Vehicles used:
2006 BMW E90 325i Sedan

While Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. is one of today's major automotive tire manufacturers in Japan, its Sumitomo Tire br& isn't one of the typical top-of-mind br& names in America. However that may change for driving enthusiasts with the introduction of Sumitomo Tire's HTR Z III (High Technology Radials - 3rd Generation) Max Performance Summer tires. While Sumitomo had previously offered Ultra High Performance Summer tires in North America, the HTR Z III was developed to fit into the Max Performance Summer tire category & showcase Sumitomo's technical resources by providing high-speed h&ling stability along with traction on dry & wet roads.

In order to confirm how HTR Z III tires measure up to some of today's other Max Performance Summer tires, we compared the Sumitomo HTR Z III to Bridgestone's Potenza RE050A Pole Position, Continental's ContiSportContact 3 & Yokohama's ADVAN Sport tires. Like all summer tires, none of these tires are intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice.

Our evaluation used a 2006 BMW 325i E90 sedan, with new, full tread depth 225/45R17 tires mounted on 17x8.0" wheels.

What We Learned on the Road

Our 5.6-mile loop of expressway, state highway & county roads provides a great variety of road conditions that include city & highway speeds, smooth & coarse concrete, as well as new & patched asphalt. This route allows our team to experience noise comfort, ride quality & everyday h&ling, just as you would during your drive to school or work.

The Continental ContiSportContact 3 was praised by our team for its ride quality as it did a good job absorbing the bumps & jounces along our ride loop. Close behind was the Sumitomo HTR Z III, delivering smooth ride qualities appropriate for the Max Performance Summer tire category. The Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position displayed a more traditional performance tire ride, feeling taught & slightly firm but not objectionable when driving over the sharper impacts. The Yokohama ADVAN Sport's ride was close to the group, feeling just a bit harsh over patched pavement & the broken section along the expressway portion of our route.

Modern computer-aided tread design continues to reduce tread noise, helping tame the growl of today's Max Performance Summer tires. Here, the HTR Z III had a slight advantage over the other three, producing minimal noise levels (for a Max Performance Summer tire) & avoiding any annoying fixed tones. The Potenza RE050A Pole Position & Yokohama ADVAN Sport displayed similar tread noise volume & tone, just slightly more apparent than the HTR Z III. The ContiSportContact 3 also produced minimal tread noise, but displayed several distinct pitches audible above the vehicle's wind noise, especially on smooth asphalt in the 40-55 mph range.

Even during normal road driving where tires are not being asked to corner at their limit, Max Performance Summer tires are designed to deliver crisp, responsive h&ling. This group did not disappoint, feeling nimble & connected to the road. The Bridgestone held a slight advantage over the group, with its linear response to any steering input, & taut, weighted feel in the steering wheel. The firmer ride of the Yokohama paid back a dividend in h&ling, feeling lively & ready to respond to the driver's comm&s. The Sumitomo also h&led well, feeling nimble & controlled. The Continental that was most comfortable on the road felt the least responsive of the group, with slower initial steering response.

What We Learned on the Test Track

Our 1/3-mile per lap test track course includes 90-degree street corners, lane changes & simulated expressway ramps. Run in both dry & wet conditions, the test track allows our team to experience the traction, responsiveness, h&ling & drivability normally only encountered during abrupt emergency avoidance maneuvers or competition events.

The track is where Max Performance Summer tires really show their stuff, both for their fun factor as well as their absolute capability & overall traction. In the dry, the Sumitomo HTR Z III proved quickest overall, aided by its total package of responsive h&ling, stable cornering traction & confident braking grip. Continental's ContiSportContact 3 lapped our course less than 2/10ths of a second behind the Sumitomo, but required more concentration to produce the fast laps. The Conti displayed significant levels of lateral & braking grip, but its overall h&ling was not as crisp or precise as the others in this test, requiring smooth inputs & a delicate touch to turn a fast lap. The Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position was found to be the most responsive of the group, feeling almost edgy in its steering response. Unfortunately the overall grip level was not high enough to take full advantage of its quick steering. Yokohama's ADVAN Sport seemed to lack some overall grip, displaying noticeable understeer when pressed hard. The lively h&ling we felt on the road disappeared when pressed to the limit on the track, with the steering feel becoming somewhat vague.

In the wet, the ADVAN Sport & ContiSportContact 3 were a virtual tie. The ADVAN Sport was easy to control, with a hint of understeer & good communication that the grip limit was approaching. So, too, for the ContiSportContact 3 where plenty of overall grip & confidence-inspiring h&ling allowed our team to lap the course within 0.02 second of the Yokohama. The HTR Z III also h&led well, showing balanced overall h&ling & a big margin to recover once the traction limit was reached. The Potenza RE050A Pole Position displayed plenty of overall wet grip, but felt very edgy & harder to control. The cornering & braking traction limit was reached without much warning, & took longer to recover once exceeded than the other three tires. The Bridgestone was able to produce relatively quick lap times, but required full driver attention to accomplish it.

Product Details

Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position (Max Performance Summer): The Potenza RE050A Pole Position with UNI-T Technology tire was developed for sports car, sports coupe & sport sedan drivers. The Potenza RE050A Pole Position is designed to provide exceptional dry & wet road traction.

Continental ContiSportContact 3 (Max Performance Summer): The ContiSportContact 3 is Continental Tire's tire developed for the drivers of powerful sports cars, sports coupes & luxury sedans. The ContiSportContact 3 is designed to combine outst&ing braking capability & agile steering precision.

Sumitomo HTR Z III (Max Performance Summer): The HTR Z III (High Technology Radials-3rd Generation) is Sumitomo's tire developed for sports cars, sporty coupes & high performance sedans. It is designed to showcase Sumitomo's technical resources by providing high-speed h&ling stability along with traction on dry & wet roads.

Yokohama ADVAN Sport (Max Performance Summer): The ADVAN Sport is Yokohama's tire developed for some of the world's most prestigious sports cars, sports coupes & high performance sedans. The ADVAN Sport in the 275/35ZR20 size has been chosen as the exclusive Original Equipment (O.E.) tire for the Bentley Motors Continental GT equipped with the Mulliner Driving Package, the world's fastest four-seat coupe in 2005 with the maximum speed of 197 mph (318 km/h).