Armstrong Tru-Trac SU vs Sumitomo Encounter HT2 tires

Armstrong vs Sumitomo: Which all-season tire is right for you?

Armstrong is a century-old tire maker that ZAFCO now owns. It offers top-quality products under different categories such as all-season, all-terrain, UHP all-season, touring, highway, mud-terrain, and winter. On the other hand, Sumitomo is a Japanese tire manufacturer that, too, is a great option for drivers wanting a reliable option without breaking the bank.

Highway-terrain tires are preferred by SUV and light truck drivers due to their versatile nature and year-round usability. The Tru-Trac SU from Armstrong and Encounter HT2 from Sumitomo are highway-terrain, all-season tires designed to provide long-lasting comfort, year-round traction, and stable handling for CUVs, SUVs, and light trucks. Both models prioritize low road noise, predictable wet braking, and solid durability.

While the Armstrong Tru-Trac SU focuses on improving mileage efficiency and responsive driving, the Sumitomo Encounter HT2 leans more towards heavy-duty durability and hauling capacity. Both are backed by solid mileage warranties, ensuring great value for money. The Armstrong tire features cross-linked sipes and rigid shoulder blocks for effective dry cornering and wet braking, while the Sumitomo tire comes with a jointless nylon cap ply and wave-shaped lateral sipes to maintain structural stability under heavy payloads and high highway speeds.

So, which one makes more sense? Let’s compare both tires on the basis of their performance in our SimpleScore, which is our in-house rating system that rates each tire on a scale of 0 to 10 for traction, handling, and longevity. Let’s dive into the Armstrong Tru-Trac SU vs Sumitomo Encounter HT2 tires comparison to help you decide better.

Armstrong Tru-Trac SU tires

Launched in October 2017, the Armstrong Tru-Trac SU is an all-season tire that is designed for CUVs and SUVs and provides great year-round performance across dry, wet, and light winter conditions. Its optimized design lowers rolling resistance to improve fuel efficiency, while a solid structural design prevents tread block squirm and tire deformation under heavy loads.

Backed by an excellent manufacturer tread life warranty of 65,000 miles, it offers dependable performance, ride stability, and long-lasting value for daily commuting. Additionally, the Tru-Trac SU is fine-tuned for stable road tracking on wet roads and light snow.

With an 8.4 overall SimpleScore, the Armstrong Tru-Trac SU assures great grip, traction, stability, and a longer service life.

Get Armstrong Tru-Trac SU tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

Sumitomo Encounter HT2 tires

Introduced in March 2022 as the successor to the original Encounter HT, the Sumitomo Encounter HT2 is a highway-terrain, all-season tire designed for CUVs, SUVs, and light trucks. Engineered with driving comfort in mind, the Encounter HT2 features curved shoulder grooves that absorb road vibrations and reduce noise for a quieter cabin environment.

The Sumitomo tire offers precise handling and confident braking capabilities on both wet and dry pavement to ensure a controlled drive. Multiple sipes and wide circumferential grooves facilitate rapid water evacuation to resist hydroplaning and boost wet traction. Additionally, the tire is backed by a generous 60,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.

Securing an overall SimpleScore of 8.1, the Sumitomo Encounter HT2 returns adequate grip, control, traction, handling, and a longer tread life.

Get Sumitomo Encounter HT2 tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

Armstrong Tru-Trac SU vs Sumitomo Encounter HT2 tires on traction

Traction is the ultimate aspect of a tire that separates safe from unsafe tires. The Armstrong Tru-Trac SU and Sumitomo Encounter HT2 offer sufficient grip and traction in different weather conditions. But one tire is better than the other; let’s see who wins the traction race.

Securing an 8.0 in traction, the Armstrong Tru-Trac SU features an all-season rubber compound and cross-linked sipes that help deliver effective grip in wet and light winter conditions. The cross-linked sipes also enhance braking performance on slick surfaces. Additionally, four wide circumferential grooves quickly drain water out of the contact patch to mitigate hydroplaning and ensure stable wet driving.

Scoring a solid 7.6 traction score, the Sumitomo Encounter HT2 is ideal for highway driving as it features wave-shaped sipes and four wide grooves to quickly remove water and improve grip on dry and mildly wet roads. However, its overall grip isn't quite as strong as the Armstrong tire when faced with more demanding driving conditions.

With a higher score, the Armstrong Tru-Trac SU secures the traction round.

Advantage: Armstrong Tru-Trac SU

Armstrong Tru-Trac SU vs Sumitomo Encounter HT2 tires on handling

Handling is all about control and stability at highway speeds. The Armstrong and Sumitomo all-season tires are decent in this regard, but again, one of the tires offers superb steering response and predictable handling. It’s time to find out the handling gem of the two.

Achieving an 8.6 in handling, the Armstrong Tru-Trac SU features rigid shoulder blocks that maintain steady cornering control and high-speed highway tracking. Stiffer sidewalls effectively absorb road impacts to enhance overall ride comfort. Together with cross-linked siping, this structure provides predictable steering, adequate balance, and controlled wet braking.

Scoring 7.8 in handling, the Sumitomo Encounter HT2 prioritizes comfort and stability over sharp steering feedback. It uses an optimized tread pattern and reinforced construction for controlled highway driving. While it ensures steady driving, the steering response feels less crisp and slightly less engaging compared to the Armstrong tire, making it better suited for relaxed cruising.

The Armstrong Tru-Trac SU continues its strong run and beats the Sumitomo yet again to win the handling round. It’s 2-0.

Advantage: Armstrong Tru-Trac SU

Armstrong Tru-Trac SU vs Sumitomo Encounter HT2 tires on longevity

All-season tires are preferred for two things – year-round performance and a longer service life. For budget buyers, the Tru-Trac SU and Encounter HT2 are great options when tread life is on your mind.

Boasting an incredible 9.3 in longevity, the Armstrong Tru-Trac SU offers superb durability and a strong backing of an excellent 65,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty. It utilizes block-stabilizing tread design paired with an optimized pressure-distribution contact patch, which resists irregular wear, ensures even wear, and improves overall mileage.

Backed by a 60,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, the Sumitomo Encounter HT2 scores a superb 8.8 in tread life and reassures that it is built for long-term endurance. Its reinforced internal construction, twin steel belts, and durable rubber compound significantly improve wear resistance. Lastly, its robust design allows it to last longer under heavier loads and consistent highway use.

Scoring an exceptional score, the Armstrong Tru-Trac SU seals the comparison with a final knockout punch as it bags the longevity round, too.

Advantage: Armstrong Tru-Trac SU

When to use each

All-season tires are meant to deliver reliable grip, traction, handling, and tread life in different driving conditions, including dry, wet, and light snow. Both tires, the Armstrong Tru-Trac SU and the Sumitomo Encounter HT2, offer decent performance, but the former should be picked for its outstanding service life and great traction and handling. However, they should not be used in severe winter weather conditions, where the temperature is below 45 degrees for most of the year.

The Armstrong Tru-Trac SU is available with a wide range of tire sizes, including 16 – 24 inches, while the Sumitomo Encounter HT2 comes in 16 – 22 inch tire sizes.

Which one should you choose?

To sum it up, the Armstrong Tru-Trac SU is an overall better tire (8.4 vs 8.1) than the Sumitomo Encounter HT2. However, each tire carries its own characteristics and features which should be considered and matched with your requirements, driving habits, and budget.

That said, let’s compare the prices of the 225/55R19 99V tire size: the cost of each Armstrong Tru-Trac SU is around $118, which brings the price of four such tires to $472. On the other hand, one Sumitomo Encounter HT2 costs around $198, which means four such tires would cost you approximately $792.

Based on SimpleScore, you should buy the Armstrong Tru-Trac SU if you:

• Drive vehicles like the Acura MDX, RAM 3500, and the Ford Escape
• Want a budget-friendly all-season tire
• Prefer an all-season tire with great traction (8.0 vs 7.6) and handling (8.6 vs 7.8)
• Want outstanding longevity (9.3 vs 8.8)
• Need a tire that offers a longer mileage warranty (65,000 vs 60,000 miles)

On the other hand, you may go for the Sumitomo Encounter HT2 if you:

• Drive vehicles like the Toyota 4Runner, Audi Q5, and Dodge Durango
• Want an all-season tire with 16 - 22 inches tire sizes
• Prefer an all-season tire with reliable year-round performance

Still not sure which tire to buy? Fortunately, SimpleTire is here to help, as our helpful agents are more than happy to assist you in selecting the right tire for your ride and budget.