2015 Test World Summer Tyre Test

Test Summary
Wet BrakingContinental Premium Contact 5
Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue
Dry BrakingContinental Premium Contact 5
Nokian Hakka Blue
WearContinental Premium Contact 5
Rolling ResistanceNokian Hakka Blue
Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue
Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance
NoiseContinental Premium Contact 5
Firestone TZ300A
Vredestein Sportrac 5
Landsail LS588 UHP
Hankook Ventus Prime2
Kumho Solus HS51 Harmony Sports
Nokian Hakka Blue
Apollo Alnac 4g
Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance
Snow HandlingGoodyear EfficientGrip Performance
Dunlop Sport BluResponse
Test World this year again tested a range of 205/55 R16 tyres, including a mix of premium, mid-range and budget brands.

Manufacturing tyres involves an engineering trade-off between abilities in different disciplines and to an appropriate price range. The test revealed that there were no real "bad" tyres, but those ranked towards the bottom were far enough behind the leaders to not recommend unless price was the main consideration.

The EU tyre label provides just a small insight into a tyre's capabilities, and even then not in enough detail. For instance, the test winning Continental ContiPremiumContact 5 was criticised as having a high rolling resistance and the joint second placed Nokian Hakka Blue praised for a low rolling resistance, yet both tyres are graded "C" on the EU label for fuel economy - actual testing revealed there was a difference of 2.6% in terms of fuel consumption. In comparison the most economical tyres were the Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance and Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue, yet while they are graded one category higher with a "B" rating, their margin over the C-graded Hakka Blue was just 0.6%.

Perhaps most interestingly was the Chinese budget manufacturer beating Michelin to 8th. The new Landsaid LS588 UHP was praised for its strong braking performance in both the wet and dry, and while it still had questionable handling, it was strong enough overall to beat the well regarded Michelin Primacy 3, which was marked down due to average wet and dry braking distances.

A summary of the results follow below. Note that the placings are per Test World's weightings, which differ slightly in some cases from the unweighted "total" score.

The Results

1st: Continental Premium Contact 5

Continental Premium Contact 5
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 93.5
  2. Dry: 20
  3. Wet: 38
  4. Comfort: 9
  5. Rolling Resistance: 8
  6. Noise: 9
  7. Overall: 9.5
Equally good grip and handling in all conditions.
High rolling resistance
The Continental Premium Contact 5 provides good grip in all conditions. In the wet handling is very stable with no surprises. High resistance to aquaplaning and short braking distance. In the dry they behave confidently, quickly reacting to input and maintaining traction in emergency manoeuvres. Very quiet, but have too high a rolling resistance.

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2nd: Nokian Hakka Blue

Nokian Hakka Blue
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 93.3
  2. Dry: 18
  3. Wet: 38
  4. Comfort: 9
  5. Rolling Resistance: 10
  6. Noise: 9
  7. Overall: 9.3
Good handling on wet surfaces. Low noise level and rolling resistance.
Relatively long braking distances
The Nokian Hakka Blue has excellent feel on wet surfaces where they have a high grip and stable control even in an emergency. In the dry the tyres also adequately react to the actions of the driver during abrupt manoeuvres. Low noise, smooth running and low rolling resistance.

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3rd: Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue

Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 92.3
  2. Dry: 20
  3. Wet: 36
  4. Comfort: 8
  5. Rolling Resistance: 10
  6. Noise: 9
  7. Overall: 9.3
High grip on dry surfaces. Good handling in all conditions.
None listed
Grip on a wet surface with the Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue is slightly lower than that of the best tyres, but in an emergency they help with precise reaction to steering and predictability. Showed excellent results in the dry. Easily and reliably cope with any manoeuvres. Very low rolling resistance. In terms of noise and comfort they lack a bit to the other tyres, but not enough to consider it a significant disadvantage.

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4th: Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance

Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 92.1
  2. Dry: 17
  3. Wet: 37
  4. Comfort: 9
  5. Rolling Resistance: 10
  6. Noise: 10
  7. Overall: 9.1
Low rolling resistance. High grip on wet surface
None listed
The Goodyear Efficientgrip Performance handled wet tests without difficulty, but in the dry their response was somewhat slower, especially in the case of an emergency manoeuvre. However, the tyres were quite predictable. Rolling resistance was the lowest in the test and they are also very quiet tyres.

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5th: Kumho Solus HS51 Harmony Sports

Kumho Solus HS51 Harmony Sports
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 87.9
  2. Dry: 17
  3. Wet: 37
  4. Comfort: 9
  5. Rolling Resistance: 7
  6. Noise: 9
  7. Overall: 8.9
Short braking distance on wet surfaces. Stable handling.
High rolling resistance
The Kumho Solus HS51 demonstrated good grip on wet surfaces and good aquaplaning resistance. Behaved very confidently, despite a slight drawback in the aquaplaning tests. In the dry reacted to the actions of the driver more slowly, but without any sudden loss of traction during hard manoeuvres. Noise level and comfort are acceptable, but rolling resistance is too high.

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6th: Hankook Ventus Prime2

Hankook Ventus Prime2
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 85.8
  2. Dry: 17
  3. Wet: 35
  4. Comfort: 9
  5. Rolling Resistance: 7
  6. Noise: 9
  7. Overall: 8.8
Short braking distance on wet surfaces. Stable handling
High rolling resistance
The Hankook Ventus Prime2 brakes effectively and maintains good grip when cornering on wet surfaces. Predictable behaviour during emergency manoeuvres in the dry. With noise and comfort there are no problems, but they have a high rolling resistance.

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7th: Dunlop Sport BluResponse

Dunlop Sport BluResponse
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 86.6
  2. Dry: 18
  3. Wet: 33
  4. Comfort: 8
  5. Rolling Resistance: 9
  6. Noise: 10
  7. Overall: 8.6
Low rolling resistance. Good resistance to aquaplaning
Relatively weak grip on wet surfaces
The Dunlop Sport BluResponse has good braking performance on wet surfaces, but relatively weak lateral grip. The tyre resists aquaplaning, but in an emergency situation are a little nervous. In the dry they demonstrated rapid response to the steering and were well controlled during emergency manoeuvres. Very quiet and low rolling resistance.

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8th: Landsail LS588 UHP

Landsail LS588 UHP
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 81.3
  2. Dry: 16
  3. Wet: 32
  4. Comfort: 9
  5. Rolling Resistance: 8
  6. Noise: 8
  7. Overall: 8.3
Short braking distance in the wet and dry
Handling not good enough in the dry. Very weak aquaplaning resistance.
The Landsail LS588 UHP were surprisingly unbalanced. Braking in the wet was excellent, but handling very unstable. In addition, the tyre copes worse than the others with emergency manoeuvres and is quite susceptible to aquaplaning. On dry pavement they again quickly stopped the car, but had very slow response to steering. Lateral grip and stability are too weak for the optimal performance of a sharp manoeuvre at high speed. Because of their softness they demonstrated a high level of comfort, effectively absorbing road irregularities.

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9th: Michelin Primacy 3

Michelin Primacy 3
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 83.2
  2. Dry: 17
  3. Wet: 33
  4. Comfort: 8
  5. Rolling Resistance: 8
  6. Noise: 9
  7. Overall: 8.2
Stable handling
Relatively low grip on wet surfaces
The Michelin Primacy 3 allow easy enough control of the car on a wet surface and control is not lost in the case of an emergency. On dry roads they behave confidently, but in braking they are only average. Noise and comfort were average. Overall nothing special, but without any major weaknesses.

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10th: Vredestein Sportrac 5

Vredestein Sportrac 5
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 83.2
  2. Dry: 16
  3. Wet: 33
  4. Comfort: 9
  5. Rolling Resistance: 8
  6. Noise: 9
  7. Overall: 8.2
Good handling on wet surfaces
Poor resistance to aquaplaning. Handling not good enough in the dry
The Vredestein Sportrac 5 has good enough braking in the wet, but aquaplanes too easily. Manageability good in principle, but difficult to maintain traction in the rear during sudden manoeuvres. In the dry they generally behave confidently and predictably, but again, the rear wheels can too easily go into a skid in an emergency. Average comfort and while the noise level is high it's not enough to be a distraction.

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11th: Barum Bravuris 3HM

Barum Bravuris 3HM
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 78.9
  2. Dry: 14
  3. Wet: 32
  4. Comfort: 8
  5. Rolling Resistance: 9
  6. Noise: 8
  7. Overall: 7.9
Good handling on wet surfaces
Poor resistance to aquaplaning. Handling not good enough in the dry
The Barum Bravuris 3 HM has short braking distance on wet roads, and generally cope well with emergency situations, despite the relatively low grip. However, the tyres are too easy to aquaplane. On dry surfaces they react slowly to steering and are vague, but at least they not prone to sudden loss of adhesion. Braking performance is only average. Comfort is low, and noise level is relatively high.

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12th: Firestone TZ300A

Firestone TZ300A
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 77.9
  2. Dry: 12
  3. Wet: 32
  4. Comfort: 9
  5. Rolling Resistance: 8
  6. Noise: 9
  7. Overall: 7.9
Good resistance to aquaplaning
Low grip on wet surfaces. Long braking distance on dry surfaces.
In the wet the Firestone TZ300 alpha is too slow stopping the car but in general behave confidently and logically - until they reach the limit of adhesion, when they immediately lose grip. Good resistance to aquaplaning. In the dry they are too slow to react to the steering, and braking distance proved to be the longest in the test. Fairly quiet, but fuel economy is only average.

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13th: Goodride SA37

Goodride SA37
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 72.3
  2. Dry: 14
  3. Wet: 28
  4. Comfort: 8
  5. Rolling Resistance: 6
  6. Noise: 9
  7. Overall: 7.3
Acceptable braking performance
High rolling resistance. Unstable behaviour in an emergency situation
The Goodride SA37 is very unstable and are difficult to drive on a wet surface. In an emergency, the rear tyres lose grip too easily. In the dry the tyres are too slow in response to steering and the rear wheels again can easily go into a skid. Noise level is low, but the tyres are relatively rigid. Also a high rolling resistance.

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14th: Nankang Econex NA1

Nankang Econex NA1
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 73.3
  2. Dry: 15
  3. Wet: 28
  4. Comfort: 7
  5. Rolling Resistance: 8
  6. Noise: 8
  7. Overall: 7.3
Good resistance to aquaplaning
Weak grip and poor handling on wet surfaces. Low level of comfort
The Nankang Econex NA-1 have long braking distances and a very weak lateral grip on wet surfaces. Sharp manoeuvres are unlikely to succeed because the tyres can dramatically lose contact with the road. However, they have good resistance to aquaplaning. In the dry the situation is somewhat better, but they don't cope well enough with emergency situations. Not very effective at absorbing road irregularities, and noise is clearly audible in the cabin. Only average fuel economy.

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15th: Apollo Alnac 4g

Apollo Alnac 4g
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 76.2
  2. Dry: 15
  3. Wet: 27
  4. Comfort: 9
  5. Rolling Resistance: 9
  6. Noise: 9
  7. Overall: 7.2
Low noise level and a good ride quality
Low grip and poor handling on wet surfaces. Poor resistance to aquaplaning
The Apollo Alnac 4G lacks effective braking on wet surfaces and has relatively weak lateral grip. In addition, the tyres easily start to slide, and during an emergency manoeuvre the rear wheels may suddenly go into a skid. Poor resistance to aquaplaning. In the dry the tyres behave predictably, but lack overall grip. Noise and comfort are good but fuel economy average.

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