Modern tires have to meet very high standards: in addition to ensuring excellent wet and dry performance, they must have a long tread life, be safe in corners, and capable of withstanding high speeds. All of this must come with maximum ride comfort and minimum rolling resistance for better environmental performance. The experts of the German automotive publication AUTO Straßenverkehr decided to find out which of the current models of premium-class passenger summer tires are indeed capable of tackling all of these tasks.

The tires were tested using Audi A6.

For conducting the comparative test, they purchased tires of various brands in size 245/45 R19, which can be fitted on such cars as Audi A6 and A7; BMW 5-series, 6-series GT, 7-series, X3 and X4; Ford Galaxy and S-Max; Hyundai ix35, Nexo and Tucson; Jaguar XJ; Kia Sportage; Mercedes S-Klasse; Mitsubishi Outlander; Subaru XV and Forester; Tesla Model S and Model X; and Volvo XC40.

In order to make sure that the tires do indeed contribute to the car’s safety and dynamic performance, as much as to the ride and acoustic comfort, many carmakers involve tire manufacturers in developing and fine-tuning new car models very early on. The tires developed during such collaborations get ultimately approved by the carmaker and get listed as original equipment. This, for example, was the case with the premium class Ultra-High Performance tire Continental PremiumContact 6, which is installed at the factory assembly line on new Audi A6’s, which was used by the AUTO Straßenverkehr experts as the test cars.

While the leading tire makers have in their brand ranges different tire models for different vehicles, smaller manufacturers, as a rule, limit themselves to one multipurpose product. And this comparative test — along with the Continental PremiumContact 6 AO (Audi Originalteil), which was developed in cooperation with Audi in 2019, and has not changed ever since — involved nine other candidates from different price brackets (from 130 to 209 Euro per tire), which are the so called aftermarket tires that can be fitted on a wide variety of vehicles in this particular size, and do not have a special carmaker sign.

So! This year, the title of the best summer tire in size 245/45 R19 Y by AUTO Straßenverkehr was contested by:

• Bridgestone Turanza T005;
• Continental PremiumContact 6;
• Falken Azenis FK510;
• Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6;
• GT Radial Sport Active 2;
• Hankook Ventus S1 evo3;
• Maxxis Victra Sport 5;
• Michelin Pilot Sport 4;
• Nexen N’Fera Sport;
• Nokian Powerproof.

In the AUTO Straßenverkehr tests, the main focus is made on ensuring safety through a short braking distance: in an emergency situation, the car’s kinetic energy (often underestimated) must be dispelled as soon as possible.

When braking from 100 km/h on dry pavement, the difference between the braking distance of the new Goodyear model (which was particularly good at this) and the cheapest GT Radial (the worst in this discipline) was mere three meters, the differences on wet pavement rise exponentially. For example, you can see the scary five meters between the best (Hankook) and the worst (GT Radial) tires. All this considering the fact that the braking was done was from 80 km/h in order to avoid possible hydroplaning.

Good grip, ensured by the tires during the braking, also keeps up the effectiveness of the car’s electronic control systems, such as ABS and ESP, which stabilize the car in emergency situations, mainly through purposeful intervention in the braking process. This is why the AUTO Straßenverkehr experts paid special attention to the joint operation of the car, the tires, and the control systems in the day-to-day operating conditions, as well as pushing the car to the limits when cornering or testing it for hydroplaning resistance. The picture is complemented by ride comfort tests, conducted on dry pavement, lane-switching tests, as well as racetrack tests.

Comparative time-trial laps show how harmoniously the car, suspension, tires and control systems can work together. This test immediately showed that the PremiumContact 6, developed specially for Audi, and the A6 were team players. Nevertheless, one could expect that the later tire models would outperform the original Continental tires due to new innovative construction features and new rubber compounds.

This indeed was the case. The results of the dynamic tests showed that the best tire in the dry was Goodyear, and in the wet Bridgestone, which was also unparalleled in terms of fuel saving capabilities. The Hankook tire also demonstrated top-class braking performance, but lost a few points because of weaknesses in handling properties and hydroplaning resistance.

The recently developed Nexen N’Fera Sport, just as the improved and just as safe Nokian model, had a few minor issues, which, when put together, did cost them points in the final standings. Just as everyone expected, the rather expensive Michelin PS4 showed itself to the best advantage as a well-balanced tire, but a little bit obsolete in terms of overall performance, especially compared to the already announced successor model Pilot Sport 5.

And what about the relatively inexpensive tires such as Maxxis, Falken, and GT Radial? In terms of driving dynamics, they fall significantly behind the premium-brand tires. While the Falken model was still able to reach the «Good» verdict with its acceptable braking performance, Maxxis needed about two meters longer to bring the car to a halt on wet pavement, and GT Radial fell behind all of its rivals in both braking disciplines.

And what can you say about ride comfort, especially in view of the fact that this factor is quite relevant for the cars of such a class? Ride comfort is something that can only be subjectively judged. In the «Ride comfort / cabin noise» category, the pilots gave their subjective evaluations of how well the tires absorbed shocks from hitting a raised manhole cover or hitting a road joint. How much of the road noise gets into the cabin? Are there any annoying noises during cornering?

In this area, the Continental model, technologically modernized at Audi’s request, definitely has an edge. Unlike its competitors, the tire has two extra features: the Conti-Silent layer of noise-absorbing foam inside the tire reduces the amount of road noise getting into the cabin, and the viscous ContiSeal prevents loss of inflation pressure in the event of a puncture. The combination of both made the test cars quiet, smooth, and comfortable. However, if the advantages of the self-repairing tire technology can be used in other tire models, the effect from the shock absorbing foam is not so easily replicable. This technology is only effective if its impact is precisely coordinated with the natural vibration characteristics of the car and the suspension components. This is why this extra feature is not to be found in the multipurpose aftermarket tires.

AUTO Straßenverkehr 2022: Results in the disciplines of summer tires in size 245/45 R19. Click to enlarge.

Test result summary:

So, what rubber should you buy? The result of the test is quite explicit: although rather expensive, the Continental PremiumContact 6 AO tire ensures maximum ride comfort and a great overall performance. On the other hand, the Bridgestone model received the highest scores for excellent wet performance. However, this time around the test was won by the youngest model in this segment — the new Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6. It produces quite an impression with an excellently balanced performance, as well as crisp steering response, particularly on dry surfaces.