While Laufenn is not a household name in the North American tire marketplace, its parent company Hankook definitely is. But that does not diminish the appeal: this lesser-known sub-brand targets a broader range of consumers by offering lower-cost tires, and who could say no to saving a few bucks? We spent this past summer with one of their highly regarded offerings — the Laufenn S Fit AS, an ultra high-performance (UHP) all-season tire — for a season-long review with one of. our toughest judges.
This toughest of our judges is my 2007 Lexus LS 460. It is a flagship luxury sedan known for being ultra-comfortable, whisper-quiet, and for doing an exceptional job in highlighting every flaw and imperfection from all the tires I have tried over the years. These rubbers not only need to deliver on the comfort promise Lexus makes, but also on the LS 460’s performance aspects, sending 380 horsepower to its rear wheels.
Now, let’s take a look at the tires that are being asked to match these benchmarks. The Laufenn S Fit AS features an asymmetrical tread design for optimal braking performance under all sorts of road conditions, and its compound is specifically made with longevity in mind. Laufenn says that the four wide grooves provide efficient water drainage and I observed plenty of sipes to dispel water from the tire surface. These 235/50/18-sized test tires carry a W speed rating, meaning it can safely reach a maximum speed of 270 km/h. I did not verify this criterion over the course of this evaluation.
Right off the bat, the S Fit AS surprised me with its comfort and quietness. The LS 460 tends to highlight even the slightest shortcomings in these aspects and I came away impressed that I did not lose much ground to the Pirelli Cinturato P7s on the car previously. When I did push these tires, they responded with predictable grip. Keep in mind, they are not as sticky as other tires wearing the same “ultra-high performance” label, but the S Fit AS performed just fine for the task at hand. They also come with decent handling feel, which is much welcomed amongst our team.
Rain was unexpectedly scarce this summer in Ontario, so I did not put too much mileage over wet roads. In the few rainy days we did have, I observed average wet performance and I have no reason to believe they will underperform compared to its peers in the same category. Despite the ‘all-season’ branding, we would still strongly recommend dedicated winter tires in colder and snowy climates.
The Laufenn S Fit AS tires come in a wide variety of sizes spanning from 16 to 20 inches in diameter. They offer a good value as they aim to undercut the major brands including its parent company Hankook. As long as you manage your expectations — these are not dedicated summer performance tires, and these are not winter tires — the S Fit AS are good choice for those who good handling and comfort out of a tire without breaking the bank.
