Linglong tyres are a genuine budget option with one standout strength and some clear weaknesses. In the 2026 ADAC and Auto Bild summer tests the Linglong Sport Master stopped as well as, or better than, premium rivals on wet roads. It still finished near the bottom of both tables because of fast wear, higher fuel use and weaker dry handling. For a low-mileage car that trade can make sense. For a high-mileage commuter it usually does not.
This review covers who makes Linglong, where the tyres come from, which ranges you will be offered, what the EU label grades show and what named independent testers found. For the wider picture on the lower price tier, see our guide to whether budget tyre brands are safe.
Are Linglong tyres any good?
It depends on the pattern and on what you value most. Linglong's main European summer tyre, the Sport Master, has put in some of the best wet braking results of any tyre in recent magazine tests. On British roads, wet braking is the measure most drivers should care about.
The same tests show the cost of that grip. In the ADAC's 2026 summer test the Sport Master had the shortest predicted tread life of the 16 tyres and the highest fuel consumption, and it was one of three tyres the ADAC could not recommend. So Linglong is not a hidden premium brand. It is a budget brand that has become very good at one important thing.
- Strength: wet braking on the Sport Master in 2025 and 2026 tests.
- Weaknesses: predicted wear, fuel use and dry handling in the same tests.
- Best fit: lower-mileage drivers who want strong wet stopping on a tight budget.
Who makes Linglong tyres and where are they made?
Linglong tyres are made by Shandong Linglong Tyre Co., a Chinese manufacturer based in Zhaoyuan in Shandong province. The business began in 1975 as a local tyre manufacturing and repair plant and has been listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange since 2016, according to its Wikipedia entry.
It makes tyres in three countries:
- China: five plants, at Zhaoyuan, Dezhou, Liuzhou, Jingmen and Changchun.
- Thailand: a plant at Chonburi, running since 2014.
- Serbia: a factory at Zrenjanin, Linglong's first in Europe. Linglong says truck tyres were made there first and passenger car tyres have been produced there since the beginning of 2024.
The same pattern can come from more than one plant, so check the sidewall if the country of manufacture matters to you.
Which Linglong ranges will you be offered?
Linglong's European car range is built around a family of "Master" patterns that the company says were developed at its technical centre in Hanover, Germany, for European roads. These are the names you are most likely to see:
| Range | Season | What the evidence says |
|---|---|---|
| Sport Master | Summer | The Linglong most often tested in Europe; strong wet braking in 2025 and 2026 |
| Sport Master e | Summer | Designed for electric and hybrid cars; Linglong says it reaches the top label grade in all three categories |
| Comfort Master | Summer | Part of the European range developed in Hanover |
| Grip Master 4S | All-season | Linglong's all-season pattern for Europe |
| Green-Max family | Various | An older Linglong family still listed by some UK retailers |
Test results for one of these patterns tell you nothing reliable about another. A strong Sport Master result does not make a Comfort Master or a Green-Max a good tyre, so always ask for the pattern name as well as the brand.
What does the EU tyre label show for Linglong?
The EU tyre label grades rolling resistance and wet grip from A to E and gives external noise in decibels, and the grades can change from one size to the next. The full record for each registered tyre is published on the European Commission's EPREL database.
For a typical family car size, the Sport Master in 205/55 R16 91V is listed by UK retailers with a C for rolling resistance and an A for wet grip. An A is the top wet grip grade, and it lines up with what independent testers measured in the wet. A C for rolling resistance is middling, which fits the ADAC's finding on fuel use.
For its electric car tyre, Linglong says the Sport Master e has achieved the highest rating in all three label categories. That is the manufacturer's claim, and label grades apply size by size, so check the label for the size your car takes.
Two limits are worth knowing. The label says nothing about tread life, and nothing about dry handling, which are exactly the areas where the Sport Master lost marks in testing. Treat the label as a starting point and then look at tests. Our EU tyre label guide explains each grade.
How have Linglong tyres done in independent tests?
Named European testers have put the Sport Master through several major tests since 2025, and the results follow a clear pattern: excellent in the wet, behind the field on wear and in the dry.
| Test | Size | Result for the Sport Master |
|---|---|---|
| Auto Bild summer test 2025, qualifying round of 52 tyres | 225/40 R18 | Fifth in the braking qualifier; the first Chinese brand to reach the top five in an Auto Bild qualifying round, according to What Tyre |
| ADAC summer test 2026, 16 tyres | 225/50 R17 | 16th of 16, overall grade 4.2 and not recommended; best wet result, shortest predicted tread life |
| Auto Bild summer test 2026, 20 finalists | 245/45 R19 | 16th of 20; shortest wet braking distance of the test |
The detail behind the ADAC result is the most useful part. Reporting on the test, Paul Tan's Automotive News noted that the Sport Master tied for first place in wet braking from 80 km/h on asphalt with the Continental PremiumContact 7, at 30.1 metres, and stopped shortest of all on wet concrete. The same test placed it last of 16 for wear, with a predicted life of 26,100 km (about 16,000 miles), and last for fuel consumption. Stiftung Warentest, which reports the ADAC tests in Germany, summarised the Sport Master as having the best wet rating but the weakest dry rating of the three tyres that could not be recommended. The full 2026 ranking and grades are also summarised by Oponeo.
In Auto Bild's 2026 final, won by the Hankook Ventus evo, Tyre Reviews picked out the Sport Master's wet braking as the most impressive individual result of the whole test, yet the tyre still finished 16th once handling, wear and efficiency were counted. The earlier 2025 qualifying result was reported by What Tyre.
Two caveats apply to every test. Tyres are tested in specific sizes on specific cars, so the same pattern in another size can behave differently. And a test reflects the tyres bought at the time. Use results as a guide to the pattern, not a guarantee for your exact tyre.
Why a tyre can win in the wet and still finish last
Grip, tread life and rolling resistance pull against each other in tyre design, and testers such as the ADAC score all three. A tyre that puts everything into wet grip can lose heavily on the other measures, which is how a wet braking leader ends up at the bottom of the overall table.
What that means for you:
- Stopping in the rain: on the evidence, a new Sport Master in a tested size stops very well on wet roads.
- Replacing sooner: a short predicted tread life means buying tyres more often, which eats into any saving on a high-mileage car.
- Fuel and range: higher fuel use in testing points to slightly higher running costs, or slightly less range on an electric car.
- Dry roads: the weakest dry rating among the tyres the ADAC could not recommend points to less assured handling on dry roads, which matters most on faster roads and in emergency swerves.
That is why cost per mile matters more than the figure on the quote. Our budget vs premium tyres guide and our guide to the longest-lasting tyres explain how to weigh tread life against grip.
Are Linglong tyres fitted as original equipment?
Linglong says its Serbian factory has been approved by several car makers to produce original equipment tyres, but we could not verify a specific UK model that leaves the factory on Linglongs. In a 2024 update, Linglong listed approvals from Nissan, Volkswagen, Audi, Ford, the Stellantis group, Hyundai and Kia.
An approval means a plant can supply that manufacturer. It does not tell you which cars, sizes or markets are involved, so it is not the same as a named factory fitment on a car sold here.
Whatever your car came with, the replacement must match the size, load index and speed rating in the handbook or on the door placard.
Who are Linglong tyres best suited to?
Linglong makes most sense for drivers who cover modest mileage and want strong wet braking without paying for a mid-range or premium tyre.
- Good fit: a second car, a town runabout or a car that mostly does short local trips, where tread life and fuel economy matter less but wet stopping still matters a lot.
- Think twice: high-mileage commuters and company car drivers, who would feel the short tread life most. Our budget tyres page covers the lower tier in more depth.
- Look elsewhere: performance cars and drivers who value precise dry handling, where the test results point to better choices. See the tyre brands we fit for mid-range and premium alternatives.
What to check before you choose a Linglong
- Size, load and speed: these must meet what the car maker specifies.
- The exact pattern: Sport Master, Comfort Master and Grip Master 4S are different tyres, and test results do not carry over between them.
- Label grades in your size: look at the wet grip grade first.
- Winter use: if you want an all-season tyre, check for the three-peak mountain snowflake marking.
- Tread and the law: car tyres need at least 1.6mm of tread across the central three-quarters of the tread and around the whole circumference, under GOV.UK tyre rules. A tyre that wears quickly needs checking more often.
- Pairs on an axle: fit matching tyres across the same axle.
Our verdict on Linglong tyres
Linglong is a budget brand worth taking seriously for wet braking, but not one to choose if tread life or dry handling come first. The Sport Master's wet results in 2025 and 2026 were measured independently and they are genuinely strong. So are its poor wear and fuel results.
If you do low mileage and mostly drive locally, a Sport Master in a tested size can be a sensible choice. If you do big miles, a well-tested mid-range tyre is likely to cost less per mile and give a more rounded drive. Either way, ask for the pattern by name and check the label for your size.
Linglong tyres fitted at home or work
We can source Linglong tyres in your size, along with mid-range and premium alternatives if you would like to compare. Our mobile fitters come to your home, workplace or a safe roadside spot across London and the Home Counties, and further out for some jobs, such as in the Midlands, and the van carries the fitting and balancing equipment. A realistic arrival time is agreed on the call, and the price is confirmed before any work starts. Call or WhatsApp 07473 720871, or book online.
