Sailun Tires Review: Budget Friendly or Cheap?
Sailun tires are a cost-effective option for drivers on a budget. Their low asking prices have made them the first choice of users looking for cheap aftermarket tires. Especially in North American countries, where drivers are frustrated by the rising prices of premium tire brands.
Another thing that goes in this tire brand’s favor is the performance of its models. Sailun tires provide reliable traction and above-average tread life on a variety of terrains. This enables them to outlast their warranty, something the majority of budget tires fail to offer.
However, not everything is excellent about Sailun tires. One thing that might push potential customers away is the lack of extreme performance. At high speeds, these tires offer a bit less grip than their premium counterparts, making their handling muddy.
In this Sailun tires review, we will tell you everything about this Chinese tire brand. We will kick things off by looking at the performance and features of best-selling Sailun tires. Next, we’ll focus on what distinguishes Sailun tires from the competition
Sailun Tires Review
Here are the best Sailun tires currently on the market
#1. Sailun Atrezzo S637
Who says mid-range tires cannot be all-terrain? The Atrezzo S637 is proof that you don’t have to break the bank for solid performance on hard packed surfaces. In fact, it forces you to believe the opposite: with luck you can find mid-range tires that excel in challenging conditions.
Talking about luck, you won’t have to tempt yours with this tire. Especially on slippery conditions where the S637’s circumferential and longitudinal grooves prevent the build-up of water inside this tread area, reducing the risk of hydroplaning. This helps this tire grip the surface beneath it in all conditions.
A close inspection might reveal that the space between the grooves is abnormally wide. There is a reason as to why that is the case. The extra-wide space doesn’t let any rock or stone particles remain stuck inside this tire’s tread area. Put another way, the space helps this tire self-clean.
As for noise, the S637 is fairly quiet, especially when compared with its fellow AT counterparts. It is fairly comfortable than the competition as well. You won’t have to endure all the bumps and speed breakers this tire rolls over during your journey.
Although this tire performs decently in light snow, its performance is nowhere near enough for you to rely on this tire in the immediate aftermath of a snowstorm. That is because this tire isn’t studdable and lacks the M+S rating which would have inspired confidence about its wintry performance.
Pros
- Competitively priced
- Incredibly quiet for an all-terrain tire
- Self-cleans
Cons
- Won’t win any awards with its snow performance
#2. Sailun Atrezzo Eco
The Sailun Atrezzo Eco is a budget-friendly all-season tire. It goes a long way in shattering the myth that you get what you pay for in terms of tires. In doing so, these modern tire provides an excellent alternative to users who are furious with the astronomical prices of premium tires.
A symmetric tread design does wonders to this tire’s performance. It improves the tire’s stability at high speeds and also helps it achieve decent traction on dry and wet surfaces.
Water drainage is also above-average with this tire. The credit for this goes to its longitudinal grooves that give trapped water particles all the space they need to leave the tread area. In doing so, the grooves help improve this tire’s hydroplaning resistance.
Heat dissipation is also kept to a minimum. The sipe design is the reason why. But it doesn’t stop at that. The multiple sipes between the tread area as well as along the shoulder blocks also help this tire grip the road better. This leads to a reduced road noise.
Steering control is another area where this tire shines. A solid center rib, together with the high angle tread blocks, make sure of that. The tread blocks are designed in a way to create aggressive biting edges, improving this tire’s road grip.
Wintry traction is almost non-existent with this tire. That is surprising given that it has its fair share of sipes – biting edges that are responsible for offering traction in inclement weather. The fact they aren’t doing their job properly restricts this tire’s utility in wintry conditions.
Pros
- Brilliant fuel economy
- Above average wet traction
- Comfortable ride
Cons
- No warranty
#3. Sailun Atrezzo Elite
Some tires offer high levels of grip at high speeds. Others attract praise for their steering responsiveness and cornering. Still others fetch high marks for their ultra-quiet and comfortable riding. The Atrezzo Eco is one of the few tires that boasts all three attributes.
Start with the grip. This all-season tire offers brilliant handling at high speed on dry surfaces. And while the level of grip isn’t the same in wet conditions. You could still expect the Atrezzo Elite to safely carry from point A to point B when there is water on the road.
Next comes stability. Most budget tires you see on the market tend to oversteer, especially at high speeds. This means the moment your vehicle’s speed exceeds a certain limit, the tire goes out of your control. This is one problem you won’t face with the Atrezzo Elite.
Its steering responsiveness is equally excellent. The Elite isn’t one of those tires that huff and puff for a few seconds before responding to the input of the person sitting behind the wheel. It responds within seconds, making it almost impossible for you to feel any lag.
Quietness is one of this tire’s strong attributes. It doesn’t get too noisy at highway speeds and does an excellent job of absorbing road vibrations.
The bad news is that this tire struggles on wet roads. The level of grip a driver needs from their tire to be fully confident of its abilities on waterlogged surfaces is nowhere to be found. Things take another bad turn for its snow traction, which is almost non-existent.
Pros
- Brilliant steering response
- Excellent grip on dry roads
- Comfortable and quiet
Cons
- Poor snow traction
#4. Sailun Atrezzo ZA+4S
The Atrezzo ZA+4S is an ultra-high performance tire from the Chinese manufacturer. It is one of the few Sailun tires that perform as decently on wet roads as they do on dry tarmac. And for a UHP tire, this tire’s snow performance isn’t bad, either.
The credit for this tire’s dry and wet grip goes to its silica-enhanced tread compound. Silica has a unique habit of being flexible. In summer conditions, silica remains stiff to provide the necessary traction. As summer turns to winter, silica becomes pliable. This enables it to grip wet roads better.
Water evacuation is also above-average. Sailun has provided this tire with aggressive high angle V-shaped grooves that effectively remove water particles from beneath its footprint. This, in turn, improves this tire’s hydroplaning resistance and wet handling.
You can count on this tire to wear evenly too. One reason or that are the grooved tread blocks. They promote even load to improve this tire’s wear characteristics. Another reason are the tapered tread edges, which provide uniform contact pressure for improved longevity.
Most ultra-high performance tires struggle when it comes to shock absorption. That is especially the case with budget UHP tires, whose internal structure isn’t sturdy enough to absorb vibrations. However, thanks to its unique shoulder profile, the ZA+4S proves that it is an exception to the norm.
Handling is the only area where this tire disappoints. It is slightly less precise and engages slightly less quickly than premium tires. So if you’re downgrading from a Michelin or Bridgestone, the handling is bound to feel a bit muddy.
Pros
- Incredibly cheap
- Sturdy construction
- Stable on the highway
Cons
- Subpar wet traction
- Zero treadwear warranty
#5. Sailun Atrezzo SH406
The Atrezzo SH406 replaced the company’s uber-popular SH405. Sailun wants you to believe that its wet traction, fuel efficiency, and ride comfort is much better than the model it replaced. It further claims that this model makes less noise on the road.
What about this tire’s performance – does it justify these claims? It does, for the most part. A symmetrical tread design performs a marvelous job of boosting this tire’s contact with the road. Expert drivers might guess what this leads to – improved handling at high speeds.
Tread life is also on the higher side. Part of the credit goes to the solid center rib. It significantly improves this tire’s steering control and minimizes tread wear by evenly distributing the load. The center rib also minimizes road noise, letting you enjoy the drive in silence.
Wet traction is good for the price too. The biting edges help this tire grip the road better in wet conditions than most of its budget counterparts, which start gasping for grip as soon as they encounter water.
Considering that it is a mid-range tire, the SH406 is fairly comfortable on the road. That is excellent news for anyone unable or unwilling to purchase premium tires. Hydroplaning resistance is also on the higher side, though when compared with its pricey counterparts, it could be better.
That is not to say that this tire doesn’t have any shortcoming. A major flaw is the absence of treadwear warranty, forcing potential customers to think twice before opting for this tire. Average snow traction is another flaw, though not as serious as the absence of warranty.
Pros
- Fairly quiet and comfortable
- Excellent handling at high speeds
- Has a long tread life
Cons
- Non-existent snow traction
Sailun Tires Buying Guide
Sailun tires strive to provide their customers with affordable but reliable models. Sure, there are manufacturers out there whose tires offer better performance. But Sailun tires offer good performance in less than half the price of the likes of Michelin, Bridgestone, and other premium tire brands.
Why Buy Sailun Tires?
Here’s why Sailun tires are a household name in the US market:
1) Cost-effective
Sailun tires are manufactured by a Chinese brand that places cost-effectiveness above everything else. For this reason, you’d struggle to find a set of tires costing less than these. It is their budget price point that has helped Sailun tires gather worldwide fame.
Their cost-effective pricing has helped Sailun earn the moniker of a third-tier tire maker. Bridgestone, Michelin, and Continental – these are first-tire brands that offer high-quality tires at premium prices. You can include the likes of Hankook, Uniroyal, and General in the list of second-tier companies.
Sailun has embraced the tag of a third-tier tire company with open arms. At the same time, it insists that its unique selling proposition or USP – offering reliable tires at super-cheap prices – sets its products apart from other budget tire manufacturers whose only focus is on keeping the price low.
2) Performance, Value and Support
Sailun tires might be the cheapest on the market. But the treads on offer makes them almost as reliable as the premium tire brands. Their treading potential, multiple times higher than most budget tires, helps them hold their own in all but the most challenging of terrains.
Have doubts about these claims? Then you must check out the SH406. Here is an all-season tire that provides above-average tread life without compromising on ride quality and comfort. This tire’s vibration-absorption and wear resistance are also second to none.
Or you might want to check out the S637. This all-terrain tire comes with extra-wide ribs that improve your vehicle’s stability and traction at higher speeds. Plus, a mirrored tread design helps this tire wear evenly, ensuring improved longevity and mileage.
3) Has PTPA Seal
Sailun all-season and winter lineups have been awarded the PTPA Seal of Approval. The PTPA is an extremely rare award most budget tires can only dream of. It is only awarded to tires that pass through a variety of rigorous testings and evaluations.
PTPA is one of North America’s largest volunteer parent testing community of tires. The volunteers are comprised of parents who check the quality of tires to ensure they are safe for the children as well as for the entire community at large.
The fact that Sailun tires has this seal goes a long way in showing how exceptional they are. Keep in mind, though, that only all-season and winter tires from Sailun have received the PTPA Medial Seal of Approval – its all-terrain, light truck and UHP tires don’t come with this seal.
4) Exciting Lineup
Most budget tire brands you see on the market only offer all-season models. A few go the extra mile with high-performance or winter tires. Sailun is one of the very few cost-effective manufacturers that boasts all-season, all-terrain, UHP, steer, and winter tires in its lineup.
It isn’t only the lineup of Sailun tires that is extensive. Each of the company’s tires is available in a large number of sizes. For example, the Atrezzo Z4 + AS is available in more than 25 sizes and could this fit every vehicle from a mini-sedan to a light truck and more.
That is despite the fact there’s a 30 percent price difference between their tires and comparable models from Continental, Bridgestone, and Michelin. The Continental DWS, for instance, costs 30 percent more than Z4 + AS, yet the latter is nowhere near 30 percent worse in terms of handling.
5) Auto Bild Approved
Auto Bild is one of the most widely-read automobile magazines. Based in Hamburg Germany, Auto Bild has worldwide licensed editions and sells more than seven million copies every month. Its foreign editions include France’s Auto Plus, the UK’s Auto Express, and Turkey’s Auto Show.
Before approving any tire, Auto Bild journalists look at its braking distances recorded by their drivers on dry and wet conditions. The tires that pass through the first phase are then tested for their rolling resistance and mileage, as well as steering responsiveness.
Why Not Buy Sailun Tires?
Here are the negative aspects of Sailun tires:
1) No warranty
Here is one thing that might prove to be a deal breaker. Especially if you have checked our reviews of other budget tire brands, most of which offer a tread life warranty. This gives the potential customer the peace of mind that if anything goes wrong with the tire, the manufacturer would have their back.
Unfortunately, Sailun offers no such warranty. That means you will have no choice but to go for a replacement pair in case anything goes wrong with these tires.
2) Average wet and snow traction
Most budget tires struggle in snowy and wintry conditions. Their braking distances get longer, the handling becomes a little bit wobbly and steering responsiveness nosedives. This leaves the driver with no choice but to use another pair in inclement weather.
The bad news is that Sailun tires also struggle in similar conditions. They don’t have the premium tread compound that provides immense braking power to expensive tires. It is recommended to take your foot off the accelerator in rainy weather.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the common queries people have about Sailun tires:
Who makes Sailun tires?
Mesnac Co. Ltd manufactures Sailun tires at the National Economic and Technological Development Zone in Qingdao, China. However, in the United States, TBC Brands manufacture and sell Sailun tires.
TBC Brands is a conglomerate comprising twelve other Chinese tire brands. It acts as an intermediary between US and China and is the largest marketer of private label tires in North America.
Are Sailun tires good?
Sailun tires’ reliability could be gauged from the fact that they are Auto Bild approved and come with the PTPA Medial Seal of Approval. These tires tread compound, road grip and traction also distinguishes them from other budget tire brands.
Where are Sailun tires produced?
Sailun tires are produced at the National Economic and Technological Development Zone in Qingdao, China.
I purchased a car from a website that had the Atrezzo SH406 tires on it. Interestingly enough the tires say that they are made in Vietnam.