Producing a tyre is like baking a cake, says Autozeitung – not only must the recipe be a good one, you also need to follow this recipe diligently and bring the different components together with millimetre precision. And just as talented chefs tweak their recipes to improve the flavour, tyre makers update theirs during the production cycle to gain better performance.
Such a tweak has helped Bridgestone: When Autozeitung tested the Turanza T005 in 2020 it found the tyre imperfect on wet roads. Bridgestone adjusted the T005’s tread compound last year, and the result is a safer “wet specialist” – and an Autozeitung test win for the Bridgestone tyre.
The motoring publication fitted ten brands of 215/55 R17 tyres to a Ford Puma for testing. It evaluated the tyres’ performance in wet and dry conditions, including rolling resistance, ride comfort and noise.
5 very recommendable tyres
Test winner: Bridgestone Turanza T005
+ Top results in all safety-related criteria, both in wet & dry conditions, low rolling resistance, low ride noise.
Vredestein Ultrac
+ Good on wet & dry roads.
– Extended wet stopping distance, high rolling resistance.
Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2
+ Safe on wet & dry roads, low ride noise, comfortable.
– Slight aquaplaning weakness.
Michelin Primacy 4
+ Balanced driving characteristics, good on wet & dry roads.
– Lateral wet grip less than optimal.
Price-performance recommendation: Maxxis Premitra 5 HP5
+ Very grippy & safe in the wet.
– High rolling resistance.
Rated good
Nokian Wetproof
+ Top performance on wet roads.
– Inexperienced drivers may struggle at the limit on wet roads, high rolling resistance.
Fuel economy recommendation: Continental EcoContact 6
+ Top result for rolling resistance, grippy in the wet.
– Prone to aquaplaning due to low tread depth.
Satisfactory
Falken Ziex ZE-310 Ecorun
+ Safe on wet & dry roads but could be grippier in general.
– Highest rolling resistance, mediocre ride comfort.
Rated adequate
BFGoodrich Advantage
+ Short braking distance on wet & dry roads.
– Less than optimal lateral control in the wet, mediocre aquaplaning reserves.
Yokohama BluEarth-GT AE-51
+ Overall good on dry roads.
– Last-placed in the wet disciplines, lengthy wet braking distance, insufficient wet grip, high rolling resistance.
