Background:
The SU318 Radial H/T is Westlake Tires‘ all-season touring model, created for SUVs and CUVs. Westlake offers the tire in many popular sizes, ranging from 15-inch wheel diameter to 22-inch wheel diameter – which makes it perfect for most SUV’s and crossovers – even older models that trend towards smaller wheels.
The tire is available in a number of speed ratings – you shouldn’t have to worry much about this, though. When you purchase them, just be sure to select the right size tire for your wheel!
Purchase Considerations:
Perfomance
In terms of performance, this tire lives up to the Westlake name – in both a good & bad way. This is definitely a budget tire, which means it won’t match up to more premium name-brands like Firestone or Michelin… But at the same time, it punches above its price – it drives like a more expensive tire than it is.
This holds true on both wet & dry roads – it’ll outperform most other non-name-brand tires, like Patriot Tires, but it’ll be left in the dust by a model like the Michelin Pilot Sport PS4 while also making some minor compromises on safety & traction.
Traction On Dry Roads
This tire frankly impressed on dry roads. It really grabs when you put the petal down, but the tire protests more than I’d like when braking from high speeds.
Traction On Wet Roads
This is where the tire is truly only “Good Enough” and the budget side of the tire shines through. You’ll be fine on wet roads, but a little more caution when driving might be in order. These tires are meant to do the job well enough – and that’s more apparent than usual on slick roads.
The Verdict
The SU318 has some truly impressive features for a tire at this price point. The ride quality is very smooth, and highway speeds don’t make it noisy like they do for so many other budget tires. Also, the 50,000-mile treadwear warranty is excellent for the category – even comparable to some higher-cost options. It speaks good things about Westlake’s confidence in the tire.
We strongly recommend the SU318 Radial H/T to anyone who’s trying to save a little money on SUV tires. If you’d like to check how much it costs, click the buttons below to view this tire on Amazon and TireRack.