The all-season touring category is one of the biggest segments of the tire market, and Patriot claims a piece of that pie with the Patriot RB-1. It’s meant for mid-sized city cars and claims to offer a blend of performance and reliability at an affordable price point. The American tiremakers claim to have used state-of-the-art equipment and the latest technologies to design and manufacture the Patriot RB-1.
In this review, we’ll see if those on-paper promises translate to decent performance in challenging real-world scenarios. Let’s dive in!
On-Road Performance
You wouldn’t normally expect any sporty elements in a tire like the Patriot RB-1 due to its humble price tag. However, you’d be surprised with its handling, steering response, and cornering capabilities on dry roads.
The tire comes in various sizes and we found the larger ones to be slightly more stable, but they’re all grippy enough on dry tarmac. It’s outperformed by most higher-priced premium alternatives, but not by other budget tires in the all-season touring category. Overall, you’ll be satisfied with how the tire performs for its price bracket.
With that said, the RB-1 isn’t a track tire and doesn’t belong on any car with tons of horsepower. As long as you use it for regular daily driving (or an occasional Honda Civic thrill ride) — you’ll be more than happy with it.
Wet Performance
The Patriot RB-1 takes on rain quite well, too. It has decent hydroplaning resistance thanks to its wide circumferential grooves that keep the water out even as you cruise through puddles. The tread asymmetric pattern is designed to help improve traction and handling in wet conditions.
You won’t have any slippage issues while braking, cornering, and accelerating in the rain with the Patriot RB-1 — unless you drive like a manic, of course. It’s quite impressive to see decent overall wet performance from a budget category all-season tourer.
Winter Performance
Like every all-season tire, the RB-1 has some level of winter performance packed into it. It’s no winter tire, but it can handle light snow pretty well. There’s enough traction to get you across the city as long as the weather doesn’t get too extreme where you live.
However, the Patriot RB-1 isn’t ideal for icy roads or thick layers of snow. Even the new and improved RB-1 Plus falters in those conditions, so it’s best to go with some dedicated winter tires if you live in northern areas.
Ride Quality
Being one of the higher-end touring tires from Patriot, the ride quality feels sufficiently plush and quiet. There might be some slight road noise at high speeds, but it’s nothing your passengers would complain about. For its price, the RB-1 is pretty comfortable to drive on the highway and within the city.
Conclusion
So, is the Patriot RB-1 the right tire for you? Like all other purchase decisions, this one depends on your needs and preferences. This touring tire packs everything you need in a daily driving tire at an affordable rate, but it won’t be as reliable on the snow. So if you’re looking for a reliable budget tire and don’t get extreme winters where you live, the RB-1 could be the correct choice!