Although I bought the Linglong Master series tires after reading the reviews on tirereview, I initially felt good and posted a brief comment. However, my English is not good, and I mistakenly wrote the mileage; I thought it was asking for my car's total mileage, but it was actually about how many kilometers this tire has traveled. I will delete the previous brief comment and upload more photos to explain in detail. More importantly, I bought the second generation of the Linglong Master series - SPORTMASTER 2, and the tread pattern is completely different from the first generation, so I think it is necessary to repost the review. I uploaded comparison pictures of the tread patterns of the first and second generations. So far, I have driven about 600 kilometers after changing the tires.
Previously, I used the Wanli SP166EV tires, which were too slippery in the rain (this tire is the second generation of WANLI SP022 but has worse grip than SP022... However, the good news for you in Europe is that this tire is not sold in Europe), so after seeing the reviews on tirereview, I noticed that the Linglong Sportmaster had a very short stopping distance on wet surfaces, so I went to the Linglong store in my city to try two tires. Both tires come with tire insurance (which can be seen on WeChat), and if there is a bulge or impact in the first year, they can be replaced for free. I don't know if you have this kind of service in Europe. After changing the front tires, I immediately felt the difference; the handling and braking confidence were much stronger. However, the day I changed the tires was hot and sunny, so I didn't immediately feel the wet handling. Later, I tested it in the rain, and the wet handling was indeed strong; previously, I was too scared to step on the throttle with the Wanli SP166 because it was so slippery. Later, I specifically went to test its lateral grip on continuous curves, and it was quite good.
The comfort level is very good, with good shock absorption and low noise, meeting the EU label and the Chinese tire label's performance of 69db. Also, because the shock absorption is good, it filters out the feedback from the road surface, so I don't feel the small bumps and undulations of the road; therefore, I only rated the road feedback 5 points.
As for wear, I initially rated it 5 points, but I have my doubts. Various reviews say that the Sportmaster is not durable, including the tirereview test, but will the second generation improve? The treadwear of the second generation Sportmaster is 400, while the previous generation was 360, and I measured the tire groove depth to be 8mm, which is the same as a new tire. I will run 20,000 kilometers and see how much depth is left and whether the grip will decline. Linglong's Green-Max series is known for its durability, which is why it is widely used in the taxi and ride-hailing sectors. Now the Sportmaster series is surprisingly less durable than the Michelin PS5? I have my doubts, so I will try it myself. Just to clarify, I am in Guangdong Province, China, and the roads I usually drive on are mostly asphalt with some concrete roads (see one of the pictures I uploaded).
As for the price, I bought one at a physical store for 630 RMB, equivalent to 80.64 euros, which is considered relatively expensive for tires in China. However, the Michelin PS5 (Michelin Pilot Sport 5) in my 235/50/R18 size is discounted to 857 RMB, equivalent to 109 euros.
The biggest drawback is that it consumes more electricity. For my BYD Yuan Plus (known as BYD ATTO3 in Europe), the range decreases significantly, but electricity is very cheap in China, so it is still acceptable. After all, the handling and wet grip have improved, and I only need to change two tires on the drive wheels, not all four.
That's all for now. Thanks again to tirereview for the review that helped me understand this tire. I was curious to try it out, and it also supports domestic brands. The Linglong brand was not considered good in China before; it was mostly used for ride-hailing, but this time their engineers really put effort into making a good product and dared to present it for European testing (although you tested the first generation, haha).
