Auto Zeitung always put on a good tire test, and this year they’ve tested 14 different 225/45 r17 tires on an Audi A3, including new tires from Goodyear, Pirelli, Sava, Nexen and Firestone.
The results are closer than ever, with both the dry and wet performance scores hotly contested. Overall, the new Pirelli P Zero wins thanks to it’s incredibly high wet grip and strong scores in every category. The new Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 places second thanks to it's class leading braking and low rolling resistance, while the Goodyears sister tire, Dunlop Sport Maxx TT rounded out the top 3 due to it’s sporty handling and excellent grip throughout.
As always with Auto Zeitung, the scores are bias towards wet performance, and subjective feel of the tires isn't judged.
Full results
1st: Pirelli P Zero | |
| Dry:On dry asphalt the Pirelli is outstanding, with excellent handing and great stablility Wet:Fastest tire on the wet lap and best wet braking performance. Only average in curved aquaplaning Outstanding in the wet and great in the dry, the sport P Zero convinces and deserves to win the test Read Reviews |
2nd: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 | |
| Dry:Shortest dry stopping and lowest rolling resistance Wet:The revised Goodyear is an extremely stable tire with netural balance and clear feedback Extremely strong under braking and always a safe tire offering precise feedback and low fuel consumption Read Reviews |
3rd: Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT | |
| Dry:In the dry the Dunlop is strong on the brakes and offers excellent feedback. Only let down by a relatively high rolling resistance Wet:Fantastic wet handling with good feedback, exact steering and exemplary balance The agile Sport Maxx TT speaks to the sporty driver Read Reviews Buy from £82.44 |
4th: Hankook Ventus S1 evo | |
| Dry:Strong grip and a good neutral balance, let down by a slight lack of feedback Wet:Excellent wet grip and handling The S1 EVO's strong wet performance places it a respectable 4th Read Reviews |
5th: Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 | |
| Dry:Excellent dry handling let down by a slightly high rolling resistance Wet:Secure in the wet with slight understeer at the limit A slight trade off of rolling resistance for an excellent wet performance Read Reviews |
6th: Continental Sport Contact 3 | |
| Dry:Very stable in the dry, offering fantastic braking and a fast lap time Wet:Very fast wet lap, but demanded a lot of driver skill Even with the new Sport Contact 5P available, the 3 still performs extremely well Read Reviews |
7th: Bridgestone Potenza S001 | |
| Dry:The fastest tire in the dry Wet:The wet tests indicated Bridgestone has chosen to concentrate more on the dry performance of the tire Bridgestone have traded wet performance for improved dry grip, where it sets the benchmark Read Reviews Buy from £102.50 |
8th: Nokian Z G2 | |
| Dry:Good natured dry performance with no real weakness Wet:The Nokian forgives driving errors with a neutral balance in the wet The combination of the A3 and Z G2 is a good combination and shows the Nokian to have no significant weakness Read Reviews |
9th: Fulda SportControl | |
| Dry:Excellent rolling resistance and low noise. Under hard dry cornering the Fulda looses a little accuracy Wet:High steering precision and good wet grip The Fulda SportControl is the best of the cheaper tires Read Reviews |
10th: Sava intensa uhp | |
| Dry:Again the Intensa UHP has a little oversteer, but quick dry lap times Wet:The Sava performs a lot like the Fulda in the wet, however offers a little more oversteer The new Sava is an alternative for bargain hunters Read Reviews |
11th: Vredestein Ultrac Cento | |
| Dry:A comfortable tire in the dry, the Ultrac Cento reaches it's limit of grip earlier than other tires Wet:Excellent aquaplaning results but let down by it's long wet braking performance Good comfort but long wet braking leave the Vredestein 11th Read Reviews |
12th: BFGoodrich g Force Profiler | |
| Dry:Reasonable grip but poor turn in Wet:Easy wet handling but sensitive on curved aquaplaning Despite the V profile, the BF Goodrich has problems with aquaplaning and only average dry qualities Read Reviews |
13th: Nexen N8000 | |
| Dry:Poor dry braking and high rolling resistance Wet:The N8000 scores extremely well in the aquaplaning tests, but has only average wet lap time Aquaplaning is the largest strength of the Nexen, longest dry braking and highest rolling resistance costs it valuable points Read Reviews |
14th: Firestone Firehawk SZ90 | |
| Dry:Slowest dry lap and slowest in the slalom Wet:Average aquaplaning and join slowest wet lap time While the Firestones unusual profile makes the tire look quick, it's unconvincing in both the wet and dry Read Reviews Buy from £97.99 |
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