Home News Geo Touring Tires – Are These Sumimotos Any Good?

Geo Touring Tires – Are These Sumimotos Any Good?

by Kelvin Yates

Are you interested in the new Geo Touring tires by Sumimoto? Well, if that is the case, then you are at the right place because this article, will be all about these types of tires and overall tires in general and we are going to cover the most essential data when it comes to these types of tires.

Doing your own research before you buy tires should be one of your top priorities. Why we are saying this? Well, because it is true. Nowadays there are dozens of tire makers that are selling their tires and each of them has a whole lineup of different tires.

So, this is a lot of tires to choose from. And even though some tire makers have good tires in a certain category, that doesn’t mean that each of their offerings is actually good. Some of them aren’t. So, this is why you need to read some reviews online on a specific tire and learn more about it. And this is why we are going to help you out.

First, we are going to learn more about tires in general, and then we will cover the different types of tires that are out there. Then we will learn how to read car tires. After we are done with the introduction, we will discuss more about Geo Touring tires and learn more about their pros and cons and we will cover some reviews on them. So, if you want to learn more, follow along.

Car Tires History

Now before we dive into the Geo Touring tires, let’s take a look at car tires in general. What are car tires? How they were created and from what compounds they are made? These are the questions that bother a lot of people out there. So, we need to explain all of these topics before we dive into more complex stuff like the Geo Touring tires. So, let’s cover this briefly.

A car tire in general is the component that allows your car to roll freely on the road. They are ring-shaped components that are installed on the rim of the car.

Each car has four rims and four tires. Some trucks even have up to six tires installed on them. It is mostly the application that determines how many tires and how big tires you really need. But if you are looking for Geo Touring tires, you probably need four of them since these tires are often mounted on regular cars.

Geo Touring Tires

What is interesting to note is that modern car tires are made out of either synthetic or natural rubber. Inside the tire, there are wires that basically keep the structural integrity of the tire under heavy stress.

Tires provide traction on the road and always make sure that you drive safely. And for this purpose, they are filled up with compressed air. Even though, nowadays some shops are filling the tires with nitrogen. This is a better solution since the tire does not lose a lot of air during longer periods of time and overall, it drives better.

What is also interesting to know is that are a couple of different types of tires out there. And more on that in the next chapter before we start discussing about Geo Touring tires. So, if you want to learn more, follow along.

Types Of Car Tires

Now let’s take a look at the different types of car tires before we discuss the Geo Touring tires. If you didn’t know, there are a few types of tires that exist out there.

So, this is a chance for you to learn all of your options and see which ones fit the bill when it comes to getting new tires. So, let’s cover this quickly before we start learning about the Geo Touring tires and learn more about them.

Summer Tires

The first type of tire that we are going to cover is the summer tire. So, what is a summer tire? Well, a summer tire in general is a tire that is designed to work well in hot and dry conditions.

Summer tires do not have aggressive treads and are rather hard to touch. This is needed because if they were soft like the other tires that we are going to cover, they will start to degrade a lot faster.

What is good with summer tires is that they deliver really good fuel economy in comparison to the other two types of tires that we are going to cover.

This is why we often recommend having a proper set of summer tires for the summer and a winter set for the winter. But what about the Geo Touring tires? Well, more on that we are going to cover in the following chapter, where will discuss all about winter tires and how they work.

Winter Tires

The second type of tire that we are going to cover before we discuss Geo Touring tires is the winter tire. So, what is a winter tire? Well, a winter tire is a special tire that is intended to work well in winter.

Winter tires are different from summer tires. Mainly in terms of the treads. As well as when it comes to the rubber compound that they use.

Winter tires often have rather aggressive treads, while the compound of the tire is generally rather soft. So, when you touch them, they are very soft to the touch.

Geo Touring Tires

This is the case because for mud and snow you need a softer compound in order for the tire to work well. If you use a hard compound, this would not work well with the snow and mud.

Also, these tires are not recommended for use in the summer. Primarily because they are really soft and when you drive them in hot summer temperatures, they tend to wear down rather quickly.

So, we would advise you to avoid driving winter tires in the summer. And not because they wear a lot, they also deliver poor fuel economy. Now let’s move on to the last type of tire before we discuss the Geo Touring tires.

All-Season Tires

The last type of tire that we are going to cover is the one to which the Geo Touring tires belong. And that is the all-season tire. So, what is an all-season tire?

Well, an all-season tire is a specific tire that is intended for use in both summer and winter. This means that this tire is the jack of all trades. But unfortunately, master of none. Why is this the case?

Well, this is the case because it is rather difficult to create a single tire that could do both jobs. Not that these are bad tires. But they lack some performance when compared to a proper winter or summer tire.

Still, the conditions where they perform well are mainly on wet surfaces. They are rather good in this type of condition and for some people that do not drive in extreme snow, they are the perfect option.

And if you live in a climate where the temperatures are rather mild, then we would definitely recommend them to you to purchase for your vehicle. Especially the Geo Touring tires. But what are Geo Touring tires? More on that, we are going to cover it in a bit.

How To Read Tire Sizes

Another important topic that we would like to cover when it comes to car tires, is the topic of how to read tires.

If you didn’t know, reading tires is really important when it comes to purchasing a new set of tires for your vehicle. But how this is done? Let’s elaborate.

The first thing that you will notice on the tire is probably the branding and the word, radial. This indicates that these are radial tires. Which 99% of the new tires are. So, nothing important here.

The most important things are the numbers and letters. For example, P225/70 R16 91 S. What does this means?

The first letter P indicates a “passenger vehicle”, on trucks you will come across LT, which indicates a “light truck”.

Geo Touring Tires

Then the following two numbers are measuring units in metric. 225 indicates the tire width in millimeters, then the second number 70 indicates the size of the sidewall, also in millimeters. The bigger the number, the bigger the sidewall of the tire.

The following letter and number combo R16 is a measurement in inches. And the R indicates that the tire is radial and the number indicates the wheel diameter. Understandably the wheel size is 16 inches in diameter.

The following number 91, is the load index, in other words, how much you can load these tires. And the S indicates the speed rating of the tire.

There is also another lettering for example M + S. This is mud and snow. These tires are intended for extreme snow conditions.

Overall, that’s what you have to know when it comes to the topic of how to read tire size. Now let’s discuss what are Geo Touring tires.

GeoTour Tires

Now let’s take a look at Geo Touring tires and learn more about them. What are these tires? Well, these tires are medium-budget tires.

Many people are not even probably familiar with this brand and they do not know anything about them. They are not a brand like Michelin or Bridgestone.

What is important to note is that the GeoTour tires are made by a company known as Sumimoto. Sumimoto if you don’t know is a Japanese tire maker. They are present in the US market for a really long time.

They basically own the GeoTour brand of tires. So, we can say that the Geo Touring tires are produced by a reputable company and they are not one of those cheap brands that often use low-quality rubber that is hard as plastic.

What is good about the GeoTour tires is that they are designed to be rather durable and able to withstand a lot of mileage. And they often come with a 65,000-mile warranty on them. And not only have high mileage but also meet the UTQG standards. In other words, means that the tires are also designed to withstand rough road surfaces.

So, going for these tires is probably a no-brainer decision right? Well, this rather depends because even though they are made to last for a long time, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are the way to go. Still, there are some drawbacks when it comes to these tires. But more on that, we are going to cover later on when we are going to discuss the pros and cons. Now let’s take a look a little bit at the specs of the Geo Touring tires.

Geo Touring Tires Specs

So, we learned a little bit about the basics of the Geo Touring tires, now let’s take a look at the specs. Namely the all-season tire that they offer which is the 225/40/R18 92V SL tire model.

The specs of the tire mean that this tire falls into the V class of touring performance. This tire has a maximum load pressure on it of about 35 lbs per single square inch.

This type of GeoTour tire meets all the standards of the NHTSA. When it comes to the production of these tires, they are often produced either in the US or Asia, then they are imported here.

There are also other specs like the 225/65R17, 225/45R18, 235/60R18, and a lot of other options that you can get.

Still, they come in a really good spec that will suit most of the customers who want something good but don’t want to overspend and get a Michelin tire. This is why we recommend the Geo Touring tires to you if you are in search of a great deal. But what about the pros and cons of these tires? Are there any cons? Let’s elaborate more on that in the following chapters.

Geo Touring Tires Pros And Cons

Now let’s take a look a the pros and cons of having the Geo Touring tires. Knowing the pros and cons will really help you out when it comes to making the right decision and purchasing a set of these tires.

This is why in the following chapters, we will try to give you the most comprehensive answers on this topic and help you out make the right decision. So, if you want to learn more, follow along.

Pros Of Getting Geo Touring Tires

Now let’s start with the pros of the Geo Touring tires. What are the positives of having a tire of this type?

Well, there are a few positive aspects of having a tire of this type. The first one is probably the price. These tires are one of the best when it comes to price-to-performance ratio.

They might be no Michelins but they perform rather well and for a good price. So, if you want to get a premium tire for the fraction of the cost, then going for Geo Touring tires should be a good idea. Then the money you save, you can spend on other more fulfilling things rather than on tires for your vehicle.

The second pro of having these tires is their long life. Mainly because they are made out of high-quality rubber. Because of these high-quality materials, they have a warranty of 65,000 miles. And this is quite a lot if you are asking me. The usual lifespan of a tire is somewhere about 50,000 miles. But these tires last for a lot longer and you will not suffer from problems during this long use.

And the last pro is that reportedly, these tires are made with a special technology that made them rather safe and durable. Less prone to bursting or suffering damage. So, if you want something more durable, these Geo Touring tires are probably the ones that you want. But what about the cons of these tires? Let’s elaborate more on that in the following chapter.

Cons Of Getting Geo Touring Tires

Now let’s take a look at the cons of having this type of tire for your vehicle. What can you expect in terms of cons?

Well, when it comes to the cons, it is important to note that these are all-season tires. And as with other all-season tires, they have some issues.

Namely, they don’t perform particularly great in summer and winter compared to proper summer or winter tires.

So, this is rather expected considering that these are all seasons. But if you want an all-season tire you just have to deal with the drawbacks of these types of tires.

And the second con is that they are not cheap as some other brands. They are still Sumimotos and you can expect to pay a higher price tag for these Geo Touring tires. But what about the reviews? Let’s learn more about that next.

Sumimoto Tires Review

We found some reviews online on these Geo Touring tires. There were a lot of satisfied customers that reported that the tires performed really well and lasted for a really good time.

But there were some negative comments as well, claiming that these tires felt a bit on the cheaper side and that dealers installed them on the cars they planned on selling for a profit. And some of the owners reportedly agreed with this.

But most of the customers were happy about them. One of them said that they bought Kia Soul with these tires and have been daily driving these for two years with no particular issues whatsoever. More on that, you can read more in this link.

Overall, there are different opinions on each product out there. It is up to you to do your own research and do it well in order to get the best deal for your hard-earned dollar. Sometimes you even have to test a few products until you get the one that suits your car the best. Since everything is subjective. This is why we need to evaluate the information and make our own judgments.

Should You Balance Tires

Another question that a lot of car owners are asking themselves is whether or not to balance their tires. And the answer is always yes. You should definitely balance new tires once you are mounting them and pay the tire balancing cost.

Do this for your own safety because if you don’t balance, you risk your personal health. An unbalanced tire will not behave well and you could easily lose control of your vehicle. Not to mention that the tires will wear out prematurely and you will have to spend a ton of money on a new set of tires.

And this is a fairly simple process. The technician will only add some zinc weights on the rim and will balance the Geo Touring tires in a few minutes.

Geo Touring Tires: In Conclusion…

In this article, we have covered quite a bit when it comes to the Geo Touring tires. First, we learned what are car tires and the different types of car tires that exist out there. There are summer, winter, and all-season.

Then we covered the Geo Touring tires. We learned what these tires are and we covered some of the specs, their pros, and cons and we learned some reviews on these tires. And lastly, we covered a bit on the topic of tire balancing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Now let’s answer some frequently asked questions.

Are Sumimoto Good Tires

Yes, Sumimoto is one of the best tires that you can get. Sumimoto is a Japanese tire maker and unlike cheap tire brands, these are much better quality. Basically on the same level as most other more premium brands.

Who Make Geo Drive Tires

Geo Drive tires are made by Sumimoto. Sumimoto is a Japanese tire producer that has factories in Asia as well as in the US. They sell different types of tires that suit everybody’s needs. Including the Geo Drive tires which are their all-season tires.

Who Makes GeoTour Tires

GeoTour tires are made by the Japanese tire maker Sumimoto. The GeoTour is Sumimoto’s all-season tire that they sell. These tires are highly regarded for their longevity and have a 65,000-mile warranty on them. So, they are one of the best deals out there if you are asking me.

Are Sumimoto Tires Good Quality

Yes, Sumimoto tires are highly regarded by customers. This brand has a big legacy in the US market and a lot of happy customers. Their tires are far better in quality compared to budget tire brands. So, going for Sumimotos is a no-brainer decision.

Who Sells Sumimoto Tires

You can find Sumimoto tires online if you want to get a specific model. They are readily available on Amazon. Also, Walmart sells Sumimoto tires as well. There are a ton of places where you can get them, even some better-equipped tire shops have readily available Sumimoto tires.

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