The Italian publication compared the performance of eight summer tires on dry and wet pavement.
List of models tested:
- Bridgestone Turanza T005
- Continental PremiumContact 6
- Falken Ziex ZE310 Ecorun
- Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2
- LingLong Green-Max HP010
- Michelin Primacy 4
- Nokian Wetproof
- Pirelli Cinturato P7 (P7C2)
The Al Volante magazine conducted a test of summer tires designed for compact crossovers in size 205/60 R16, comparing their performance on dry and wet pavement. The test car was a Volkswagen T-Cross. The test pool included tires priced from 80 to 100 Euros in Italy, and, since many drivers yield to the temptation of buying their next set of tires based solely on their price, the test also involved the cheapest tire that the experts could find online — the Linglong Green-Max HP010 coming at 45 Euros. The tests were performed in the fall of 2021 in warm weather.
Test results
The wet braking distance was measured when slowing the car down from 80 to 10 km/h, and the shortest stopping distance was demonstrated by the Bridgestone Turanza T005, but the result of the Pirelli Cinturato P7 was only 0.1 meters longer. A pleasant surprise was brought by the Falken tire, while the Nokian Wetproof, despite its name, was outperformed even by the cheap Linglong.
Wet braking
- Bridgestone
- Pirelli
- Falken
- Michelin
- Goodyear
- Continental
- Linglong
- Nokian
Info! Wet braking in meters. (80 - 10 km/h)
Even though the Nokian tire took a long time to stop the T-Cross on a wet track, it had the highest straight hydroplaning resistance on test. At the same time, during the hydroplaning resistance test, the best results in corners were shown by the Pirelli model that had a significant lead over the competition. The last place, and in both disciplines, too, was quite unexpectedly scored by the premium Michelin Primacy 4.
Straight hydroplaning resistance
- Nokian
- Falken
- Goodyear
- Pirelli
- Bridgestone
- Linglong
- Continental
- Michelin
Info! Float speed in km/h.
In the wet handling test, the best performance was demonstrated by Pirelli, and also Michelin, which was not capable of combating the hydroplaning effect before that. The worst results were shown by the cheap Linglong model.
Wet handling
- Michelin
- Pirelli
- Continental
- Bridgestone
- Goodyear
- Falken
- Nokian
- Linglong
Info! Lap time,sec.
On dry pavement, the Pirelli model was no longer the obvious leader, and this status was won by the Bridgestone tire that ensured the shortest braking distance. The Bridgestone model was followed by Michelin, Nokian and Pirelli sharing the third place.
Dry braking
- Bridgestone
- Michelin
- Nokian
- Pirelli
- Falken
- Goodyear
- Continental
- Linglong
Info! Dry braking in meters (100 - 10 km/h).
The Bridgestone tire turned out to be the quietest on test; the loudest noise was recorded from Nokian.
Noise
- Bridgestone
- Michelin
- Goodyear
- Continental
- Falken
- Pirelli
- Linglong
- Nokian
Info! External noise in db.
After measuring the tire’s rolling resistance, the test experts defined the ranking that this tire would get on the EU label, after which it was compared with the actual ranking indicated on the label. With all the tires, these figures «coincided», the sole exception being the Michelin model, which belonged to C-class, but, when tested, turned out to be an even better fuel saver. On the whole, the best tire by this parameter was pronounced to be the Continental model that proved its highest ranking of «A»; last place was scored by the Falken Ziex ZE310 Ecorun, despite the ironic fact that the tire maker included a hint at environmental friendliness in the name of this model.
Environment
- Continental
- Bridgestone
- Michelin
- Goodyear
- Pirelli
- Linglong
- Nokian
- Falken
Info! Rolling resistance in kg/t.
Verdict
First place in the final standings was scored by the Pirelli Cinturato P7, which was particularly good on wet pavement, while silver was won by the Bridgestone Turanza T005 (the difference being mere 0.1 points), which demonstrated the best dry performance. The Michelin Primacy 4 ended up at the relatively high third place, but you need to keep in mind that it has poor hydroplaning resistance; fourth-placed was the Continental PremiumContact 6 that demonstrated an extremely low rolling resistance, but fell short of the competition in a few track disciplines. The Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 demonstrated a well-balanced performance without any prominent issues, while — contrary to their names — the Falken Ziex ZE310 Ecorun will in fact increase fuel consumption by the vehicle, and the Nokian Wetproof has a long wet braking distance (but is very good at combating straight hydroplaning). As for the Linglong model, it also had a long wet braking distance, and it came last in this discipline and on a dry track too.
1st place: Pirelli / Cinturato P7 (P7C2)
Quick Take
Pirelli Cinturato P7 (P7C2)
- Short braking distance and very good handling performance on wet pavement (quickly responds to the driver’s actions)
- Very good lateral hydroplaning resistance
- Predictable behavior on dry pavement
2nd place: Bridgestone / Turanza T005
Quick Take
Bridgestone Turanza T005
- Short wet and dry braking distances
- Low noise emission
- Somewhat unstable steering response on dry pavement
3rd place: Michelin / Primacy 4
Quick Take
Michelin Primacy 4
- Short braking distance on dry pavement
- Very good handling response in the wet
- Relatively low straight and lateral hydroplaning resistance
4th place: Continental / PremiumContact 6
Quick Take
Continental PremiumContact 6
- Very low rolling resistance
- Predictable behavior on wet pavement
- Relatively long braking distance on dry pavement
- Relatively weak straight hydroplaning resistance
5th place: Goodyear / EfficientGrip Performance 2
Quick Take
Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2
- Invariably good results in all of the disciplines
- No prominent issues found
- Slightly delayed steering response on wet pavement
6th place: Falken / Ziex ZE310 Ecorun
Quick Take
Falken Ziex ZE310 Ecorun
- Strong straight and lateral hydroplaning resistance
- Good braking performance on wet pavement
- Good riding comfort
- Delayed steering response on wet and dry pavement
- Increased rolling resistance
7th place: Nokian / Wetproof
Quick Take
Nokian Wetproof
- High resistance to straight hydroplaning
- Relatively long braking distance and delayed steering response on wet pavement
- The steering wheel feels «hollow» on dry pavement (yet the grip remains stable)
Increased noise
8th place: Linglong / GREEN-Max HP010
Quick Take
Linglong GREEN-Max HP010
- Low price
- Relatively long braking distance on dry and wet pavement
- Poor grip and less-than-ideal wet handling performance (frequent steering adjustments required)
- Increased noise
