Tyre Reviews: UHP Summer Tyre Test 2021

Tyre Reviews: UHP Summer Tyre Test

Tyrereviews experts have taken 14 of the best ultra high performance summer tyres in the very popular 225/40 R18 tyre size, and Tyrereviews have tested the dry and wet handling, the dry and wet braking ability, aquaplaning resistance, the noise levels and the rolling resistance of these tyres, to work out exactly what tyre is best at what!

The test vehicle is a trusty VW Golf GTI, which while is a little generic, is a really good platform to run this program on.

  1. Michelin Pilot Sport 4 - Winner Recommended
    Michelin Pilot Sport 4
    81 67
    · Summer · 2015 · Passenger - Max Performance Summer
    Verdict:

    The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 is a tyre with almost no weaknesses, it has excellent grip in all conditions, good aquaplaning resistance, and a low noise. The only negative is that it's not the most responsive of tyres during the dry handling test.

    Positive: Excellent rounded tyre with almost no weakness, excellent grip in the dry and wet, short braking distances and safe balance.
    Negative: Not the most sporty feeling of the UHP tyres.

    Dry Braking   Noise   Straight Aquaplaning   Wet Handling   Lateral Aquaplaning   Rolling Resistance   Price  
    North America North America · Central & South America Central & South America · Europe Europe · Russia+ Russia+ · East Asia East Asia · Southeast Asia Southeast Asia · Middle East Middle East · Africa Africa · Oceania Oceania
  2. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 Recommended
    Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
    87 64
    · Summer · 2018 · Passenger - Max Performance Summer
    Verdict:

    The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 is a tyre with almost no weaknesses, it has excellent grip in the dry and wet, sporty handling, excellent aquaplaning resistance and low rolling resistance.

    Positive: Excellent rounded tyre with almost no weakness, sporty handling in the dry and wet, very short wet braking, very high aquaplaning resistance.
    Negative: Average external noise.

    Wet Braking   Straight Aquaplaning   Wet Handling   Lateral Aquaplaning   Dry Handling   Noise  
    Europe Europe · Russia+ Russia+ · Japan Japan · China China · Southeast Asia Southeast Asia · Middle East Middle East · South Africa South Africa · Oceania Oceania
  3. Michelin Pilot Sport 4S Recommended
    Michelin Pilot Sport 4S
    86 74
    · Summer · 2017 · Passenger - Max Performance Summer
    Verdict:

    The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is an extremely rounded UUHP tyre, offering the most complete blend of qualities. The trade off for all these qualities seems to be in dry handling, where it doesn't feel the most sporty of tyres.

    Positive: Extremely rounded UUHP tyre with the shortest dry braking distances, excellent aquaplaning resistance, good levels of comfort and lowest rolling resistance of the UUHP tyres.
    Negative: Not as dynamic handling as the other two UUHP tyres in this test.

    Comfort   Dry Handling   Dry Braking   Straight Aquaplaning   Rolling Resistance   Price   Noise  
    North America North America · Central & South America Central & South America · Europe Europe · Russia+ Russia+ · Japan Japan · South Korea South Korea · Southeast Asia Southeast Asia · Middle East Middle East · Africa Africa · Oceania Oceania
  4. Bridgestone Potenza Sport
    Bridgestone Potenza Sport
    83 68
    · Summer · 2021 · Passenger - Ultra High Performance Summer
    Verdict:

    The new Bridgestone Potenza Sport at times feels like a track tyre for the road. The grip levels are extremely high and when the tyre is warm, the grip incredible. The low starting tread depth makes it difficult in the wet due to high levels of aquaplaning, however the grip is impressive when in contact with the road.

    Positive: Sporty handling tyre with excellent steering response and feedback, very quick in the dry and wet with short braking distances.
    Negative: Low aquaplaning resistance, oversteer balance in wet handling.

    Wet Braking   Dry Handling   Dry Braking   Wet Handling   Aquaplaning  
    North America North America · Europe Europe · Russia+ Russia+ · China China · Southeast Asia Southeast Asia · Middle East Middle East · Oceania Oceania
  5. Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport
    Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport
    84 68
    · Summer · 2018 · Passenger - Ultra High Performance Summer
    Verdict:

    The Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport was the master of the dry handling lap, offering the best steering response and good feedback. Unfortunately in this 18" size, the F1SS didn't has as much wet performance as tested in other sizes.

    Positive: Truly a road tyre you can use on track, excellent dynamic steering with quick reactions and good feedback, and very good heat resistance for a road tyre.
    Negative: Oversteer wet handling balance, long wet braking distances, high external pass by noise, high rolling resistance.

    Dry Handling   Rolling Resistance   Wet Handling   Price   Noise  
    USA+ USA+ · Canada Canada · Europe Europe · Russia+ Russia+ · Japan Japan · China China · Southeast Asia Southeast Asia · Middle East Middle East · South Africa South Africa · Oceania Oceania
  6. Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 K127
    Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 K127
    81 56
    · Summer · 2019 · Passenger - Ultra High Performance Summer
    Verdict:

    The new specification Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 is the wet braking master, stopping the car significantly shorter than any other tyre on test. This braking advantage does seem to have come at the slight expense of handling, with the tyre slower to react and understeer balance in the dry and wet.

    Positive: Shortest wet braking distance, very short dry braking, safe wet handling balance, low rolling resistance.
    Negative: Understeer balance in the dry, average aquaplaning performance.

    Wet Braking   Dry Braking   Rolling Resistance  
    North America North America · Central & South America Central & South America · Europe Europe · Russia+ Russia+ · East Asia East Asia · Southeast Asia Southeast Asia · Middle East Middle East · Oceania Oceania
  7. Pirelli P Zero PZ4
    Pirelli P Zero PZ4
    81 63
    · Summer · 2016 · Passenger - Max Performance Summer
    Verdict:

    The Pirelli P Zero PZ4 is a rare tyre that seems to blend good grip in the dry and wet, sporty handling, low rolling resistance and good levels of comfort. IF this tyre had slightly better aquaplaning resistance it would have been in the top group.

    Positive: Dynamic handling with an excellent performance in the dry and wet, low levels of noise.
    Negative: Average aquaplaning performance.

    Wet Braking   Dry Braking   Wet Handling   Noise   Straight Aquaplaning  
    North America North America · Central & South America Central & South America · Europe Europe · Russia+ Russia+ · East Asia East Asia · Southeast Asia Southeast Asia · Middle East Middle East · Africa Africa · Oceania Oceania
  8. Continental PremiumContact 6
    Continental PremiumContact 6
    88 70
    · Summer · 2016 · Passenger - Premuim Touring Summer
    Verdict:

    The Continental PremiumContact 6 further cements the theory that it should have been named the SportContact 6, with the fastest dry handling lap, best in category steering response and precision, and short dry braking. Sadly, this comes at the expense of NVH.

    Positive: Sporty dry handling with the fastest dry lap time, short dry braking, excellent aquaplaning resistance.
    Negative: Highest pass by noise on test, average wet handling lap time.

    Dry Handling   Lateral Aquaplaning   Straight Aquaplaning   Noise  
    North America North America · Europe Europe · Russia+ Russia+ · Japan Japan · Middle East Middle East · Oceania Oceania
  9. Falken Azenis FK510
    Falken Azenis FK510
    80 63
    · Summer · 2016 · Passenger - Ultra High Performance Summer
    Verdict:

    In this 18" size, the FK510 is a sporty tyre with good dry and wet handling, short wet braking and good aquaplaning resistance.

    Positive: Sporty dry and wet handling, short wet braking distances, good aquaplaning resistance, good value.
    Negative: Average dry braking, high pass by noise.

    Wet Braking   Wet Handling   Price   Lateral Aquaplaning   Noise  
    North America North America · Central & South America Central & South America · Europe Europe · Russia+ Russia+ · Japan Japan · South Korea South Korea · Middle East Middle East · Africa Africa · Oceania Oceania
  10. GT Radial SportActive 2
    GT Radial SportActive 2
    70 39
    · Summer · 2021 · Passenger - Ultra High Performance Summer
    Verdict:

    The new GT Radial SportActive 2 is a good improvement over the SportActive, with very high aquaplaning resistance, very low noise, and good handling in the dry and wet. Unfortunately the tyre has extended wet braking distances.

    Positive: Best straight and curved aquaplaning, lowest noise on test, stable wet handling with good levels of grip, sporty handling in the dry, low rolling resistance.
    Negative: Long wet braking, average grip in the dry.

    Noise   Straight Aquaplaning   Wet Handling   Price   Lateral Aquaplaning   Rolling Resistance   Wet Braking   Dry Braking  
    Central & South America Central & South America · Europe Europe · Japan Japan · South Africa South Africa · Oceania Oceania
  11. Nokian Powerproof
    Nokian Powerproof
    76 46
    · Summer · 2019 · Passenger - Ultra High Performance Summer
    Verdict:

    The Nokian PowerProof had a refined ride, but didn't perform up to expectations in the grip tests.

    Positive: Good levels of comfort, low rolling resistance.
    Negative: Long wet braking distances, poor aquaplaning resistance.

    Price   Rolling Resistance   Straight Aquaplaning   Lateral Aquaplaning  
    Europe Europe
  12. Vredestein Ultrac Vorti+
    Vredestein Ultrac Vorti+
    N/A 32
    · Summer · 2021 · Passenger - Max Performance Summer
    Verdict:

    The new Vredestein Ultrac Vorti+ had extremely stable dry handling times with good steering and very good heat resistance. Sadly that seemed to hamper it in the wet, where it couldn't match the best on test.

    Positive: Stable dry handling with good steering feel and low wear on track.
    Negative: Long wet braking distances, low grip in wet handling, highest rolling resistance on test.

    Dry Handling   Treadwear   Wet Braking   Dry Braking   Rolling Resistance  
    Europe Europe
  13. Avon ZV7
    Avon ZV7
    70 21
    · Summer · 2014 · Passenger - Premuim Touring Summer
    Verdict:

    The Avon ZV7 is a well priced tyre with low noise levels, however it couldn't match the group in the grip tests.

    Positive: Low rolling resistance, quiet external noise, well priced.
    Negative: Long wet and dry braking, low grip in the handling tests.

    Price   Noise   Dry Braking   Straight Aquaplaning   Wet Handling   Lateral Aquaplaning   Dry Handling  
    Europe Europe · Russia+ Russia+
  14. Altenzo Sports Comforter +
    Altenzo Sports Comforter +
    N/A 26
    · Summer · 2019 · Passenger - High Performance Summer
    Verdict:

    The Altenzo SportComforter+ is the first time we've seen Altenzo in a test which should be commended. It is by far the cheapest tyre on test, and while it couldn't match the rest of the tyres in the grip test, it gives Altenzo a base of very low fuel use and low noise to build on and improve in the future.

    Positive: Lowest rolling resistance on test, quiet pass by noise, low purchase price.
    Negative: Extremely long wet and dry braking, lowest grip in handling tests with understeer balance, weak aquaplaning resistance.

    Rolling Resistance   Price   Noise   Wet Braking   Dry Braking   Straight Aquaplaning   Wet Handling   Lateral Aquaplaning   Dry Handling  
    Oceania Oceania
Youtube Video
The BEST Performance Tires for your Car in 2021 - Tested and Rated
June 22, 2021
Year
2021
Tire Test Original Link
Visit Website
Tire Size
225/40R18
Season
Summer
Auto Type
Passenger
List Type
Professional Tire Test
Region
Europe
Date added
Jun 21, 2021
Date updated
Jun 22, 2021

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