Ohtsu tires have touched the hearts of thousands, if not millions. If you do your homework on who makes Ohtsu tires, the journey of the brand and who are the targeted audience for these tires, you’ll know if you really need it.
Yep, that’s what I’m going to shed some light on. Also, I’ll also tell you if you should go for Ohtsu tires or not. Overall, I think this write-up will take you on a good spin.
Who Makes Ohtsu Tires?- The Short Answer
Ohtsu tires are manufactured by Japanese company Sumitomo Rubber Industries, a.k.a SRI. The company is a part of the Sumitomo group. After starting their journey in 1909 Sumitomo created Ohtsu in 1944. At first, Ohtsu was producing aircraft tires. Later, they started producing automotive tires because they wanted to grow and go global. Now, these tires are a massive hit and are known by almost every car enthusiast.
‘But I’ve Heard that Falken Owns Ohtsu’
If you do your homework all by yourself, too without an expert, you might mistake Falken tire as the Father of Ohtsu tires.
Falken does manufacture Ohtsu tires. However, Sumitomo is the one that owns Falken. Meaning, Falken is basically a subsidiary of Sumitomo. The Japanese giant has launched Falken in Japan in 1983.
Two years later, they introduced Falken, under a parent brand Ohtsu to the North American market and in Europe. After 3 decades, Falken is now a ‘stand-alone’ brand.
At present, Ohtsu, previously known as the parent brand of Falken, is a sub-brand of Falken. And yes, both of them are owned by Sumitomo Rubber Industries.
So, are Sumitomo Falken and Ohtsu connected with each other?Technically, they are.
Ohtsu Tire Manufacturers- Where Are They Made?
If you talk about the headquarter, it’s in Hyogo Japan. But Sumitomo group is expanding Ohtsu’s reach all over the country. Currently, places like Shirakawa, Nagoya, Izumiotsu, and Miyazaki have factories that make Ohtsu tires.
However, they’re also being manufactured in the United States, Indonesia, China, Thailand, and South Africa; it’s no secret.
In fact, you’ll find the sales and production factories of Ohtsu in the Philippines, Malaysia, Slovakia, and Switzerland as well.
Warranted Mileage
The mileage of Ohtsu tires varies from one model to another. There are models like the Ohtsu FP7000 that last on an average of up to 40000 miles. However, the least you can go for is about 30000 miles. As for the max, it can last up to 80000, even though this one too depends on the model itself.
And this is when the warranty comes into the spotlight. You see, tires give a warranty based on mileage. So, Ohtsu promises you that their tires will last at least from 30000 to 80000 miles (depending on the model).
Sizes and Vehicle Compatibility
What I’ve seen so far and experienced about Ohtsu tires so far is, that you can find a suitable setup for your car when it comes to the sizes. Now, there are heights from 15 to 22 where the widths are about 185 to 305.
As for your vehicles, you can go mount these tires on sedans, SUVs, pickups, minivans and many more. However, choose the type wisely though.
….And That’s When I Should Talk About The Types
There are the all-season tires, which I prefer to be a good pick to be honest, especially when you’re just riding casual and you want to fight bad weather conditions.
The all-terrain tires are for those who ride aggressively. These are best for your off-road adventures.
‘Heard That These Tires Are Cheap!’
You’ve heard it right. The tires are budget-friendly; at least for those who don’t want to purchase a tire for several hundred dollars.
Still, with respect to the makers, they didn’t compromise anything on the quality you look at it. I mean, you could expect something substandard, but that’s when you’ll be happy to know you’re wrong.
The tires offer a lot of things that expensive ones in the market don’t. It’s absolute value for the money. In fact, their prices start from $60 to $70 for each. I’ve looked into the SUV tires and to me, they offer great values as you’ll get about 19 inches or 20 inches tires and that too at half the price of the expensive ones.
Now, overall all the tires are affordable, but there are models in the brand that are really cheap. I wouldn’t suggest you go for those as they might not last that long. So, for more endurance, you should go for the costlier variants (which are obviously not expensive, to be honest).
So, Are These Tires Good Enough?
Now, here’s the big question….should you go for Ohtsu tires? Let’s see.
Let’s Talk About The Design
I’m all into styling my vehicles; the looks always come first. Will I go for an Ohtsu tire if looks are my priority? Yes, I would. The sporty tread and aggressive design talk style unlike anything else in this price range.
You have to accept that the tires from Ohtsu won’t be super cool as the regular tires of Sumitomo and Falken. Now, this is pretty obvious since they’re cheaper and the makers had to cut down a lot the price. But then again, the tires surely are satisfying.
What About Strength and Durability
Despite being pocket-friendly, the tires last surprisingly longer than other tires of the same price range, thanks to the robust construction. I’d like tospecifically mention the inner structure. It features a durable steel belt which is further consolidated with nylon cap ply.
This meticulous construction mingles with a long-lasting tread design allowing the tire to maintain its shape and flexibility for years.
How Is the Handling?
Be it on dry pavements or snow-filled roads, Ohtsu tires offer great handling for all. Now, the question is how? You see, it’s all in the design.
Highly commendable features like directional and aggressive tread design, wide gripping grooves, and shoulder sites offer great traction and grip on all types of surfaces.
Let’s not forget the premium quality raw materials used to manufacture these tires. It allows for better steering, accelerating, and braking on dry, snowy, and even rocky terrains.
For the best results, I’ll suggest you purchase a specific type such as all-season or all-terrain depending on your driving priorities.
Dry Traction
To test dry traction, I had the FP7000 in my rig, which was pretty admirable. However, I do think the Ohtsu PF6012 A/S tires were way too much better. Plus, they had better grips too. Now, these were the two tires I had with me to experiment with.
But then again, overall, I do believe from my research that all the models can perform really well on dry pavement.
Wet Traction
You can expect average wet traction if you drive at low or medium speed, that I can tell. At least that’s what I felt. I didn’t have any problem with steering; things were admirable. Positioning my car wasn’t too hard either.
As for the brake, I did find a bit, I don’t know….a slight discomfort maybe? But I think if you’re accurate with your vehicle’s pedal inputs, you won’t have any trouble.
Lastly, I urge you to move to average speed on the wet roads; it will feel much more stable.
Does Ohtsu Tires Perform Well In Snow?
Here I’d want you to go for all-season tires. But even if you expect the best result, you’ll probably get an above-average-ish feeling. You can try using the judicial throttle input and traverse slowly.
This will keep you stable over icy roads. However, if you really think going for snowy roads is your top priority, you better get some snow tires.
Are Ohtsu Tires Comfortable?
Ohtsu tires offer you adequate comfort. At least, if you ask me about the FP7000, I can vouch for it. The tire was pretty smooth and at an average speed, you can comfortably ride through the city streets.
Fuel Efficiency – Is It A Letdown?
Well, I won’t say it’s a letdown; it’s just okay-ish and nothing remarkable. I didn’t notice any noteworthy change in fuel efficiency or gas mileage after switching to the Ohtsu FP7000. The same goes for other models; at least that’s what I learned from other car enthusiasts.
But again, Ohtsu tires don’t claim to be fuel-saving. If you want notable fuel efficiency, you have to spend a fortune on gas-saving tires. As for me, I can let the fuel usage slide for the price.
What About Noise?- A Possible Disadvantage….Maybe?
I don’t know whether I should call it an advantage or a disadvantage. Well, I’d like to keep it somewhere in the middle. Here’s why.
You see, these tires are smooth and quiet especially when you’re at low to average speed. However, you can notice a major shift in its noise as you go for the highway speed. Not that I’m surprised given the fact that the tires are cheap.
