Tires are important. They are certainly the most important part of your suspension system. Without tires, you are not really going anywhere, or certainly not fast or quietly. But the reality is that tires are expensive too and when shopping for a new or used vehicle the size and type of tire is often overlooked as part of that purchase.

When the vehicle is new, you may not need to think about it for three or four years after purchase, but on a used vehicle the tires are most likely also used and may only last a year or two. For a lot of consumers their new SUV is sporting some sweet 18-, 19- or even 20-inch rims. They look great but you may not have thought about the cost implications coming from your typical family sedan.

Most sporty or luxury SUVs like the Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q5 or BMW X5 (in my case a Lexus LX570), come standard with some of the big name brand tires like Michelin and Bridgestone. But these vehicles are large and the tires fitted are meant to provide both a sporty and compliant ride while being quiet.

My Lexus LX570 came standard with Michelin Latitude tires in 285/50/R20 – I really love the Michelin tires on my Lexus. They are quiet and seem to perform well in dry and wet conditions – I also tow a heavy trailer and they do not feel squirmy under those conditions.

To achieve these characteristics the tires tend to be softer. The result? These tires do not last all that long either. After swapping out my winter tires I noticed one of my summer Michelin tires was badly worn. Before I purchased the vehicle the alignment was obviously off as the other tires look nearly new in comparison. Not wanting to risk poor driving performance it was time to find a new set of tires – but that sticker shock is not fun. A quick search online reveals that these tires are priced around the $270 mark, or well over $1,200 for a set after taxes.

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Enter the Sailun Atrezzo SVR LX. This tire is aimed squarely at the sporty/luxury SUV market. The tire is available in only 18 fitments and they range from 20 to 24 inches.

According to Sailun these tires perform well in both wet and dry conditions while offering a quiet and comfortable ride. Their marketing spiel mentions that the SVR LX is a premium high-performance tire designed for SUVs, sport trucks and crossover vehicles. It is a sporty design engineered with an advanced tread, accentuating the appearance of your ride while providing unparalleled all-season performance, comfort and tread life. Well that certainly sounds promising – right?

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