting and balancing, will need to be paid.

Conclusion

The term “over choice” was first used by Alvin Toffler in 1970, and it refers to the inability to choose when there are too many roughly equal options available. One excellent example is the tire industry. This buyer’s guide was put together using experience with all the tires listed and several top rivals.

Unquestionably one of the Best Summer Tires ever produced is the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. It offers an excellent ride, quiet noise levels, a ton of grip, and a crisp, instantaneous feel.

They are costly, so they might not be the ideal tire for everyone. Because of this, the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, our pick for the best value, is a desirable alternative. Most of the performance is offered at a significantly reduced cost.

Frequently Asked Questions