Tyre News

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.

What’s the difference between driving on tyres with 1.6mm tread and scrolling on your phone behind the wheel? The first these is entirely legal, but as the team at Halfords points out, just because something is allowed doesn’t mean we should do it. In fact, a study it commissioned indicates that tyres worn to the current legal UK limit have a greater influence on stopping distance than driver phone use. Based on this result, Halfords opines that the UK minimum tread depth may be too low.

A quiet highway. Smooth asphalt. Engine hum steady. Then one question appears inside every driver mind. Long do tyres last before grip begins fading and safety drops? Rubber meets pavement thousands times during a single trip. Friction builds heat. Microscopic particles slowly disappear. Every tyre faces aging stress sunlight and heavy loads. Many drivers ignore these changes until vibration appears or braking distance increases.

Choosing between winter and all season tyres in the UK is not always straightforward, especially with increasingly unpredictable weather patterns and rising safety concerns among drivers. Understanding how each tyre type performs in British conditions can help you make a safer and more cost effective decision.

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’.