Laufenn S Fit AS is an ultra-high-performance(UHP) tire that offers year-round performance. The tire is specially designed for performance-focused sedans, sports cars, and sports coupes.
Laufenn is a sub-brand of Hankook. If you’re interested in the tire business, you probably heard that Hankook is on the march. Last three years, they made a big investment and reap the reward.
So, the parent brands like Hankook see their sub-brands as a new sales channel as well as a development center. Laufenn S Fit AS is the first product of this development center and I strongly believe that it’s a great start.
If you’re looking for an affordable high-performance tire, let me introduce you to one of the best you can get!
At a Glance
| Laufenn S Fit AS | |
|---|---|
| Best for | Mostly warm regions, Handling & smooth driving focused drivers, MPG improvement without sacrificing handling capability Longevity focused users |
| Pros | Smooth driving, dry performance, Works perfectly above 7 Celcius degrees |
| Cons | Its wet performance is poor under 7 Celcius degrees, Its winter performance isn’t reliable |
| Vehicle | High-powered sedans, Sport coupes, Sports cars, SUV, CUV |
| Available Sizes | 16”, 17”, 18”, 19”, 20” (Check if it fits your vehicle) |
| Made In | Indonesia |
| Warranty | 45,000 miles |
| Prices | TireRack: Check Price DiscountTire: Check Price SimpleTire: Check Price Amazon: Check Price |
As a former Bridgestone engineer, from my standpoint, Laufenn S Fit AS is a unique performance tire if you’re focused on handling and fuel efficiency. Since Laufenn focuses on fuel efficiency in this tire, they use fewer sipes on this tire. Hence, its wet and winter performances are poor below 7 Celcius degrees. However, if you’re living in a warm region, these tires are a great option for you. Laufenn S Fit AS lasts long. Yet, due to its variable shoulder block design, it’s slightly noisy at low speeds but deaf at high speeds.
All-Season Tires Cheat Sheet
My team & I have analyzed 100 different tires and generated this ‘Quick Answer Sheet‘ for those who don’t wanna spend too much time during tire selection.
Before we start, here are the incredibly helpful articles I highly recommend to take a look at;
- How to keep tire noise down:
https://www.discounttire.com/learn/tire-noise - Fuel-Efficiency:
https://www.discounttire.com/learn/rolling-resistance - What to Expect from 3PMSF Tires?
https://www.discounttire.com/learn/mountain-snowflake-symbol
If you’re in a hurry, here are the tires worth every penny;
- Michelin Crossclimate 2 – Best for All-Round & Heavy Snow
- Michelin Primacy Tour A/S – Best All-Round & Moderate Snow
- Nokian WRG4 – Best for Comfort & Heavy Snow
- Nokian WRG4 SUV – Best for Comfort & Heavy Snow
- Bridgestone WeatherPeak – Best for All-Round & Moderate Snow
- Goodyear ComfortDrive – Best All-Round & Light Snow
- BF Goodrich Advantage T/A Sport – Best for Longevity & Light Snow
Depending on your needs, the below article might help;
- https://tireterrain.com/best-all-weather-tires-for-snow/
- https://tireterrain.com/bridgestone-vs-michelin/
- https://tireterrain.com/best-michelin-tires-for-suv/
I highly recommend checking the below pages out before making any purchase:
- DiscountTire Deals:
https://www.discounttire.com/promotions - TireRack Deals:
https://www.tirerack.com/specialoffers - SimpleTire Deals:
https://simpletire.com/tire-deals
Dry Traction
First of all, I would like to share my opinion about UHP tires. They’re just all-season tires that have stronger sidewalls. That’s it. In my point of view, the all-season tire concept is totally the opposite of the performance tire concept. For sure, brands like Michelin, Bridgestone, and Continental can optimize these tires perfectly. Yet, these are just all-season tires that offer higher speed ratings and cornering stability. That’s it.
Why I’m talking about them in this section? Because if your expectations are racing or great handling on high velocity, you’re in the wrong place. You need a slick summer performance tire.
On the other hand, besides the longevity, if you just like the appearance and your expectations are just safety while driving slightly aggressively, let’s move on!
Laufen S Fit AS’s compound is labeled with A-rating regarding traction. So, its traction capability is great.
Regarding dry traction, putting as much rubber on the ground works best. Besides that, compound stiffness is the game-changer. Luckily, Laufen S Fit AS has a soft compound like every other ultra-high-performance tire(500 UTQG rating).
Unlike most UHP tires, Laufen S Fit AS doesn’t have a blocky pattern which increases the rubber on the ground. For this reason, I can confidently say that even if you’re changing from all-season tires, you’ll not notice any decrease in dry traction.
Laufen S Fit AS offers great dry traction.
Handling
The handling capability of UHP all-season tires is crucial.
The handling capability of the tires can be evaluated under two different features.
The first one is responsiveness, also known as steering response.
The second one is cornering stability. This kinda shows your tire’s ability to stay stable under high speeds.
Let’s evaluate them one by one.
Steering Response
Steering response is related to compound stiffness and tread design.
Well, I have to admit that, UHP all-season tires have an advantage out here. All-season performance tires have a stiff compound for performance tires. Hence, these tires flex less and provide a quicker steering response.
In this case, the real game changer is the center rib design. Manufacturers mostly keep center ribs robust and solid. Just like Laufen S Fit AS has.
Moreover, Laufen S Fit AS’s ribs are connected to the tire bars that reduce the flex and accelerating the steering response. Moreover, Laufen S Fit AS’s tread depth is lower than the competition. It’s a bad omen for tread life but increases the responsiveness significantly, especially for the tires that have a fluffy compound.
Even though these are enough for a decent steering response, responsiveness is also highly related to cornering stability.
I can confidently say that Laufen S Fit AS offers a trustworthy steering response, though, I’ll share a couple of extra pieces of information in the below section.
Cornering Stability
Cornering stability is mostly related to the inner structure. Hence, most performance tires have a decent record.
In that case, two steel belt construction works best. For this reason, it has a common use. Well, Laufenn uses the same design for S Fit AS also. However, the X factor out here is different.
Laufen uses a jointless nylon cap that fully covers the steel belts and meets with a high-hardness bead filler that reduces the flex and offers better cornering stability.
Laufen S Fit AS offers reliable cornering stability. That feature makes it a good option for SUVs and CUVs that puts performance over the tread life.
Wet Performance
This section is actually the reason why I don’t like all-season performance tires.
The wet performance requires a fluffy compound or a notched rubber. Though, compounds do most of the work.
In fact, summer tires work better on wet because of this reason. The fluffy compound offers a better grip on wet.
The above reasons are important for wet traction. Yet, hydroplaning resistance is another feature that is highly crucial for high-speed driving.
Let’s move on and talk about them one by one.
Wet Traction
Wet traction is related the compound stiffness and there’s a solid way to understand it.
Checking UTQH rating. Laufenn S Fit AS has a 500 AA UTQG rating. The first A out here stands for the wet traction.
In this case, what you have to pay attention to is in which conditions the above sentence is valid. Above 7 Celcius (44.6° Fahrenheit) degrees.
If the tire doesn’t have 3PMSF, its compound sometimes can lose grip capability. Well, LAufenn S Fit AS doesn’t have.
In order to avoid this, manufacturers use highly notched rubber on performance all-season tires. However, Laufen S Fit AS isn’t one of these tires.
Laufenn S Fit AS has big shoulder blocks and a continuous rib design that increase the comfort level but decreases the biting edge intensity, hence, slippery ground grip.
Laufen S Fit AS offers decent wet traction for warm regions. However, under 7 Celcius degrees, it loses grip capability significantly.
Hydroplaning Resistance
Hydroplaning resistance is basically water throwing-out capability of the tire.
If the water stays inside the tread, the tire tends to lose connection with the ground. This doesn’t happen on a smooth road. Yet, you probably feel the flotation feeling while going through the puddles.
Performance tires have wider tread patterns. For this reason, they tend to hydroplane.
In order to avoid it, there are two different methods.
The first one is using circumferential grooves. Laufen S Fit AS has a 3-rib design, for this reason, it has 4 circumferential grooves which is an efficient number.
The second one is open shoulder blocks. Right here, manufacturers need to decide between riding comfort and hydroplaning resistance.
The big shoulder blocks and fewer open slot is disadvantage out here. Check the tread closely, one shoulder is supported with a small rib that increases the handling but decreases the hydroplaning resistance.
Laufen S Fit AS offers average hydroplaning. It handles the lower velocity but high-speed hydroplaning needs a better shoulder design.
Note: Hydroplaning is vital for a safe ride under the pouring rain. However, it might occur even with the best tire. Maybe you can’t prevent it but if you know what it is and how to deal with it, you can easily stay on the safe side.
Here is an extremely efficient guide about ‘How to Deal with Hydroplaning?‘ –> https://www.discounttire.com/learn/hydroplaning
Longevity
Laufenn S Fit AS’s tread design aims the longevity.
If you compare this tire with its competitors, you can clearly see that this one has a softer design.
It doesn’t have a blocky pattern like its competitors and its sipe and notches density is actually low.
These features decrease its slippery ground grip capability but decrease its rolling resistance significantly.
Since the tire has a low density of sipes, it offers satisfying tread life. However, its compound is slightly softer than the competition (500UTQG, premium brands use 560-600 for this segment). Well, in fact, that’s why this tire still can offer slippery ground performance.
Besides all of these, Laufenn is aware that even wearing is the key to long-lasting rubber. So, they use tie bars to decrease flexing between the ribs. For this reason, Laufen S Fit AS tends to wear evenly.
If you’re looking for a long-lasting rubber, Laufenn S Fit AS is a great option for you.
Getting maximum wear life from a tire is related to you as well as your tire,
If you’d like to learn how to get maximum tread life:
Warranty
- Laufenn offers 5 years and 45,000 miles treadwear warranty for this product
- You have a 30 days trial option
- If you don’t like it, you can replace it with a set of Laufenn or Hankook tires
Here is the detailed warranty document for you,
Laufenn S Fit AS Warranty Document: https://www.tirerack.com/images/pdf/warranty/LA0116.pdf
Winter Performance
Winter performance of performance tires is questionable.
Performance tires aren’t able to use 3PMSF compound because of wearing issues.
3PMSF compounds are fluffy and don’t lose their elasticity in freezing temperatures. However, they melt down on high-speed usage. Especially in warm weather.
Regarding Laufen S Fit AS, things are worse.
The premium brands in this category prefer a more aggressive and blocky design to improve grip capability. Unfortunately, Laufen S Fit AS’s design is insufficient for winter performance.
I don’t recommend this tire for winter usage.
Riding Comfort
It seems like riding comfort is the priority of Laufen S Fit AS.
Unlike its successors, Laufen S Fit AS has a less blocky compound.
However, the inner structure does most of the work in this case.
So, riding comfort is related to uniformity. For this reason, performance tires generally fail on it. These tires have a fluffy compound but they have durable and solid shoulder blocks and sidewalls.
Things are quite the same for Laufen S Fit AS, however, its shoulder block design creates a difference in this case.
Laufenn defines 5 different stiffness levels for Laufenn S Fit AS’s shoulder blocks. These blocks meet with the surface respectively. However, even though you drive at a constant speed, these blocks hit the surface with a different force because the tire is a circle and it has harmonic movements. So, optimizing the stiffness level of these blocks is a quiet smart move to make and it also decreases the noise level.
Due to its specific shoulder block design, Laufenn S Fit AS offers an exceedingly smooth drive.
Road Noise
If you’re looking for high-performance all-season tires, especially affordable ones, you probably don’t care about the road noise that much.
These tires are built to perform under high lateral forces. Hence, these tires have a strong sidewall and robust shoulder blocks.
So, before saying anything, I can confidently say that this one gonna be slightly louder than your all-season tire for sure.
First of all, the issue is manufacturer needs deep and wide notches to increase the traction capability of these tires. These deep and wide notches on the center section create some noise for sure.
However, the real issue is the wavy circumferential outer shoulder groove. The noise of all-season tires is mostly created by the airflow. So, these wavy sections increase the hydroplaning but also increase the noise level.
So, Laufenn uses a semi-rib near the wavy shoulder blocks. This semi-rib blocks the airflow and decreases the noise level. Yet, this can just slightly decrease it, can’t completely fix it.
If you’re buying this tire for high-speed driving, then it’s an extremely quiet tire, yet, I think that it’s noisier than all-season tires at lower speeds.
A side note here: Even though some tires tend to make noise because of their tread patterns, it’s still possible to keep your tire noise down.
I’m leaving a perfect explanation below from DiscountTire for those who need it;
How to Keep Tire Noise Down? –>
https://www.discounttire.com/learn/tire-noise
Fuel Efficiency
Laufenn S Fit AS is one of the lightest ultra-high performance all-season tires in the market which makes it a good option for a better MPG.
Besides that, just like I’ve mentioned before, Laufenn S Fit AS’s design isn’t blocky as its competitors. It might be bad for traction-related features but it’s great for smooth and quiet driving and fuel efficiency.
If fuel efficiency is your priority, Laufenn S Fit AS is one of the best ones you can get!
A side note here: As fuel prices fluctuate, I know you guys looking for a way to save money. You don’t have to consider a more efficient gas-powered or electric vehicle if you’ll going to purchase a low-rolling resistance tire.
If you’d like to learn more about rolling resistance and find the trending low-rolling resistance tires;
Sizes
| Size | Load Index | Speed Index |
|---|---|---|
| 205/55ZR16 | 91 | W |
| 205/45ZR17 XL | 88 | W |
| 205/50ZR17 XL | 93 | W |
| 215/45ZR17 XL | 91 | W |
| 215/50ZR17 XL | 95 | W |
| 215/55ZR17 | 94 | W |
| 225/45ZR17 | 91 | W |
| 225/50ZR17 | 94 | W |
| 225/55ZR17 | 97 | W |
| 235/45ZR17 | 94 | W |
| 235/50ZR17 | 96 | W |
| 235/55ZR17 | 99 | W |
| 245/40ZR17 | 91 | W |
| 245/45ZR17 XL | 99 | W |
| 245/50ZR17 | 99 | W |
| 235/55ZR18 | 93 | Y |
| 225/40ZR18 XL | 92 | W |
| 225/45ZR18 XL | 95 | W |
| 225/50ZR18 | 95 | W |
| 225/55ZR18 | 98 | W |
| 225/60R18 | 100 | V |
| 235/40ZR18 XL | 95 | W |
| 235/45ZR18 XL | 98 | W |
| 235/50ZR18 | 97 | W |
| 235/55ZR18 | 100 | W |
| 235/60R18 XL | 107 | W |
| 235/65R18 | 106 | V |
| 245/40ZR18 XL | 97 | W |
| 245/45ZR18 XL | 100 | W |
| 245/50R18 | 100 | W |
| 245/55ZR18 | 103 | W |
| 255/35R18 XL | 94 | W |
| 255/40R18 | 95 | W |
| 255/45R18 | 99 | W |
| 265/35ZR18 XL | 97 | Y |
| 225/55R19 | 99 | V |
| 235/40ZR19 XL | 96 | W |
| 235/50R19 XL | 103 | V |
| 235/55ZR19 XL | 105 | W |
| 245/40ZR19 XL | 98 | Y |
| 245/45ZR19 | 98 | Y |
| 255/35ZR19 | 92 | Y |
| 255/40ZR19 | 96 | Y |
| 255/45ZR19 XL | 104 | W |
| 255/50ZR19 XL | 107 | W |
| 255/55R19 XL | 111 | V |
| 275/40ZR19 XL | 105 | W |
| 275/55R19 | 111 | V |
| 235/55ZR20 XL | 105 | W |
| 245/35ZR20 XL | 95 | Y |
| 245/45ZR20 XL | 103 | W |
| 245/50R20 | 102 | V |
| 255/35ZR20 XL | 97 | W |
| 255/45ZR20 XL | 105 | W |
| 255/50ZR20 XL | 109 | W |
| 255/55ZR20 XL | 110 | W |
| 265/50R20 | 107 | V |
| 275/40ZR20 XL | 106 | Y |
| 275/45ZR20 XL | 110 | W |
Price
The tire market has a dynamic price policy. Hence, in my point of view, sharing tire price is pointless.
Though, I’ve analyzed the top 10 brands of most popular tire brands.
Here are the dealers with a reasonable price range,
DiscountTire
- Biggest dealer in the US. Founded in 1960
- 1000 stores in 35 states. You most probably find one on your parallel street
- Free rotation and balancing
- 5% off for DiscountTire cardholders on online purchases
- Highest-rated online tire dealer in Consumer Affairs
- Almost all brands are available
- Delivery takes 2-4 days (30% shorter average waiting time when you book online)
- Frequent discounts and promotions
Laufenn S Fit AS: https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/laufenn-s-fit-a-s
TireRack
- Fast and Free shipping
- Usually delivered in 1 day
- Joint venture with DiscountTire(their installers and dealers are on your service)
- Tons of installer options, and they also help you to choose the best one
- Mobile installers in many areas, your tires will be replaced while you’re working in the office
- Tire test results and comparisons can be found on the most product page
- 4.6/5 points on Google rate
Laufenn S Fit AS: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/laufenn-s-fit-as
SimpleTire
- Free shipping
- Delivered in 2 days
- Verified shops near you(for mount and balance)
- Mobile installation option
- 7 million customers since 2021
- 4.7/5 points on Google rate
- Top-notch customer service, you may even request a price match
Laufenn S Fit AS: https://simpletire.com/brands/laufenn-tires/s-fit-as-lh01
Amazon
- Fast and free shipping (mostly in a day)
- Get your tires shipped to a selected service center or get them installed at home or work (how does it work?)
- Installation on Mavis Discount Tire (15$ per tire)
- Installing new stem valves supplied by pro
- Balancing your tires
- Road/safety test
- Since Amazon provides wholesale and affordable prices, they don’t offer a road hazard warranty
Laufenn S Fit AS: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Laufenn+s+it+as
While choosing dealers, I especially pay attention to reliability. All of the dealers on this list have 15-20 years of experience in the online tire business. Therefore, I can guarantee a smooth and fast tire-buying process.
Conclusion
Laufenn S Fit AS is a great tire if you love driving aggressively but don’t wanna sacrifice the smooth driving experience of all-season tires. Even though it has pros and cons, in my point of view, it’s a great price/performance tire.
| Laufenn S Fit AS | |
|---|---|
| Best for | Mostly warm regions, Handling & smooth driving focused drivers, MPG improvement without sacrificing handling capability Longevity focused users |
| Pros | Smooth driving, dry performance, Works perfectly above 7 Celcius degrees |
| Cons | Its wet performance is poor under 7 Celcius degrees, Its winter performance isn’t reliable |
| Vehicle | High-powered sedans, Sport coupes, Sports cars, SUV, CUV |
| Available Sizes | 16”, 17”, 18”, 19”, 20” (Check if it fits your vehicle) |
| Made In | Indonesia |
| Warranty | 45,000 miles |
| Prices | TireRack: Check Price DiscountTire: Check Price SimpleTire: Check Price Amazon: Check Price |
Take-Home Points,
- XL sizes tend to carry more load and offer better handling. Hence, they might be a better pick for bigger vehicles( XL vs SL tires)
- Please pay attention to the load range and speed index. These metrics are essential if you expect decent tread life
- There isn’t a bad tire in the market right now, you should just know what to expect from tires
A side note here: If you’d like to get local advice and find the best fit for your driving habits, location, and road conditions DiscountTire – Treadwell Tire Guide can give you masterpiece recommendations.
I hope the article was helpful, if you have any further questions, please leave them in the below section. Have a safe ride folks!
Leave a Reply