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Last updated 7/19/2024 - Originally published 7/19/2024
Written by SimpleTire
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All-season tires are designed to perform year-round and specifically excel in dry, wet, and winter weather conditions. Indeed they are the most common ones used on the road today. Continental and Kumho tire brands always stay ahead of the curve by embracing innovation, adapting to ever-changing market demands, and collaborating with external partners.
Known for their innovative approach towards delivering outstanding performance, impeccable quality, and unmatched durability. The same is visible in the Continental TrueContact Tour and the Kumho Solus TA51a. Both of these tires are meant for use on passenger vehicles. While both tires offer great performance, one has to be better than the other, right? Let’s compare Continental TrueContact Tour vs Kumho Solus TA51a tires using SimpleScore to show where each tire excels and which one might be right for you.
All-season tires provide consistent traction and perform in dry, wet, and light winter weather conditions, which makes them an excellent choice for most of the passenger's vehicles. The Continental TrueContact Tour delivers year-round traction and improved fuel efficiency plus an up to 80,000 mile limited tread life warranty. With unmatched features like all-season tread, white wall, or black sidewall options it is built with EcoPlus Technology that reduces rolling resistance to improve fuel efficiency. Additionally, it is backed by Continental's Total Confidence Plan which includes Road Hazard, Limited Warranty, Customer Satisfaction Trial, Flat Tire Roadside Assistance, and Mileage Warranty (restrictions and limitations apply).
All these features help this tire with a great average SimpleScore of 8.9, which includes 8.6 for handling, an exceptional 9.5 for longevity, and an excellent 8.7 for traction.
If you are looking for an alternate tire brand that is equally efficient in gripping the roads and delivering great performance all year round, look at the Kumho Solus TA51A, which is an all-season tire that's designed for use on coupes, sedans, CUVs, and SUVs and offers drivers strong traction in dry, wet, and winter weather plus a 75,000 mile limited warranty. Equipped with circumferential grooves to help resist hydroplaning and a combination of 3D chamfered tread blocks and 3D interlocking sipes that work together to boost traction in wet or wintry conditions.
This tire delivers improved handling at a SimpleScore of 8.6, increased traction is seen at the SimpleScore of 8.6, and longevity score goes to 9.3 making an average SimpleScore of 8.7 making it a great all-season tire.
Traction plays a crucial role in tire performance, especially for all-season tires. These tires are specifically engineered to offer grip in diverse weather conditions. Their goal is to find a harmonious balance between performance on dry roads, wet surfaces, and even light snowy terrain.
Comparing the above two based on traction, you will see that the Continental TrueContact Tour is designed with symmetrical tread along with wide grooves that funnel water out of the tread to reduce the risk of hydroplaning on wet roads, and the TrueContact Tour features dense siping that bites into the road for extra grip year-round. This has helped this tire to reach an average traction SimpleScore of 8.7 which is exceptionally great when it comes to performance.
The Kumho Solus TA51a, on the other hand, has a score of 8.6 out of 10 in traction. This is thanks to a special symmetrical tread design that enhances grip and four wide circumferential grooves maximize water drainage to resist hydroplaning. You get considerate traction with this tire and can depend on it for your all-season great traction performance.
When it comes to all-season traction, the Continental TrueContact Tour has a little edge over the Kumho Solus TA51a.
ADVANTAGE: Continental TrueContact Tour
All-season tires are crafted to offer a blend of performance across diverse weather conditions. These versatile tires cater to dry roads, wet surfaces, and even light snow. Their enhanced handling capabilities come from a combination of factors, including the intricate tread pattern and the overall tire design.
The Continental TrueContact Tour sports a solid 8.6 SimpleScore for handling, which is largely driven by the tire’s EcoPlus Technology, which also provides excellent grip on wet roads and can help to improve fuel efficiency so that drivers save at the pumps, allowing it to be more durable and improving its handling.
On the flip side, the Kumho Solus TA51a is at par with the Continental TrueContact Tour for handling as the tire comes in with a SimpleScore of 8.6. Featuring an innovative design that is a combination of multi-functionalized polymers in the tread compound and high-dispersion silica that allow for consistent year-round use for a quiet, comfortable ride, plus an optimized footprint that allows for even wear to extend the tire's tread life.
ADVANTAGE: Tie
The longevity aspect is equally important to traction and handling when purchasing a tire. The longevity of a tire depends on several factors, including the quality of the tire, driving habits, road conditions, and maintenance. Based on SimpleScore, this was the biggest gap between the two tires.
Starting with the Continental TrueContact Tour, the tire offers an exceptional SimpleScore of 9.5 out of 10 on the longevity front. The tire’s tough, rugged rubber compound and reinforced construction work together to increase handling which allows for a longer tread life. Outside of that, the tire’s optimized design and tied shoulders put more rubber on the road which prevents irregular wear by evenly distributing road forces (in addition to boosting handling). You also get QuickView Indicators that visually tell a driver when the tire is no longer optimized to perform on dry, wet, or snowy roads.
Conversely, the Solus TA51a’s 9.3 SimpleScore in longevity shows that it lags behind a little bit. The Kumho Solus TA51a also features a reinforced construction, and its innovative tread design gives drivers a quiet, comfortable ride, plus even wear to extend the tire's tread life.
Here again, you will notice an elevated steep of progress in terms of longevity for the Continental TrueContact Tour over the Kumho Solus TA51a.
Although both the tires perform solid when it comes to longevity, the Continental TrueContact Tour has an added advantage over the Kumho Solus TA51a as the TrueContact Tour comes with 80,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty against the 75,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty from the Kumho Solus TA51a.
ADVANTAGE: Continental TrueContact Tour
While all-season tires offer convenience and versatility, they tend to have a longer lifespan compared to tires designed specifically for certain weather conditions, such as winter or summer tires. This is because they are constructed with a tread compound that balances handling and performance across different seasons.
Both the Continental TrueContact Tour and Kumho Solus TA51a may not provide optimal performance in extreme winter weather conditions. For example, in areas with heavy snowfall, dedicated winter tires might be necessary for improved traction and safety. That said, all-season tires are an excellent choice if you live in an area that only gets light snow.
Additionally, cautious driving habits and avoiding harsh conditions can help preserve the tread and overall integrity of the tires.
So, which all-season tire is the right option for you? When looking at SimpleScore, the Continental TrueContact Tour comes out slightly ahead of the Kumho Solus TA51a with an overall score of 8.9 versus 8.7. As noted above, there are key differences between the two tires and these need to be weighed against each other to determine what’s best for you. Finally (and maybe, most importantly), pricing on these two tires is a bit different as Continental TrueContact Tour tires cost at least $122.99 per tire while Kumho Solus TA51a tires cost at least $79.00 per tire. That means a set of four Continental TrueContact Tour all-season tires will cost you at least $491.96 for a set of four, while a set of four Kumho Solus TA51a tires will cost you at least $316.
Conversely, you should choose the Kumho Solus TA51a if you:
Continental TrueContact Tour vs Kumho Solus TA51a tires might not seem a close comparison on the surface, but the above clearly shows that either is a great option. Remember, both of the tire brands are some of the best tire manufacturers on the market, and that tradition continues with the Continental TrueContact Tour and Kumho Solus TA51a. At the end of the day, the decision to buy one or the other depends on your vehicle, where (and how) you drive, and what you care more about in terms of traction, handling, longevity, and price.
Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.
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