October 18, 2002
While sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks are in the fastest growing segment of today’s vehicle market, their current popularity appears to have more to do with their sporty image than the driver’s need for their rugged utility. For example, it’s far more common to see a SUV commuting to work or transporting the kids than tackling off-road trails. In many cases, drivers select SUVs primarily because they provide the people capacity of station wagons or because they need a four-wheel drive winter vehicle in the Snowbelt.
Because of this, tire manufacturers have developed lines of tires that combine the size, strength and sidewall styling of light truck tires with the lower noise, smoother ride and longer wear associated with passenger car tires. These premium Highway Al-Season light truck tires have been designed to complement the way most Americans drive their sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks - on the road.
In order to get a better understanding of the capabilities provided by these premium Highway All-Season tires, Tire Rack Team conducted a Real World Road Ride comparing Bridgestone Dueler H/L, Goodyear Fortera HL Edition and Michelin Cross Terrain SUV tires. We used the 245/70R16 size mounted on 16"x8.0" wheels and fitted to three 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs.
While we normally discover noticeably different "personality traits" in the tires we test, the lesson we learned in this case was that all of the tires performed similarly. During their road rides in the Jeep Grand Cherokees, our team confirmed that all three of these tire manufacturers had hit their marks by combining the light truck look through the tire’s sidewall styling with close to passenger tire comfort from the tread design. We could only distinguish very subtle differences between the ride comfort, noise level and light handling.
The Dueler H/L’s UNI-T AQ technology combines Bridgestone’s UNI-T technology with their Extended Performance Optimization (EPO). This features a dual layer tread compound that resists the normal tread rubber hardening that can result from the heat of friction encountered during thousands of miles of use. As the tire wears, the special underlying high-grip rubber is exposed, helping offset the effects of wear on wet surface braking and wet handling. The ultimate result is that UNI-T AQ keeps wet performance up as the tread wears down. The dual layer tread compound is molded into a tread design that combines a continuous center rib flanked by independent shoulder and intermediate rib tread blocks. Internally, the Dueler H/L features twin steel belts reinforced by spiral wrapped nylon to help the tire maintain its original shape while enhancing tire uniformity.
On the road, the Dueler H/L with UNI-T AQ was recognized for its real word handling while providing noise and ride qualities appropriate for its category and competitive with the other two tires in the test.
The Fortera HL features a long-wearing tread compound molded into a tread design that enhances traction and ride comfort while reducing noise levels. Staggered circumferential grooves and curvilinear sipes and grooves are integrated into the tread design to provide the biting edges that enhance year round traction, even in light snow. The tire’s shoulder design and sidewall appearance offer rugged good looks to complement the vehicle’s image. Internally, the Fortera HL uses a computer optimized tire shape to reduce footprint sensitivity to load and provide an excellent balance of performance properties for lightly loaded to fully loaded sport utility vehicles (when properly inflated and within the vehicle’s approved load limits). Its twin steel belts and two ply polyester cord body helps provide predictable handling while enhancing ride comfort.
On the road, the Fortera HL Edition provided ride comfort, noise level and real world handling appropriate for its category and competitive with the other two tires in the test.
The Michelin Cross Terrain SUV features a silica-enhanced tread compound molded into a tread design optimized for car-like ride comfort and responsiveness in dry, wet and wintry conditions. The tire’s sidewall offers rugged good looks to complement the vehicle’s image while its continuous shoulder tread ribs maximize wear qualities while minimizing noise levels. Full depth, interlocking zigzag sipes are integrated into the tread design to provide the extra biting edges that enhance year round traction and driving confidence in light snow. Internally, the Cross Terrain SUV features twin steel belts, a two ply polyester cord body and Michelin’s Bead Tension Structure to increase ride comfort and provide predictable handling.
On the road, the Cross Terrain SUV was recognized for its low noise level while providing ride comfort and handling appropriate for its category and competitive with the other two tires in the test.
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