I had a hard time searching for a test car fitted with the Primewell Valera H/T tires for this review. However, as luck would have it, my cousin’s neighbor was selling their 2013 Honda CR-V LX. I was interested at first, so I headed down there and gave it a go. The CR-V was in mint condition, but the paint job was a dreary silver hue. I started to lose interest in the car, but that was before the tires caught my eye.
Lo and behold! The CR-V was fitted with Primewell Valera H/T tires! I figured the car was perfect for my test drive, so I informed the owner that I was going to test the car and review the tires. In return, I promised to find them a buyer that is willing to give their CR-V a new home.
The owner of the 2013 CR-V was a lanky guy in his early 50s and had with silver-gray hair, which is strangely the same hue as the paint in his Honda. He had the Primewell Valera H/T tires fitted more than 5 months ago. He chose the Primewell brand mainly due to the low price since he was planning to sell the car in a couple of months to make room for a new RAM pickup truck.
We shook hands and off I went. I also promised to fill the CR-V with gas as a gesture for his kindness. I went to the nearest gas station and prepared to test the Primewell Valera H/T tires by checking the air pressure. It was a nice day and the sun was out. This is going to be a great review.
Features
The Primewell Valera H/T tires are not designed for sporty driving. These are all-season tires with a tread design that is tuned for quiet, comfortable, and silent highway driving. The Primewell Valera H/T is equipped with a symmetrical tread design with four circumferential ribs. This design will ensure excellent handling and a smooth ride.
The tread block design is also designed with active noise canceling technology to deliver silent performance in all types of roads. The open slotted shoulder design will also ensure great handling in both wet and dry roads.
The Primewell Valera H/T is applicable to small and midsize crossovers, sport-utility vehicles, and 4×4 pickup trucks. It is sold in 15” to 20” diameters.
Test Drive
My 2013 Honda CR-V is the LX model equipped with AWD and a five-speed automatic transmission. The Primewell Valera H/T tires were not what you would call brand new since there were already signs of wear on all four tires. The owner specifically told me that his only complaint about the tires were the rapid tread wear. The CR-V has accumulated about 4,200 miles since the tires were replaced.
Dry Traction
I have nothing bad to say about the dry performance of the Primewell Valera H/T, but it seems the traction is proportional to how fast you’re going. At slow or moderate highway speeds, dry traction was excellent. But if you push it to the upper reaches of the speed limit, I felt a slight loss of traction and steering feel. It is basically the same in the wet.
But who am I to complain? If I was looking for high-speed traction and stability, why would I install a set of highway terrain all-season tires like the Primewell Valera H/T?
Wet Traction
Like I previously mentioned above, traction in the wet is proportional to the speed the vehicle is traveling. The Primewell Valera H/T tires offered adequate amounts of grip on wet roads, but only at slow or moderate speeds. If you push the car past the speed limit, you will need to grasp the steering wheel with both hands.
Snow Traction
I had no chance to test the Primewell Valera H/T tires in the snow, but the owner told me the tires were fine as long as you’re not driving on roads covered with more than two inches of snow. The open slotted shoulder design of the Primewell Valera H/T gave it the ability to travel over icy or snow-covered roads, but don’t expect the tires to perform similarly to proper snow tires.
Comfort
When it comes to driving comfort, it is hard to fault the Primewell Valera H/T. The ride remained supple and comfortable even on poorly-maintained city roads. Highway driving was a revelation as the Primewell Valera H/T tires were in their true element as long as you pay attention to the speed limit.
Noise
The Primewell Valera H/T tires are one of the most affordable highway terrain tires that you can buy. But relatively cheap tires have one thing in common: excessive road noise and poor tread wear. In this regard, the Primewell Valera H/T tires fitted to my test car were not what you would call hushed or silent. Road noise was more evident as you approached highway speeds, but the tires were thankfully a bit more silent if you drive at slow or average speeds.
Treadwear
The Primwell Valera H/T in my test car were fading a bit faster than the usual. It’s nothing bad, but cheap tires do have a tendency to wear quicker than the more expensive variety. But the logic here is you can basically buy 2 sets of Valera H/T tires and still pay less money if you were to purchase a more expensive set of rollers.
Conclusion
The Primewell Valera H/T is a good choice for daily driven crossovers and SUVs. It is not the best tire when it comes to road noise and treadwear but it makes for it in terms of comfort and all-season handling. For the price, I can see no reason why you shouldn’t try a set of Primewell Valera H/T for your crossover or SUV.