The Italian newspaper al Volante has just published a tire test with both the new Pirelli Cinturato C3 AND the Michelin Primacy 5!
The test was somewhat limited, for example there was no dry handling, but it gives a good overview of the new tires relative performance in the key braking tests, and noise and rolling resistance.
As with the Tire Reviews test, the new Pirelli finished top, but the Primacy 5 offered a good blend of rolling resistance, noise and wet grip, something that's very important to some people.
The full data is below.
Dry
Continental demonstrated exceptional stopping power at 36.6 meters, with Pirelli and Goodyear nearly identical at 36.9, while Austone required a concerning 40.6 meters.
Dry Braking
Spread: 4.00 M (10.9%)|Avg: 37.96 M
Dry braking in meters (100 - 10 km/h) (Lower is better)
Continental PremiumContact 7
36.60 M
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
36.90 M
Pirelli Cinturato C3
36.90 M
Firestone Roadhawk 2 ENLITEN
37.80 M
Michelin Primacy 5
38.20 M
Hankook Ventus Prime 4
38.70 M
Austone Athena SP 303
40.60 M
Wet
Continental's PremiumContact 7 outperformed the competition with an impressive 28.7-meter stopping distance, while the budget Austone struggled significantly, requiring a dangerous 32.8 meters to halt.
Wet Braking
Spread: 4.10 M (14.3%)|Avg: 29.91 M
Wet braking in meters (80 - 10 km/h) (Lower is better)
Continental PremiumContact 7
28.70 M
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
29.40 M
Pirelli Cinturato C3
29.40 M
Michelin Primacy 5
29.60 M
Hankook Ventus Prime 4
29.70 M
Firestone Roadhawk 2 ENLITEN
29.80 M
Austone Athena SP 303
32.80 M
Pirelli Cinturato narrowly claimed the fastest wet lap at 109.55 seconds, just edging out Goodyear's 109.71, while Austone trailed significantly at 120.93 seconds.
Wet Handling
Spread: 11.38 s (10.4%)|Avg: 112.35 s
Wet handling time in seconds (Lower is better)
Pirelli Cinturato C3
109.55 s
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
109.71 s
Continental PremiumContact 7
110.11 s
Firestone Roadhawk 2 ENLITEN
111.22 s
Michelin Primacy 5
111.71 s
Hankook Ventus Prime 4
113.22 s
Austone Athena SP 303
120.93 s
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 led both straight-line and curved aquaplaning tests, maintaining grip up to 81.8 km/h in a straight line and an impressive 91.8 km/h in curves, while the Austone began floating at just 74.4 km/h straight and 80.1 km/h in curves, well below all competitors.
Straight Aqua
Spread: 7.40 Km/H (9%)|Avg: 80.14 Km/H
Float Speed in Km/H (Higher is better)
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
81.80 Km/H
Pirelli Cinturato C3
81.60 Km/H
Firestone Roadhawk 2 ENLITEN
81.30 Km/H
Michelin Primacy 5
81.20 Km/H
Hankook Ventus Prime 4
81.00 Km/H
Continental PremiumContact 7
79.70 Km/H
Austone Athena SP 303
74.40 Km/H
Curved Aquaplaning
Spread: 11.70 m/sec2 (12.7%)|Avg: 86.97 m/sec2
Remaining lateral acceleration (Higher is better)
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
91.80 m/sec2
Pirelli Cinturato C3
88.70 m/sec2
Michelin Primacy 5
88.40 m/sec2
Continental PremiumContact 7
88.10 m/sec2
Firestone Roadhawk 2 ENLITEN
86.40 m/sec2
Hankook Ventus Prime 4
85.30 m/sec2
Austone Athena SP 303
80.10 m/sec2
Comfort
Michelin Primacy 5 proved the quietest at just 70.6 dB, closely followed by Goodyear at 70.8 dB, with Hankook generating the most noise at 72.9 dB.
Noise
Spread: 2.30 dB (3.3%)|Avg: 71.94 dB
External noise in dB (Lower is better)
Michelin Primacy 5
70.60 dB
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
70.80 dB
Pirelli Cinturato C3
71.80 dB
Continental PremiumContact 7
72.00 dB
Austone Athena SP 303
72.70 dB
Firestone Roadhawk 2 ENLITEN
72.80 dB
Hankook Ventus Prime 4
72.90 dB
Value
Firestone Roadhawk 2 demonstrated best-in-class efficiency at 6.8 N/kN (B-rated), while Goodyear's performance focus resulted in the highest resistance at 8.7 N/kN (C-rated).
The Pirelli Cinturato (C3) emerged as the overall winner in our comprehensive test. This well-balanced tire excels in both wet and dry conditions with outstanding stability and predictable handling characteristics. It inspires confidence in all driving situations thanks to exceptional wet grip and impressive aquaplaning resistance. The Pirelli combines good rolling resistance with reasonable noise levels, making it a premium option that prioritizes safety without compromising comfort or efficiency. Its particular strengths were found in its excellent stability during direction changes and confident handling in wet conditions.
The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 finished a close second, showing near-sports tire performance with particularly impressive wet grip. It dominates aquaplaning tests and delivers rapid lap times in challenging conditions. While quiet and responsive, this performance-oriented tire sacrifices some efficiency with relatively high rolling resistance that may impact fuel economy. The Goodyear excelled in stability and aquaplaning resistance but wasn't quite as balanced across all performance metrics as the Pirelli.
Continental's PremiumContact 7 takes third place with standout wet braking performance and excellent overall wet handling. It provides good aquaplaning resistance and solid lap times in wet conditions. While it offers exceptional dry braking distances, it sacrifices some rolling efficiency. Testers noted it provides good grip in all conditions but can be slightly abrupt when losing traction and produces moderate noise levels.
The Michelin Primacy 5 achieves a good balance between performance and efficiency. It delivers solid wet performance with good aquaplaning resistance. As the quietest tire in the test with excellent rolling resistance, it's ideal for drivers prioritizing fuel economy and comfort. However, its dry braking is merely average, and it isn't as dynamically capable as the top three performers, with testers noting it isn't particularly responsive when entering corners.
Firestone's Roadhawk 2 offers solid performance across all categories without truly excelling in any particular area. Its standout feature is excellent rolling resistance, making it the most fuel-efficient option in the test. Testers noted its stability and predictable handling even in emergency maneuvers, making it a safe if somewhat unremarkable option, with slightly elevated noise levels and uninspiring steering response at lower speeds.
The Hankook Ventus Prime4 delivers adequate but not exceptional performance across most metrics. While wet braking is competitive, it shows lower aquaplaning resistance in curves and below-average dry braking. Despite good rolling resistance, it's the noisiest tire among the premium brands tested. Testers observed that while it offers consistent performance, it provides less grip than top-tier competitors and can exhibit some rear instability in wet conditions, particularly when throttle is released in curves.
The Austone Athena SP-303, while attractively priced at around one-third of premium competitors, showed significant performance limitations. This Chinese budget tire delivers poor wet and dry braking with the lowest aquaplaning resistance of all tires tested. Testers reported that the tire loses grip abruptly and unpredictably, requires excessive steering input, and produces considerable noise. Despite its budget-friendly price point, these substantial performance deficiencies make it a questionable value proposition from a safety perspective.
