Given
77%
while driving a
Hyundai Tucson
(225/45 R17) on
a combination of roads
for 8,500
average miles
The Uniroyal Rallye 4x4 Street tires replaced a set of terrible (I would say dangerous) Hifly HF 201 tires that the previous owner had fitted just prior to me getting the car.
I've been using Uniroyals (original Rainsport, Rainsport 2 and Rainexpert) on various vehicles for a number of year now and have always been pleased with their performance particularly in the wet. I live and work in North Wales, so a tire that can confidently handle wet roads is a no brainer and the Rallye 4x4 street excels in this area with dry grip performance not far behind. What has suprised me is the tires ability in winter conditions - not bad considering it's not really a winter tire. Road noise is very low but, in common with most tires, I expect it to increase as the tread wears. Add to this the reasonable cost of these tires at 72GBP a corner and they start to make real sense as a smart buy.
I'm no boy racer (been there, done that, got the t-shirt), but I still like to throw the car around when road condition permit and this tire allows a bit of fun with a reduced risk ending up sideways or in a ditch. A more spirited driver may disagree but for an experienced fifty something driver like me these tires are more than adequate.
Of course there are some downsides. The side walls are very soft (like most Uniroyal tires I've used) resulting in reduced feedback and a general soft spongy ride, increasing the inflation pressure by 3-4 psi improves things considerably - just make sure you don't exceed uniroyal's maximum specified pressure.
The good wet grip performance of this tire is in part the result of using a fairly soft rubber compound on the tread area (again like most Uniroyal tires I've used). This will inevitably mean a shorter life than some other tires. Personally I'm happy to accept this as a trade off for good wet/dry grip. After all, that's what tires are supposed to do.