Motor: Summer Tire Test R17 2021

Normally, the experts of Poland’s Motor magazine conduct their tests of summer tires in winter at a test facility in Texas, USA, but this year due to the pandemic-related restrictions they had to wait until it got warmer in Europe, and eventually the tests were organized in Germany. Luckily, the temperature stayed within the range of 20–24 degrees Celsius, and the rain did not get in the way of conducting all the necessary tests either.
This time around, the team of the magazine decided to test tires in size 225/55 R17, which are suitable for cars of different classes. 17-inch tires are fitted on both midsize and large cars, such as Audi A6, BMW 5-Series, Mercedes E-Class, and Opel Insignia, and on compact cars, including BMW 3-Series and Mini Countryman. In addition, these tires are often picked by the owners of CUVs, such as Honda CR-V, Nissan X-Trail, and Skoda Karoq; even such minivans as Chrysler Voyager, Fiat Scudo, and Opel Vivaro can be fitted with tires of this size. The list of contestants included tires from all price brackets, from premium Continental and Goodyear models to the budget Imperial, which are some of the cheapest tires available retail.

Continental PremiumContact 6 - Winner Recommended

88 70

· Summer · 2016 · Passenger - Premuim Touring Summer

Verdict:
High level of safety and comfort. Stable behavior on dry pavement. Excellent grip and good stability on wet pavement. Relatively low hydroplaning resistance.
Wet Braking Dry Braking Wet Handling Lateral Stability Dry Handling

North America · Europe · Russia+ · Japan · Middle East · Oceania

Test Score:

195.6
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 Recommended

87 64

· Summer · 2018 · Passenger - Max Performance Summer

Verdict:
Good handling response and a short stopping distance on wet and dry pavement alike. Good hydroplaning resistance. High rolling resistance.
Wet Braking Dry Braking Straight Aquaplaning Wet Handling Lateral Stability Lateral Aquaplaning Dry Handling Rolling Resistance

Europe · Russia+ · Japan · China · Southeast Asia · Middle East · South Africa · Oceania

Test Score:

195.3
Nokian Powerproof Recommended

76 46

· Summer · 2019 · Passenger - Ultra High Performance Summer

Verdict:
A very good result for the brand, chiefly known for its winter tires Good results on dry and wet pavement. Low noise emission. Attractive price.
Wet Braking Dry Braking Straight Aquaplaning Lateral Stability Lateral Aquaplaning Dry Handling

Europe

Test Score:

193.3
Bridgestone Turanza T005

84 63

· Summer · 2018 · Passenger - Premuim Touring Summer

Verdict:
Great handling response in the wet and in the dry. Low rolling resistance.
Straight Aquaplaning Dry Braking Dry Handling Rolling Resistance Noise

North America · Central & South America · Europe · Russia+ · China · South Korea · Southeast Asia · Middle East · Africa · Oceania

Test Score:

192.7
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2

76 55

· Summer · 2016 · Passenger - Ultra High Performance Summer

Verdict:
Great handling response in any weather conditions (during high-speed cornering on wet pavement, slight understeer occurs, but on the whole the tires ensure adequate grip level). Great riding comfort. Excellent hydroplaning resistance.
Straight Aquaplaning Dry Braking Lateral Aquaplaning

USA+ · Canada · Europe · Russia+ · South Africa · Oceania

Test Score:

191.9
Maxxis Premitra 5 HP5

76 45

· Summer · 2015 · Passenger - Ultra High Performance Summer

Verdict:
The best budget tire on test. Well-balanced performance. Good handling performance on dry and wet pavement (although slightly prone to understeer). Low price.
Dry Handling Wet Handling Noise

Mexico · Central & South America · Europe · Russia+ · Japan · China · Middle East · South Africa · Oceania

Test Score:

190.3
Debica Presto UHP 2

77 28

· Summer · 2017 · Passenger - Ultra High Performance Summer

Verdict:
Acceptable results on dry and wet pavement. Well-balanced performance. Low noise emission. Low rolling resistance.
Noise Rolling Resistance

Europe · Russia+

Test Score:

189.5
Laufenn S FIT EQ+

63 45

· Summer · 2020 · Passenger - Ultra High Performance Summer

Verdict:
Acceptable results on dry pavement. Relatively low rolling resistance. Poor results on wet pavement.
Rolling Resistance Dry Handling Noise Wet Handling

Europe · Russia+ · Middle East · North Africa

Test Score:

187.3
Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue

75 37

· Summer · 2012 · Passenger - Premuim Touring Summer

Verdict:
Very low rolling resistance. The main disappointment of the test. Long braking distance and less-than-perfect handling response on dry and wet pavement. Relatively low hydroplaning resistance. High price.
Rolling Resistance Wet Braking Wet Handling Price

USA+ · Canada · Europe · Russia+ · East Asia · Middle East

Test Score:

184.8
Imperial EcoSport 2

72 24

· Summer · 2015 · Passenger - High Performance Summer

Verdict:
Very affordable price. Good results on wet pavement. Low noise emission. Poor results on dry pavement. High rolling resistance.
Noise Straight Aquaplaning Lateral Aquaplaning Wet Braking Dry Braking Wet Handling Rolling Resistance

Europe · Russia+

Test Score:

183.1