| Test Summary | |
| Wet Braking | Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue |
| Dry Braking | Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue Uniroyal RainSport 3 Semperit SpeedLife 2 |
| Rolling Resistance | Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance Dunlop Sport BluResponse |
| Noise | Continental Premium Contact 5 Nexen N Blue HD Plus Semperit SpeedLife 2 |
| Snow Braking | Yokohama BluEarth AE50 |
| Snow Handling | Yokohama BluEarth AE50 |
| Ice Braking | Yokohama BluEarth AE50 |
The Tests
Auto Bild tested all 15 tires across twelve tests using a MK7 VW Golf. The tests covered wet performance, dry performance, comfort, noise, wear, rolling resistance and the value of the tire, based on the cost per set and the number of miles achieved.
The Wet
In the wet, the second placed overall Pirelli P7 Cinturato proved to be the best wet performer, with the test winning Hankook marked down for an average aquaplaning performance, third placed Continental good in all areas, but couldn't quite match the Pirelli, and fourth placed Goodyear all extremely close top the Pirelli. Two other Continental owned brands scored extremely well in the wet, with Semperit and Uniroyal matching the Pirellis overall wet result.
The Dry
As these were the best 15 tires from a test of 50, all the tires were extremely close in the dry with the average lap speed separated by just 1.4 mph! Once again the Pirelli was the best across the dry lap, with the Hankook, Dunlop and Continental close behind. The Semperit and Uniroyal tire, which proved to be strong in the wet, highlighted a good wet / dry balance is still reserved for the premium tires, as they finished last in the dry handling test.
Fuel economy
The overall result of the rolling resistance testing was extremely close, with the test winning Dunlop offering just 4% better economy than the Nokian, which was the worst tire on test.
Wear
Wear tests are extremely hard to replicate in the lab, so Auto Bild hired the independent test body DEKRA to carry out real-world wear tests. DEKRA drove each tire for 10,000 km on the road, then laser measured the wear to extrapolate total mileage at 1.6mm.
Surprisingly, the usual wear king Michelin only took second place at 40,981 km, with Yokohama a surprise victor with a projected distance of 42,660 km. Hankook showed an excellent balance of wet grip and wear, finishing third with 36,884 km, whereas Hankooks wet and dry rival Pirelli only promised 28,208 km.
The test once again highlighted the trade between wet grip and wear some of the manufacturers have to make to hit a price point, with Semperit and Uniroyal finishing bottom of the test with almost half the tread life the Yokohama offered, at 24,139 km and 22,998 km respectively.
Value
With an accurate wear test, Auto Bild were able to compare price vs mileage to give the tires a value score. Unsurprisingly Yokohama win, with Hankook , Nexen and Michelin close behind. Pirelli finished eleventh due to the high price / average wear, and unsurprisingly Uniroyal finished last.
The Full Results
2016 seems to be the year of Hankook, with the new Ventus Prime3 offering premium levels of performance at a slightly lower price than the established premium rivals. The wet grip / wear balance is one of the best on tests, and the only real weakness is an average aquaplaning performance.
Pirelli must have recently updated the Cinturato P7 Blue, as it seems to be testing very well this year, and Continental stay strong with their now aging Premium Contact 5, rounding out the top three.
1st: Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 | |
| Very good on dry and wet roads, good value for money, accurate and quick steering response, very short braking distances on dry and wet roads, low wear Average resistance to aquaplaning Exemplary Read Reviews Buy from £69.99 |
2nd: Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue | |
| Excellent results in the wet, fast steering response and good feedback, highest braking performance Expensive Exemplary Read Reviews |
3rd: Continental Premium Contact 5 | |
| Very good tires with no apparent disadvantages, high braking performance, accurate and rapid steering response on dry roads, good handling on wet surfaces, low rolling resistance Expensive Exemplary Read Reviews Buy from £84.99 |
4th: Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance | |
| A good balance of performance and optimum level of safety on wet and dry roads, high lateral stability and precise steering response, high braking performance, low rolling resistance Expensive Exemplary Read Reviews Buy from £71.19 |
5th: Dunlop Sport BluResponse | |
| Good handling on wet and dry roads, precise steering response and good handling, high resistance to aquaplaning, short braking distances on dry roads, low rolling resistance High wear Exemplary Read Reviews Buy from £70.03 |
6th: Fulda EcoControl HP | |
| A well balanced tire, short braking distances on wet surfaces, good handling on dry surfaces, good value, low rolling resistance Poor directional stability and slow reaction to steering on wet surfaces Recommended Read Reviews |
7th: Michelin Primacy 3 | |
| Good handling on dry roads, high comfort, low wear, low rolling resistance Tendency to understeer in the wet, expensive Recommended Read Reviews Buy from £86.67 |
8th: Vredestein Sportrac 5 | |
| High wear resistance, good value for money, good handling and shorter braking distances on wet roads, low noise Poor handling and stability in the dry Recommended Read Reviews |
9th: Bridgestone Turanza T001 | |
| Excellent resistance to aquaplaning, good controllability, precise steering response and short braking distances on wet roads Poor wear, high price Satisfactory Read Reviews Buy from £83.99 |
10th: Semperit SpeedLife 2 | |
| Good handling on wet roads, high resistance to aquaplaning, short braking distances on dry and wet roads, high level of comfort Poor directional stability on dry roads, poor wear Satisfactory Read Reviews |
11th: Uniroyal RainSport 3 | |
| The highest resistance to curved aquaplaning, good handling in the wet, short braking distances on dry and wet roads, low rolling resistance Inaccurate response to steering and a tendency to understeer in the dry, highest wear Satisfactory Read Reviews Buy from £94.15 |
12th: Yokohama BluEarth AE50 | |
| Low wear, good handling on dry roads, high level of comfort, best value for money Low resistance to aquaplaning, poor grip and tendency to understeer in the wet Satisfactory Read Reviews Buy from £81.74 |
13th: Nexen N Blue HD+ | |
| Good value for money, short braking distances on dry surfaces, high level of comfort, high resistance to aquaplaning Average braking performance in the wet, tendency to understeer on dry surfaces Satisfactory Read Reviews |
14th: Falken ZE914 | |
| High resistance to aquaplaning, short braking distances on wet roads, high comfort, low rolling resistance Poor wet handling, high wear, average value Satisfactory Read Reviews |
15th: Nokian Line | |
| High resistance to aquaplaning, short braking distances on wet surfaces Slow response to steering on wet surfaces, relatively long stopping distance on dry surfaces, average wear, high rolling resistance Satisfactory Read Reviews |
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