Tyre Tests

The tyre size 195/55 R16 is frequently a standard fitment on small cars such as the Fiat 500, Hyundai i20 and VW Polo. These are vehicles that typically spend most of their lives driving around town, conditions in which aerodynamic drag doesn’t significantly affect fuel economy and battery range. But rolling resistance does, particularly in heavier electric vehicles. For this reason, modern tyres must reduce this to a minimum while simultaneously meeting all safety-related requirements. With this in mind, Auto motor und sport (ams) examined eight tyres in this size for its summer 2026 test, giving each candidate an overall score and an EV-specific score.

Introducing its latest summer tyre test, German publication Auto Zeitung commented on what makes a good tyre. Safety is paramount, but it must also be economical, quiet, comfortable, long lasting and environmentally friendly – all while providing driving pleasure. At the lowest possible price. A tall order indeed, and Auto Zeitung has looked at ten tyres in size 235/45 R18 to see how they’ve managed.

After sending 30 tyres packing following the preliminary round of its 2026 summer test, Auto Bild got down to the business of comprehensively evaluating the 20 finalists. The test team again fitted the 245/45 R19 tyres to a BMW 5 Series and put each of the 20 models through its paces in wet and dry conditions, additionally examining all protagonists’ mileage, rolling resistance and overall value for money. No less than five of the finalists gained Auto Bild’s top ‘exemplary’ rating.

Henning Klipp has remained in the testing game since parting ways with Auto Bild, his business Tempotire working on a freelance basis for companies and organisations interested in evaluating and comparing tyres. Klipp’s most recent tyre test appears in an unexpected place – on the site of German IT news portal Netzwelt.de. Klipp has examined summer tyres in size 205/55 R16, a dimension worn by small family cars such as the VW Golf that was used for testing. The test specialist rated four of the tyres as ‘good’.

Auto Bild Sportscars argues there is no alternative to “genuine summer tyres” for those wanting “to get the best possible performance out of a sports car on the asphalt,” at least in the warmer months of the year. But UK summers are a fleeting phenomenon, and tyres that deliver top performance in warm weather can struggle on winter roads. All-season tyres offer a practical alternative; the performance motoring publication has tested ten products in 225/45 R18.

Auto Bild is back with another tyre test, this time featuring a “diverse mix” of all-season SUV tyres in 215/50 R18 from “established premium manufacturers to promising up-and-coming brands and budget brands.” The motoring publication evaluated the ten makes of tyre in snowy, wet and dry conditions at proving grounds in both hemispheres, and by the close of play had determined that these all-season products “do not quite match the high standard set by summer or winter tyres in this size category.” Even so, Auto Bild declared three tyres ‘exemplary’.

Lotto players have a 1 in 45 million chance of cracking the jackpot, but the odds of choosing the right six appear much shorter for tyre testers. Motoring publication Sportauto has evaluated half a dozen winter tyres and is happy with each and every product. Even the all-season tyre they looked at alongside the winter tyres left a good impression.

We’re receiving mixed messages from Auto Bild allrad. In their brief summary of the publication’s 2025 winter SUV tyre test, expert testers Dierk Möller and Martin Westerhoff state that “safety comes at a price,” a comment made in reference to two inexpensive but poorly performing products. But they then show this isn’t always the case by declaring a cheaper than average tyre joint winner of the test.

No, it isn’t déjà vu – If you’re a regular visitor to WhatTyre, you may well have encountered the Auto Straßenverkehr 2025 winter tyre test on a past visit. But although everything seems very familiar, one or two points here aren’t as you recall.