The best 225/40 R18 UHP summer tires, available retail, were named by the experts of the UK automotive magazine EVO. In order to do that, they bought seven tire models from the world’s top manufacturers in the price range from 71 to 92 £ and subjected them to an extended test program using a VW Golf GTI at the Pirelli test facility in Vizzola, Italy.
List of models tested:
- Continental PremiumContact 6
- Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2
- Falken Azenis FK510
- Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 — new 2019 model
- Michelin Pilot Sport 4
- Nokian Powerproof — new 2019 model
- Pirelli P Zero
Parallel to that, they also tested Maxxis Victra Sport 5 but its results were not recorded in the official score. The reason for that is because it was the only set of tires that was sent to the test group by the manufacturer itself, and not bought retail.
Getting ahead of ourselves, we will disclose at once that in some of the disciplines the Maxxis tires of Taiwan’s Cheng Shin were quite able to hold their own against the test winner. The test experts noted that although this tire demonstrated quite an outstanding performance now and then, they could not be sure that the usual buyers would be able to by Victra Sport 5 with identical properties.
The test car was Volkswagen Golf GTI.
Test Results
Wet Pavement
Wet Handling
- Pirelli
- Michelin
- Continental
- Dunlop
- Falken
- Goodyear
- Nokian
Info! Lap time, sec.
Wet Handling (Subjective)
- Pirelli
- Michelin
- Continental
- Dunlop
- Falken
- Goodyear
- Nokian
Info! Subjective assessment.
Wet Braking
- Pirelli
- Falken
- Michelin
- Nokian
- Continental
- Goodyear
- Dunlop
Info! Wet braking in the range of 80–0 km/h.
Lateral Stability
- Pirelli
- Continental
- Michelin
- Goodyear
- Falken
- Nokian
- Dunlop
Info! Lap time, s.
Straight Aquaplanning
- Goodyear
- Dunlop
- Michelin
- Pirelli
- Nokian
- Falken
- Continental
Info! Rate of grip loss, km/h.
Lateral Aquaplanning
- Dunlop
- Michelin
- Pirelli
- Continental
- Falken
- Goodyear
- Nokian
Info! Lateral acceleration, m/s².
Dry Pavement
Dry Handling
- Pirelli
- Michelin
- Dunlop
- Continental
- Falken
- Nokian
- Goodyear
Info! Average speed, km/h.
Dry Handling (Subjective)
- Pirelli
- Michelin
- Dunlop
- Goodyear
- Continental
- Nokian
- Falken
Info! Subjective assessment.
Road Test
- Continental
- Pirelli
- Michelin
- Nokian
- Goodyear
- Dunlop
- Falken
Info! Steering response.
Fuel Efficiency
- Dunlop
- Goodyear
- Nokian
- Continental
- Michelin
- Falken
- Pirelli
Info! Rolling resistance, kg/t.
Results
1 Place: Pirelli P Zero
There are good grounds for saying «the walls at home are your friends». The absolute victory in the Evo UHP summer tire test went to Pirelli P Zero of the model year 2016 (97.9 points) that was able to score the top marks in six categories. «The Pirelli was especially impressive in the wet and by far the most impressive tire subjectively» — the experts said.
P Zero topped the final protocols of all the handling tests, came out the best in terms of braking performance and lateral stability in the wet, as well as demonstrated a short braking distance on dry pavement. The price for this was a «slightly increased rolling resistance», which placed Pirelli p Zero on the last place in this discipline.
- Outstanding results on wet and dry pavement
- The tire delivered the best performance in the most important disciplines and won a well-deserved victory
- The highest rolling resistance on test
- Low riding comfort
2 Place: Michelin Pilot Sport 4
The second place in the final standings was scored by Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (95.2), which, ironically, did not come out the winner in any of the disciplines. However, this did not stop the Evo experts from praising this tire because «it always stayed in the top three». In their opinion, this proves PS’s ability to ensure the most stable performance in a variety of conditions.
- Invariably good results in all of the disciplines
- Great handling in the wet and in the dry
3 Place: Continental PremiumContact 6
The third place in the final standings was scored by Continental PremiumContact 6 (94.4) that came out the leader in dry braking and in the road test. This tire ensured a very convincing performance and the lowest noise emission.
- The best riding comfort on test
- Good handling response and great lateral grip on wet pavement
- The lowest straight hydroplaning resistance
4-5 Place: Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2
The fourth place was joint-scored by two models: Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 (92.8) and Nokian Powerproof (92.8). The Dunlop tire showed top-class performance in terms of hydroplaning resistance and fuel efficiency — notes the technical expert of Shina Guide — while the Nokian tire, although it did not top any of the test protocols, was able to show stable and invariably decent performance in all of tests for the sole exception of subjective comfort.
At the same, these two tires shared issues in wet handling performance, where Dunlop showed the longest braking distance, and Powerproof, as the test group stated, was behaving in a wayward manner.
- The lowest rolling resistance on test
- The best hydroplaning resistance
- Good handling in the dry
- Prone to skidding on wet pavement
4-5 Place: Nokian Powerproof
- Did not win in any of the disciplines, but, thanks to the steady decent performance, scored a large number of points
- Good handling in the dry
- Unsteady performance on wet pavement
6 Place: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
The sixth line in the tournament bracket was occupied by Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 (92.4). This tire was the best in terms of straight hydroplaning resistance and the second-best in the rolling resistance test, yet, at the same time, in the other categories, the battle was obviously lopsided.
- High resistance to straight hydroplaning
- Low rolling resistance
- Insufficient handling response in the wet
7 Place: Falken Azenis FK510
The seventh and last place was scored by Falken Azenis FK510 (89.6). But then again, the experts did not say any negative things about this model. They only commented that this tire performed «slightly weaker» than its rivals did on dry pavement, and that the only thing that stopped the Falken tire from scoring a higher position in the tournament bracket were the comparatively low subjective evaluations of its handling response.
- Short braking distance on wet pavement
- Acceptable handling response in the wet and in the dry
- Long braking distance on dry pavement
- High rolling resistance
The Maxxis Victra Sport 5 tire was performing hors concours because, unlike the other tire models, it is not available on the British market. Instead, it was presented by the manufacturer itself, and therefore, one cannot be certain that this tire is exactly the same as the ones that will be actually retailed.
As the Evo spokesman noted, if the Maxxis results were put on the competition record, this would be a sensation because the tires of this Taiwan brand would have surpassed Pirelli and scored the first place in the overall standings. «The Maxxis tire demonstrated great handling response both in the wet and in the dry, and, in addition, it was the most budget-friendly model on test — the Evo spokesman said — It proved to be the best in some of the tests, and in most of the disciplines it came close to the leaders; this tire also got great subjective assessments. We are looking forward to the moment when we will be able to put this tire on our official competition list».