Lion Sport HT
The Lion Sport model line from the Chinese manufacturer LEAO is mainly represented by all-season tires for various categories of transport, including cars, SUVs, and trucks. All these tires are distinguished by the optimal combination of affordable price and acceptable quality. A typical example is the Lion Sport HT tires and we will talk about them in this review.
When cheap is good
The first thing to say about the Lion Sport HT tires is that they are inexpensive. Rather, these are the most inexpensive all-season tires produced by a major brand. Perhaps some tires will cost even less, but this will be a “no-name” product, whereas Lion Sport HT is a tire made by a major brand.
LEAO brand belongs to Shandong Linglong Tire Co., Ltd. Linglong Tire is the largest tire manufacturer in China and is now ranked among the twenty largest car tire manufacturers in the world. Since the LEAO brand is little known to ordinary buyers outside of China, the price of Lion Sport HT remains very attractive to this day, while the quality is consistently high.
The high quality of tires presented in the Lion Sport model line is explained by the fact that the most advanced equipment is used in the production in combination with the most modern technologies. Perhaps LEAO is one of the few Chinese tire brands that has implemented quality control at every stage of production. As a result, it is very difficult to buy Lion Sport HT tires with a factory defect.
About Lion Sport HT in general
Lion Sport HT tires are specially designed for light trucks, vans, and SUVs, which are used most of the time in the city. They provide acceptable handling regardless of climatic conditions. These tires are reliable and durable, which, combined with their affordable price, makes them a very practical choice.
About all-season operation
Tires marked as “all-season” are considered to be a compromise solution. Indeed, most all-season tires wear out quickly in summer and do not provide good handling in winter.
Why is this happening?
The rapid wear in the summer is since the rubber softens and the tread is intensively worn out. In winter, the situation is complicated by the fact that the rubber hardens and friction with the road surface, on the contrary, is reduced to a minimum. It is for this reason that many buyers are reluctant to buy all-season tires. But in the case of the Lion Sport HT, things are a little different.
Due to its special composition, the rubber retains the same parameters of the elasticity of the tread, regardless of the ambient temperature. That is, these tires are less tanned in winter and do not melt in summer. Nevertheless, the manufacturer notes that the optimal temperature range for the operation of these tires is from 77F to 23F.
In summary, the Lion Sport HT is a truly all-season tire that rides well on dry and wet roads. However, on loose snow, these tires also provide acceptable handling characteristics.
About practicality
In our understanding, practical tires can be called those that demonstrate the optimal combination of price, quality, and duration of use. And judging by customer reviews, the Lion Sport HT is the most practical tire. That is, to make it clear, they are chosen by those buyers who do not intend to overpay for well-known brands, but also do not want to save on the quality of the purchased goods.
These tires are durable and well worth the money you spent on purchasing them. For the record, the Lion Sport tire manufacturer's warranty is 45,000 miles. As for the prices, just check how much these tires cost from your nearest dealer and you will surely be surprised.
Conclusion: Lion Sport HT tires are the choice of the practical buyer!
About design features and production materials
Much of Lion Sport HT's performance benefits come from its technological design and a special selection of manufacturing materials. For example, in the construction of these tires, a combined carcass is used, in which polymer and metal fibers are combined. Unlike the all-metal frame, the combined frame is no less durable but weighs less.
The tires are tubeless, and therefore a uniform thin latex layer is applied on the inner surface, which excludes tire depressurization with a small breakdown. Thanks to the uniform application of the inner layer, the tire is very balanced. This provides some additional benefits, which we will discuss below.
As previously stated, the main purpose of the Lion Sport HT tires is for use on light trucks and SUVs. These tires are designed to be used on asphalt roads, primarily in urban areas. With this in mind, the tread was molded with rubber that is both abrasion resistant and provides dynamic acceleration and braking. This is very important given the fact that movement in city traffic is usually associated with frequent starts and brakes.
As you may have noticed, the tread in the Lion Sport HT tires is not very pronounced. This is because the tires are not off-road. However, such a tread is a complex system of longitudinal and lateral grooves that effectively drain moisture from the middle of the center rib to the sidewalls. This is a very important quality considering that tires are used in different weather conditions.
Fuel economy
Earlier it was written about the practicality of these tires, however, it should be added that they allow you to save fuel!
Lion Sport HT is a very balanced tire that minimizes rolling resistance. Consequently, the engine runs under less load compared to using less balanced tires. By the way, it is believed that when using all-season rubber, fuel consumption, on the contrary, increases and, perhaps, this is true. But thanks to the Lion Sport HT all-season tires, fuel consumption is reduced by about 10% compared to using other all-season tires.
Driving comfort
As Lion Sport HT tires are primarily installed on light trucks used as commercial vehicles, driving comfort is more demanding. For example, these tires produce significantly less noise than other budget tires. This is partly due to the efficient design that dissipates vibrations and partly to the low tread height. Therefore, the interior of the car feels much less noise compared to other all-season tires.
Good handling also has a positive effect on driving comfort. The tires demonstrate excellent directional stability and you do not have to constantly steer - the car goes like on rails. All this makes it easier for the driver, especially if the car is used for work and long journeys.
Let's summarize
You may not be familiar with the products of the Chinese brand LEAO and therefore may be suspicious of the Lion Sport HT tires. But take your time and read the customer reviews, you may decide to buy these particular tires.
Yes, the car tires presented in this model line are not very well known, but such tires are sold today by many large dealers in different countries of the world, including the USA and Canada. And probably these tires will be a pleasant discovery for you, of course, if you are a practical buyer.