Summer Premium Touring Passenger Car Tire Tests

Motor magazine tested 9 summer tires in size 225/45 R17, a fitment used on popular models such as the VW Golf, BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, and Skoda Octavia. The test covered wet braking, dry braking, longitudinal and lateral aquaplaning, wet and dry lap times, wet circle grip, handling properties, comfort, exterior noise, and rolling resistance. Testing was carried out in late autumn at a facility in Texas, USA, where conditions matched a European summer. The test track surfaces were made with European materials and hold the relevant certifications. Prices ranged from 310 to 448 PLN per tire.

Auto motor und sport tested eight summer tires in size 195/55 R 16, a common fitment for small cars such as the VW Polo, Hyundai i20, Fiat 500, and Renault Clio, including several electric models like the Hyundai Inster and Fiat 500e. Testing covered wet performance (braking, handling, aquaplaning), dry performance (braking, handling, steering response, comfort), and environmental factors (rolling resistance, noise). The test used both a conventional Hyundai i20 and a battery-electric Hyundai Inster, with a separate EV-focused rating that weighted efficiency more heavily.

Vi Bilägare tested ten summer tires in the 205/55 R16 size - still the best-selling tire dimension in Sweden by a wide margin, nearly double the sales of the next most common size on the aftermarket. The test focused on the premium touring segment, where comfort, wear life, and overall economy are prioritised over outright sportiness.

Auto Bild's 2026 summer tire test covers the 245/45 R19 size - a common fitment on upper-mid-size cars including the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6 and Mercedes S-Class - and puts 50 tires through an initial qualifying round before selecting the 20 shortest-stopping for a full test programme at ATP Papenburg and the Circuit d'Alcarràs in Spain.

The results broadly confirm that the established premium brands remain the safest choice, with Hankook, Goodyear, Michelin and Pirelli all earning the top "exemplary" rating. The standout result, however, is Giti - a brand not typically associated with the premium tier - which scores highly enough across wet and dry tests to join that group, something the test team explicitly flags as the surprise of the test.

For the first of three tire review summer tire tests this year, I've tested 12 sets of tires in 225/45/17 using a Volkswagen Golf GTI. 

All 12 sets of tires were purchased in the open market anonymously. As always, they have been tested in the dry, wet, noise, comfort, and rolling resistance tests to find out exactly which tire is best for your own driving needs. 

The ADAC tire tests are always my favourite tire tests, while they don't release all the data they generate; they do provide excellent notes with their tests, and most importantly they are the most independent tire testing team in the world meaning there is no manufacturer involvement in any way, which is rare in the world of tire testing. 

For the 2026 Summer Test ADAC tested 16 tires in the dry/wet noise comfort value and, most importantly, tread life to find out exactly which tire is best for you. They tested the popular 225/50R17 tire size using an Audi A4 but this is a premium touring tire size that is available in which fits many vehicles. 

Every year Auto Zeitung perform a summer tire test, and it's always an interesting read as they are one of the few publications that purchase all of their own tires blindly from the market instead of manufacturer submissions, and they now include a wear test!

This year they have tested 10 tires in 235/45 R18 using an Audi A5 TS-FI front wheel drive vehicle and the amount of data they provide is fantastic.

A new publication in Germany has started tire testing. It is Netzwelt , a German newspaper, and for their first summer tire test, they have tested six tires, one premium tire (the Continental PremiumContact 7), five mid-range products and one budget product.

Unfortunately, the data shared is limited to wet and dry braking- they have translated all the other results into a point system, which we don't database here, so we recommend using the link below to check out a full test in German. You can read the subjective comments below for each tire's overall position. 

While technically this is the second tire test of the 2026 summer tire testing season, I always think of the AutoBild mega test as the true start to the summer tire test season. It's our first opportunity to see how 50 tires available in 245/45 R19 do in a massive dry and wet braking test!

Every year there's a tire test that makes me stop and wonder how they got to their conclusion, and this year that award goes to the UTAC / Aftonbladet summer tire test.

As a bit of scene setting, Aftonbladet is a Scandinavian newspaper, so UTAC, who performed the testing, focused on the cold weather ability of the tires, which is something I love. However, they did make some interesting statements, and ended up with some interesting findings. In total they tested 14 tires, 10 summer and 4 European spec all season tires, all in 225/45 R17.

In their latest tire test, Motor magazine has taken a unique approach to evaluating summer tires, focusing on models that combine energy efficiency with high performance. The test specifically targeted tires with the lowest rolling resistance ratings, examining whether fuel-saving characteristics would compromise grip and safety features.

The testing team selected seven tires in the popular 205/55 R16 size, a dimension commonly found on vehicles ranging from the Audi A3 to the Volvo V70. Six of the tested models carried the EU label's top "A" rating for both rolling resistance and wet grip, while the seventh tire (Prinx XLAB Comfort EV) featured an "A" rating for rolling resistance but a "B" for wet grip.

Auto Motor Und Sport always pushes traditional tire testing in new directions, and this years summer tire test has a new twist - sustainability. The test focused on the 215/55 R17 size, suitable for midsize sedans, station wagons, and compact SUVs, with particular attention paid to tires achieving at least a "B" rating for rolling resistance on the EU tire label.

Finnish magazine Moottori tested eight mid-range summer tires in size 205/55 R16. They ran the tires through wet and dry braking tests, handling circuits, aquaplaning resistance, and measured noise levels and rolling resistance. The test showed clear differences in grip levels, with Nokian's Hakka Blue 3 taking the top spot over BF Goodrich Advantage DT1 and Hankook Ventus Prime 4.

There's a new comfort bias summer tire to market, the Pirelli Cinturato C3! To see how good the new tire really is, I've tested it against some of its key rivals from Michelin and Continental. I've also added some new tires I've not tested before. 

As usual, all the tires in this test will be tested in the dry and wet, and I'll be assessing the comfort, noise, and rolling resistance (energy use) of the tires to give you a complete overview of which tire is best.

Auto Bild Klassik magazine recently conducted a test of seven classic-style summer tires in the 205/70 VR 15 size, aiming to improve safety and performance for vintage sports cars. The testers used a Jaguar E-Type Lightweight replica, an iconic 1960s sports car renowned for its powerful 270 PS engine and impressive 240 km/h top speed. I'm very sad this isn't a Tire Reviews test!

As usual with Auto Bild tests, they've done a proper job. On wet surfaces, the tires were evaluated for their resistance to aquaplaning, cornering stability, overall handling, and braking efficiency. Dry condition tests focused on handling, braking performance, rolling comfort, and noise levels. Additionally, the tires' rolling resistance was measured to gauge their efficiency.

The 2024 AZ Summer Tire Test evaluated nine premium touring summer tires, providing a detailed analysis of their performance in various conditions, including dry and wet braking, handling, noise level, and rolling resistance. The Continental PremiumContact 7 stood out with top marks in most categories, followed closely by other brands like Pirelli and Hankook.

The 2024 AutoBild Summer Tire Test reviewed 20 premium touring summer tires in size 205/55 R16. The test focused on several key performance indicators including dry and wet braking, handling, noise, wear, value, and rolling resistance. 

Michelin Primacy 4+ ranked first, demonstrating a balanced performance with short braking distances and high efficiency. Continental PremiumContact 7 and Bridgestone Turanza 6 followed, showing strong wet and dry road performance and low wear levels.

The 2024 ADAC summer tire test tested sixteen tires in the popular 215/55 R17 size.

Top Tire Review is a relatively new website, similar to Tire Reviews (not affiliated), operating in the Asian Pacific (APAC) region, which have different tire patterns to Europe and North America.

In spite of being a relatively new organisation, they have already conducted their first Asian Pacific tire test, testing six region specific patterns!

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.