The days are growing longer and the chill in the air a little less biting. Summer is on its way, and this also means that tyre testers are emerging from hibernation. The first comparative evaluation we’ve seen for the warmer months of 2021 comes from German motoring magazine Gute Fahrt, which looked at the tyre size 245/40 R18 Y.
Gute Fahrt’s test team fitted eight brands of tyre to an Audi A4 Avant and evaluated the performance of each in dry and wet conditions, and also measured how they fared in key environmental and comfort-related disciplines.
Three tyres recommended
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
Introducing its test winner, Gute Fahrt exclaims that “we don’t know which alchemists Goodyear have under contract, but they definitely do a marvellous job.” Tester Dirk Vincken considered the Eagle F1 Asymmetric in a class of its own on wet surfaces, but the Goodyear tyre also delivered excellent performance in the dry. Rated very good+.
Continental PremiumContact 6
Vincken comments that the presence of the word ‘premium’ in this tyre’s name is justified and he praised its performance in both wet and dry conditions, noting that the PremiumContact 6 could have nudged its Goodyear rival from the top podium spot had it not wavered slightly in the lateral aquaplaning test. The Continental tyre also performed well in the comfort and noise-related tests. Rated very good.
Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2
The Pirelli P7 is an iconic brand in the tyre world, and Gute Fahrt comments that recent products didn’t live up to the name. But all this changes with the latest Pirelli Cinturato P7, and Dirk Vincken reports that he didn’t uncover any real weaknesses. Rated very good.
Three ‘good –‘ tyres
Bridgestone Turanza T005
“Bridgestone definitely knows how to build an excellent tyre. But this time it isn’t sufficient for a top spot,” reflects Vincken, adding that the Turanza T005 “couldn’t completely deliver” the levels of performance he expected, at least in the tested dimension and when fitted to an A4 Avant. Its stopping distance was around 5 metres longer than the best-tested tyre when braking from 100km/h on a wet surface. Vincken also marked the Bridgestone tyre down for its performance in the comfort and noise disciplines.
Nokian Powerproof
The Nokian tyre appeared right across the results table, from merely satisfactory in the wet braking discipline to excellent in handling. Balance thus isn’t its strength, which is a pity as this is a quality that “tyre testers attach much importance” to. That said, Vincken remarks that the Powerproof is an agile tyre that can make driving fun. It also offers high levels of comfort.
Vredestein Ultrac Satin
Gute Fahrt notes that Vredestein has a long tradition of solid tyre test results, but its tester thought the Ultrac Satin lacked the balance needed for a podium finish. But he adds that “even though better is the enemy of good, good isn’t bad per se.”
Satisfactory +
Falken Ziex ZE310 Ecorun
Falken surprised the Gute Fahrt team during its last tyre test, delivering better than expected performance. This time round, tester Vincken said the Ziex delivered average to good performance in all disciplines. But owing to the strong competition this didn’t suffice for a top spot in the results table.
Satisfactory
Toyo Proxes Sport A
Perhaps lunchtime was approaching when Dirk Vincken evaluated the Toyo tyre, and just maybe he reflected on Michelin’s absence from the test before his hungry thoughts wandered to the famous restaurant guidebooks. At any rate, he commented that “the Proxes Sport A offers good home-style cooking, but no star menu.”
No poor performers
Summarising its findings, Gute Fahrt comments that none of the tested tyres are poor performers in everyday use, which is shown by the final scores. Tester Vincken remarks that if the tyres were school students, all would have progressed to the next class, and a few given commendations.
