Drivers everywhere love all-season tires for their versatility; they’re a jack-of-all-trades solution that delivers long wear, year-round performance, a quiet and forgiving ride, and predictable handling. That’s why they’re consistently the single biggest-selling category of tires in America. It’s even better if all-season tires can deliver the kind of response, driver feedback, and cornering ability as summer or ultra-high-performance (UHP) tires, without the nuisance of having to switch them out as soon as temperatures get colder (as is the case with most UHP tires).

Considering how popular all-season tires are, it’s not a surprise that they’re available at every price point, from spendy premium brand tires to lesser-known budget tires. In most cases, it’s a caveat emptor, “you get what you pay for” situation, but that’s starting to change as many affordable all-season tires now offer the kind of features, quality, and performance that used to be found only on more expensive premium tires. One such tire that fits the above description is the Leao Lion Sport HP.

Leao tires come from Pacific Rim manufacturer Linglong, and check many of the boxes you might be looking for in a UHP all-season tire for sedans, minivans, coupes and crossovers. Ready to hear the full rundown on the Leao Lion Sport HP? Let’s go in for a closer look at the Leao Line Sport HP review:

Features and Benefits

Here are a few premium-level features and innovations that make the Leao Lion Sport HP a real standout when it comes to performance and value:

• Next-generation tread compound is designed for long wear and great traction on wet or dry pavement
• Contact patch is redesigned with high-angle tread blocks that put more rubber in contact with the road for even wear, dependable traction and handling, and shorter braking distances
• Four wide circumferential grooves, angled and lateral grooves resist hydroplaning on wet roads by directing water away from the tire’s contact patch
• 40,000 mile manufacturer’s treadwear warranty
• Tread pitch is randomized and computer-tuned to cancel certain frequencies and resonances, keeping road noise to a minimum
• Solid center rib gives a boost to straight-line stability at highway speeds
• Middle ribs increase the steering response
• Large, reinforced shoulder blocks encourage accurate cornering by resisting tread squirm and deformation as the vehicle rounds a curve

Pros and Cons

PROS:

• Very affordable
• Traction on wet or dry roads is commendable
• 40,000 mile manufacturer’s treadwear warranty
• Ride quality is quiet and comfortable
• High stability
• Long tread life

CONS:

• Not good in heavy snow
• Not good off the pavement

SimpleTire’s view on Leao Lion Sport HP tires

If you’re not familiar with SimpleScore, that’s the system that the SimpleTire team has developed to give you a quick at-a-glance idea of a tire’s strengths and weaknesses. We look at specs, reviews, and other data points and then come up with a numerical score from 1 to 10 for the categories of traction, handling, and longevity, along with an overall average SimpleScore for any given tire. For the Leao Lion Sport HP, the SimpleScore ratings are as follows:

Leao Lion Sport HP

Traction: 8.0 Handling: 8.2 Longevity: 7.4 Overall average SimpleScore: 7.8

As you can see, those are some pretty respectable numbers for performance and value for a reasonably priced UHP all-season tire. Wet-weather traction is secure and predictable, with confident braking and accurate handling for lane changes and cornering. Dry-weather handling and traction are even better, with little tendency towards understeer or oversteer (if not quite up to the standards of a UHP tire).

On the highway, the Leao Lion Sport HP is stable and steady as far as straight-line road manners, with a quick and direct steering response that’s not overly touchy or sensitive. Ride quality stays refined and composed even on rough or grooved pavement, and noise levels are generally low (although the Leao might get a little louder on some pavement surfaces). Leao’s tread compound also does a great job of heat dissipation even after hours on the highway, which is important since heat buildup is the enemy of any tire’s tread formulation and internal design.

A 40,000 mile manufacturer’s treadwear warranty is a real strong point for a tire that comes in at this price, making it a great value as well as a solid performer. It’s our opinion that the Leao Lion Sport HP would make a great choice for a wide variety of sedans, minivans, coupes and crossovers, especially for an older vehicle where you might be looking for a dependable set of tires that won’t break the bank.

Vehicles the Leao Lion Sport HP is a good replacement tire for

While the Leao Lion Sport HP isn’t featured as the OEM tire for any new vehicles, it would be a great fit for cars and crossovers like these:

• Acura TSX
• Audi A6
• Buick Encore
• Cadillac CT5
• Chevrolet Sprint
• Chrysler Pacifica
• Dodge Caravan
• Fiat 500
• Ford Focus
• Genesis G80
• Honda Pilot
• Hyundai Sonata
• Kia Sephia
• Mazda 6
• Nissan Rogue
• Subaru Outback
• Toyota RAV4
• Tesla Model 3
• Volkswagen Atlas