If you’ve got a sports sedan, coupe or sporty crossover that’s capable of responsive handling and sharp cornering, one of the best ways to really get the most out of your vehicle’s performance is to invest in a set of summer tires or ultra-high-performance (UHP) tires. These tires are designed for precise cornering, steering response that’s light and direct, and shorter braking distances, but they have a disadvantage: they use a tread formulation that’s softer and “stickier” (sometimes about as soft as a pencil eraser) for enhanced grip on wet or dry pavement. The biggest problem with that tread compound is that it will stiffen and lose traction on colder days, which is why tire manufacturers advise against using summer or UHP tires if temperatures are below 40-45 degrees F. That means you’ll have to dismount those tires, exchange them for all-season or all-weather tires, and then figure out where you’re going to store them for the next few months. The ideal solution in this situation would be a set of UHP all-season tires.

With UHP all-season tires, you’d have the versatility of year-round performance that’s suitable for about every kind of road condition other than heavy snow, along with a quiet and refined ride, great wear properties, good road manners and the kind of handling, braking and cornering ability you’d expect from a UHP tire. That brings us to the Pantera Sport A/S, a tire that delivers on all the above, and at a surprisingly affordable price point. We found it to be suitable for an average SimpleScore of 7.8. But don’t just take us at face value on that; let’s go in for a closer look with this Pantera Sport A/S review:

Features and Benefits

Here are some of the features and innovations that make the Pantera Sport A/S a standout performer that offers great value:

• Silica-rich, next-generation rubber compound is designed for long, even wear and enhanced traction on wet pavement, resulting in an average longevity SimpleScore of 7.6
• Tread pattern and construction ensure low rolling resistance, thereby enhancing fuel economy
• Circumferential and angled grooves channel water away from the tire’s contact patch to resist hydroplaning
• Tread pitch randomized and computer-tuned to cancel certain frequencies and resonances, keeping road noise muted
• Solid center rib delivers good straight-line stability, road manners, and sharp and responsive steering, leading to an average handling SimpleScore of 8.7
• Footprint optimized and redesigned to put more rubber in contact with the road for even wear properties, good handling and braking performance
• Covered by 45,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty
• Shoulders and sidewalls are reinforced to give the Pantera Sport A/S the rigidity it needs for decisive cornering ability
• Dense network of sipes multiplies the tread’s surface area and traction with hundreds of extra biting edges to slice through water, snow, and slush, resulting in an average traction SimpleScore of 7.4

Pros and Cons

When it comes to the Pantera Sport A/S, this is a tire where the pros definitely outweigh the cons, as visible below:

PROS:

• Cornering is accurate and predictable, with a slight tendency toward understeer or oversteer
• Backed by a generous treadwear warranty of 45,000 miles
• Dependable traction and grip on wet or dry roads
• Great wet traction
• Ride is refined and quiet
• Large contact area for high stability and control

CONS:

• Not good in heavier winter weather
• Can be noisy on some pavement surfaces

SimpleTire’s view on Pantera Sport A/S tires

Are you familiar with SimpleTire’s SimpleScore system? SimpleScore is the ratings system that the SimpleTire team developed to give you a quick at-a–glance idea of a tire’s capabilities and strong points. We look at the tire’s specs, customer reviews and other data points, then distill that info into a 1-10 numerical score. For the Pantera Sport A/S, its SimpleScore numbers are:

Traction: 7.8 Handling: 8.1 Longevity: 7.7 Overall average SimpleScore: 7.8

When you’re looking for accurate, sharp handling for a sporty sedan, coupe or crossover, it’s a big plus if that tire can offer year-round grip and a controlled, refined ride. In the case of the Pantera Sport A/S, its internal construction gives it great stability and road manners at highway speed, and the reinforced shoulders and sidewall assure that its tread stays planted firmly on the road even during hard maneuvers.

Ride quality with the Pantera Sport A/S is a little firm, but controlled and composed even on rough or uneven pavement. The tuning of the tread pitch and randomized tread blocks help in neutralizing certain frequencies and overtones, keeping road noise muted. Road manners are stable and secure for straight-line tracking at highway speed, and steering response is quick and light without being too touchy or jittery. Its reduced rolling resistance helps on fuel costs, and the all-season design helps deliver confident grip in wet, dry or wintry conditions (and also looks great on all kinds of vehicles). A 45,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread life warranty adds value too, especially for a tire at this price point.

No, the Pantera Sport A/S doesn’t perform well in deeper snow, as that’s not what a tire like this is designed for. What it does do well, though, is deliver the kind of sharp handling and response you’d expect from a UHP all-season tire, along with year-round performance (and without the hassle of dismounting the tires and having to replace them when the weather turns colder).

Vehicles the Pantera Sport A/S is a good replacement tire for

2013-16 Ford Fusion Energi Titanium 2018-21 Honda Accord 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring 2011 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ 2015-23 Mercedes-Benz C300 2009-11 Acura TSX Base 2007 Hyundai Sonata GLS 2008-09 Pontiac G6 SE