235/35R19

Evo 2022: Summer Tire Test R19

The British magazine conducted a test of UHP summer tires.

In November 2022, the British magazine evo published the results of its next summer tire test, this time opting for the size of 235/35 R19, ever more popular in the UK, and comparing the tires’ performance on dry and wet pavement.

The frontrunner of the new test could be considered to be the Continental SportContact 7, which previously won the mini-test of three 265/35 R20 tires, its claim to victory being disputed by other leaders of the UHP segment, such as Pirelli P Zero (PZ4), Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport, and Bridgestone Potenza Sport, who never participated in the evo tests before. Yet another newcomer was the Falken Azenis FK520, while the Maxxis Victra Sport 5 had been tested by evo before and showed very good results, but back then its participation in the test was «unofficial». And, finally, yet another participant was the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, which also won the two previous evo tests, i.e. the competition in this test was more than serious.

The tires were tested using VW Golf GTI Clubsport
The tires were tested using VW Golf GTI Clubsport. Source: evo.co.uk

The test car was a VW Golf GTI Clubsport, which does not have any shortage of either power or torque (300 horsepower and 406 Nm respectively); the testing ground was the Goodyear complex in Mireval, France.

Wet Handling

On a watered track, the best lap time was demonstrated by the Bridgestone model, which surpassed Pirelli by more than half a second, at the same time receiving the highest subjective evaluations. The P Zero behaved confidently and reliably without demonstrating any prominent issues, while the Bridgestone model was only slightly inferior to it in terms of steering feedback. Second-placed in the subjective ranking was the Goodyear model, which fell only slightly behind the leaders in terms of traction, while the Maxxis tire produced a very good overall impression thanks to its predictable behavior. The Continental tire caught up with Goodyear in terms of lap time, but it had issues with traction in corners, and, in addition, you had to work very carefully with the gas pedal to fully use its potential. The Michelin tire, in turn, had a relatively weak grip on the rear wheels, which was good for slow cornering and bad for fast cornering, while the worst time was shown by the Falken tire, which was too quick to go off course during high-speed maneuvering because its overall grip was weaker than that of the competition. At the same time, the tire behaved in a quite stable way in other respects.

Wet Handling

Bridgestone
64.5
Pirelli
65.1
Maxxis
65.8
Goodyear
66.0
Continental
66.0
Michelin
66.4
Falken
68.2

Info! Lap time, sec.

Subj. Wet Handling

Pirelli
58.0
Goodyear
55.0
Maxxis
54.5
Bridgestone
54.5
Michelin
52.0
Continental
51.0
Falken
49.0

Info! Subjective, points.


Lateral Stability

Test discipline: wet circle.
Test discipline: wet circle. Source: evo.co.uk

Usually, there is strong correlation between the results of the handling tests and the tests for lateral grip on wet pavement, and in the second discipline first and last places were scored by Bridgestone and Falken respectively. At the same time, on the circular track the scatter of the results was not as significant, and the Goodyear tire shared the top line of the tournament bracket with Bridgestone.

Lateral Stability

Goodyear
13.5
Bridgestone
13.5
Maxxis
13.7
Continental
13.8
Michelin
13.8
Pirelli
13.9
Falken
14.1

Info! Circle time, sec.


Braking

Test discipline: wet braking
Test discipline: wet braking. Source: evo.co.uk

The braking tests were dominated by Continental, which had a significant lead over the competition on dry and wet tracks alike. The Michelin tire also demonstrated consistently good results in both disciplines, even though it lagged considerably behind Continental on the wet track. The worst performance here was demonstrated by the Maxxis tire, which scored the last-but-one lines on both types of pavement.

Wet Braking

Continental
28.1
Goodyear
30.1
Michelin
30.7
Pirelli
31.0
Bridgestone
31.3
Maxxis
32.0
Falken
32.4

Info! Braking in the range of 80–0 km/h, m.

Dry Braking

Continental
31.0
Bridgestone
31.8
Michelin
32.3
Falken
32.4
Goodyear
32.6
Maxxis
32.6
Pirelli
32.6

Info! Braking in the range of 100–0 km/h, m.


Hydroplaning

The hydroplaning effect appears when the tire can no longer cut through the water layer on the road and starts to «float». The best hydroplaning resistance — both straight and lateral — was demonstrated by the Bridgestone tire. At the same time, it should be noted that the tire’s lead over the closest pursuers was essentially minimal, and in the first discipline — straight hydroplaning resistance — the difference between the first in the last place was mere 3.2%.

Straight Hyroplaning

Bridgestone
82.1
Michelin
82.0
Gooyear
81.8
Continental
81.3
Pirelli
81.3
Maxxis
81.0
Falken
79.9

Info! Float speed, km/h.

Lateral Hydroplaning

Bridgestone
66.6
Goodyear
66.4
Falken
66.0
Maxxis
64.3
Michelin
64.3
Pirelli
63.9
Continental
63.3

Info! Residual lateral acceleration, km/h.


Dry Handling

Test discipline: dry handling.
Test discipline: dry handling. Source: evo.co.uk

Predictably, on dry pavement the lap times shown by different tires did not differ as much as on wet pavement, the first place being scored by the Continental model, which had a slight lead over Goodyear and Bridgestone. The subjective ranking consisted of the same three models, yet the order was shuffled — the best tire was pronounced to be Goodyear, which inevitably maintained reliable grip during high-speed maneuvering. In the more abrupt corners it missed traction a little bit, but it was deservedly commended for excellent handling response. The Bridgestone tire also informs the driver about reaching the grip threshold, which the Continental is better at tackling high speeds, even though in terms of feedback it was inferior to the other two tires from this trio.

Mere few tenths of a second separated the Maxxis and Michelin models from the leaders; subjective evaluations tipped in favor of the tires from the French brand. According to the experts, the Michelin tire required just a little time to find the right grip when entering high-speed corners, but otherwise it behaved in a very predictable way, while the Maxxis tire, conversely, was better when entering the corner, had better feedback and better traction, but it was also pretty noisy, and, once heated, the noise would increase in the second lap.

Pirelli was two seconds inferior to the leader, scoring the last place, but subjectively it was rated fifth. The evo experts noted that, just as the Michelin model, the Pirelli tire was generally effective, but it lacked traction in comparison to the other top tires. The lowest subjective scores were received by the Falken tire that already had an obvious lack of traction.

Dry Handling

Continental
92.9
Goodyear
93.0
Bridgestone
93.3
Maxxis
93.7
Michelin
93.7
Falken
94.2
Pirelli
94.9

Info! Lap time, sec.

Subj. Dry Handling

Goodyear
60.0
Bridgestone
59.0
Continental
56.0
Michelin
54.5
Pirelli
53.5
Maxxis
52.0
Falken
48.5

Info! Subjective, points.


The Road Test

Test discipline: road route.
Test discipline: road route. Source: evo.co.uk

The road test involved evaluating handling performance and steering feedback, as well as noise and ride smoothness, and the first place was scored by the Michelin model that was effective at absorbing noise and vibrations, and ensured excellent handling performance in corners. Second-placed was Pirelli, which was slightly noisier, but also ensured good feedback through the steering wheel at moderate speeds. The Falken tire came third because, although it was not the best in terms of steering response, it ensured a smooth and noiseless ride on all types of surfaces.

For those who place handling performance above ride comfort, we can recommend the Bridgestone and Goodyear tires. The tire by the Japanese brand is very quick to respond to the driver inputs, and it the same time it behaves very consistently under loads, yet it does let you know about road inequalities with both noise and vibrations, while the Goodyear model is less sensitive to the changes in the road structure, and provides good steering feedback.

The Road Test

Michelin
24.0
Pirelli
23.5
Falken
23.0
Bridgestone
22.5
Goodyear
22.5
Maxxis
22.0
Continental
21.0

Info! Subjective, points.


Efficiency

Previously, the tire’s environmental performance, stated on the EU label, already deviated from the results of the evo tests, and in the 2022 test this applied to Maxxis, which, instead of the D ranking, scored a place among the tires with a C index. The best environmental performance this time was demonstrated by the Michelin model.

Rolling Resistance

Michelin
8.46
Falken
8.50
Maxxis
8.88
Continental
9.08
Pirelli
9.58
Bridgestone
9.91
Goodyear
10.36

Info! Rolling Resistance, kg/t.


Result summary. Evo Summer Tire Test — 235/35R19 Places 1–7. (click to enlarge)
Result summary. Evo Summer Tire Test — 235/35R19 Places 1–7. (click to enlarge)

1st place: Bridgestone / Potenza Sport

Quick Take
83 68

Bridgestone Potenza Sport

Price/Quality Dry Performance Handling Wet Performance Treadwear Comfort
  • This tire replaced Bridgestone / Potenza S001
  • Available Sizes in Line: 87
  • Original Equipment (OE) tires for:
    • • Lamborghini Huracan Facelift [2019 .. 2023]
    • • Ferrari Roma [2020 .. 2023]
    • • Maserati MC20 [2020 .. 2024]
    • • Maserati Grecale [2022 .. 2024]
    • • Fisker Ocean [2022 .. 2024]
  • Recommended Tire by Tests
  • Year Released: 2021
  • Regions for sale: North America, Europe, Russia+, China, Southeast Asia, Middle East, Oceania
Bridgestone Potenza Sport

This Bridgestone model ensures excellent handling response on wet pavement, and has a very high rolling resistance; on dry pavement, and has good handling feedback and crisp steering response, for which, obviously, the technologists sacrificed some of the ride comfort.


2nd place: Goodyear / Eagle F1 SuperSport

Quick Take
84 68

Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport

Dry Performance Handling Wet Performance Comfort Treadwear
  • Available Sizes in Line: 116
  • Original Equipment (OE) tires for:
    • • Cupra Formentor [2020 .. 2023]
    • • Porsche 911 IX (992) [2019 .. 2023]
    • • Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk8 (CD1) [2020 .. 2023]
    • • Lotus
    • • Maserati GranTurismo [2007 .. 2016]
  • Recommended Tire by Tests
  • Year Released: 2018
  • Regions for sale: USA+, Canada, Europe, Russia+, Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Middle East, South Africa, Oceania
Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport

This tire is characterized by excellent steering feedback and ensures very good handling response on dry pavement. You cannot call it the most comfortable tire around, but on dry pavement it produces quite an impression.


3rd place: Pirelli / P Zero PZ4

Quick Take
81 63
Dry Performance Handling Wet Performance Comfort Treadwear
  • This tire replaced Pirelli / P Zero
  • Available Sizes in Line: 324
  • Original Equipment (OE) tires for:
    • • BMW 8 Series G14/G15/G16 [2018 .. 2023]
    • • Hyundai Kona OS Facelift [2020 .. 2023]
    • • Acura NSX NC1 [2016 .. 2023]
    • • Volvo V90 II [2016 .. 2023]
    • • Jaguar XF
    • • BMW X1
    • • BMW X2
    • • MINI Countryman
    • • MINI Clubman
    • • Mercedes-Benz C-Class
    • • Jaguar XE
    • • Audi A4
    • • Audi A5
    • • BMW 3 Series
    • • Mercedes-Benz A-Class
    • • Mercedes-Benz B-Class
    • • Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
    • • BMW 7 Series
    • • BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo
    • • BMW X3
    • • BMW X4
    • • BMW X5
    • • BMW X6
    • • Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
    • • Mercedes-Benz E-Class
    • • Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe
    • • Audi A8
    • • Bentley Continental GT
    • • Bentley Continental GTC
    • • Porsche Boxster
    • • Porsche Cayman
    • • Audi A3
    • • McLaren 540C
    • • McLaren 570GT
    • • McLaren 570S
    • • Volvo V40
    • • Hyundai Veloster
    • • Lamborghini Huracan
    • • McLaren Senna
    • • Audi R8
    • • McLaren 720S
    • • Porsche 911
    • • BMW 5 Series
    • • Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 4
    • • Porsche Panamera
    • • Audi A6
    • • Audi A7
    • • Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class
    • • Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class
    • • Volkswagen Touareg
    • • Lamborghini Aventador
    • • BMW Alpina B5
    • • Jaguar F-Type
    • • Ferrari 488 Pista
    • • Ferrari GTC4Lusso
    • • Ferrari Portofino
    • • Maserati GranTurismo
    • • Maserati GranCabrio
    • • Ferrari 812 Superfast
    • • Dodge Challenger
    • • Aston Martin Vantage
    • • Alfa Romeo Stelvio
    • • BMW Alpina XD3
    • • BMW Alpina XD4
    • • Jaguar E-Pace
    • • BMW X4 M
    • • BMW X3 M
    • • Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
    • • Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class
    • • McLaren GT
    • • Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
    • • Lamborghini Urus
    • • Volkswagen Atlas
    • • Ford Mustang Mach-E [2020 .. 2023]
    • • Aston Martin DBX [2020 .. 2023]
    • • BMW i4 G26 [2021 .. 2024]
    • • Lotus
    • • Porsche Cayenne E3 (9Y) Facelift [2023 .. 2025]
  • Recommended Tire by Tests
  • Year Released: 2016
  • Regions for sale: North America, Central & South America, Europe, Russia+, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa, Oceania
Pirelli P Zero PZ4

This Pirelli tire is very good on wet pavement, and it also ensures a pretty comfortable ride. At the same time there were minor gripes about handling response and dry braking performance.


4th place: Maxxis / Victra Sport 5 VS5

Quick Take
74 49

Maxxis Victra Sport 5 VS5

Dry Performance Wet Performance Handling Comfort Treadwear
  • Year Released: 2018
  • Regions for sale: Canada, Central & South America, Europe, Russia+, Japan, China, South Africa, Oceania
Maxxis Victra Sport 5 VS5

A good inexpensive tire, whose performance is almost on a level with that of much more expensive models.


5th place: Michelin / Pilot Sport 4S

Quick Take
86 74

Michelin Pilot Sport 4S

Price/Quality Wet Performance Handling Dry Performance Comfort Treadwear Snow/Ice Performance
  • This tire has been replaced by Michelin / Pilot Sport S 5
  • This tire replaced Michelin / Pilot Super Sport
  • Available Sizes in Line: 229
  • Original Equipment (OE) tires for:
    • • Ferrari GTC4Lusso [2016 .. 2020]
    • • Porsche 911
    • • Porsche Boxster
    • • BMW X3 M F97 [2019 .. 2021]
    • • BMW X4 M F98 [2019 .. 2021]
    • • Cadillac CT4-V GM Alpha [2020 .. 2023]
    • • Cadillac CT5-V GM Alpha [2020 .. 2023]
    • • Honda Civic Type R FK8 [2017 .. 2023]
  • Recommended Tire by Tests
  • Year Released: 2017
  • Regions for sale: North America, Central & South America, Europe, Russia+, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa, Oceania
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S

This Michelin tire ensures a very smooth and comfortable ride and has a low rolling resistance. True, there are newer models available on the market, which do outperform it on wet and dry pavement alike, but the Pilot Sport 4 S is still an excellent choice.


6th place: Continental / SportContact 7

Quick Take
94 57

Continental SportContact 7

  • This tire replaced Continental / SportContact 6
  • Available Sizes in Line: 3
  • Original Equipment (OE) tires for:
    • • Maserati Levante M161 [2016 .. 2023]
    • • Maserati Quattroporte VI (M156) Facelift [2016 .. 2023]
    • • Audi RS6 C8 [2019 .. 2024]
    • • BYD Seal [2022 .. 2024]
    • • BMW 5 Series VIII (G60/G61) [2023 .. 2025]
    • • BMW i5 G60/G61 [2023 .. 2025]
  • Recommended Tire by Tests
  • Year Released: 2022
  • Regions for sale: USA+, Mexico, Europe, Russia+, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Middle East
Continental SportContact 7

One of the strongest sides of this Continental model is a very short braking distance on both wet and dry pavement. In addition, the tire ensures an excellent dry handling response. At the same time, this Continental model is inferior to some of its rivals in terms of steering feedback and ride comfort.


7th place: Falken / Azenis FK520

Quick Take
N/A 30
  • Year Released: 2022
  • Regions for sale: Europe
Falken Azenis FK520

This Falken tire combines acceptable dry handling response and good ride comfort. In addition, it has a high resistance to lateral hydroplaning but it lacks steering feedback, it has a long wet braking distance.

Price