Are Chinese tires good? What 669 road tests show

"Chinese tires" covers 122 brands in our catalog: the big Chinese makers' own brands (Linglong, Sailun, Triangle, Westlake), their second labels, and house brands with Western-sounding names that are made in Chinese factories (Lexani, Davanti and the European Atlas). In all, 91 of them have been through at least one independent road test. We compared each of their results with the premium and mid-range tires in the same test.

Which tire brands are Chinese?

Most "Chinese tire brands" belong to a handful of large companies. Of the world's 75 largest tire makers, 39 are Chinese or Taiwanese. Two Chinese groups are now in the top 10: ZC Rubber (#9) and Sailun (#10). Linglong is #12 (Tire Business ranking by 2025 sales). Many of their tires are no longer made in China: tariffs pushed production to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Serbia and Morocco.

Some brands people often call Chinese are not:

• Milestar's car tires come from Indonesia.
• Nankang, Maxxis, Kenda and Federal are Taiwanese.
• GT Radial (Giti) is based in Singapore, though most of its tires come from Chinese plants.
• Kumho is Korean, though China's Doublestar controls it.

Premium brands also run factories in China: Continental, Goodyear and Pirelli plants there appear on the EU's 2026 duty list. We class a tire as Chinese by its brand, not by its factory.

What 669 road tests show

Our database holds 669 independent tire tests, each with at least four tires, published between 2009 and 2026 by ADAC, Auto Bild, Auto Zeitung, Auto Express, Tire Rack, Consumer Reports and others. Of these, 254 included at least one Chinese tire, for a total of 743 results from 370 models.

Premium71%

Mid-range42%

Other budget33%

Chinese13%

The only Chinese win in 743 results came from the Linglong Sport Master, in Auto Bild's 2026 braking test of 50 summer tires, which ranked tires on stopping distance alone. No Chinese tire in our database has won a full test.

Where Chinese tires lose, and where they don't

Tests rate a tire in many categories. Below, each result is scored against the best tire in the same test: the best tire gets 100 points, and bigger is better. For braking, 79.6 points means the tire needed 26% more distance to stop than the best one. Only tests with at least one Chinese tire are counted, so all groups faced the same tracks and conditions.

PremiumMid-rangeChinese

Premium94.7

Mid-range90.5

Other budget84.2

Chinese79.6

• Wet braking is the big gap. Chinese tires score 79.6 points, premium tires 94.7 and mid-range tires 90.5. In meters: if the best tire stops in 40 m, a typical premium tire needs 42.2 m and a typical Chinese tire 50.3 m, about 19% more than the premium tire. Curved aquaplaning (hydroplaning in a bend) shows the same gap: 77.0 points against 90.9.
• Dry handling and noise are close to premium. Dry handling scores 97.7 against 99.0, and noise 98.2 against 98.3. The tests do not show that Chinese tires are loud.
• They wear faster. Tread wear scores 62.7, against 83.1 for premium tires and 68.6 for mid-range ones. A cheap tire that needs replacing sooner saves less than its price suggests.
• The gap is smaller on snow than in the rain. Snow braking scores 93.8 against 96.9.

The worst results fall far below the median. Two wet-braking examples from 2026:

• ADAC 2026, winter tires in 185/65 R15: the best tire stopped in 33.5 m; the Rockblade ROCK 868S needed 51.4 m (53% more).
• Auto Bild 2026, winter tires in 245/45 R19: the best tire stopped in 33.0 m; the Triangle Snowlink PL02 needed 50.6 m (53% more).

Have Chinese tires gotten better?

The best of them have. The group as a whole has not improved, because testers now include many more cheap Chinese tires than they used to.

Brand by brand, the picture is clearer. Linglong's typical finish improved from 9.2 of 10 (up to 2019, 16 results) to 7.8 (since 2020, 47 results). Sailun's went from 9.6 to 7.4, and Tracmax's from 9.6 to 8.0. Other brands stayed where they were or slipped.

Linglong Sport Master: best in the wet, last overall

The clearest sign of progress is also the clearest lesson. In ADAC's 2026 summer tire test (225/50 R17, 16 tires), the Linglong Sport Master stopped in 30.1 m in the wet. That was the shortest distance of all, ahead of every premium tire (premium median: 31.8 m). It was second in dry braking. Yet it finished last, 16th of 16. Its predicted tread life was 26,100 km, against 57,800 km for the best tire (Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2), and it used the most fuel.

Auto Bild's 2026 test in 245/45 R19 found the same pattern: the shortest wet braking of 20 tires (39.3 m against a premium median of 43.3 m), the shortest tread life (35,570 km against 63,830 km for the best) and 16th place overall. In Auto Bild's braking test of 50 summer tires, it also had the shortest wet stop of all.

A soft, grippy compound that wears out fast is the opposite of the old "hard Chinese plastic." It is a trade-off, and the tests weigh both sides.

What tests in China show

We also searched the Chinese internet: Baidu, Autohome (汽车之家), Dongchedi, Zhihu and the trade press. Most Chinese "tests" are advertorials (paid articles) with no measurements, or events run by the tire makers themselves. One series is real: since 2013, the Chinese edition of Auto Bild (now the ABV / 此地无垠 channel of its former editor-in-chief) has bought tires in Chinese shops every year and tested them in Europe using Auto Bild's methods.

Wet braking from 100 km/h: the best tire in each test, plus the Chinese tires. Sources: 2019, 2024, 2026.

• Sailun is inconsistent. In 2024 it stopped in 51.34 m, 4th of 9 and ahead of Dunlop, Goodyear and Hankook. In 2026 it was last (52.59 m): when the Continental had stopped, the Sailun was still doing about 46 km/h.
• The Linglong Sport Master bought in China was only 7th of 8 in the wet in 2026 (47.84 m), while a tire with the same name had the shortest wet stop in ADAC's 2026 test in Europe. Tires sold under one name can differ from market to market.
• ZC Rubber, Westlake's maker, sells its tires in China under the Chaoyang name. A Chaoyang won the 2021 test of tires sold online (7.7 of 10, ahead of Pirelli and Continental), and in 2026 another Chaoyang was 3rd in the wet (44.04 m), ahead of Pirelli and Goodyear. Westlake itself has not been tested in China.
• Sentury, which makes Landsail and Lexani tires, did best of the Chinese makers. Its Landsail stopped in 55.4 m in 2019, ahead of Bridgestone and Dunlop, and its Qirin 990 was 3rd overall in 2023 (7.4 of 10).
• Triangle came last in 2019: 69.6 m against 48.5 m for the Michelin Primacy 4.

How far can these tests be trusted? The tires are bought at retail, the methods are Auto Bild's, and the results don't flatter Chinese brands. But each test covers only one size. The 2018 and 2019 tests ran on Continental's own track, and Continental won 5 of the 8 tests from 2017 to 2026. Since 2021, the figures have appeared only in videos. We don't include these tests in our scores because they cover tires sold in China.

The best Chinese tires, by test results

Our road-test score puts every test on one scale: the average tested tire scores 70, and the top 1% score about 98. Only tires with at least two tests are listed. Premium tires typically score in the low to mid 70s.

PremiumMid-rangeBig makers' budget brandsChinese

Summer

Promising, but only one test so far. In their single test, these tires scored at least as well as a typical mid-range summer tire (70). A single test can mislead.

All-season

Promising, but only one test so far. In their single test, these tires scored at least as well as a typical mid-range all-season tire (69). A single test can mislead.

Winter

Promising, but only one test so far. In their single test, these tires scored at least as well as a typical mid-range winter tire (68). A single test can mislead.

The lowest-scoring Chinese tires

For comparison, the median road-test score is 73 for premium summer tires and 56 for Chinese ones. For winter tires, it is 72 for premium and 59 for Chinese.

Chinese tires or the big makers' budget brands?

On a Chinese-tire budget, the real alternative is rarely a Michelin. It is one of the big makers' budget brands: Kormoran, Tigar, Taurus, Riken and Orium (Michelin, made in Serbia); Barum, Matador, Gislaved and Viking (Continental); Sava and Debica (Goodyear); Lassa (Bridgestone, made in Turkey); and the Korean Laufenn (Hankook), Roadstone (Nexen) and Marshal (Kumho). In tests that listed prices, a set of these cost a median 73% of the price of a premium set, and a Chinese set 57%.

The two groups met in 111 tests. Pair by pair, the budget-brand tire finished ahead of the Chinese one 78% of the time: 78% before 2020 and 79% since. In a typical field of 10, the budget brands finish about 7th and Chinese tires about 9th. The budget brands came last in 8% of their tests, Chinese tires in 25%. Again, the gap is mostly in the wet (wet braking: 84.8 points against 79.0, with premium tires at 93.9) and in winter (road-test score 67 against 59). Tread wear (62.5 against 58.9) and noise are about the same.

Debica51%

Sava44%

Lassa44%

Barum43%

Roadstone42%

Gislaved33%

Landsail33%

Matador33%

Viking33%

Laufenn31%

Marshal29%

Dayton27%

Tigar26%

Riken24%

Tracmax22%

Westlake21%

Linglong20%

Zeetex19%

Kormoran17%

Sailun17%

Goodride15%

Triangle13%

Davanti11%

Atlas10%

Rotalla9%

• Debica and Sava (Goodyear), Lassa (Bridgestone) and Barum (Continental) are the best of the budget brands. Their typical finish is 5.4 to 6.1 of 10, mid-field, and they are rarely last.
• Michelin's Serbian brands are barely better than good Chinese ones. Tigar typically finishes 7.7 of 10, Riken 7.9 and Kormoran 8.5, the same as Sailun. In wet braking, Linglong (92.4) and Sailun (87.2) beat Kormoran (82.4), Riken (80.3) and Tigar (77.9). Taurus has only 6 results.
• The Korean brands Laufenn, Roadstone and Marshal sit in between.

If you can spend about a quarter more than Chinese tires cost, Debica, Sava, Barum, Lassa or Laufenn are the safer budget choice, especially for winter. If you can't, a well-tested Linglong or Sailun model is no worse than a Kormoran or Tigar.

Chinese tire brands, one by one

Brands are listed in order of US and UK search interest. "Typical finish" is the median place in a field of 10; "wet A/B" is the share of the brand's EU-labeled sizes with a wet-grip class of A or B.

Ironman

Ironman is the house brand of American Tire Distributors (through Hercules). The factories are not disclosed. Retailers say most of the tires come from China and some from Thailand, Vietnam and Mexico, so treat "Chinese" as likely, not confirmed. Ironman has only one independent test result so far. That result: Ironman IMOVE Gen 2 AS, 17th of 19 (Consumer Reports, 2022). See all Ironman tires we rate.

Lexani

Lexani is a California wheel-and-tire brand. Its tires are made by the Chinese maker Sentury at its plant in Thailand, according to NHTSA recall filings. Lexani has only 2 independent test results so far. The better of the two: Lexani LX-Thirty, 10th of 10 (Auto Bild, 2020). Wet A/B: 11%. See all Lexani tires we rate.

Linglong (and Crosswind, Leao, Atlas outside Europe)

Shandong Linglong is the world's 12th-largest tire maker, with plants in China, Thailand and Serbia. It supplies VW with original-equipment (factory-fitted) tires for the Tiguan in Europe. Linglong has 63 test results. Its typical finish is 8.2 of 10, and it came last in 19% of its tests. Best result: Linglong Sport Master, 1st of 50 (Auto Bild, 2026). Wet A/B: 66%. See all Linglong tires we rate.

Sailun (and Rovelo, RoadX)

Sailun Group is the world's 10th-largest tire maker. It told investors in 2026 that its European orders are now supplied mainly from its plants abroad, in Vietnam and Cambodia. Tire shops say the same for North America. Sailun has 22 test results. Its typical finish is 8.5 of 10, and it came last in 23% of its tests. Best result: Sailun Atrezzo ZSR2, 9th of 52 (Auto Bild, 2025). Wet A/B: 48%. See all Sailun tires we rate.

Westlake and Goodride

Both are ZC Rubber brands, and they often sell the same tire under two names (SA07, Z-107, SW608). Goodride has no connection to Goodyear. Westlake has 29 test results. Its typical finish is 8.1 of 10, and it came last in 21% of its tests. Best result: Westlake SW 608, 15th of 48 (2014). Wet A/B: 38%. See all Westlake tires we rate.

Goodride has 54 test results. Its typical finish is 8.7 of 10, and it came last in 22% of its tests.

Prinx (and Fortune, Austone)

Prinx Chengshan is a Hong Kong-listed maker from Shandong. In 2025, 38% of its output was made in Thailand. Prinx has 3 test results. Its typical finish is 9.0 of 10, and it came last in 33% of its tests. Best result: Prinx Quattura 4S, 21st of 37 (Auto Bild, 2024). Wet A/B: 58%. See all Prinx tires we rate.

Atlas

Two brands share the name. Outside Europe, Atlas belongs to Linglong. In Europe, it is a house brand of the Belgian wholesaler Deldo, made in China. The test results here are for the European Atlas. Atlas has 15 test results. Its typical finish is 9.1 of 10, and it came last in 20% of its tests. Best result: Atlas Sport Green, 12th of 49 (Auto Bild, 2014). Wet A/B: 30%. See all Atlas tires we rate.

Aplus (and Royal Black, Lanvigator, Compasal)

These are Shandong Haohua brands, made in China and Vietnam. Aplus has 7 test results. Its typical finish is 8.7 of 10, and it came last in 29% of its tests. Best result: Aplus A909, 23rd of 35 (Auto Bild, 2023). Wet A/B: 29%. See all Aplus tires we rate.

Landsail and Delinte

Both are Sentury brands, made in China, Thailand and Morocco. Landsail's typical finish is the best of any Chinese brand with 15 or more test results. Landsail has 15 test results. Its typical finish is 7.0 of 10, and it has never finished last. Best result: Landsail Winter Lander, 22nd of 50 (Auto Bild, 2026). Wet A/B: 87%. See all Landsail tires we rate.

Davanti

Davanti is a British brand whose tires are made in Chinese partner factories, including Sentury's. Davanti has 10 test results. Its typical finish is 9.0 of 10, and it came last in 40% of its tests. Best result: Davanti DX390, 5th of 15 (2019). Wet A/B: 76%. See all Davanti tires we rate.

Triangle

Triangle Tyre, based in Weihai, is one of the few big Chinese makers with no plant abroad. Triangle has 27 test results. Its typical finish is 8.8 of 10, and it came last in 30% of its tests. Best result: Triangle WinterX TW401, 5th of 10 (Autonavigator, 2021). Wet A/B: 66%. See all Triangle tires we rate.

iLink (and Grenlander, Fronway)

These are ZODO Tire brands from Shandong, now also made in Cambodia. iLink has no independent road test in our database yet. Wet A/B: 25%. See all iLink tires we rate.

Rotalla and Tracmax

Both are Shandong Yongsheng brands. Yongsheng pays the EU's highest anti-dumping rate (45.3%). Rotalla has 20 test results. Its typical finish is 9.2 of 10, and it came last in 30% of its tests. Best result: Rotalla S210, 31st of 51 (Auto Bild, 2025). Wet A/B: 40%. See all Rotalla tires we rate.

Tracmax has 19 test results. Its typical finish is 8.0 of 10, and it came last in 10% of its tests.

What drivers say about Chinese tires

Owners are much kinder to Chinese tires than the tests are. They rate the 14 Chinese models that have both owner reviews and road tests at 84 out of 100, and premium models at 91, a gap of 7 points. In road tests, the same tires score 53 and 74, a gap of 21. Everyday driving rarely includes an emergency stop on a wet road, and that is where the tests find the difference.

We read 1,403 on-topic posts on Reddit and car forums. People who had driven on Chinese tires were split, leaning slightly positive. Those who hadn't were mostly negative. Typical first-hand posts:

I bought a Peugeot 406 years ago and needed 4 tyres for its MOT. All I could afford at the time were 4 Goodrides. They were fine for 4 months in summer but one day at a roundabout in the wet, the understeer was so bad, I was convinced some HGV had spilt some diesel on the road. I never skimped on tyres after that.

The wife had some Triangle tyres on her 2015 leaf when we bought it. It was genuinely horrible to drive if it was raining. Massive understeer driving normally, wheel spin in a straight line in the wet.

I once tried them on my previous car (Volvo S60). They rode a bit louder than the Michelins I replaced them with but I decided never to purchase them again the first time I had to panic stop with them. They took noticeably longer to stop than the Michelins and the ABS was working overtime to prevent them from locking up. Anecdotal of course, but they didn't inspire confidence at all.

My front tires, sailun atrezzo zsr 2, are completely worn out after not even 2 months since fitting them. Driven about 3700miles / 6000km on them.

Last winter was one of the harshest ones we've had in years. Lots of snow and -30 from January to March. I bought these studded Sailuns for my suv compared to the Nokians I usually buy and I was shocked at how good these tires are. They are ~50% cheaper and offer excellent traction in deep snow and black ice. Perhaps they will not last as long, but they definitely aren't as bad as people make them out to be.

My shop sells roughly 3k tires a year. I have had just as many Goodyears come back with issues as Sailuns. That number is exactly 0. People confuse inexpensive (low cost) with cheap (low quality). Both tires are inexpensive, and anyone pretending that a Goodyear is substantially better than a Sailun has spent more time trolling forums than buying, trying and testing tires.

Nearly three years and 18000 miles on, I am just about to change my Rotalla RU01 Setula tyres for another pair on the front of my 2014 Skoda Rapid 1.2 SE. They have been very good, perhaps the best budget tyres I've ever had on a car in nearly 50 years of driving. I'm no racing driver, mind - just an ordinary guy living in a remote part of the UK with potholed country roads, sometimes doing longer runs. Good cornering, fine in the wet, fairly quiet and well behaved, OK in the Winter too. Wear well, down to 3mm now and little difference from new in handling. Excellent value.

Sailun makes their tires for North America in Cambodia, fwiw. That said, we have next to no issues with their tires at work, one of our absolute best selling brands. I can't talk down on Sailun. Crosswind/Ling Long I can, they were bad.

Common claims, checked against the tests

The EU tire label is a good filter (UK and Europe)

Every tire sold in Europe and the UK carries a label with a wet-grip class from A to E. The maker sets the class itself, but it lines up with the tests better than you might expect. Only 4% of Chinese tire sizes are labeled A for wet grip, against 40% of premium sizes. Half of the Chinese sizes are labeled C.

Among tested Chinese models, those labeled A scored 87.2 points in wet braking (best tire = 100), those labeled B 79.8 and those labeled C 77.5. A Chinese tire with a wet-grip A is a reasonable bet; a C is a warning sign. US tires carry no such label, and the UTQG traction grade on the sidewall is a much coarser measure.

Prices and tariffs

In Auto Bild tests that listed set prices, a set of Chinese tires cost a median 57% of the price of a premium set in the same test, and a mid-range set 82%.

• United States: anti-dumping and countervailing (anti-subsidy) duties on Chinese car and light-truck tires have applied since 2015 and were extended in July 2026. In 2021, after production had moved, the US added anti-dumping duties on tires from Thailand, Korea and Taiwan, and countervailing duties on tires from Vietnam.
• European Union: definitive anti-dumping duties have applied since July 8, 2026 (European Commission): 24.4% for most large makers (Linglong, Sailun, Triangle, ZC Rubber and Sentury, as well as the Chinese plants of Continental, Goodyear and Pirelli) and 45.3% for Shandong Yongsheng and for makers that didn't cooperate with the investigation. A decision on additional anti-subsidy duties is due in December 2026. Chinese tires had 28% of the EU market in 2024.
• United Kingdom: no duties on Chinese car tires.

How to choose a Chinese tire

• Pick a model that has been tested, not a brand. One brand can have a tire in the top half of a test and another dead last.
• Look at wet braking first. It is where cheap tires fall furthest behind, and it is what counts in an emergency.
• In Europe and the UK, look for a wet-grip A or B on the label.
• Factor tread life into the price: a tire that lasts half as long costs twice as much per mile.
• Spend more for a heavy SUV or an EV, for lots of highway driving in the rain, and for real winters.
• For a little-used second car in a dry climate, a well-tested Chinese tire is a sensible way to save.

FAQ

What are the best Chinese tires?

It depends on the season: the best Chinese winter, summer and all-season tires are different models, often from different brands. Here are the top five in each season among tires with at least two tests (road-test score; the average tested tire = 70):

Winter (typical premium tire: 72)

Summer (typical premium tire: 73)

All-season (typical premium tire: 73)

The winter tire with the most evidence behind it is the Linglong Sport Master Winter, with 11 tests. Scores based on two or three tests can shift after the next test, so a gap of a few points means little. By brand, Landsail, Linglong and Sailun have the best typical results.

Are Chinese tires safe?

They meet the same legal standards as other tires, but most need more distance to stop in the wet: about 19% more than a premium tire, on average. The best models are close to mid-range tires; the worst are far behind.

Is Westlake a Chinese tire?

Yes. Westlake belongs to ZC Rubber (Zhongce) of Hangzhou, China's largest tire maker. Goodride is its sister brand.

Where are Sailun tires made?

Sailun is a Chinese company from Qingdao with plants in China, Vietnam and Cambodia. It says its European orders are now supplied mainly from the plants abroad.

Is Sailun better than Michelin?

No. In tests since 2020, Sailun typically finishes 7th–8th of 10, Michelin about 3rd, and Michelin tires finish in the top three in 54% of their tests. The best Sailun models are good value, but not Michelin's equal.

Who makes Ironman tires?

Ironman is a house brand of American Tire Distributors. The factories are not disclosed, but most are reportedly in China.

What tire brands should I stay away from?

Brands with no independent tests at all, and those that keep finishing last. In our data, these brands finished last or second to last in most of their tests: Mazzini (100% of 5 results), Winrun (100% of 8), Double Coin (89% of 9), Antares (83% of 6) and Royal Black (80% of 5).

How we measured

This analysis uses 669 independent tests from our test database, published 2009–2026, each with at least four tires. We convert a tire's place in a test to a 0–1 scale (winner 0, last 1), so that tests of 6 and of 50 tires can be compared. "Typical finish (of 10)" is the median of those values, converted to a field of 10. Category results are points against the best tire in the same test (best tire = 100, bigger is better). For braking, the points are the ratio of stopping distances, so 80 points means a stopping distance a quarter longer than the best. The road-test score comes from our model of all tests (average tested tire = 70) and is the same score shown on our tire pages. Our list of 122 Chinese brands comes from company filings, EU label registrations, NHTSA filings and the trade press, checked in October 2026. Where a brand's factory is not documented, we say so. Owner ratings come from retailer and review sites. Forum and Reddit quotes are verbatim. Data as of October 2026. For how tires in general have improved, see 25 years of road tests.