Uniroyal RainSport 3

The Uniroyal RainSport 3 is a Ultra High Performance Summer tire designed to be fitted to Passenger Cars.

This tire replaced the Uniroyal RainSport 2 and this tire has been replaced by the Uniroyal RainSport 5.

Dry Grip 84%
Wet Grip 92%
Road Feedback 79%
Handling 78%
Wear 64%
Comfort 83%
Buy again 76%

Tire review data from 286 tire reviews averaging 80% over 2,120,529 miles driven.

The RainSport 3 is ranked 37th of 143 Summer Ultra High Performance tires.

Reports

Latest Tire Test Results

2020 Auto Bild Summer Tire Test - 16th of 20 tires

  • Positive - Low wear, low rolling resistance.
  • Negative - Understeer handling, slow steering in the wet.
  • Overall - Satisfactory.
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2020 Tire Market Overview Braking Test - 19th of 49 tires

View Full Test >>

2019 Summer 53 Tire Braking Shootout - 21st of 45 tires

View Full Test >>

2020 Tire Tests

  • 16th: 2020 Auto Bild Summer Tire Test (245/45 R18)
  • 19th: 2020 Tire Market Overview Braking Test (245/45 R18)

    • 2019 Tire Tests

  • 21st: 2019 Summer 53 Tire Braking Shootout (225/45 R17)

    • 2017 Tire Tests

  • 2nd: 2017 Mid Range Tire Test (205/55 R16)
  • 6th: 2017 Auto Bild Summer Tire Shootout (225/50 R17)
  • 10th: 2017 Auto Bild Summer Tire Test (225/50 R17)

    • 2016 Tire Tests

  • 4th: 2016 Market Overview - Braking Test (205/55 R16)
  • 9th: 2016 ADAC Tire Test - 225/45 R17 (225/45 R17)
  • 11th: 2016 AutoBild Summer Tire Test (205/55 R16)

    • 2015 Tire Tests

  • 5th: 2015 AMS Performance Tire Test (225/50 R17)

    • 2014 Tire Tests

  • 2nd: 2014 AMS Summer Tire Test - 205/55 R16 (205/55 R16)

    • SizeFuelWetNoise
    15 inch
    195/55 R 15 85 VCA71
    195/55 R 15 85 HCA71
    16 inch
    205/55 R 16 91 VCA71
    205/55 R 16 94 V XLCA72
    205/55 R 16 91 YCA71
    205/55 R 16 94 Y XLCA72
    205/55 R 16 91 HCA71
    17 inch
    215/55 R 17 94 VCA71
    225/45 R 17 91 VCA71
    225/50 R 17 94 VDA71
    215/55 R 17 94 YCA71
    225/50 R 17 98 V XLCA72
    225/45 R 17 94 Y XLCA72
    205/50 R 17 93 Y XLCA72
    225/45 R 17 94 V XLCA72
    225/50 R 17 98 Y XLCA72
    205/50 R 17 89 VDA71
    225/50 R 17 94 YDA71
    205/50 R 17 93 V XLCA72
    215/45 R 17 87 YDA71
    215/45 R 17 91 Y XLCA72
    18 inch
    225/40 R 18 92 Y XLCA72
    245/40 R 18 97 Y XLCA72
    255/35 R 18 94 Y XLCA73
    245/40 R 18 93 YDA71
    245/45 R 18 96 YDA71
    245/45 R 18 100 Y XLCA72
    19 inch
    235/35 R 19 91 Y XLDA72
    20 inch
    255/45 R 20 105 Y XLCA73
    View All Sizes and EU Label Scores for the Uniroyal RainSport 3 >>

    Questions and Answers for the Uniroyal RainSport 3

    2016-06-08 - is there a left & right on the uniroyal rainsport 3

    No there isn't. Unlike the Rainsport 2, the Rainsport 3 is an asymmetric tire, not directional tire. This means the tire has an "inside" and "outside" to be mounted on the wheel, but once mounted the wheel and tire can go on either side of the car.

    2016-06-15 - I have just had uniroyal rain sport 3 fitted on my car in replace of mitchellin tires, are uniroyal comparable to Mitchelin ???? I feel like I have been ripped off as asked and was quoted for Mitchelin tires

    The Uniroyal RainSport 3 is an excellent midrange tire. It should have a similar level of wet grip to a premium Michelin tire, however we would expect the Uniroyal to wear more quickly. This should have been offset by a cheaper purchase price.

    2018-07-19 - I need a set of tires for my 2010 FIAT Bravo 1.4 90HP, right now I'm using the Barum Bravuris 3HM I'm living in Greece in a mountainous area with lots of rain between the seasons, but I'm also covering long distances around Greece in motorways, After reading lots of reviews on your site, I decided that the perfect match for my car are the Uniroyal Rainsport 3. But the DONLOP Sport MAXX RT and the YOKOHAMA ADVAN FLEVA v701 have olsa grabbed my attention, I'm not sure which one to go with I would appreciate any advice form you between the three sets of tires I've mentioned above.

    The Uniroyal RainSport 3 will likely give you the best wet weather performance of the three, but will likely wear slightly quicker than the other two. If rain is the primary issue, I would suggest going with the Uniroyals.

    2018-12-17 - Are these suitable for a VW Tiguan 4x4

    As long as you can find the correct size and load rating, it is fine to fit the RainSport 3 to your Tiguan.

    2019-09-27 - How can assymetric tires be non-directional. They are correctly fitted inside/outside, but must disperse water differently. Uniroyal's website, insists they are non-directional, but their diagram for water dispersal shows water being driven into the centre of the tire. Check 3/4 down this page; https://www.uniroyal.co.uk/car/knowledge/tire-knowledge/how-to-fit-your-rainsport-3-tires An explanation would be welcome.

    I asked them this on the launch, and they told me the difference the direction makes to aquaplaning was almost nothing, so it didn't matter. I agree it looks odd, but then so does the Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta.

    2019-10-03 - Should I fit them or wait for the Rainsport 5?

    The Uniroyal Rainsport 5 is starting to appear in limited sizes, I've not had any official communication about it yet though.

    2020-03-04 - I am fitting continental premium contact 6 on front axle, are rainsport 3 ok for rear end. Thanks

    With a mixed CPC6 and RS3 fitment you might find the car feeling like it wants to oversteer more as the RS3 has a softer sidewall than the CPC6

    2024-03-11 - I own a Nissan Quashqai, my average milage is about 2500 per year, my question is which tire/s is best suited for long periods of standing before perishing, my current tires are Dunlop Sport XX and they have cracking around wall rim of the tires, treads has worn but will pass an MOT.

    I'm sorry, I've never seen any data relating to this. I would assume a high quality brand would last longer as they will have better chemicals in their compound to ensure stability and UV resistance.

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    YouTube Review

    Top 3 Uniroyal RainSport 3 Reviews
    Given 83% while driving a MINI Clubman (205/45 R17) on a combination of roads for 4,000 average miles
    Fitted these to my wifes Mini clubman S as I had previously had them fitted to my Audi RS4. They are an excellent tire for the money and few tires can match them in the wet. Road noise is also very good on them.

    Like all tires what works on one car doesn't necessarily mean it will work for all, but at the cost of these they are well worth going for. The rate of wear is a little high, but then its a soft compound that enables high grip levels and its this that leads to the wear rate.

    You could spend twice as much on a Michelin PSS or just buy 2 sets of these IF you find they wear out quickly. I still find it staggering that people put wear above grip. Frankly I'd rather know that when I take a corner in the wet or dry, or when I hit the brakes hard (in an emergency for instance) that my tires will not brake traction. These tires will out perform alot of higher priced tires, and will out perform alot of similarly priced tires that have lower wear rates.

    I will definitely buy these again.
    Helpful 207 - tire reviewed on May 22, 2016
    Given 84% while driving a Mercedes Benz C250 CDI Blutec (245/40 R17) on mostly motorways for 25,000 average miles
    Had original Yoka's on and felt dangerous on the motorway.... changed to the Uniroyal and hey presto all good. However I do have a very small vibration that I cant pin down, seems to get a bit better if I reballance every 12 months.
    Helpful 23 - tire reviewed on February 25, 2023
    Given 91% while driving a BMW 320i (205/55 R16) on a combination of roads for 10,000 average miles
    Bmw e46, changed new continental fronts to new unirojal 3 , the aquaplaning went away completly, i will buy them again. On kangoo maxi i have them also, extra load ones,very pleased with performance!
    Helpful 14 - tire reviewed on August 29, 2023
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    Latest Uniroyal RainSport 3 Reviews

    Given 96% while driving a Citroën C4 (205/55 R16) on a combination of roads for 8,000 miles
    Incredibly good tires however they wear out fairly quick but the grip compensates
    Helpful 6 - tire reviewed on January 28, 2024
    Given 76% while driving a Volkswagen Golf GTI Ed 30 (225/40 R18) on a combination of roads for 8,000 spirited miles
    Had them on a 365bhp MK5 VW Golf GTI and overall they were great for the price!
    Helpful 21 - tire reviewed on October 24, 2022
    What to know the BEST All Season Tires for 2024? Click to find out!
    Given 97% while driving a Mercedes Benz A180 1.6turbo 2013 (225/55 R18) on a combination of roads for 9,000 average miles
    They wear out pretty quick although the grip and Aqua planning really compensate for that! Amazing tires and very few can match them in wet
    Helpful 25 - tire reviewed on April 26, 2022
    Given 100% while driving a Ford Focus (225/55 R16) on a combination of roads for 14,200 average miles
    Brilliant in dry conditions and even better in wet! Really comfortable tires which make you feel safe regardless of the weather
    Helpful 22 - tire reviewed on December 28, 2021
    Given 40% while driving a Volkswagen Golf MK4 GTTDI 150 (205/55 R16) on track for 100 spirited miles
    Track Review - Snetterton 13/11/2021 - Wet / damp conditions This was my first ever trackday, I only have a pair of Runway tires to compare these two in my other set of rims so it's purely subjective. The tires were a bit worn with around 5 - 6mm in the centres and 3 - 5mm tread on the edges. I also had another pair on my 17" rims that I used on the rear in 205/45/17 size, they performed pretty much the same as the 16's in the wet when I used them but with a bit less feedback due to the stiffer sidewall. On the front in the wet these performed almost identical to the cheapo Runway tires. In the wet they would severely understeer but were easy enough to handle once you got used to them and learned to modulate brake and throttle inputs carefully. On the rear in the wet there wasn't enough feedback with either size tire to catch the rear end before it would snap out and spin the car around hence the low feedback rating. With a dry line on the drying track with lots of damp patched the Rainsport 3's felt really nice with good balance front and rear and lots of feedback, however my experience on the road is that even a bad tire isn't that bad in the dry so can't give lots of points there especially as I didn't use the Runways in these conditions (I'd spun out earlier hitting a curb and damaged the inner sidewall on one so it wouldn't hold air). Overall I would say these are a very mediocre track tire despite people on forums saying they work well as a wet / intermediate tire. They are good in the wet on the road but under full speed track conditions they certainly don't seem any better than anything else. In all fairness I was keeping up with cars that should have been faster around the corners but until I get to try some other rubber I can't recommend these for track use over anything else.
    Helpful 23 - tire reviewed on November 13, 2021
    Given 67% while driving a Volkswagen Golf 1.9 Tdi (205/45 R17) on mostly country roads for 4,000 spirited miles
    Second review of these tires on my MK4 Golf but this time they are low profile 17" versions as oppose to the 16" ones on my other wheels. I only ran these on the rear as the cheapo tires on the other pair of wheels are really good on the front so far and the ones on the 16's lacked a bit in the dry. Anyway the low profile Rainsport 3's are always planted in all conditions on the rear, plenty of feel, on the road I can't fault their performance with either the stock worn suspension or with my new uprated springs, dampers and brakes. I never tested on the track but on the road they are great on the back. I wouldn't try them on the front, as they are wearing faster on the back than the front tires even with my 200 bhp remap! I've swapped them from left to right once and both sides have considerably less treat on the outside edge than the rest of the tires which are on about 5mm, these will be bald in another 4000 miles with another swap round in between. I have yet to do a trackday with the car but I'd say these tires would be ready to throw away after a handful of dry laps. Also like the 16" tires these have cracks in the treads and there are little splits on both sidewalls. I've only curbed the front tires yet they are fine. I won't buy the rainsport 3's again but I'm impressed enough that I might try a pair of the newer rainsport 5's. I'll most likely stick the 16" wheels back on with the full set of these over winter for better grip in bad weather and maybe get a trackday in and do a third review. The lower profile definitely makes a difference as the others were moving around on both back and front in the wet and dry where I'm cornering as fast as with any other car and tire setup I've had on the lower profiles with precision. They were excellent on the rear even with old worn suspension.
    Helpful 30 - tire reviewed on October 27, 2021
    Given 83% while driving a Mercedes Benz CLK 270 CDI (225/45 R17) on mostly country roads for 18,500 spirited miles
    Good dry grip , great wet grip . Sidewalls are a bit too soft so the feedback is a bit distorted .They do wear out quicker than other brands , but offer impressive grip so its a good trade off. I would recommend especially if you get a lot of rain where you live .
    Helpful 21 - tire reviewed on October 27, 2021
    Given 97% while driving a Vauxhall INSIGNIA 1.8 PETROL (225/55 R16) on a combination of roads for 399 spirited miles
    My car failed MOT on front tires so I decided to change all 4. The garage recommended these uniroyal rain sport 3 and told me these are pretty decent and popular tires. I’ve only had mine for 3 months but I’m highly impressed with these tires and how they perform, especially in wet! Not much else to say really, hope they last long and for sure I’ll buy them again
    Helpful 28 - tire reviewed on October 10, 2021
    Given 97% while driving a BMW 1 series 2.0l Diesel (205/55 R16) on a combination of roads for 400 easy going miles
    Very good and comfortable tires. I’ve had 2 sets now and I’m keeping to these. Great value for money
    Helpful 28 - tire reviewed on October 5, 2021
    Given 94% while driving a Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 S (185/45 R14) on mostly motorways for 0 average miles
    I will definitely buy them again! Had mine fitted and lasted me 15k miles, incredibly good on wet and such a comfortable ride compared to some others! It feels safe to drive on any road conditions and it’s definitely worth the price their in
    Helpful 27 - tire reviewed on October 4, 2021
    Given 94% while driving a Ford 05 Mondeo 185 (modded) diesel (225/45 R17) on a combination of roads for 0 average miles
    Had them fitted in my Mondeo mk4 and vw polo. They’re incredibly good on wet and muddy surfaces also grip very well on dry. Can’t complain about the noise or fuel efficiency they’re are all round good tires that last long. I would very highly recommend! Personally I think those tires are one of the best on the market
    Helpful 27 - tire reviewed on October 2, 2021
    Given 75% while driving a Volkswagen Golf MK4 GTTDI 150 (205/55 R16) on mostly country roads for 200 spirited miles
    I just bought the Golf and the deal was I had to supply my own wheels so I picked up a cheap set of 16's with a full set of Rainsport 3's with about 5mm tread across the board. Not bad for £130 but I had heard these tires are no good in the dry. Anyhow after servicing the car (oil and filters), I set about putting it through it's paces on my favorite country roads and I purposefully did a couple of fast drives in pouring rain to try it properly. In the wet these tires seem pretty capable in terms of laying the power down, general handling and resistance to aquaplane as I drover through the deepest puddles I could find at speed without too much drama. Of course there is some understeer but considering the cars power and it's front wheel drive that is to be expected under acceleration. In the dry especially when it's really warm they don't appear to have much more grip than in the wet, I'm not sure if the understeer is really bad (it's not that bad, I was driving like a peanut) because of the tires or the car, as I have not had any experience of any Golfs newer than my old Mk2 GTi I don't know. It is pretty heavy for it's size and the suspension after 187000 miles is pretty tired I'd imagine. Also the rear slides fairly, with a flick of the steering you can easily kick the rear out which is not normally that easy on a front drive car. Anyway once you adjust your corner entries and throttle applications to account for the slides it is all pretty progressive and consistent so you can pretty much corner as hard as anything else as long as nothing is coming the other way just in case you get it wrong. I can't give any details on wear as they aren't showing any signs yet, they are ok on the brakes as far as I can tell. The brakes on the Golf are in need of replacement I think as I had to stop and let them cool after losing them doing a couple of laps on my favorite road, they aren't sharp enough to lock the wheels or make the ABS work so I'll sort them with discs, pads and new fluid at some point. Only other thing is the there are cracks in the tread. I also have a set of 17's to try which came with a pair of these so will see if the bigger wheel size makes any difference. Eventually I'm looking to trackday this car so will have the 16's as my wet / winter set and the 17's as my summer / dry set. A lot of work to do and a long way to go yet though.
    Helpful 16 - tire reviewed on May 16, 2021