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New Standards for Standard Touring All-Season Tires
Dunlop Signature (Standard Touring
All-Season 205/55R16)
General Altimax RT
(Standard Touring All-Season 205/55R16)
Kumho Solus KR21
(Standard Touring All-Season P205/55R16)
Pirelli P4
Four Seasons (Standard Touring All-Season P205/55R16)
Intended for use on sedans, coupes, minivans & crossover vehicles, Standard Touring All-Season tires are designed to combine good ride comfort, low noise levels, long wear & year-round traction, including in light snow. Standard Touring All-Season tires are typically available in the S- & T-speed rated sizes & place more emphasis on ride comfort & long treadwear compared to their higher speed rated Gr& Touring All-Season tire cousins.
While the introduction of new tire designs isn't that uncommon, the fact that four tire manufacturers introduced Standard Touring All-Season tire lines at about the same time is unusual. Therefore the question we needed to answer was, "Did any of the manufacturers successfully build a better mousetrap or are these new tire lines simply four of a kind?" In order to find out how well these tires fit the Standard Touring All-Season tire category & determine any differences in their capabilities, Tire Rack team conducted a Real World Road Ride & Performance Track Drive of the Dunlop Signature, General Altimax RT, Kumho Solus KR21 & Pirelli P4 Four Seasons tires.
Our evaluation used a 2006 BMW 325i E90 sedan, with new, full tread depth 205/55R16 tires mounted on 16x7.5" 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.
All four tires delivered ride comfort that was appropriate for the Standard Touring All-Season tire category & helped absorb the expansion joint impacts & pothole repairs along our ride loop. The Dunlop Signature earned our team's respect for its ride quality, followed closely by the Pirelli P4 Four Seasons, Kumho Solus KR21 & General Altimax RT.
Computer-tuned tread designs help reduce tread noise from today's Standard Touring All-Season tires & all four tires delivered appropriate noise qualities. The Dunlop Signature again offered a small advantage, followed by the Kumho Solus KR21, Pirelli P4 Four Seasons & General Altimax RT.
Because Standard Touring All-Season tires are not asked to corner at their limits during normal service, they are typically designed to combine predictable h&ling with year-round traction. Again all four tires also delivered real-world h&ling qualities appropriate for their category, however this time it was the Pirelli P4 Four Seasons that offered a small advantage over the group thanks to its quicker response to the driver's steering input, followed by the Kumho Solus KR21, General Altimax RT & Dunlop Signature.
What We Learned on the Test Track
While the test track is where many of the performance tires confirm their capabilities, it isn't the natural habitat for Standard Touring All-Season tires. Our 1/3-mile per lap 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.
In the dry, the General Altimax RT proved quickest overall, providing predictable h&ling & consistent grip. The Pirelli P4 Four Seasons & Kumho Solus KR21 lapped our course less than 2/10ths of a second slower than the General tires, however the Pirelli tires offered better balanced h&ling while the Kumho tires slid easier when braking & were easier to spin when pushed to their limits during acceleration. The Dunlop Signature tires that were most comfortable on the road felt the least responsive of the group & lapped 4/10ths of a second behind the General.
In the wet, the General Altimax RT also proved quickest overall by providing confident traction & predictable h&ling. The Pirelli P4 Four Seasons' h&ling was predictable, but it could not match the General tire's grip. The Pirellis were 1.2 seconds off the pace. The Kumho Solus KR21 couldn't match the Pirelli's traction or predictability & it was again ranked third, 1.6 seconds behind the General. The Dunlop Signature tire's low level of wet grip allowed our team members to reach its cornering & braking limits noticeably earlier than the other three tires in this test & the Signature turned laps a significant 3-seconds slower than the leader.
Product Details
Dunlop Signature
(Standard Touring All-Season):
Signature tires are designed to combine touring ride comfort with long wear
by providing the h&ling & confident cornering that enhances the connection
between the driver & the road, along with the appropriate year-round
traction, even in light snow.
General Altimax
RT (Standard Touring All-Season):
The Standard Touring All-Season tire member of their Altimax family of
flagship tires the Altimax RT is a stylish touring tire designed to combine
reliability, comfort & tread life, as well as year-round traction, even in
light snow.
Kumho Solus KR21
(Standard Touring All-Season):
The Solus KR21 utilizes Kumho's newest compounding technology & is designed
to offer a balance of long wear, low noise & good ride, with competitive
h&ling & all-season traction, even in light snow.
Pirelli P4
Four Seasons (Standard Touring All-Season):
The P4 Four Seasons is the newest Pirelli tire that is truly dedicated to
perform in all four seasons & is designed to provide ride comfort, reduced
noise & long treadwear with traction in wet weather & snowy conditions.
