The Polish Motor Magazine recently conducted a premium touring tire test. The test included eight different tire brands, all in the popular size of 205/55 R16, which is commonly used in compact and some larger car models. The brands tested were Continental, Goodyear, Dunlop, Bridgestone, Hankook, Pirelli, Michelin, and Vredestein. The test was comprehensive, covering various aspects of tire performance including wet and dry handling, rolling resistance, noise, and comfort.
Dry Braking | ▲Continental PremiumContact 7: 35.6 M | ▼Dunlop Sport BluResponse: 39.6 M |
Dry Handling | ▲Continental PremiumContact 7: 55.2 s | ▼Vredestein Ultrac: 56.8 s |
Wet Braking | ▲Continental PremiumContact 7: 51.1 M | ▼Dunlop Sport BluResponse: 64.6 M |
Wet Handling | ▲Continental PremiumContact 7: 83.8 s | ▼Dunlop Sport BluResponse: 88.2 s |
Straight Aqua | ▲Vredestein Ultrac: 80.6 Km/H | ▼Hankook Ventus Prime 4: 74 Km/H |
Noise | ▲Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2: 64 dB | ▼Vredestein Ultrac: 65.3 dB |
Price | ▲Vredestein Ultrac: 6250 | ▼Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2: 7000 |
Rolling Resistance | ▲Bridgestone Turanza T005: 0.665 kg / t | ▼Vredestein Ultrac: 0.888 kg / t |
Wet
In the wet braking test, the Continental PremiumContact 7 stood out with the shortest braking distance from 100 km/h.
The Continental was also the fastest around the wet handling lap.
The Vredestein had the highest resistance to aquaplaning in deeper water.
Dry
When it came to dry, Continental again took the lead, providing the best performance in terms of handling and braking. Goodyear and Dunlop also showed strong performance in dry handling, but lost a little during the braking test.
Environment
The Goodyear had the lowest external noise on test.
In terms of rolling resistance, Bridgestone outperformed its rivals, which translates to better fuel efficiency.
The Vredestein was the cheapest tire on test.
Results
1st: Continental PremiumContact 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
This tire emerged as the clear winner of the test, scoring the highest points in both wet and dry conditions. It offered the shortest braking distances on both wet and dry surfaces and was the fastest on the track in all conditions. The tire also demonstrated excellent handling precision and the highest level of safety. Read Reviews Buy from £95.33 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2nd: Michelin Primacy 4+ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Although it didn't win any test category, its consistent high-level performance across all tests allowed it to secure the second place. It is a well-balanced tire that ensures a high level of safety in all conditions. Read Reviews Buy from £101.21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3rd: Bridgestone Turanza T005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Securing the third place, this tire confirmed the high quality of Bridgestone products. It stood out for its excellent rolling resistance score, which translates into noticeable fuel savings. It is a stable tire with very good handling precision. Read Reviews Buy from £67.94 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4th: Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
This tire narrowly missed the podium, scoring just 0.2 points less than Bridgestone. Interestingly, Pirelli achieved better results than its competitor in tests conducted on both dry and wet tracks. The final ranking was decided by its lower rolling resistance score. Read Reviews Buy from £83.99 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5th: Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
With a very good point score, it secured the fifth place. It slightly lags behind Pirelli on both dry and wet asphalt, while having slightly better rolling resistance. Goodyear is a well-balanced tire that provides a comparable high level of safety in all conditions. Read Reviews Buy from £70.62 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6th: Vredestein Ultrac | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
This tire lost the competition with Goodyear by only 0.1 point, showing that a good class tire from the middle segment can compete with premium rubber. Interestingly, Vredestein performed much better than Goodyear on wet surfaces, but lost due to lower scores for dry competitions and high rolling resistance. Read Reviews Buy from £78.22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7th: Hankook Ventus Prime 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
This tire does not lag behind in quality from premium segment products. It is the cheapest tire in the set, and it provides a decent level of safety. It only noticeably lags behind in aquaplaning tests, but it is not dangerous in these conditions. It receives a low score for rolling resistance. Read Reviews Buy from £72.66 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8th: Dunlop Sport BluResponse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
This tire achieves a final result that lags behind its competitors, even those from the middle segment. It loses the most points for poor braking distance on wet asphalt. In other competitions, it performs well and ensures the required level of safety. It has a reasonable price and a good rolling resistance coefficient. Read Reviews Buy from £70.03 |