Just like with sedans, coupes, minivans and crossovers, all-season tires for light trucks and SUVs make the best sense for a lot of reasons. All-season tires deliver a versatile one-stop-shopping solution for most drivers; that means great wear properties, dependable traction in about every kind of situation except for deep snow, a quiet and forgiving ride, capable handling and stable, predictable road manners. That’s why all-season tires are the most popular, biggest-selling segment of the tire market, year in and year out, for both light trucks and passenger cars. Seeing how much demand there is for all-season tires, it’s not surprising that there are so many of them to choose from, starting with high-end premium brand tires and going all the way down to more affordable and less-familiar brand names. The good news is that now many of those affordable tires can be found with a lot of the same features and performance you’d expect from premium brand all-season tires, and the Leao Lion Sport 4x4 HP is a great example. But there’s no reason to just take us at our word on that; let’s use this Leao Lion Sport 4x4 HP review to have a closer look.

Features and Benefits

Here are some of the innovations and features you can expect with the Leao Lion Sport 4x4 HP that make it a strong and valuable performer for pickup trucks and SUVs:

• Footprint redesigned and optimized to put more rubber in contact with the road for improved braking, handling, road manners and wear patterns
• Advanced tread compound is designed for good wet-weather traction and long, even wear
• Symmetric all-season tread pattern with deep, wide circumferential grooves and angled grooves that resist hydroplaning by evacuating water from the tire’s contact patch in wet weather
• 40,000 mile limited manufacturer’s treadwear warranty
• Solid center rib enhances straight-line road manners and boosts steering response
• Tread pitch is randomized and computer-tuned to help keep road noise to a minimum by canceling certain frequencies and overtones
• Dense network of sipes multiplies the tread’s surface area and traction with hundreds of tiny hair-thin biting edges to dig into snow, slush, and standing water
• High initial tread depth for long service life and dependable traction
• Polyester casing with twin steel belt package and nylon cap ply layer for good ride quality, stability, and durability
• Shoulder reinforced for capable cornering, reducing deformation and tread squirm during hard maneuvers

Pros and Cons

PROS:

• Good wet grip
• Ride quality is quiet and compliant
• Great ride quality
• Backed by a 40,000 mile limited manufacturer’s tread warranty
• Stable at high speeds
• Generous treadwear coverage
• Handling, traction and braking on wet or dry pavement are all predictable and confident

CONS:

• Can be noisy over certain pavement surfaces
• Not good in heavier snow or winter weather

SimpleTire’s view on Leao Lion Sport 4X4 HP tires

Considering the glut of all-season tires on the market, it’s no surprise that most of the less expensive tires are like caveat emptors. You will be able to identify with the common “you get what you pay for” saying with regards to performance and features. It’s good to know that there are less-priced all-season tires like the Leao Lion Sport 4x4 HP that really do deliver lots of value and meet drivers’ expectations.

Are you familiar with SimpleTire’s SimpleScore system? SimpleScore is the rating method our team devised to give you a quick at-a-glance idea of a tire’s strengths and weaknesses. We look at the tire’s spec sheet, reviews and other data points, then use that information to arrive at a numerical value from 1-10 for the categories of traction, handling and longevity, as well as an overall average SimpleScore for any given tire. For the Leao Lion Sport 4x4 HP, the SimpleScore numbers are as follows:

Traction: 8.1 Handling: 8.3 Longevity: 7.5 Overall average SimpleScore: 7.9

Those are some pretty impressive numbers for any tire, let alone one that’s priced as affordably as the Leao Lion Sport 4x4 HP. Here at SimpleTire, we’ve been impressed by the consistent grip that the Leao delivers on wet or dry pavement, the kind of traction that inspires a feeling of security and confidence on the highway. Cornering is surprisingly precise and predictable, and the solid center rib gives the Leao steering response that’s nimble and direct without ever feeling jumpy or jittery. Ride quality is composed even over rough and uneven pavement, and straight-line stability at highway speed is as dead-on and secure as if the vehicle in question is a freight locomotive riding on rails.

The flatter, wider, longer footprint means that the Leao tire delivers short braking distances and even wear properties, with the right tire rotation schedule and tire maintenance. Its internal construction of polyester casing/steel belt package/nylon cap ply layer help ensure great stability and durability, enough for a 40,000 mile manufacturer’s treadwear warranty (a real plus when you consider many tires at this price point don’t offer treadwear warranties at all).

We’ll admit that the Leao can get a little noisy and drone-y on certain pavement surfaces, and that despite the pattern of sipes, it can lose traction in heavier snow and slush. But to be real honest, heavier winter weather isn’t what most all-season tires that don’t have the M+S or 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake rating are designed for. What you can expect with the Leao Lion Sport 4x4 HP, though, is an all-season tire that’s surprisingly capable and competent at what it does. It’s a great deal on an all-season tire, at a price that would make it a great choice for an older vehicle where you wouldn’t want to empty out a bank account to put a set of tires on it.

Vehicles the Leao Lion Sport 4X4 HP is a good replacement tire for

• Chevrolet Tahoe
• Dodge Durango
• Ford Excursion
• GMC Sierra
• Jeep Gladiator
• Nissan Titan
• RAM 2500
• Toyota Land Cruiser FJ
• Ford Expedition
• Honda Pilot
• Kia Sportage
• Mitsubishi Montero
• Kia Soul
• Hyundai Kona
• Subaru Outback
• Toyota 4Runner