This is the only tire I removed and replaced when they were hardly worn: the handling is downright dangerous in even the lightest snow, and in rain: the car simply did not know which end was the front. I replaced them with Michelin Cross Season 2s, where have been superb for the past 30,000 miles.
The P Zeros are utterly unsuited to this vehicle.
SUV and 4x4 Summer High Performance Tires
All SUV and 4x4 Summer High Performance Tires on Tire Reviews, ranked. The 41 tires in this category are scored using 1 independent tire tests and 232 owner reviews covering 13,457,058 miles of driving.
- 41tires in this category
- 1professional tests
- 232owner reviews
- 13,457,058 milescovered on them
The quick answer
| Pick | Tire | The evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall | General Grabber UHP 8.3 | TR Score 8.3 / 10 limited data so far |
| Owners' favorite | Altenzo Navigator 7.7 | 94% from 5 owner reviews |
| Latest test winner | Continental Cross Contact UHP 6.5 | 2010 Auto Zeitung 4x4 Tire Test |
| Best budget brand | Altenzo Navigator 7.7 | TR Score 7.7 / 10 best of the Economy brands |
Best overall is the highest TR Score in the category; the owners' favorite is the highest rated by the drivers who run them. The full rankings and the evidence behind every pick are below.
The best SUV and 4x4 Summer High Performance Tires, ranked
The highest scoring tire in the category is the General Grabber UHP, with a TR Score of 8.3 out of 10. 16 of the 41 tires here have earned a score; the rest are listed further down.
| # | Tire | TR Score | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
General Grabber UHP
|
8.3 | 84% | 19 | 607,810 miles |
| 2 |
Avon Ranger
|
8.1 | 85% | 16 | 178,100 miles |
| 3 |
General Grabber GT
|
8 | 82% | 19 | 263,211 miles |
| 4 |
Maxxis Marauder II MAS2
|
7.8 | 83% | 8 | 69,160 miles |
| 5 |
Altenzo Navigator
|
7.7 | 94% | 5 | 37,030 miles |
| 6 |
Michelin 4x4 Diamaris
|
7.6 | 82% | 6 | 154,500 miles |
| 7 |
Lassa Competus HP
|
7.5 | 73% | 5 | 80,600 miles |
| 8 |
Hankook Ventus ST
|
7.4 | 87% | 23 | 10,629,390 miles |
| 9 |
Zeetex HP1000
|
7.1 | 74% | 12 | 178,030 miles |
| 10 |
Event Semita SUV
|
7.1 | 70% | 6 | 70,091 miles |
| 11 |
Nexen N Fera RU1
|
6.7 | 75% | 27 | 198,915 miles |
| 12 |
Michelin Latitude Sport
Replaced by Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
|
6.6 | 75% | 11 | 197,083 miles |
| 13 |
Roadstone Roadian HP
|
6.3 | 51% | 8 | 34,000 miles |
| 14 |
Zeta Azura
|
6.1 | 64% | 12 | 86,800 miles |
| 15 |
Pirelli Scorpion Zero
|
5.8 | 63% | 19 | 310,988 miles |
| 16 |
Lexani LX Thirty
|
3.4 | 66% | 2 | - |
TR Score rates each tire out of 10 using independent test results and the full body of owner reviews, weighted by how much evidence backs them. Tires are only scored once enough data exists; discontinued tires are not ranked but remain in the complete record below.
Want to see the data behind the top picks? Best Summer Tires →
What is a High Performance tire?
High Performance tires sit between the sporty and touring worlds: more grip and steering precision than a touring tire, more comfort and life than an ultra high performance one. A common fitment on warm hatches and quicker family cars.
Summer tires use compounds that work best in warm conditions, giving the strongest wet and dry grip of any season category when temperatures are mild or hot. Their performance falls away in the cold, which is where winter and all season tires take over.
Professional tests of SUV and 4x4 Summer High Performance Tires
Every published comparison test of this category we have indexed - 1 in total, newest first. Test results feed directly into the TR Scores above.
| Year | Test | Size tested | Winner | Tires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2010 Auto Zeitung 4x4 Tire Test | 255/55 r18 | Continental Cross Contact UHP | 8 |
Winners are only named where a test crowned a single overall winner. Tests that rank tires within groups, or test too small a field to compare brands, still count as evidence but name no winner here.
The SUV and 4x4 Summer High Performance Tires owners rate highest
Rated purely by the people who drive on them, the top tire in the category is the Altenzo Navigator - 94% from 5 owner reviews. 22 tires have enough reviews to qualify; this is the same ranking behind the category position shown on each tire's own page.
| # | Tire | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed | TR Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Altenzo Navigator
|
94% | 5 | 37,030 miles | 7.7 |
| 2 |
Hankook Ventus ST
|
87% | 23 | 10,629,390 miles | 7.4 |
| 3 |
Momo A Lusion M9
|
86% | 3 | 28,000 miles | - |
| 4 |
Avon Ranger
|
85% | 16 | 178,100 miles | 8.1 |
| 5 |
General Grabber UHP
|
84% | 19 | 607,810 miles | 8.3 |
| 6 |
Maxxis Marauder II MAS2
|
83% | 8 | 69,160 miles | 7.8 |
| 7 |
Michelin 4x4 Diamaris
|
82% | 6 | 154,500 miles | 7.6 |
| 8 |
General Grabber GT
|
82% | 19 | 263,211 miles | 8 |
| 9 |
Nankang SP7
|
81% | 3 | 20,050 miles | - |
| 10 |
Michelin Latitude Sport
Replaced by Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
|
75% | 11 | 197,083 miles | 6.6 |
| 11 |
Nexen N Fera RU1
|
75% | 27 | 198,915 miles | 6.7 |
| 12 |
Zeetex HP1000
|
74% | 12 | 178,030 miles | 7.1 |
| 13 |
Lassa Competus HP
|
73% | 5 | 80,600 miles | 7.5 |
| 14 |
Michelin Diamaris
|
72% | 3 | 81,000 miles | - |
| 15 |
Event Semita SUV
|
70% | 6 | 70,091 miles | 7.1 |
| 16 |
Lassa Competus HP2
|
66% | 4 | 84,000 miles | - |
| 17 |
Kumho Ecsta STX KL12
|
65% | 3 | 28,000 miles | - |
| 18 |
Zeta Azura
|
64% | 12 | 86,800 miles | 6.1 |
| 19 |
Pirelli Scorpion Zero
|
63% | 19 | 310,988 miles | 5.8 |
| 20 |
Jinyu CrossPro YS82
|
60% | 3 | 9,010 miles | - |
| 21 |
Roadstone Roadian HP
|
51% | 8 | 34,000 miles | 6.3 |
| 22 |
Landsail D8
|
40% | 3 | 21,000 miles | - |
A tire needs at least 3 owner reviews to appear here. Owner ratings reward different things to tests - comfort, wear and value show up over thousands of miles, not on a test track.
What drivers say about SUV and 4x4 Summer High Performance Tires
The most recent owner reviews from this category, in their own words.
Quiet comfortable tires , long lasting. I dont think hankook makes them anymore , which is a shame
Nice tires, driven mostly on a motorway, quiet on a high speed. All are great except handling in the curves, here you can feel that side wall is not designed for heavy SUV
The first couple of years the tires were wonderful. Low noise, good traction, comfortable ride. After 5 years and 50.000km I hit a bad pothole and had a blowout 5 minutes later. Not fault of the tire, the pothole was just atrocious. I replaced them with Laufenn G Fit 2 and the 5 year old Grabber GT were just better than the brand new Laufenn.
These tires serve as my daily drivers on a Mazda CX-30, replacing the factory Toyo Proxes R56. The tread compound is vastly more durable and delivers significantly better grip, which is particularly noticeable on cold, wet mornings. Performance-wise, the rear-end slip that the Toyos used to suffer from when accelerating out of a dead stop into a corner is completely gone. On top of that, they inspire much more confidence and a greater sense of safety under sudden, hard braking.
I feel very bump on the road, always need keeping driwing wheel. These tires are for perfect road.
I have a Volvo XC40 PHEV; these tires didn't last at all. There are no mechanical imperfections in the car. Indeed, I did not rotate those, but once I wanted to do it they were totally worn out. This is the second time this has happened with these Pirelli tires, I won't try again.
actually my review is for Nankang SP-9, but since it was not available yet in the options, this review is posted in the SP-7 corner. I have this tire for 5 years ( wow ) ..about 75,000 km .....now its Oct 2025 , will be replacing this tire with the same nankang sp-9 ....safety is outmost concern and this tire delivered when it was needed the most. Ran it for 10km with its side walls ripped apart ( i only saw this when i got home , but felt something was off when i was driving ) due to old age and reach home safely.
priced as it is (3 times cheaper than Continental and Michelin) it performs slightly worse but quite acceptable for the money
SUV and 4x4 Summer High Performance Tires EU label data
20 of the 41 tires in this category carry EU label data. These are the category's label headliners, using each tire's best available size figures.
A Best wet grip
5 tires reach EU wet grip class A. The highest scoring:
A Lowest rolling resistance
The most fuel efficient choice: 1 tires reach rolling resistance class A. The highest scoring:
- Nexen N Fera RU1 6.7
67dB Quietest tires
The quietest tires in this category are labelled from 67 dB external noise:
- Zeetex HP1000 7.1
- Nexen N Fera RU1 6.7
Label values come from the EU EPREL database and vary by size - the figures here are each tire's best declared size. Wet grip and rolling resistance run from class A (best) to E; noise is the measured drive-by figure. A good label is a floor, not a verdict: the tests and rankings above tell you far more.
All SUV and 4x4 Summer High Performance Tires on Tire Reviews
The complete record, including discontinued tires and tires with too little evidence to rank, ordered by the amount of evidence. The most researched this month: General Grabber UHP, Zeetex HP1000, Nexen N Fera RU1.
| Tire | TR Score | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nexen N Fera RU1 | 6.7 | 75% | 27 | 198,915 miles |
| Hankook Ventus ST | 7.4 | 87% | 23 | 10,629,390 miles |
| General Grabber UHP | 8.3 | 84% | 19 | 607,810 miles |
| General Grabber GT | 8 | 82% | 19 | 263,211 miles |
| Pirelli Scorpion Zero | 5.8 | 63% | 19 | 310,988 miles |
| Avon Ranger | 8.1 | 85% | 16 | 178,100 miles |
| Zeetex HP1000 | 7.1 | 74% | 12 | 178,030 miles |
| Zeta Azura | 6.1 | 64% | 12 | 86,800 miles |
| Michelin Latitude Sport Replaced by Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV | 6.6 | 75% | 11 | 197,083 miles |
| Maxxis Marauder II MAS2 | 7.8 | 83% | 8 | 69,160 miles |
| Roadstone Roadian HP | 6.3 | 51% | 8 | 34,000 miles |
| Michelin 4x4 Diamaris | 7.6 | 82% | 6 | 154,500 miles |
| Event Semita SUV | 7.1 | 70% | 6 | 70,091 miles |
| Altenzo Navigator | 7.7 | 94% | 5 | 37,030 miles |
| Lassa Competus HP | 7.5 | 73% | 5 | 80,600 miles |
| Lassa Competus HP2 | - | 66% | 4 | 84,000 miles |
| Kumho Ecsta STX KL12 | - | 65% | 3 | 28,000 miles |
| Michelin Diamaris | - | 72% | 3 | 81,000 miles |
| Nankang SP7 | - | 81% | 3 | 20,050 miles |
| Landsail D8 | - | 40% | 3 | 21,000 miles |
| Momo A Lusion M9 Discontinued | - | 86% | 3 | 28,000 miles |
| Jinyu CrossPro YS82 | - | 60% | 3 | 9,010 miles |
| Lexani LX Thirty | 3.4 | 66% | 2 | - |
| Kumho Ecsta X3 KL17 ASYMMETRIC Replaced by Kumho Crugen HP91 | - | 74% | 2 | 150 miles |
| Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico | - | 93% | 2 | 5,040 miles |
| Sailun Atrezzo Zsr2 Suv | - | 80% | 2 | 30,000 miles |
| BFGoodrich gForce TA KD | - | 70% | 1 | 10,000 miles |
| Avon Ranger Sport | - | 86% | 1 | 20,000 miles |
| Sava intensa suv | - | 75% | 1 | 600 miles |
| Yokohama PARADA Spec X | - | 89% | 1 | 4,000 miles |
| BFGoodrich Macadam TA | - | 84% | 1 | 20,000 miles |
| Gripmax Stature HT | - | 95% | 1 | 500 miles |
9 more tires in this category have no reviews yet
Altenzo Sports Navigator, Altenzo Sports Navigator II, Evergreen DynaControl ES5880, Marshal Matrac X3 KL17, Michelin Pilot LTX, Sumitomo HTR Sport HP, Syron Cross 1, Uniroyal RainExpert SUV, Zenises Z UP SUV
Run SUV and 4x4 Summer High Performance Tires?
Review your tires and help the next driver choose. It takes about five minutes, and every rating on this page came from a driver who took them.
Where this data comes from
Rankings combine independent test results with owner reviews submitted through this site, each naming the car, the tire, the size and the distance covered. Reviews are checked by hand before publication, and the page rebuilds automatically as new evidence arrives.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 using independent test results and the full body of owner reviews, weighted by how much evidence backs them.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.