Sailun TERRAMAX CVR all-weather tires

I have been driving since 1991. (That’s particularly terrifying to write since babies born that year can legally drink. In both Canada and the U.S. Gulp.)

I’ve owned two vehicles: a 1998 Pontiac Sunfire and a 2007 Chevrolet Equinox. I replaced at least 14 tires on the Sunfire during it’s 12-year life.

I never considered investing in winter tires – until I had children. And then, every little slip or slide during the winter months made me nervous. But we’d have a winter like last year, with nary a patch of black ice, and I would convince myself that the cost per use of winter tires just didn’t make sense.

Part of me has always wondered, though, if better all-weather tires would do the trick.

PTPA offered me the opportunity to test the new Sailun TERRAMAX CVR all-weather tires, and while I’m far from a tire or automotive expert (not even close), I was able to test them as a mom who’s concerned about her family’s safety in wet, snowy and icy conditions. I’ll be honest: I’d never heard of the Sailun brand before; but I’m thrilled to tell you about it.

THE GOOD

The first thing I noticed when I got in my car after having the Sailun TERRAMAX CVR tires installed was how quiet they made the ride. I mean, it was hugely noticeable. All of the pre-set volumes (for the radio and the kids’ DVD player) had to be turned down.

They’re also smoother than my last set of tires. Admittedly, I was probably within a year of needing new tires, but there was a significant difference with the Sailuns.

This winter would have made the case for many families to take the plunge and get snow tires. We’ve had more of the white stuff than I can remember in recent years. After each big snowfall, Big B and I reminisce about our childhood memories of winters like this. Our old tires would have felt treacherous in the fresh snow and would have hydroplaned in the messy slush. They were never ideal tires for a typical Canadian winter. The Sailun tires, on the other hand – designed specifically for SUVs and CUVs – handle extremely well in every condition. At times, when I was alone in the car, I would purposely take a corner – in both the rain and snow – far too fast, just to see how the TERRAMAX CVRs would react. They never let me down. I always felt in control (which is important for a control freak like moi). I can say with confidence that I haven’t thought once about getting winter tires since we got these.

I’ve regretted not getting four-wheel drive ever since I bought the Equinox, because there have been more than a few occasions where I’ve found myself stuck in some pretty deep snow. Since putting the Sailun TERRAMAX CVRs on my vehicle, I have yet to be stuck anywhere.

We need to talk price. If you’ve ever had to buy a new set of tires, you know that it’s not a cheap venture. These Sailun tires are just $107 to $185 (depending on the size, not including installation). That’s seriously economical for tires that I consider premium quality.

They are, of course, PTPA-approved!

Because we live way out in the ‘burbs and I work in downtown Toronto once a week, I’ve had many opportunities in the four months that I’ve been testing these tires to try them on all different kinds of roads and at many different speeds. Whether it’s an old country road or the grocery store parking lot or the highway, the TERRAMAX CVRs handle beautifully.

The Sailun website tells me that these tires are supposed to last for 80,000 or 90,000 kilometres. Seriously – I have no idea whether that’s average or not. I just thought I’d mention it in case that’s the kind of information you were hoping to gather from reviews.

Since I have zero technical automotive knowledge, this is going to sound crazy to anyone who does: the tread is, like, super-nice. It’s deep and curvy and really tread-y.

THE GAFFE

Sailun tires are made in China. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as long as the company treats employees ethically and conducts solid quality assurance on its products.

I don’t know if it was pure coincidence, or if it had anything to do with the size Sailun had in stock that was just ever-so-slightly different from the size I needed, but two days after we had the TERRAMAX CVR tires installed, one of the tire shafts busted and left my rear-left tire flat one morning. (Thank goodness for CAA!) Our mechanic couldn’t pinpoint the problem, and had it fixed $25 later. We haven’t had an issue since.

THE GEARS

4.5/5

So…where can you buy it?

• Use Sailun’s excellent dealer locator