18 brands tested

Top summer tire rating for driving safety for the first time

(Bild: ÖAMTC)

The big summer tire test conducted by the ÖAMTC and its partners has a premiere this time: for the first time, the rating "very good" was awarded for driving safety - twice. 18 makes of 225/40 R18 tires were tested.

The chosen dimension is popular in the lower mid-range and compact class as a sporty alternative to standard tires. The field of candidates was broad, ranging from premium manufacturers to low-budget alternatives. The results were just as wide-ranging. One candidate failed with a bang.

Eleven candidates, i.e. more than half, ended up with a "good" in their report card. A better overall grade has never been awarded before. The two top performers in terms of driving safety also failed to achieve more than four out of five stars overall: Continental SportContact 7 and Bridgestone Potenza Sport.

(Bild: ÖAMTC)

Both are the safest tires in the test field on dry roads, while the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 and Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 are on a par on wet roads. The Michelin shines with the top score for its very good mileage.

"The 'Continental SportContact 7' and the 'Bridgestone Potenza Sport' have a very high grip level on dry roads, excellent precision and are absolutely safe even during critical driving maneuvers. The situation is similar on wet roads," says ÖAMTC tire expert Steffan Kerbl. "In addition, both offer a respectable predicted mileage - even if the Bridgestone does not ultimately achieve more than a 'satisfactory' rating due to its slightly lower efficiency in the environmental balance."

The results at a glance - click to enlarge!

(Bild: ÖAMTC)

Dramatic differences in braking
The most serious differences were seen in the braking test on a wet road at 80 km/h. There was a difference of 17 meters in braking distance between the best in this test (Continental SportContact 7) and the worst (Doublecoin DC-100). "At the point where the vehicle with the Continental tire comes to a stop, the same car with the Doublecoin still has a residual speed of around 49 km/h on the speedometer," explains ÖAMTC technician Steffan Kerbl. As a result, the "Doublecoin DC-100" receives a "not sufficient" in the "driving safety" rating, which ultimately also affects the overall score.

Behavior in the wet is something like the supreme discipline in the tire test.

(Bild: ÖAMTC/Marc Wittkowski)

The "Norauto Prevensys 4" and the "Syron Premium Performance" models did not perform much better ("sufficient" rating). "They can only be steered imprecisely on dry roads, constant steering corrections are necessary in bends and their behavior at the limit is also very demanding," explains Kerbl.

The large, good field behind the winners
The "Michelin Pilot Sport 5" and the "Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6" impressed in terms of driving safety and environmental performance. The "Vredestein Ultrac Pro", the "Yokohama Advan Sport V107" and the "Firestone Firehawk Sport" scored highly in terms of driving safety and performance, but fell short in terms of environmental performance due to their only satisfactory predicted mileage.

The "Falken Azenis FK520" and the "Nexen N Fera Sport" show slight weaknesses in driving comfort on dry roads, but secure good marks due to their short braking distances in the dry. In addition, both offer decent predicted mileages. The "Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2" misses out on a better ranking due to its higher abrasion, but offers good driving safety.

The last tire rated as "good" is the "Toyo Proxes Sport 2". Although it scores well in terms of driving safety, it only achieves mediocre to moderate results in terms of environmental performance and sustainability.

Not quite bad, but not good enough
The following four tires did not score higher than "satisfactory" in terms of driving safety and, in some cases, environmental performance. The "Ceat SportDrive" has weaknesses on wet roads, the "Kumho Ecsta PS71" shows weaknesses on dry roads and in the predicted mileage, the "Nokian Tyres Powerproof 1" also shows weaknesses on dry roads. The "Giti GitiSport S2" has deficits on wet roads and shows increased abrasion as well as a mediocre range.

All-terrain and all-season tire tests to follow
Because only one dimension (225/40 R18) was tested in this year's summer tire test instead of two, there was room for two more test groups: The results for all-terrain and all-season tires will follow in spring and summer respectively.