Royal Black Explorer II review
Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners
Owners 77 · 4 reviews analysed Road tests 40 · 1 test
How scores workAdd your size for an exact match
The Amazon link then searches this exact size.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
The Royal Black Explorer II generally receives highly favorable reviews from users, who praise its reliable performance and exceptional value across various driving conditions. While dry grip is considered secure and wear appears promising, drivers note that caution should be exercised in wet weather depending on vehicle weight.
Owners rate it 36.9 points higher than the instrumented road tests do — see the two score breakdowns below for where they disagree.
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews found online; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
How scores work
- Relative score
- 0–100. Blends road tests (60%) and owner reviews (40%) category by category, the same way on every TireWheelGuide page. With only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from it, so the score stays closer to average. It needs at least one road test or five owner reviews.
- Road tests
- 0–100 per score, from published tests, newer tests counting more. Each result is compared with every other tire in the same test, so a win against a strong field counts for more. The average tested tire gets 70, the best 100; with only one or two tests a tire stays nearer 70. The discipline rows show % of the best tire in that test.
- Owner reviews
- 0–100 from the owner reviews we found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates and scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70. With only a few reviews a tire stays near the average.
By owner reviews
77/100From 4 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.
By road tests
40/100Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.
What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 4 owner reviews found online.
The Royal Black Explorer II generally receives highly favorable reviews from users, who praise its reliable performance and exceptional value across various driving conditions. While dry grip is considered secure and wear appears promising, drivers note that caution should be exercised in wet weather depending on vehicle weight.
Pros
- Reliable performance and handling in all weather conditions
- Good dry grip
- Exceptional price-to-quality ratio
- Favorable early tread wear characteristics
Cons
- Requires extra caution in wet conditions, particularly on heavier vehicles
- Limited feedback on extreme handling or limits due to conservative driving styles
Worth knowing
- Users driving heavier SUVs on 235/50/19 XL sizes report adequate wet grip but advise taking extra care due to vehicle weight.
Reviews from our readers
Drivers who have these tires on their car, in their own words. We check every review before it goes live.
No reviews from our readers yet
Driving on the Royal Black Explorer II? Tell other drivers how it grips, rides and wears.
Write a review
Thanks! Your review will appear here once we have checked it, usually within a few days.
1 published test appearance
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2025 Summer tire Test Shootout · 225/40 R18
51st of 52
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 51st of 52 | |
| Dry Braking | 50th of 52 |
Source: Auto Bild
Other tires to consider
Ranked by our Relative score, weighed against how many reviews and tests stand behind it.
Top rated summer tires
More from Royal Black
All Royal Black tires
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.