Summit Ultramax HP A/S vs Armstrong Blu-Trac HP tires

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

Drivers of performance-oriented coupes and sedans and sports cars crave tires that deliver spirited performance, strong grip, superb traction, and inspiring handling to fuel high-speed drives. Ultra-high-performance (UHP) tires are made for such drivers, and if they can be used year-round, the excitement is quadrupled! Say hello to UHP all-season tires that are laced with the sporty DNA of UHP tires and the year-round versatility of all-season tires.

Tight on budget? No problem, brands like Summit and Armstrong are here to keep you entertained without breaking the bank. The Ultramax HP A/S from Summit and Blu-Trac H from Armstrong are great UHP all-season tires that deliver reliable performance in different driving conditions without hurting your wallet.

An American tire manufacturer, Summit has been around for more than 50 years, offering tires for passenger cars, minivans, SUVs, CUVs, light trucks, and trailers in various categories like all-season, all-terrain, UHP all-season, all-weather, and rugged-terrain tires. A member of Tire Alliance Group, Summit delivers high-quality tires at a fraction of the cost, just like Armstrong.

A known name in the American continent, Armstrong has a history of over 100 years of manufacturing world-class quality products. Its tires are famous for their long-lasting tread life and great value. Now owned by ZAFCO International, Armstrong has a wide portfolio of tires with presence in most key categories.

The Summit Ultramax HP A/S features a directional, V-shaped tread design with a solid center rib to maximize high-speed tracking, water evacuation, and long tread life backed by a solid warranty. Conversely, the Armstrong Blu-Trac HP features an asymmetrical tread profile engineered with sub-straight grooves, high-density siping, and innovative silent groove walls that disrupt airflow to reduce road noise while boosting wet-road grip.

So, which is the best? Let’s compare the Summit Ultramax HP A/S vs Armstrong Blu-Trac HP tires on the basis of their performance in our SimpleScore. It’s our in-house scoring mechanism that rates each tire on a scale of 0 to 10 for traction, handling, and longevity. Let’s dive in.

Summit Ultramax HP A/S tires

Designed for passenger cars, SUVs, and sport trucks, the Summit Ultramax HP is an affordable UHP all-season tire built for responsive high-speed control and great wet and dry grip. Its solid center rib delivers accurate steering response while its optimized design reduces cabin noise for a comfortable and quiet ride.

The use of a special silica-infused rubber compound reduces rolling resistance to improve fuel efficiency and protect against uneven wear. Thanks to the four high-angle grooves, the Ultramax HP A/S quickly evacuates water away to mitigate the risk of hydroplaning and boost wet performance. Lastly, it is backed by a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.

Scoring an 8.2 in its overall SimpleScore, the Summit Ultramax HP A/S assures dependable grip, traction, cornering, handling, and high-speed stability with a longer service life.

Get Summit Ultramax HP A/S tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

Armstrong Blu-Trac HP tires

Introduced in 2017, the Armstrong Blu-Trac HP is another dependable UHP all-season tire that delivers great grip, traction, handling, and tread life tracking across dry, wet, and snowy surfaces. Its smart tread layout features extra inner-rib sipes that improve biting traction, reduce vibration, and enhance ride comfort.

To prevent hydroplaning, four wide circumferential grooves quickly remove water from the tread, while special silent groove walls curb road noise. This budget-friendly option includes a robust coverage package featuring a 45,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty, road hazard repair, roadside assistance, and a 30-day money-back trial.

Securing an overall SimpleScore of 8.1, the Armstrong Blu-Trac HP returns solid traction, great handling, and impressive longevity.

Get Armstrong Blu-Trac HP tires at the best deals for your vehicle here

Summit Ultramax HP A/S vs Armstrong Blu-Trac HP tires on traction

High-performance tires provide superior grip and traction on smooth roads. The Summit and Armstrong UHP tires return solid traction in different driving conditions. Let’s see what factors are responsible for their fantastic traction performance, and most importantly, who wins the round.

With an 8.3 score, the Summit Ultramax HP offers effective grip and traction during high-speed runs. Featuring high-angle tread grooves and four wide circumferential grooves, it quickly removes water from the footprint to reduce the risk of hydroplaning and boost wet traction. Its specialized silica rubber compound maintains consistent surface contact to improve overall traction and braking in different driving conditions.

On the other hand, the Armstrong Blu-Trac HP secures a solid 8.0 in traction and assures dependable year-round grip in dry, wet, and light wintry conditions. The specialized inner rib sipes of the tire provide extra biting edges that help it adapt to changing driving conditions and deliver adequate grip on dry, wet, and light wintry surfaces. The presence of four wide circumferential grooves helps clear water from the footprint to mitigate the risk of hydroplaning and improve wet performance.

With a higher score, the traction round winner is the Summit Ultramax HP A/S.

ADVANTAGE: Summit Ultramax HP A/S

Summit Ultramax HP A/S vs Armstrong Blu-Trac HP tires on handling

UHP tires are all about speed and control, making handling a crucial aspect in selecting a tire. The Ultramax HP A/S and the Blu-Trac HP continue their great performance in handling as well. But who is better at offering superior handling, stability, and controlled cornering? Let’s find out.

Scoring an 8.3 in handling, the Summit Ultramax HP A/S offers strong control, stability, and steering response at high speeds. Thanks to a solid center rib, the Summit tire delivers confident high-speed handling and straight-line stability. Tapered tread edges and reinforced sidewalls work in tandem to provide adequate structural rigidity, which ensures optimum control during high-speed cornering and aggressive sprints.

Contrarily, the Armstrong Blu-Trac HP is equally strong and scores the same 8.3, assuring confident lane changing, cornering, and improved year-round control. Delivering impressive high-speed control and straight-line stability, the Armstrong UHP tire provides predictable steering response across dry and wet highways. While its outer shoulder blocks offer confident cornering, they are engineered to incline more towards touring comfort than sportiness.

With both tires scoring the same, the section ends in a tie.

ADVANTAGE: Tie

Summit Ultramax HP A/S vs Armstrong Blu-Trac HP tires on longevity

UHP all-season tires are preferred for their longer service life, and the Summit and Armstrong UHP tires are no different. Both achieve superb ratings in longevity, but one of the tires astonishes with its superior tread life. Let’s do their longevity analysis.

Boasting a superb score of 8.8 in handling, the Summit Ultramax HP A/S offers an excellent service life that promotes uniform wear through its lifecycle. The Summit tire features a unique rubber compound combined with tapered tread edges that strategically distribute driving pressure across the contact patch, leading to uniform wear while limiting premature wear. Providing additional peace of mind, the tire comes backed by 24/7 roadside assistance and a 50,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty.

Conversely, the Armstrong Blu-Trac HP offers a decent longevity score of 8.4. It features inner rib sipes that reduce irregular friction across the contact patch, promoting great wearability throughout its lifespan. The even pressure distribution helps prevent premature wear and maintains consistent long-term performance. The tire is backed by a solid 45,000 mile limited manufacturer tread life warranty alongside a comprehensive protection package.

The Summit Ultramax HP A/S edges out the Armstrong with its extraordinary tread life.

ADVANTAGE: Summit Ultramax HP A/S

When to use each

UHP all-season tires are designed to offer consistent grip, traction, and handling in different driving conditions. The Summit Ultramax HP A/S is a great option for drivers wanting a capable UHP all-season tire that offers superb tread life and improved traction in dry, wet, and light wintry conditions. While the Armstrong Blu-Trac HP offers slightly less traction and longevity, it is still a solid contender in this space.

However, since both tires lack the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) certification, they should not be used in severe winter conditions of deep snow and ice.

While the Summit Ultramax HP A/S is available only in 17-inch size, the Armstrong Blu-Trac HP is available in 15-21-inch rim sizes.

Which one should you choose?

To sum it up, the Summit Ultramax HP A/S turns out to be an overall better tire than the Armstrong Blu-Trac HP (8.2 vs 8.1). However, your selection should be based on your driving habits, needs, and budget, as each tire carries its individual qualities which could appeal to a particular category of drivers.

Let’s have a look at the prices of both tires. For the 235/45R17 97W XL tire size, the cost of a Summit Ultramax HP A/S is around $93, which brings the price of four such tires to about $465. On the other hand, each Armstrong Blu-Trac HP is priced around $84, which means four such tires would cost approximately $336.

Based on SimpleTire, you may choose the Summit Ultramax HP A/S if you:

• Drive vehicles like the Honda Civic, Mercedes-Benz C300, and Audi A4
• Want a UHP all-season tire with better traction (8.3 vs 8.0)
• Prefer a UHP all-season tire with a longer service life (8.8 vs 8.4)

On the other hand, you may go for the Armstrong Blu-Trac HP if you:

• Drive vehicles like the Ford Fiesta, Mazda Miata, or the Volkswagen Jetta
• Prefer a set of UHP all-season tires with a wide range of tire sizes
• Need a set of UHP all-season tires at an affordable price

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.