225/45R17

Auto Bild 2019: Summer Tire Test

When a new summer season is on the way, a car needs some decent «shoes» that would ensure an adequate safety level in accordance with the weather conditions, in which the car is most likely to drive. The expert team of the German publication Auto Bild, who lovingly nicknamed summer tires «flip-flops» of the car world, did a lot of work, testing before the upcoming summer season 2019 a total of 53 sets of tires of different price brackets, from expensive premium segment to the budget-friendly Chinese models.

The Auto Bild summer tire test was carried out in the size of 225/45 R17, which has become a standard for compact SUVs.

Elimination round

In order to make it into the main competition round, all of the candidates were subjected to wet and dry braking tests. The sum total of the braking distances determined which of the summer tires would proceed to the second round and ultimately reach the finals.

The elimination round also educed the 13 «most dangerous» models (places 53 to 41), whose braking distances turned out to be way too long. Almost all of them belonged to the budget segment.

Slightly better performance was demonstrated by the models that score places from 40 to 20. This group also included the subsidiary brands of premium-segment tire manufacturers (Bridgestone, Continental, Michelin). They are more expensive than Chinese tires but, compared to the expensive premium-segment tires, still will allow you to save up a fair bit.

 Auto Bild 2019: 225/45 R17 Summer Tire Test (qualifying stage)
Places Tires Wet Braking Dry Braking Total Result
21 Uniroyal Rainsport 3 33,2 37,4 69,7
22 Goodride SA37 33,5 36,3 69,8
23 General Altimax Sport 32,7 37,3 70
24 Federal Evoluzion ST-1 33,4 37,0 70,4
25 Avon ZV7 35,1 35,3 70,4
26 GT Radial SportActive 34,8 36,2 71,0
27 33,3 37,7 71,0
28 Mabor Sport-Jet 3 34,4 36,8 71,2
29 Cooper Zeon CS8 34,3 37,3 71,6
30 Semperit Speed-Life 2 34,7 37,2 71,9
31 BFGoodrich g-Grip 36,0 36,5 72,5
32 Gislaved Ultra*Speed 34,3 38,2 72,5
33 CST Medallion MD-A1 34,8 38,1 72,9
34 Tomason SportRace 35,2 37,8 73,0
35 Dayton Touring 2 36,1 37,0 73,1
36 Matador MP 47 Hectorra 3 35,2 37,9 73,1
37 Barum Bravuris 3HM 34,5 38,7 73,2
38 Kormoran UHP 37,1 36,2 73,3
39 Nankang AS-2+ 35,9 37,6 73,5
40 Tigar UHP 37,4 36,3 73,7
41 Imperial EcoSport 2 37,2 37,1 74,3
42 Paxaro Summer Performance 34,7 39,9 74,6
43 Firemax FM601 37,3 37,4 74,7
44 Laufenn S Fit EQ 37,5 37,5 75,0
45 Zeetex HP2000 vfm 36,4 38,7 75,1
46 Viking ProTech HP 36,5 38,9 75,4
47 Neolin Neosport 35.6 40,3 75,9
48 Sailun Atrezzo ZSR 38,2 37,9 76,1
49 Cratos CatchPassion 38,6 37,6 76,2
50 Mazzini Eco 607 36,8 39,7 76,5
51 Tyfoon Successor 5 37,6 39,1 76,7
52 Milestone Green Sport 38,0 39,5 77,5
53 Star Performer UHP 1 39,4 39,0 78,4
The tires that were not shortlisted for the finals of the large Auto Billd test (places 21 to 53)

The finalists progressing to the next round.

In the final round, the following twenty summer tires competed for the winner pedestal:

What came as a total surprise was the Indian brand Apollo and Taiwan’s Maxxis and Kenda getting into the final and making a giant leap into the top league to end up together with the premium tires of the world-renowned brands.

Disciplines of the test

Wet surface

Wet surface

Wide grooves and large tread depth of the tire ensure better handling in the pouring rain. The best hydroplaning resistance was demonstrated by Michelin Pilot Sport 4, while in the case of Nokian Wetproof,Firestone Roadhawk and Kleber Dynaxer UHP, one should better refrain from accelerating too much on wet roads.

Also, its weak hydroplaning resistance is clearly at odds with the very name of «Nokian Wetproof» tire but, sadly, this was the case.

Straight Hydroplaning

Michelin 
99.7
Toyo
96.8
Dunlop
96.1
Kenda
95.7
Falken
95.6
Kumho
95.5
Hankook
95.1
Goodyear
95.0
Sava
94.9
Apollo
94.6
Maxxis
94.5
Vredestein
94.0
Fulda
93.8
Pirelli
92.3
Yokohama
92.2
Continental
91.8
Bridgestone
91.7
Kleber
91.1
Nokian
90.8
Firestone
90.7

Info! Loss of grip speeds, km/h.

Lateral Hydroplaning

Sava
3.53
Michelin
3.48
Fulda
3.45
Goodyear
3.45
Maxxis
3.37
Hankook
3.34
Kumho
3.32
Kenda
3.22
Toyo
3.22
Apollo
3.19
Pirelli
3.19
Falken
3.18
Dunlop
3.13
Bridgestone
3.11
Vredestein
3.10
Yokohama
3.05
Continental
3.02
Nokian
2.98
Firestone
2.92
Kleber
2.83

Info! Lateral Acceleration, m/s


In terms of highway handling, the Nokian Wetproof model, meant to ensure maximum safety in the wet, totally redeemed itself, and, in addition, demonstrated the best lateral stability.

In the wet, the brand-new 2019 model Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5, as well as Pirelli P Zero also demonstrated outstanding lateral grip.

Wet Handling

Michelin 
76.5
Nokian
75.9
Pirelli
75.7
Bridgestone
74.9
Goodyear
74.7
Kenda
74.5
Falken
74.4
Toyo
74.0
Apollo
73.8
Continental
73.3
Hankook
73.2
Kumho
73.2
Fulda
73.0
Vredestein
72.9
Sava
72.8
Yokohama
72.3
Maxxis
72.2
Dunlop
72.1
Firestone
72.0
Kleber
71.6

Info! Average Speed, km/h.

Lateral Grip

Nokian
7.31
Goodyear
7.06
Pirelli
7.06
Michelin
6.99
Bridgestone
6.89
Toyo
6.74
Kenda
6.72
Hankook
6.70
Kumho
6.62
Apollo
6.60
Falken
6.55
Fulda
6.55
Sava
6.55
Continental
6.45
Vredestein
6.45
Dunlop
6.35
Maxxis
6.28
Yokohama
6.23
Firestone
6.11
Kleber
6.08

Info! Lateral Acceleration, m/s


Michelin Pilot Sport 4 was the best handling tire on test, giving excellent steering feel and precision.

Slightly poorer handling and lateral grip in the wet were demonstrated by two models of mid-price segment Dunlop SportMaxx RT2 and Yokohama Advan Fleva V701, which significantly affected their overall rankings.

Dry surface

Dry surface

The best lap time on dry pavement was scored by Pirelli P Zero tires. The results of five more models — Michelin Pilot Sport 4, Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3, Falken Azenis FK510, Vredestein Ultrac Vorti and Dunlop SportMaxx RT2 — were all scattered within a one-second range.

The worst result — 2.7 seconds behind the leader in this discipline — was shown by Firestone Roadhawk. It obviously lacked handling consistency and preciseness of steering response.

Dry Handling

Pirelli 
118.0
Michelin
117.7
Hankook
117.5
Falken
117.4
Vredesten
117.1
Dunlop
117.0
Fulda
116.9
Goodyear
116.8
Sava
116.8
Continental
116.4
Kumho
116.3
Nokian
116.3
Toyo
116.3
Yokohama
116.2
Maxxis
116.0
Kenda
115.8
Apollo
115.7
Bridgestone
115.6
Kleber
115.6
Firestone
115.3

Info! Average Speed, km/h.

Noise

Nokian
71.3
Yokohama
71.4
Apollo
71.5
Michelin
71.6
Falken
71.7
Hankook
71.8
Kleber
71.8
Fulda
71.9
Dunlop
72.2
Kenda
72.2
Vredestein
72.3
Continental
72.6
Goodyear
72.6
Sava
72.6
Toyo
72.7
Firestone
73.0
Maxxis
73.0
Pirelli
73.5
Kumho
74.1
Bridgestone
75.0

Info! The noise level at a speed 80 km/h, db(A).


The maximum noise emission at a speed of 80 km/h was demonstrated by Bridgestone Turanza T005. All the other tires on test stayed «in the green zone» — conceivably, they are not expected to cause any riding discomfort.

Wear/Fuel efficiency

Wear and Fuel efficiency

When making a buying decision about a set of tires, alongside with the tire’s overall performance, drivers oftentimes take into consideration the expected costs of driving on these tires. Car owners are interested not only in the tire’s fuel efficiency but also in its wear resistance in order to compare the overall value of different models.

The Auto Bild summer tire test 2019 vividly demonstrated that the top performers among the finalists in terms of price/wear ratio are Sava Intensa UHP 2, Continental PremiumContact 6 and Apollo Aspire XP.

The lowest rolling resistance was shown by Bridgestone Turanza T005, Firestone Roadhawk, and again Continental PremiumContact 6.

Treadwear

Goodyear 
54210
Michelin
51090
Continental
50700
Sava
44850
Dunlop
41730
Bridgestone
41730
Hankook
41340
Apollo
40560
Falken
39390
Kleber
39050
Vredestein
38610
Fulda
38220
Nokian
37440
Yokohama
35880
Pirelli
35880
Maxxis
35490
Firestone
35490
Toyo
30420
Kenda
28080
Kumho
26520

Info! Potential mileage, km.

Price/Treadwear

Sava
6.47
Continental
8.09
Apollo
8.38
Maxxis
8.45
Falken
8.76
Fulda
8.77
Dunlop
9.11
Hankook
9.19
Vredestein
9.32
Michelin
9.40
Kleber
9.48
Bridgestone
9.59
Goodyear
9.59
Firestone
9.72
Nokian
10.28
Kenda
11.04
Yokohama
11.43
Toyo
11.83
Kumho
12.07
Pirelli
12.26

Info! The cost of 1000 km, euro.

Efficiency

Bridgestone
7.49
Firestone
7.69
Continental
8.23
Maxxis
8.47
Apollo
8.97
Kleber
8.99
Yokohama
9.08
Fulda
9.09
Sava
9.22
Dunlop
9.43
Falken
9.48
Hankook
9.48
Nokian
9.49
Goodyear
9.61
Michelin
9.80
Pirelli
10.27
Kenda
10.29
Toyo
10.67
Kumho
11.06
Vredestein
11.49

Info! Rolling Resistance, kg/t.


If you are only interested in the number of seasons that your tires will faithfully serve you, be sure to check out Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5, Michelin Pilot Sport 4 and Continental PremiumContact 6.

The riding comfort was tested by the Auto Bild experts subjectively on a specially engineered route that included roads of different types with small obstacles such as sewer hatch covers.

Auto Bild test summary

Auto Bild 2019 225/45 R17 summer tire test 2019 did not bring us any disturbing surprises. Furthermore, six of the tested models were pronounced «exemplary» by the Auto Bild experts.

Auto Bild 2019 Summer Tire Test
The result summary of the large Auto Bild 2019 225/45 R17 summer tire test. Places 1–10. Click to enlarge.

«Exemplary»

The victory was won by the most expensive tire on test, Michelin Pilot Sport 4, which scored top marks in all of the disciplines both in the wet and in the dry.

Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Michelin Pilot Sport 4

It shared the winner pedestal with three other summer tires: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5, also very far from inexpensive (second place), and the tandem of Falken Azenis FK510 and Hankook Ventus S1 Evo³, who together shared the third place.

Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5

Continental PremiumContact 6 was left without any medals this time.notes the technical expert of TiresVote.com

But it still was able to get its perks of the «exemplary» verdict of the test group and the proud name of «Eco-master».

Continental PremiumContact 6
Continental PremiumContact 6

The last of the six «exemplary» models became Fulda SportControl 2. It was stopped from scoring a higher position in the tournament bracket by relatively weak wear. However, it only reached the sixths place without any significant shortcomings.

Auto Bild, 2019 Places 11–20
The result summary of the large 225/45 R17 summer tire test. Places 11–20. Auto Bild, 2019. Click to enlarge.

«Good»

The top six tires were followed by seven models that were given a «good» ranking. These were Nokian Wetproof (7th place), Pirelli P Zero (8th place), Sava Intensa UHP 2 (9th place), and a trio that shared the tenth line of the tournament bracket — Apollo Aspire XP, Bridgestone Turanza T005 and Vredestein Ultrac Vorti. Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 were only ultimately able to score the 13th place — this is how it gets when you don’t have enough grip on wet pavement.

Bridgestone Turanza T005
Bridgestone Turanza T005

«Satisfactory»

Models on the final places 14–20 were rated as «satisfactory».

In addition to failing a few wet tests, Yokohama Advan Fleva V701 (14th place) showed poor wearing resistance.

Yokohama Advan Fleva V701
Yokohama Advan Fleva V701

Toyo Proxes Sport, in spite of its quite decent performance on wet and dry pavement, were only able to score the 15th place because of their high rolling resistance and low resistance to wear.

Toyo Proxes Sport
Toyo Proxes Sport

In the case of Kleber Dynaxer UHP, wet handling and wet braking leave much to be desired, which ends up in a quite predictable 16th place in the competition.

Kleber Dynaxer UHP
Kleber Dynaxer UHP

The 17th place was scored by Maxxis Premitra 5. This tire took the champion league by storm but ultimately was unable to prove its competitiveness.

Maxxis Premitra 5
Maxxis Premitra 5

Firestone Roadhawk had too many shortcomings to count on anything more than the 18th place.

Firestone Roadhawk
Firestone Roadhawk

No miracle happened to Kenda Emera A1 KR41 either. This tire showed decent results in the wet, which gave the Auto Bild experts the grounds to speak about «dependable tires that even surpassed the products of such tire making giants as Continental and Dunlop». However, the extremely high wear and less-than-ideal handling in the dry could not go unnoticed. The 19th place.

Kenda Emera A1 KR41
Kenda Emera A1 KR41

Kumho Ecsta PS71, which came 18th in the elimination round, did not perform any better in the final, scoring the last place in the Auto Bild test. It was seriously failed by high wear and high rolling resistance, even though it performed quite well in the safety disciplines. Safety wise it even outdid a few models that scored higher places in the tournament bracket.

Table Auto Bild

Price

 

Conclusion

The latest Auto Bild 2019 225/45 R17 summer tire test proved once again that safety costs money.

However, this is not the only conclusion that we can make from looking at the results of the 2019 test. The final competition round involved a few medium-segment models and even a few brands that anybody would hardly place their bets on (Maxxis, Apollo, and Kenda). And this means that the quality of the relatively inexpensive tires is only growing by the year, and maybe in a few years’ time we will see the leading positions occupied by the «dark horses» of today.