Posted by Pierre on April 27, 1999 at 18:17:44:
In Reply to: experience with Goodyear Integrity or Cooper Lifeliner? posted by mike on April 24, 1999 at 14:15:33:
Consumer Reports had a review including Cooper tires . Here's an exerp.
The Pirelli P400 Touring tire has a T speed rating. All of the other
tested tires have an S speed rating. All tested tires have an A
traction rating and B temperature rating. We tested each tire in
sets of four. We ran the braking, cornering, emergency-
handling, hydroplaning, noise and rolling-resistance tests at our
track. Numbers for Cornering, Emergency handling,
Hydroplaning, Ride comfort, Noise and Rolling resistance are on
a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being excellent and 1 being poor.
Braking figures are averages of several runs. Average braking
distances for all tested tires are:
Dry pavement, 145 feet.
Wet pavement, with ABS, 71 feet.
Wet pavement, without ABS, 93 feet.
We didn't test for tread life. Manufacturers' treadwear ratings
may vary with tire size.
PIRELLI P400 TOURING
Outperformed others in braking, cornering, resistance to
hydroplaning. Taut handling. Noisy on coarse pavement.
Relatively high rolling resistance.
Braking--60 mph, dry pavement: 137 feet 40 mph, wet with ABS:
66 feet 40 mph, wet without ABS: 89 feet Cornering--dry
pavement: 5 wet pavement: 3 Emergency handling: 5
Hydroplaning: 5 Ride comfort: 4 Noise--smooth pavement: 4
coarse pavement: 2 Rolling resistance: 3 Treadwear rating: 420
DUNLOP SP40 A/S
A nicely balanced performer. Brakes well on wet and dry
pavement. Corners well on dry pavement. Taut handling. Low
rolling resistance. Noisy on coarse pavement.
Braking--60 mph, dry pavement: 142 feet 40 mph, wet with ABS:
69 feet 40 mph, wet without ABS: 92 feet Cornering--dry
pavement: 4 wet pavement: 2 Emergency handling: 5
Hydroplaning: 4 Ride comfort: 4 Noise--smooth pavement: 4
coarse pavement: 2 Rolling resistance: 5 Treadwear rating: 420
GOODYEAR REGATTA
A tire that emphasizes comfort over handling. Soft ride, quiet on
both smooth and coarse pavement. Overall, a good but not
outstanding performer.
Braking--60 mph, dry pavement: 145 feet 40 mph, wet with ABS:
70 feet 40 mph, wet without ABS: 92 feet Cornering--dry
pavement: 3 wet pavement: 2 Emergency handling: 4
Hydroplaning: 3 Ride comfort: 5 Noise--smooth pavement: 5
coarse pavement: 3 Rolling resistance: 4 Treadwear rating: 460
COOPER LIFELINER CLASSIC II
Relatively good braking. Soft and supple ride, quiet on rough
roads. Good resistance to hydroplaning, but poor cornering grip
on wet pavement, and handling is below par.
Braking--60 mph, dry pavement: 145 feet 40 mph, wet with ABS:
71 feet 40 mph, wet without ABS: 92 feet Cornering--dry
pavement: 3 wet pavement: 1 Emergency handling: 3
Hydroplaning: 4 Ride comfort: 5 Noise--smooth pavement: 4
coarse pavement: 3 Rolling resistance: 4 Treadwear rating: 480
KELLY-SPRINGFIELD NAVIGATOR 800S
A competent tire, overall. Relatively good braking on wet
pavement in cars without ABS. Noisy on coarse pavement.
Relatively high rolling resistance.
Braking--60 mph, dry pavement: 145 feet 40 mph, wet with ABS:
72 feet 40 mph, wet without ABS: 91 feet Cornering--dry
pavement: 3 wet pavement: 2 Emergency handling: 4
Hydroplaning: 3 Ride comfort: 4 Noise--smooth pavement: 4
coarse pavement: 2 Rolling resistance: 3 Treadwear rating: 480
FIRESTONE FR680
Soft and supple ride, but cornering grip is poor on wet
pavement. With ABS, wet-pavement stops are a little long.
Unusually noisy on coarse pavement.
Braking--60 mph, dry pavement: 147 feet 40 mph, wet with ABS:
73 feet 40 mph, wet without ABS: 94 feet Cornering--dry
pavement: 3 wet pavement: 1 Emergency handling: 4
Hydroplaning: 3 Ride comfort: 5 Noise--smooth pavement: 4
coarse pavement: 1 Rolling resistance: 4 Treadwear rating: 400
GENERAL AMERI G4S
Soft and supple ride, but longest braking distances. Generally
crisp handling, but loses grip rather abruptly. Unusually noisy on
coarse pavement. Low rolling resistance.
Braking--60 mph, dry pavement: 149 feet 40 mph, wet with ABS:
74 feet 40 mph, wet without ABS: 97 feet Cornering--dry
pavement: 3 wet pavement: 2 Emergency handling: 4
Hydroplaning: 3 Ride comfort: 5 Noise--smooth pavement: 4
coarse pavement: 1 Rolling resistance: 5 Treadwear rating: 520
MICHELIN XW4
Good dry cornering. Long stopping distances on dry pavement
and on wet without ABS. Very quiet on smooth pavement, noisy
on coarse pavement. Low rolling resistance.
Braking--60 mph, dry pavement: 148 feet 40 mph, wet with ABS:
71 feet 40 mph, wet without ABS: 97 feet Cornering--dry
pavement: 4 wet pavement: 2 Emergency handling: 4
Hydroplaning: 3 Ride comfort: 4 Noise--smooth pavement: 5
coarse pavement: 2 Rolling resistance: 5 Treadwear rating: 400
GOODYEAR WEATHERHANDLER
A quiet tire. Cornering grip is good on dry pavement, poor on
wet pavement. With ABS, wet-pavement stops are a little long.
This tire is sold only at Sears.
Braking--60 mph, dry pavement: 146 feet 40 mph, wet with ABS:
74 feet 40 mph, wet without ABS: 95 feet Cornering--dry
pavement: 4 wet pavement: 1 Emergency handling: 4
Hydroplaning: 3 Ride comfort: 4 Noise--smooth pavement: 5
coarse pavement: 3 Rolling resistance: 4 Treadwear rating: 460
BF GOODRICH THE ADVANTAGE
Overall, an adequate tire, no more. The ride is the harshest in
this group, and the cornering grip on both wet and dry
pavement is unimpressive. Low rolling resistance.
Braking--60 mph, dry pavement: 146 feet 40 mph, wet with ABS:
70 feet 40 mph, wet without ABS: 94 feet Cornering--dry
pavement: 3 wet pavement: 2 Emergency handling: 4
Hydroplaning: 4 Ride comfort: 3 Noise--smooth pavement: 4
coarse pavement: 3 Rolling resistance: 5 Treadwear rating: 440
CONSUMER REPORTS RECOMMENDATIONS
Different tires make different compromises. The top-rated Pirelli
P400 Touring did particularly well in the factors we weight most
heavily: braking, cornering, handling, and resistance to
hydroplaning. But it isn't particularly quiet, and it rides firmly. In
size P185/70R14, its average price is $70, according to a recent
survey. The Dunlop SP40 A/S ($66 average), Goodyear Regatta
($79) and Cooper Lifeliner Classic II ($60) perform well overall
and ride slightly more softly. If your car lacks ABS, the
Kelly-Springfield Navigator 800S ($60) is also worth considering.
WHERE TO CALL
If you have trouble locating a brand, call the company.
Cooper: 800-854-6288
Dunlop: 800-548-4714
Firestone: 800-706-8473
General: 800-847-3349
Goodyear: 800-466-3932
B.F. Goodrich, Michelin: 800-847-3435
Kelly-Springfield: 800-592-3267
Pirelli: 800-327-2442
Copyright © Consumers Union of U.S., Inc., 1997