Finnish magazine Moottori have recently compared eight 205/55 R16 tire patterns which sit in the midrange price category!

While midrange tires are cheaper than their premium rivals, they're not the cheapest tires available on market, so in theory should still provide a reasonable level of performance, just offering better value.

The full test data is below, and it's a shame Moottori didn't include a premium tire as a reference to see exactly what performances change as the price gets cheaper.

It's also worth noting, Semperit is owned by Continental, Kleber by Michelin and Goodyear owns Debica.

Dry

During dry testing, the Semperit SpeedLife 2 offered the most grip during the dry braking testing, and the Nokian and Kleber proved to have the best subjective handling. Interestingly Moottori didn't offer the dry handling laptimes.

Dry Braking
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Semperit SpeedLife 2	82 ft	Best
2Maxxis Premitra HP5	82 ft	0 ft
3Debica Presto HP	82 ft	0 ft
4Kleber Dynaxer HP 3	83 ft	+1 ft
5Nokian Nordman SX2	83 ft	+1 ft
6Cooper Zeon CS8	83 ft	+1 ft
7Sumitomo BC100	85 ft	+3 ft
8Dayton Touring 2	85 ft	+3 ft

The difference between best and worst was 4.5% (3 ft).

Subj. Dry Handling
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Kleber Dynaxer HP 3	9 Points	Best
1Nokian Nordman SX2	9 Points	Best
3Semperit SpeedLife 2	8.8 Points	-0.20 Points
4Maxxis Premitra HP5	8.4 Points	-0.60 Points
5Sumitomo BC100	8.2 Points	-0.80 Points
6Dayton Touring 2	8.1 Points	-0.90 Points
7Debica Presto HP	8 Points	-1.00 Points
8Cooper Zeon CS8	7 Points	-2.00 Points

The difference between best and worst was 22.2% (2 Points).

Wet

Semperit continued its strong performance in the wet, offering the highest grip in wet braking and handling, which isn't a huge surprise given Semperit is own by wet weather kings, Continental. As in the dry testing, Maxxis was again extremely close to Semperit.

Wet Braking
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Semperit SpeedLife 2	91 ft	Best
2Maxxis Premitra HP5	92 ft	+1 ft
3Nokian Nordman SX2	94 ft	+3 ft
4Cooper Zeon CS8	97 ft	+6 ft
5Debica Presto HP	97 ft	+6 ft
6Kleber Dynaxer HP 3	99 ft	+8 ft
6Sumitomo BC100	99 ft	+8 ft
8Dayton Touring 2	101 ft	+10 ft

The difference between best and worst was 10.4% (10 ft ≈ 0.6 Car Lengths).

Wet Handling
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Maxxis Premitra HP5	57.7 s	Best
1Semperit SpeedLife 2	57.7 s	Best
3Nokian Nordman SX2	58 s	+0.30 s
4Debica Presto HP	58.1 s	+0.40 s
5Cooper Zeon CS8	58.4 s	+0.70 s
6Sumitomo BC100	59.9 s	+2.20 s
7Kleber Dynaxer HP 3	60.2 s	+2.50 s
7Dayton Touring 2	60.2 s	+2.50 s

The difference between best and worst was 4.3% (2.5 s).

Subj. Wet Handling
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Debica Presto HP	8.9 Points	Best
2Kleber Dynaxer HP 3	8.6 Points	-0.30 Points
3Maxxis Premitra HP5	8.5 Points	-0.40 Points
3Semperit SpeedLife 2	8.5 Points	-0.40 Points
3Nokian Nordman SX2	8.5 Points	-0.40 Points
6Cooper Zeon CS8	8.4 Points	-0.50 Points
7Dayton Touring 2	7.9 Points	-1.00 Points
7Sumitomo BC100	7.9 Points	-1.00 Points

The difference between best and worst was 11.2% (1 Points).

Straight Aqua
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Semperit SpeedLife 2	53.7 mph	Best
2Nokian Nordman SX2	50.0 mph	-3.7 mph
3Debica Presto HP	49.8 mph	-3.9 mph
4Dayton Touring 2	49.8 mph	-3.9 mph
4Sumitomo BC100	49.8 mph	-3.9 mph
6Kleber Dynaxer HP 3	49.7 mph	-4.0 mph
6Maxxis Premitra HP5	49.7 mph	-4.0 mph
8Cooper Zeon CS8	49.2 mph	-4.5 mph

The difference between best and worst was 8.4% (4.5 mph).

Environment

Maxxis proved to have an excellent blend of wet performance and low rolling resistance.

Rolling Resistance
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best	Extra fuel / year
1Maxxis Premitra HP5	7.87 kg/t	Best	$0
2Kleber Dynaxer HP 3	7.93 kg/t	+0.06 kg/t	$2
3Semperit SpeedLife 2	8.29 kg/t	+0.42 kg/t	$16
4Dayton Touring 2	8.4 kg/t	+0.53 kg/t	$20
5Nokian Nordman SX2	8.51 kg/t	+0.64 kg/t	$24
6Sumitomo BC100	8.65 kg/t	+0.78 kg/t	$29
7Debica Presto HP	8.96 kg/t	+1.09 kg/t	$41
8Cooper Zeon CS8	9.36 kg/t	+1.49 kg/t	$56

The difference between best and worst was 18.9% (1.49 kg / t). Over 12,000 miles a year at $3.60/gal, the Cooper Zeon CS8 uses about 15 gal ($56) more fuel than the Maxxis Premitra HP5.

Adjust the assumptions

Calculated estimates, not additional measurements. Use the controls to explore the assumptions.

Gas/Diesel Electric

Annual Mileage

12,000 mi

km (L)

miles (US gal)

Fuel Price

$3.60/gal

GBP (£)

EUR (€)

USD ($)

Set my vehicle consumption

Estimates based on typical driving conditions. Rolling resistance accounts for approximately 20% of IC vehicle fuel consumption and 25% of EV energy consumption. Actual savings vary based on driving style, vehicle weight, road conditions, and tire age. For comparative purposes only. Lifetime savings based on a 40,000km / 25,000 mile tread life.

While Cooper had the lowest noise.

Noise
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Cooper Zeon CS8	66.4 dB	Best
2Kleber Dynaxer HP 3	66.5 dB	+0.10 dB
2Semperit SpeedLife 2	66.5 dB	+0.10 dB
4Debica Presto HP	66.6 dB	+0.20 dB
5Dayton Touring 2	66.9 dB	+0.50 dB
6Maxxis Premitra HP5	67.1 dB	+0.70 dB
6Sumitomo BC100	67.1 dB	+0.70 dB
8Nokian Nordman SX2	67.3 dB	+0.90 dB

All the tires in the Noise test finished less than 3% apart.

Results

Dry99.6%

Wet99.6%

Comfort99.9%

Rolling Resistance94.9%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (8)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	Result	Gap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better	1^st / 8	82 ft	Best in this discipline
Subj. Dry HandlingHigher is better	3^rd / 8	8.8 Points	-0.20 Points
Wet BrakingLower is better	1^st / 8	91 ft	Best in this discipline
Wet HandlingLower is better	1^st / 8	57.7 s	Best in this discipline
Subj. Wet HandlingHigher is better	3^rd / 8	8.5 Points	-0.40 Points
Straight AquaHigher is better	1^st / 8	53.7 mph	Best in this discipline
NoiseLower is better	2^nd / 8	66.5 dB	+0.10 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better	3^rd / 8	8.29 kg/t	+0.42 kg/t

Dry98.8%

Wet98.2%

Comfort99%

Rolling Resistance100%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (8)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	Result	Gap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better	2^nd / 8	82 ft	0 ft
Subj. Dry HandlingHigher is better	4^th / 8	8.4 Points	-0.60 Points
Wet BrakingLower is better	2^nd / 8	92 ft	+1 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better	1^st / 8	57.7 s	Best in this discipline
Subj. Wet HandlingHigher is better	3^rd / 8	8.5 Points	-0.40 Points
Straight AquaHigher is better	6^th / 8	49.7 mph	-4.0 mph
NoiseLower is better	6^th / 8	67.1 dB	+0.70 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better	1^st / 8	7.87 kg/t	Best in this discipline

Dry98.3%

Wet97%

Comfort98.7%

Rolling Resistance92.5%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (8)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	Result	Gap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better	5^th / 8	83 ft	+1 ft
Subj. Dry HandlingHigher is better	1^st / 8	9 Points	Best in this discipline
Wet BrakingLower is better	3^rd / 8	94 ft	+3 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better	3^rd / 8	58 s	+0.30 s
Subj. Wet HandlingHigher is better	3^rd / 8	8.5 Points	-0.40 Points
Straight AquaHigher is better	2^nd / 8	50.0 mph	-3.7 mph
NoiseLower is better	8^th / 8	67.3 dB	+0.90 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better	5^th / 8	8.51 kg/t	+0.64 kg/t

Dry97.7%

Wet96.2%

Comfort99.7%

Rolling Resistance87.8%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (8)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	Result	Gap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better	3^rd / 8	82 ft	0 ft
Subj. Dry HandlingHigher is better	7^th / 8	8 Points	-1.00 Points
Wet BrakingLower is better	5^th / 8	97 ft	+6 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better	4^th / 8	58.1 s	+0.40 s
Subj. Wet HandlingHigher is better	1^st / 8	8.9 Points	Best in this discipline
Straight AquaHigher is better	3^rd / 8	49.8 mph	-3.9 mph
NoiseLower is better	4^th / 8	66.6 dB	+0.20 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better	7^th / 8	8.96 kg/t	+1.09 kg/t

Dry98.7%

Wet94.1%

Comfort99.9%

Rolling Resistance99.2%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (8)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	Result	Gap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better	4^th / 8	83 ft	+1 ft
Subj. Dry HandlingHigher is better	1^st / 8	9 Points	Best in this discipline
Wet BrakingLower is better	6^th / 8	99 ft	+8 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better	7^th / 8	60.2 s	+2.50 s
Subj. Wet HandlingHigher is better	2^nd / 8	8.6 Points	-0.30 Points
Straight AquaHigher is better	6^th / 8	49.7 mph	-4.0 mph
NoiseLower is better	2^nd / 8	66.5 dB	+0.10 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better	2^nd / 8	7.93 kg/t	+0.06 kg/t

Dry94.3%

Wet95.4%

Comfort100%

Rolling Resistance84.1%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (8)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	Result	Gap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better	6^th / 8	83 ft	+1 ft
Subj. Dry HandlingHigher is better	8^th / 8	7 Points	-2.00 Points
Wet BrakingLower is better	4^th / 8	97 ft	+6 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better	5^th / 8	58.4 s	+0.70 s
Subj. Wet HandlingHigher is better	6^th / 8	8.4 Points	-0.50 Points
Straight AquaHigher is better	8^th / 8	49.2 mph	-4.5 mph
NoiseLower is better	1^st / 8	66.4 dB	Best in this discipline
Rolling ResistanceLower is better	8^th / 8	9.36 kg/t	+1.49 kg/t

Dry95.1%

Wet93.5%

Comfort99%

Rolling Resistance91%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (8)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	Result	Gap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better	7^th / 8	85 ft	+3 ft
Subj. Dry HandlingHigher is better	5^th / 8	8.2 Points	-0.80 Points
Wet BrakingLower is better	6^th / 8	99 ft	+8 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better	6^th / 8	59.9 s	+2.20 s
Subj. Wet HandlingHigher is better	7^th / 8	7.9 Points	-1.00 Points
Straight AquaHigher is better	4^th / 8	49.8 mph	-3.9 mph
NoiseLower is better	6^th / 8	67.1 dB	+0.70 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better	6^th / 8	8.65 kg/t	+0.78 kg/t

Dry94.7%

Wet92.7%

Comfort99.3%

Rolling Resistance93.7%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (8)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	Result	Gap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better	8^th / 8	85 ft	+3 ft
Subj. Dry HandlingHigher is better	6^th / 8	8.1 Points	-0.90 Points
Wet BrakingLower is better	8^th / 8	101 ft	+10 ft
Wet HandlingLower is better	7^th / 8	60.2 s	+2.50 s
Subj. Wet HandlingHigher is better	7^th / 8	7.9 Points	-1.00 Points
Straight AquaHigher is better	4^th / 8	49.8 mph	-3.9 mph
NoiseLower is better	5^th / 8	66.9 dB	+0.50 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better	4^th / 8	8.4 kg/t	+0.53 kg/t

Discussion

10 comments

Dillocks May 22, 2019 archived

Nobody ever tests tires that are available on a 13" RIM.
All I have to go on are the Euro ratings!

#4812
1. TireReviews Dillocks May 22, 2019 archived
  
  Tire testing is very expensive and sadly there's low demand for 13" tests :(
  
  #4813
Pedro Neves Apr 4, 2019 archived

The Continentals PC 6 cost some 13£ more per tire than the Semperits. For a set of 4 it's just 52£ more and they should last longer according to some wear tests compared to 2018 ADAC test on the Semperit. They usually have low rolling resistance too, where the Semperits are average in this matter, so nowadays it's really pointless to buy mid-range tires unless someone needs to sell the car asap.
https://www.tirereviews.co....
https://www.tirereviews.co....
http://www.tirereviews.co.u...
http://www.tirereviews.co.u...

#4626
1. TireReviews Pedro Neves Apr 4, 2019 archived
  
  I wish more people thought like you!
  
  #4628
  1. Fruity TireReviews Aug 10, 2019 archived
    
    The tire market is so diverse in quality aspects that all information is good. 15 years ago I remember being shocked to see a Toyo (don't remember which one) lasting the same 60k on the rear of a gently driven Audi A4 as a Michelin Primacy HP!
    Conversely I've experienced shockingly bad tires on 2nd hand cars I've bought which is a reason I'm pleasantly surprised to see Maxxis doing well. Now I'd like to see the test repeated with tires worn to 2mm (incredibly hard to be fair and accurate though). I guess this is the area user reviews are useful though.
    
    #4987
Simon H Apr 3, 2019 archived

Falken make the Best midrange tire at the moment the FK510. Unless they have now moved upmarket?

#4612
1. TireReviews Simon H Apr 3, 2019 archived
  
  That seems to be the current wisdom, yes :)
  
  #4613
Andy Holmes Apr 3, 2019 archived

Wouldnt have classed Dayton as midrange!
Where are Falken, uniroyal, and Kumho...

#4610
1. TireReviews Andy Holmes Apr 3, 2019 archived
  
  I'm not sure how they came to their final list! Nokian isn't considered a mid range brand in Finland either, though nordman is their sub-range I believe.
  
  #4611
  1. OJA TireReviews Apr 5, 2019 archived
    
    Nokian Nordman's are "cheap" tires that are made with old Nokian tread-patterns. They are considered mid-range tires here in Finland, although I don't appreciate Nokian tires at all - generally noisy, sloppy handling and miserable wear resistance (Incl. Nokian Hakka Black (Sold in other parts of Europe as Nokian Powerproof), Nokian Hakka Blue and Nokian Hakka Green (Sold in other parts of Europe as Nokian iLine and Nokian Line).
    
    #4629

Menu

2019 Mid Range Tire Test

Tire shortlist

Semperit SpeedLife 2

Maxxis Premitra HP5

Nokian Nordman SX2

Debica Presto HP

Kleber Dynaxer HP 3

Cooper Zeon CS8

Sumitomo BC100

Dayton Touring 2

Compare selected tires

The evidence behind the verdict

Dry

Dry Braking

Subj. Dry Handling

Wet

Wet Braking

Wet Handling

Subj. Wet Handling

Straight Aqua

Environment

Rolling Resistance

Noise

Results

Semperit SpeedLife 2

Maxxis Premitra HP5

Nokian Nordman SX2

Debica Presto HP

Kleber Dynaxer HP 3

Cooper Zeon CS8

Sumitomo BC100

Dayton Touring 2

Cross-check this test

2018 AutoBild Summer Tire Overview

2019 Summer 53 Tire Braking Shootout

2024 Summer Tire Market Overview

Discussion

My tires

Saved tires

Tire	Semperit SpeedLife 2	Maxxis Premitra HP5	Nokian Nordman SX2	Debica Presto HP	Kleber Dynaxer HP 3	Cooper Zeon CS8	Sumitomo BC100	Dayton Touring 2
Position	1^st	Joint 2^nd	Joint 2^nd	4^th	5^th	6^th	7^th	8^th
Category scores (% of best)
Dry	99.6%	98.8%	98.3%	97.7%	98.7%	94.3%	95.1%	94.7%
Wet	99.6%	98.2%	97%	96.2%	94.1%	95.4%	93.5%	92.7%
Comfort	99.9%	99%	98.7%	99.7%	99.9%	100%	99%	99.3%
Rolling Resistance	94.9%	100%	92.5%	87.8%	99.2%	84.1%	91%	93.7%
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