The new Auto Bild test compared summer tires for compact sports cars.

List of models tested:

The German magazine Auto Bild published the results of a second test of sports summer tires this season. This time around the test involved tires designed for compact cars, such as Volkswagen Golf GTI, Cupra Leon, Audi S3, etc.

The experts tested tires in the size of 235/35 R19, and, since this size covers all the market segments from economy to premium, the differences in performance were quite substantial — so much so that when bringing the car to a standstill from 100 km/h on wet pavement, the braking distance of the cheap Syron and Berlin tires was a whopping 16 meters longer than that of Michelin. The remaining speed in this case will be 50 km/h, and both budget tires earned a verdict «highly not recommended».

Michelin Pilot Sport 4S

At the same time, the experts say, the premium quality tires allow you to feel true driving pleasure. The test was won by the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, which combines efficient braking in any conditions with good riding comfort and low rolling resistance. The second place was shared by the new Bridgestone Potenza Sport and the Continental SportContact 6, which were noted for short braking distances on dry pavement and excellent hydroplaning resistance respectively, then came the Pirelli P Zero, which was also rated as «exemplary» thanks to its good handling properties on both wet and dry pavement.

The honorable fifth place was taken by the Hankook Ventus S1 evo3, which demonstrated well-balanced overall performance but was failed by a relatively long wet braking distance. Another tire that took the fifth place was the Vredestein Ultrac Vorti that received good scores for good wet handling capabilities and a short braking distance. Its only weak side was increased rolling resistance, which is not a key priority in this segment.

Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 K127

The seventh place was shared by three tires at once: Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2, Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5, and Maxxis Victra Sport VS5. The Dunlop tire pleased the experts with its controllable behavior on both wet and dry pavement, the Goodyear model was prone to understeer on wet pavement, and the Maxxis tire demonstrated high hydroplaning resistance, but at the same time it had a relatively long wet braking distance.

Then came the tires that could not earn the «Good» verdict — Kleber Dynaxer UHP from Michelin got rated only as «satisfactory» due to less-than-perfect wet performance, while the Toyo Proxes Sport A will take too long to stop the car in rainy weather. The 12th place was received by the Nokian Powerproof, which demonstrated relatively poor braking performance on wet pavement, and was prone to understeer both in the wet and in the dry.

Kleber Dynaxer UHP

The Barum Bravuris 5HM from Continental this time around only scored the 13th line, its only strong sides being low rolling resistance and attractive price. The two tires at the bottom of the tournament bracket — the Syron Premium Performance and the Berlin Summer UHP (both private brands are owned by the German company Keskin) — got a «not recommended» verdict, one of the reasons for that being obviously poor grip on wet pavement.

«Where there is a light, there is a shadow, and the differences between the test members rarely get as prominent as in this test — the Auto Bild experts noted. — The top products from the leading manufacturers demonstrate how much has been achieved by modern technologies, and they ensure not just driving pleasure but also a high level of driving safety, while we definitely do not recommend buying tires from the bottom of the tournament bracket.»

Test results

1st place: Michelin / Pilot Sport 4S

Quick Take

Auto Bild 2021: Summer Tire Test R19

Test results

Michelin Pilot Sport 4S

Bridgestone Potenza Sport

Continental SportContact 6

Pirelli P Zero PZ4

Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 K127

Vredestein Ultrac Vorti

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2

Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5

Maxxis Victra Sport 5 VS5

Kleber Dynaxer UHP

Toyo Proxes Sport A

Nokian Powerproof

Barum Bravuris 5HM

Syron Premium Performance

Berlin Summer UHP 1

Price

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