No idea what Primewell is? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. That’s because Primewell Tires is a relatively new brand of tires in the North American market, and as such, it’s only natural that not many people know what it is and how its products perform.
One interesting fact is that Primewell Tires is actually a tire brand that operates under the Firestone (Bridgestone) umbrella company in the US, and under the international tire giant, Giti Tires, in Singapore and other markets.
With the backing of these well-known and respected tire manufacturers, it only goes to say that Primewell Tires are great, too. Right? Let’s find out.
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Best Primewell Tire Review Summary:
Product Name | Image | Ratings | Item Weight | Load Index | Amazon Link | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Primewell All Season | | | 24 lbs | 96 | Check Price | |
Primewell Valera HT | | | 1 lbs | 108 | Check Price | |
Primewell PS850 155 | | | 26.8 lbs | 100 | Check Price | |
Primewell PS850 175 | | | 17.55 lbs | 88 | Check Price |
4 best Primewell tires review
Before we begin talking about the most popular tire models of Primewell, let’s be clear on a few things first: Primewell tires are mainly cheap replacement tires for older vehicles such as 90’s Civics and Corollas. These tires offer a pretty great quality for the price, too.
That said, here’s a review of the four best Primewell tire models, with a list of each one’s pros and cons to help you decide whether these tires are a match for you:
Pros
- Safe and stable on dry and wet conditions
- Quiet and comfortable to drive
- Highly affordable option
- Suitable for small cars and minivans
Cons
- Average tread life and treadwear warranty
- Not as responsive as other options
- Below average snow traction
The best model in their lineup of tires for minivans and small passenger cars is the Primewell All Season, which promises a stable and safe ride in both wet and dry conditions. This is a highly popular tire that sees great demand in the US and Canada, as well as in many Scandinavian countries, thanks to the way it adapts to the ever changing climate.
You really get to appreciate how it prioritizes your safety on the road with its excellent hydroplaning resistance and its superior water evacuation capabilities, which are two important things that prevent you from careening down the highway. The tire also delivers when it comes to making your ride as comfortable and quiet as possible.
That said, it does exhibit below-average snow traction, which is to be expected from many all-season tires. Its tread life is also not that impressive, and its 45,000 mile warranty on treadwear falls a bit short when compared to its competitors.
Pros
- Smooth overall ride quality including on uneven surfaces
- Reliable traction and braking in dry conditions
- Great performance in wet conditions
- Great value for money
Cons
- Little road feedback and generally unresponsive handling
- Noisy on the highway
For slightly larger and heavier vehicles such as SUVs and trucks, a reliable option from Primewell Tires is the Primewell Valera HT, another all-season tire that gives you superior traction all around, along with a smooth ride quality.
With dimensions of 185 millimeter section width, this tire can accommodate wide 14 inch rims. It’s also pretty tall with a 129.5 millimeter section height, which is part of what makes it more ideal for larger passenger cars.
Plus, it also has a pretty impressive load rating of 89, meaning a set of four tires can carry more than 5,000 pounds. All in all, it’s a decent all-season tire that’s really affordable for its category, save for the lack of treadwear warranty and a bit of road noise.
Pros
- Well-performing all-season tire
- Reliable year-round performance
- Suitable for small cars with narrow 13-inch rims
Cons
- Lower load index than other options
- Average summer and winter dynamics
Another all-season tire made for smaller and lighter passenger vehicles is the Primewell PS850 155, which is highly suitable for smaller and narrower 13 inch rims thanks to its 155 millimeter section width.
Its main selling point has to do with its deep tread design, which allows it to perform well on both dry and wet surfaces. Then again, outstanding performance throughout the year, from summer to winter and back, is to be expected from an all-season tire.
Perhaps the only downside to this tire model is that it has a slightly lower load index as compared to what many other modern passenger tires feature, since the PS850 155 only has a load index of 79, which means each tire can only carry short of a thousand pounds.
Pros
- Reliable all-season performance
- Suitable for most small to medium sized passenger cars
Cons
- Average performance in the winter
Another variant of the PS850 is the Primewell PS850 175, a radial tire that works best for mid-sized passenger vehicles. It’s designed with a 175 millimeter section width and a 122.5 millimeter section height, meaning it can take moderately wide rims of 14 inches, although it sits a little lower than the 155.
That said, it does have a more pleasant load index of 84, which means you can carry a maximum load of 1,102 pounds per tire, or a total of over four thousand for a set of four tires. Basically, it will do well for mid-sized cars.
Furthermore, since it’s also an all-season tire, and is designed with a similar tread pattern as the PS850 155, you can also trust that the 175 delivers the same levels of grip, traction, and overall performance in dry and wet conditions during the summer and winter seasons.
Why Primewell is one of the most promising tire brands in 2020
Primewell may be relatively new, but it already boasts of a pretty impressive portfolio of tires with several models in different in-demand categories. Its lineup even features several highly popular products such as touring tires for both modern and older passenger vehicles, including compact cars, crossovers, and sedans.
Among their many tire categories include crossover and SUV touring tires, all-terrain and highway tires for trucks and SUVs, commercial tires for trucks and buses, tires for vans and light trucks, trailer tires, drive tires, steer tires, and all-position tires.
Now, while a majority of their selection consist of budget but well-performing options, the brand also makes quite a few high-performance models made with summer tread compounds, which are great for street driving, though as much not for race tracks.
Signature design
Aside from a largely successful consumer-centric approach to how they do business, there are lots of other commendable things about Primewell tires, such as the way each tire model proudly carries the brand’s signature design. Let us explain how:
Rigid shoulder blocks
One of the things we like the most about Primewell tires is that they all feature rigid shoulder blocks to ensure that your tires won’t ever flex as you reach high speeds and perform some cornering on the street.
This is really important since tire flex is a highly unpleasant situation that can easily go from mildly annoying in normal driving conditions to really dangerous and threatening to your safety in the race track.
While this problem has been around for decades, reliable solutions have thankfully also kept up. In the case of Primewell, the tires’ rigid shoulder blocks prevent the sidewalls from flexing, losing shape, and deforming, especially when subjected under high g-force and cornering.
What this means for the driver is you get to enjoy better cornering performance, but without having to sacrifice your comfort.
Wide grooves
Another excellent shoulder design are the wide shoulder grooves which make the tires superior in terms of traction. This is because the grooves effectively prevent water from pooling underneath the tire, which, when it happens, can easily result in hydroplaning, and in turn, losing control of your vehicle.
To address this, Primewell actually also incorporates deep sipes with the wide grooves in order to really eliminate this water-on-pavement issue.
Biting edges
When it comes to traction and ride quality, one of the things Primewell has to offer is the plethora of microscopic biting edges on their tires, which really help you grab onto dirt or snow and prevent slipping. This is most noticeable with their all-terrain tires, where high levels of traction is a priority to ensure a great ride quality.
Lateral traction
The brand doesn’t just give you traction when you’re going on a straight path. It also takes into account those instances when you need to take sharp turns and drive from side to side, or even when you somehow end up fishtailing. Optimizing Primewell tires for lateral traction means you can better maintain your hold on the surface, or quickly recover if and when you lose that hold.
Tread and pitch
When we say that Primewell Tires is consumer-centric, that’s partly because even with their Sport range tires, they still keep everyday driving in mind, not only your more spirited adventures. This effort shows in their tread and pitch design, and it really pays off, too.
For instance, the variable pitch design makes for a smoother, more quiet, and more comfortable rise as the tire experiences less harshness, vibration, and noise. There are also deep longitudinal grooves on the tires to better ensure your grip and traction in wet conditions as they effectively displace any water you might encounter on the road.
Silica compound
Did you know that one of the most important and trait-defining factors about tires is what compound they are made of? This compound, along with the tire design, is what determines how well the tire’s overall handling and performance are on and off the road.
This is why tire manufacturers constantly strive to develop newer and stickier compounds, and they keep their formulations closely guarded secrets. As for Primewell, their tires are mostly made of this new silica compound that baffles just about everyone in the industry.
Why? It’s because with tire compounds, it’s difficult to balance rolling resistance, grip, and fuel efficiency, and more often than not, at least one of these things end up being compromised. That’s not the case with Primewell tires, as you get to enjoy both higher grip levels and less rolling resistance, which means better fuel efficiency.
Superior comfort
What we really love about Primewell tires, and we’re sure you would, too, is the fact that they put so much effort in making sure that the tires deliver a smooth and comfortable ride quality on both even and uneven roads. In fact, the tires generally remain quiet even as you reach roaring speeds on the highway.
This is partly why Primewell tires are getting noticed by both amateur and professional drivers alike. After all, a noiseless and comfortable ride quality definitely makes for a good first, and lasting, impression.
Safe handling
When it comes to handling, the company’s priority seems to be leaning more towards safety on dry roads, although their tires’ traction on wet surfaces is still reliable, as long as you don’t drive too aggressively or too fast.
To put it simply, Primewell tires are safe to drive. But if you experience a lot of rain and snow, and can spend a bit more for a better quality of wet traction, it might still be better to opt for a different brand.
Fuel efficiency
What makes Primewell tires a real value for money isn’t just their cheap price tags. It’s the fact that these tires are designed in such a way that implements features geared towards fuel efficiency. Meaning, you can travel farther distances for the same gallon of fuel.
This is largely thanks to the silica tread compound we mentioned earlier, which reduces your rolling resistance so your engine doesn’t have to work too hard to coast across the road.
It’s actually just short of a miracle that these silica compounds are even present on Primewell tires, especially at their price point, since this compound is quite expensive, and as such, is typically reserved for high-end tires.
Affordability
In terms of price, Primewell tires are cheap. They’re far from the cheapest options out there, but they are definitely cheap enough to be accessible to the average person with a tight budget. The best part? The cheaper price doesn’t compromise on quality, design, and performance.
Summary: Primewell Tires Review
Primewell Tires is a new player, but it doesn’t really offer anything new in terms of performance and technology. That said, their tires are generally great in terms of design features and overall ride quality.
The tires are affordable too, and make for a better fuel efficiency, so you can save big bucks while enjoying a good drive. They just rarely come with decent treadwear warranties, so that’s something that you’ll have to consider before buying.