Solar 4XS Tire Review
2012 BMW 528i xDrive with currently 140k miles and climbing. Tire size 225/55R17
After using these tires for 4 months and putting almost 15,000 miles on them, I found some time to gather my thoughts on this budget tire. Long story short, I wouldn***8217;t buy them again, even at $300 installed (yes, you read that right), but read on if you want my full review.
Value:
I***8217;ve discovered that at a discount, the amount you would spend for a set of tires from a well known brand would be roughly $600 for a set of 4. Maybe less if you hunt for good deals. When you factor that in over the span of at least 50k miles, the cost is nominal especially when you consider the better ride quality and grip you get from a well known tire. That***8217;s not to say the Solar 4XS is a bad tire, just not as great as the competition. I mainly bought these as I thought for light duty and everyday driving they would be fine, and they are. The overwhelming positive reviews are a testament to how far bargain tires have come. Just wish they made a little less noise, gripped better, and didn***8217;t decrease my MPG.
To everyone that looks down on off brand or store brand tires, know that these are safe to use and won***8217;t leave you in a flaming wreck, even when pushed hard. Just don***8217;t expect the same performance as an OEM tire. Also note, most of these bargain tires are made by a bigger company, just without the name. These Solar 4XS are a Walmart brand tire made by Sumitomo. They own Dunlop and Falken. There is a 4XS+ version which features a less aggressive tread pattern. I would wager these would fare a lot better for ride quality. This tire would be perfect for the person who doesn***8217;t know or pay attention to subtle details. Ex: my wife she couldn***8217;t tell any difference at all. They just work, and a lot of people will feel the same way. These would be a perfectly fine choice for a daily driver, beater car, fleet car, etc.
Ride Quality:
Coming from a set of Pirelli P7 all seasons, these tires produce a more tread noise than my previous set. I would say if the Pirellis are about as quiet of a tire as you can get; 0-2 out of 10 on the noise scale. The Solar 4XS came in around 3.5, maybe 4 under the worst conditions. I***8217;ve noticed that depending on the road surface and speed there are areas where you hear more or less. Like on concrete roads, you won***8217;t hear as much. But average 3.5-4 out of 10. Fine for the most part as this car spends a lot of time on the highway and the noise is pretty much drowned out by wind noise over 40mph. Also probably good to note here, when it comes to tread noise, I***8217;ve had Continental DWS (very well rated tire) that sounded like off road all terrains at speed, the noise was deafening. So I would say even outside of glowing reviews it really comes down to luck of draw, batches, etc. Another example, Pirelli P7 all season is only a 6/10 based on tire rack reviews, but personally, it***8217;s the best tire I***8217;ve ever owned.
Economy:
MPG has taken a hit. When I first got the set installed, it felt like I attached an anchor to the back of my car. Wouldn***8217;t roll or coast as well when cruising. Under identical driving conditions I would say I***8217;ve lost at least 6-8mpg vs my Pirelli P7s I used to have. Now I know that fresh tires with deep tread will give you less MPG than worn tires, but I didn***8217;t expect the difference to be this great. I think some of it comes down to rolling resistance and un-sprung weight (I***8217;m sure as a store brand Walmart tire, these are not top priorities).
Tire Pressure
To combat this MPG loss, I***8217;ve increased tire pressures to 50 PSI (waiting for everyone***8217;s stern disapproval) all around and the MPG did recover somewhat. It***8217;s still about 1.5-3 mpg down vs the Pirellis that came off, but more tolerable. Another key reason why I don***8217;t think it***8217;s worth buying these off brand tires, the cost over time would add up I***8217;m sure. With the max PSI, handling has improved for initial cornering grip, but overall grip is still behind the Pirellis. Tires handle deep water and heavy rain just fine, but I would try to avoid super aggressive maneuvers like taking ramps at double the speed limit. Overall grip is fine for regular driving.
I***8217;ve also read that just because the MFR recommends a certain pressure for the car, does not mean it***8217;s the correct pressure for the tire being used, especially when it***8217;s non-OEM. This is a good case in point. So I***8217;ve learned that when it comes to tire choices, OEMs probably take into account a variety of factors (tread compound, rolling resistance, noise, weight, etc.) even beyond the typical measures. Put frankly, it***8217;s not enough to match the speed rating, load rating, size and even treadwear. It goes well beyond that. I would say though, as long as you don***8217;t exceed the max PSI or load capacity, tire should be safe to drive up to the rated speed.
Safety:
I***8217;ve personally tested these tires well past 100mph and they work just fine. At highway speeds, you would be hard pressed to tell a difference between these and the Pirellis. My car sees triple digit speeds regularly and I drive 500 miles a week just for work. Also took this car on a road trip 1000 miles from NJ to VT and didn***8217;t miss a beat. Even got a puncture and the tires held up fine. Leaked air every few days until I could get around to patching it.
Adding to safety, we took the car on a road trip from NJ to the mid-west December (last month) and the car did really well. Never missed a beat, despite excessively high speeds. We even encountered a snow storm with white out conditions on the way home and the car did fine. Slush on the road was not a problem, car did not hydroplane or lose control at all, despite being pushed hard. Not kidding we were driving around salt trucks while everyone else slowed way down and hesitated to overtake. As mentioned above though, MPG did suffer. Car loaded with 4 people and luggage, never made it past 30mpg. Whole trip we averaged about 28-29. I blame some of that on speed as well though. We were 90-100mph a lot of the way, even getting up to 120mph at certain points. These figures and speeds are in line with my daily commute numbers
If you have any questions, let me know, I***8217;ll try my best to address them
2012 BMW 528i xDrive with currently 140k miles and climbing. Tire size 225/55R17
After using these tires for 4 months and putting almost 15,000 miles on them, I found some time to gather my thoughts on this budget tire. Long story short, I wouldn***8217;t buy them again, even at $300 installed (yes, you read that right), but read on if you want my full review.
Value:
I***8217;ve discovered that at a discount, the amount you would spend for a set of tires from a well known brand would be roughly $600 for a set of 4. Maybe less if you hunt for good deals. When you factor that in over the span of at least 50k miles, the cost is nominal especially when you consider the better ride quality and grip you get from a well known tire. That***8217;s not to say the Solar 4XS is a bad tire, just not as great as the competition. I mainly bought these as I thought for light duty and everyday driving they would be fine, and they are. The overwhelming positive reviews are a testament to how far bargain tires have come. Just wish they made a little less noise, gripped better, and didn***8217;t decrease my MPG.
To everyone that looks down on off brand or store brand tires, know that these are safe to use and won***8217;t leave you in a flaming wreck, even when pushed hard. Just don***8217;t expect the same performance as an OEM tire. Also note, most of these bargain tires are made by a bigger company, just without the name. These Solar 4XS are a Walmart brand tire made by Sumitomo. They own Dunlop and Falken. There is a 4XS+ version which features a less aggressive tread pattern. I would wager these would fare a lot better for ride quality. This tire would be perfect for the person who doesn***8217;t know or pay attention to subtle details. Ex: my wife she couldn***8217;t tell any difference at all. They just work, and a lot of people will feel the same way. These would be a perfectly fine choice for a daily driver, beater car, fleet car, etc.
Ride Quality:
Coming from a set of Pirelli P7 all seasons, these tires produce a more tread noise than my previous set. I would say if the Pirellis are about as quiet of a tire as you can get; 0-2 out of 10 on the noise scale. The Solar 4XS came in around 3.5, maybe 4 under the worst conditions. I***8217;ve noticed that depending on the road surface and speed there are areas where you hear more or less. Like on concrete roads, you won***8217;t hear as much. But average 3.5-4 out of 10. Fine for the most part as this car spends a lot of time on the highway and the noise is pretty much drowned out by wind noise over 40mph. Also probably good to note here, when it comes to tread noise, I***8217;ve had Continental DWS (very well rated tire) that sounded like off road all terrains at speed, the noise was deafening. So I would say even outside of glowing reviews it really comes down to luck of draw, batches, etc. Another example, Pirelli P7 all season is only a 6/10 based on tire rack reviews, but personally, it***8217;s the best tire I***8217;ve ever owned.
Economy:
MPG has taken a hit. When I first got the set installed, it felt like I attached an anchor to the back of my car. Wouldn***8217;t roll or coast as well when cruising. Under identical driving conditions I would say I***8217;ve lost at least 6-8mpg vs my Pirelli P7s I used to have. Now I know that fresh tires with deep tread will give you less MPG than worn tires, but I didn***8217;t expect the difference to be this great. I think some of it comes down to rolling resistance and un-sprung weight (I***8217;m sure as a store brand Walmart tire, these are not top priorities).
Tire Pressure
To combat this MPG loss, I***8217;ve increased tire pressures to 50 PSI (waiting for everyone***8217;s stern disapproval) all around and the MPG did recover somewhat. It***8217;s still about 1.5-3 mpg down vs the Pirellis that came off, but more tolerable. Another key reason why I don***8217;t think it***8217;s worth buying these off brand tires, the cost over time would add up I***8217;m sure. With the max PSI, handling has improved for initial cornering grip, but overall grip is still behind the Pirellis. Tires handle deep water and heavy rain just fine, but I would try to avoid super aggressive maneuvers like taking ramps at double the speed limit. Overall grip is fine for regular driving.
I***8217;ve also read that just because the MFR recommends a certain pressure for the car, does not mean it***8217;s the correct pressure for the tire being used, especially when it***8217;s non-OEM. This is a good case in point. So I***8217;ve learned that when it comes to tire choices, OEMs probably take into account a variety of factors (tread compound, rolling resistance, noise, weight, etc.) even beyond the typical measures. Put frankly, it***8217;s not enough to match the speed rating, load rating, size and even treadwear. It goes well beyond that. I would say though, as long as you don***8217;t exceed the max PSI or load capacity, tire should be safe to drive up to the rated speed.
Safety:
I***8217;ve personally tested these tires well past 100mph and they work just fine. At highway speeds, you would be hard pressed to tell a difference between these and the Pirellis. My car sees triple digit speeds regularly and I drive 500 miles a week just for work. Also took this car on a road trip 1000 miles from NJ to VT and didn***8217;t miss a beat. Even got a puncture and the tires held up fine. Leaked air every few days until I could get around to patching it.
Adding to safety, we took the car on a road trip from NJ to the mid-west December (last month) and the car did really well. Never missed a beat, despite excessively high speeds. We even encountered a snow storm with white out conditions on the way home and the car did fine. Slush on the road was not a problem, car did not hydroplane or lose control at all, despite being pushed hard. Not kidding we were driving around salt trucks while everyone else slowed way down and hesitated to overtake. As mentioned above though, MPG did suffer. Car loaded with 4 people and luggage, never made it past 30mpg. Whole trip we averaged about 28-29. I blame some of that on speed as well though. We were 90-100mph a lot of the way, even getting up to 120mph at certain points. These figures and speeds are in line with my daily commute numbers
If you have any questions, let me know, I***8217;ll try my best to address them
