The Royal Black Explorer II is a budget summer tire with favorable early owner impressions and some praise for its price. Its sole independent test found long dry and wet braking distances, a sharp qualification to that positive owner picture.
Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tire - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated October 2026.
2025 Summer Tire Test Shootout P51 of 52
| Year | Test | Result | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2025 Summer Tire Test ShootoutAuto Bild · 225/40 R18 | P51 / 52 |
What owners say summarised from 5 reviews
Early owner impressions of the Royal Black Explorer II are favorable, with all five reviews positive and an average score of 93%. Three reviews describe initial use, and several give little detail, so the high scores do not establish consistent strengths across conditions. One owner finds dry and wet grip acceptable in normal driving but has not explored the handling limits. A single later-life account reports 28,000 miles with satisfaction, which is encouraging rather than a typical lifespan. One owner also describes a motorway-speed drone, but there is no repeated complaint or repeat-owner history showing how noise or grip changes with wear.
Owner ratings averaged from 5 ratings
Lasted for ages ... 28k miles literally traveling return trip of 110 miles a day over a year on all types of terrain and weather ( the back tires could easily go another year without replacing )
very happy in all conditions
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