Sentury Tires Review: are These Chinese Products any Good?

China is by far the fastest-growing automotive market in the world. Ever since the country’s economy started growing, there was an increased need for new cars. Additionally, this also meant that the market needed tires.

A lot of tires. For that reason, we’ve seen many new manufacturers coming out of China recently. Some of them grew to become some of the largest tire companies in the world; others tried to enter the market with bargain prices and low-quality products. Usually, I don’t recommend Chinese tires. However, I also can’t ignore the fact that some companies invest in building good products.

One of the most popular Chinese brands in the US is definitely Sentury. The company is one of the largest tiremakers in its country. They are so successful that they even planned on opening a manufacturing facility in the US. The plan didn’t come to fruition only because of the trade war between the US and China. A positive development might change their minds, and soon, Sentury might boast about being “Made in the USA.”

Moreover, the brand obviously invested in creating a positive public opinion. Sentury’s website is top-notch, and you can find a lot of information on the technology used in its tires. Contrarily, brands like Kelly Edge or Douglas won’t give you too much information.

Besides, Sentury also has its own R&D department, which means that it develops and tests the tires in-house. That approach is much better than sourcing design and materials from other companies, often with little experience in developing tires. Sentury also boasts about having European engineers on-board, something you won’t often see in cheap tires.

Ultimately, the company has two other brands that operate under its umbrella. Delinte produces SUV and truck tires, but also ultra-high-performance tires. Meanwhile, the Landsail brand produces mostly trucks and off-road tires.

But let’s get back to Sentury and its own portfolio. The lineup isn’t particularly impressive – it features only four models. However, these cover most vehicles on the road in the US today, so that’s not a big issue.

The question is: are they any good? On paper, Sentury has everything it needs to succeed, but let’s see how that translates into the real world. In this article, I’ll revisit every Sentury’s tire and give you a short review. Then, I’ll give you my thoughts on the brand, including the advantages and disadvantages of buying their products.

Sentury Tires Review of 2024

1. Sentury Touring

The “Touring” is Sentury’s bread-and-butter model for compact cars, mid-size sedans, and minivans. It’s an all-season touring tire (obviously) that costs much less than its premium competition. The tire is one of the cheapest touring tires in its category and comparable to other low-cost brands.

According to Sentury, the Touring features a specialized tread compound and a computer-optimized tread pattern, both increasing tread life. Moreover, the rubber maintains flexibility across a wider temperature range, which helps with winter performance. Ultimately, the brand promises rapid steering response, good hydroplaning resistance, and confident performance in winter.

However, I found that the Sentury Touring falters in some categories. It performs excellently on dry pavement, with good steering response and cornering grip. The braking distances also aren’t too long.

Things change when it starts raining, though. You won’t get the same level of sophistication as on premium tires, especially in the corners. Also, stopping distances will be longer. That said, the Sentury Touring fares slightly better than its direct competition, which is praise, I guess?

Winter traction is much worse, though. Snow traction is next to non-existent, and ice traction is laughable. I suggest investing in proper winter tires if you live in areas with harsh wintry conditions.

Furthermore, the Sentury Touring irons-out potholes very well and doesn’t produce a lot of noise. However, the 40,000-mile treadwear warranty is only half of what the premium competition offers.

2. Sentury Crossover

Sentury is very straightforward with its naming strategy – the Crossover tire is designed for crossovers! In many ways, this tire is similar to the touring, apart from the fact that it comes in larger sizes.

The “Crossover” features an all-season tread compound and pattern. However, this is obviously not a tire for harsh wintry conditions since even lighter snow poses a big issue.

On dry surfaces, just like its close relative, it performs just fine. It doesn’t possess class-leading properties for sure, but for the price, it works very well.

Wet handling is also good, but only if you compare the Sentury Crossover to other low-cost tires. Your car will definitely be much safer with a set of tires from reputable manufacturers.

Thankfully, the Crossover rides over bumps very well and doesn’t get very noisy. Again, you will have a better experience with premium tires, but for the money, the Sentury is good.

I can’t say the same for longevity, though. The 40,000-mile treadwear warranty might look good if you consider the price, but premium tiremakers offer almost twice as long miles.

3. Sentury UHP

The conveniently-named UHP is Sentury’s ultra-high-performance tire for drivers of performance compact cars, performance sedans, and sporty cars in general. It comes in sizes ranging from 15-inch to 20-inch wheel diameter, which is a significant range.

In terms of driving pleasure, I was pleasantly surprised by the Sentury UHP. Thanks to the stiff sidewalls, the tire feels very responsive and pointy, aiding in the whole experience.

The grip levels are also okay for the price. Sure, a Michelin Pilot Sport or Bridgestone Potenza tires will be much better, but for the price, the Sentury UHP is very good. Moreover, the tire provides good stopping power and acceleration traction.

That said, performance in rainy conditions isn’t as good. Traction becomes much more limited, and the braking distances are longer. As for snow, Sentury doesn’t provide any information on the tread compound. However, I guess it’s a summer one since there is no traction on snow and ice.

The ride quality is very choppy, though, and the tire can become noisy at highway speeds. The Sentury UHP is definitely not for drivers that want a comfortable experience.

Positively, the 40,000-mile treadwear warranty is excellent for the price. However, don’t expect the tire to last very long.

4. Sentury UHPT

The Sentury UHPT is similar to the UHP; only it’s made for trucks and SUVs. However, the tiremaker doesn’t offer the tire in LT-metric sizes, which means you should avoid towing and hauling heavy cargo.

In terms of drivability, the UHPT performs similarly to its cousin. The tire is very responsive and provides the driver with a good feel from the road. Moreover, dry traction and grip are very good for the price.

Wet traction is not as good, though, especially when compared to premium tires. However, that’s expected from a tire that costs this much.

Snow traction is very bad since the Sentury UHPT utilizes a summer tread compound. In terms of ride, the tire is slightly better than the UHP, but still not excellent. Also, expect noise at higher speeds.

Fortunately, the 40,000-mile treadwear warranty is pretty good for a summer ultra-high-performance tire, although the treadlife probably wouldn’t be as long.

Sentury Tires Review: Buying Guide

1. Sentury Tires Positive Aspects

Very low prices

Sentury’s products cost much less than the premium competition. You won’t find many cheaper tires on the market.

Very good performance on dry roads

All Sentury products provide very good traction, grip, and braking on dry surfaces. Overall, they perform better than similarly-priced competitors.

Better wet traction than other low-cost options

While I wouldn’t call Sentury tires excellent in the rain, they are better than other low-cost competitors.

2. Sentury Tires Negative Aspects

Wet traction is still far behind the renowned competition

If you want the best possible traction on snow, you’ll need tires from renowned manufacturers. Sentury still isn’t on the level of General, Cooper, Kumho, or Hankook.

Snow traction is pretty bad

There is no tire in Sentury’s portfolio that performs well on snowy surfaces. So, if you live in areas with harsh wintry conditions, I would suggest other tire brands.

Longevity is a concern

Customers expect that cheap tires don’t last very long. However, the longevity concerns might make Sentury tires more expensive in the long run since you’ll drive them half as long.

Conclusion

Sentury produces better tires than most of its low-cost competition. However, in my opinion, at least, these tires are still not worth it if you want the safest driving experience possible. Purchasing premium tires will provide you with more traction in every condition, and they will also last much longer.