4 categories (8 tests)
Test Category | Best Performer | Worst Performer | Difference |
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Dry (2 tests) | |||
Dry Braking | ▲ Bridgestone Potenza Sport: 35.1 M | ▼ Berlin-Tires Summer UHP 1: 39.6 M | 4.5 M (11.4%) |
Dry Handling | ▲ Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S: 100 Km/H | ▼ Berlin-Tires Summer UHP 1: 91.6 Km/H | 8.4 Km/H (9.2%) |
Wet (3 tests) | |||
Wet Braking | ▲ Bridgestone Potenza Sport: 41.1 M | ▼ Landsail LS588 UHP: 82.7 M | 41.6 M (50.3%) |
Wet Handling | ▲ Bridgestone Potenza Sport: 85.5 Km/H | ▼ Landsail LS588 UHP: 69.6 Km/H | 15.9 Km/H (22.8%) |
Straight Aqua | ▲ Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport: 75.3 Km/H | ▼ Landsail LS588 UHP: 69.6 Km/H | 5.7 Km/H (8.2%) |
Comfort (1 tests) | |||
Noise | ▲ Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S: 72 dB | ▼ Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3: 74.1 dB | 2.1 dB (2.8%) |
Value (2 tests) | |||
Price | ▲ Landsail LS588 UHP: 500 | ▼ Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport: 1130 | 630.0 (55.8%) |
Rolling Resistance | ▲ Landsail LS588 UHP: 7.62 kg / t | ▼ Vredestein Ultrac Vorti R: 9.86 kg / t | 2.2 kg / t (22.7%) |
Naturally, it's the best testers in the business doing it first, the German publication Auto Bild. They've tested nine 265/35 R20 UUHP tires in the dry and wet using a very un-european Ford Mustang.
Tire Reviews is due to test the new Potenza Sport, against 14 of its key rivals in an 18" size, so if you're not already subscribed, be sure to head over to the Tire Reviews YouTube channel and subscribe as that will be published in the coming weeks!
Can the Bridgestone Compete?
The biggest question is, can the new Potenza Sport really take the fight to Michelin, Continental and Goodyear? The answer, at least for this test, is a resounding yes!
The new Bridgestone Potenza Sport wins the test, and has the shortest dry braking, shortest wet braking, and fastest wet handling lap! The only one of the four key tests it was beaten in was dry handling, where it finished just 1.8% behind the Michelin, but the testers still reported it to have excellent handling and precise steering in the dry and wet.
The best of the rest went to the Continental Sport Contact 6. While it didn't win any test, and the testers found it to have a slightly high noise level, it was consistently close in all the tests, and had a dynamic sport driving behavio r in the wet.
The internet's favourite tire, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S placed third overall, winning dry braking and having the lowest noise on test, but could only manage mid pack during the wet handling lap and was the most expensive set of tires to buy.
The last of the "big 4" was the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport. Like the SportContact 6 it was consistent in all conditions, but couldn't quite match the best overall.
Dry
The new Potenza Sport led the way in dry braking, with the Goodyear just 0.1 meters ahead of the Continental and Michelin pairing.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S posted the fastest lap time by a considerable margin, and led the way subjectively. The Bridgestone could match the subjective handling of the Michelin, but not the time, and the Landsail and Berlin tires provided little grip or enjoyment.
Wet
The Bridgestone also led wet braking by a small margin.
Claiming three wins from the four key tests, the Potenza Sport was both the fastest and best handling tire on test, with direct steering and first class balance. The Vredestein Ultrac Vorti R and Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport were also reported to be excellent handling tires in the wet.
The Goodyear won the aquaplaning test, with a small margin to the second placed Falken.
Environment
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S was the quietest tire on test, matching the budget Landsail LS588.
The budge tire also had the lowest rolling resistance, a test the Goodyear and Vredestein struggled in.
Michelin wasn't the only expensive tire on test, with the Goodyear matching its price for four. The new Bridgestone was also expensive, but a full 75 euros cheaper for a set of four.
Results
1st: Bridgestone Potenza Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Potenza Sport is a new top class sports tire with excellent handling in the dry and wet, precise steering response, good balance, shortest wet and dry braking distances and good aquaplaning properties. Test Winner. Read Reviews Buy from £212.06 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2nd: Continental Sport Contact 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Sport Contact 6 is an excellent tire with dynamic driving behaviour in the wet, short wet and dry braking distances, good comfort and low rolling resistance. Slightly high noise. Highly Recommended. Read Reviews Buy from £232.24 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3rd: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Pilot Sport 4S is a premium summer tire with sporty dynamic handling in the dry, precise steering, short wet and dry braking distances and low rolling resistance. Very expensive. Highly Recommended. Read Reviews Buy from £249.14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4th: Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The F1 SuperSport is a sporty summer tire with a high level of balanced performance in the dry and wet, short dry braking distances, good comfort. Very expensive. Recommended. Read Reviews Buy from £263.65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5th: Vredestein Ultrac Vorti R | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Vorti R is a good performance tire with sporty handling, precise steering, short dry braking distances, and a good price to performance ratio. Slightly longer braking distances in the wet, increased rolling resistance. Recommended. Read Reviews | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6th: Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The S1 Evo3 has safe driving behavior and short braking distances in the dry and wet, with a direct steering response. Low aquaplaning resistance, high noise. Recommended. Read Reviews Buy from £189.91 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7th: Falken Azenis FK510 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Good safety reserves in aquaplaning, good handling in the wet. Long wet braking distances, understeer balance in dry handling. Fair. Read Reviews | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8th: Landsail LS588 UHP | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Very low rolling resistance. Limited wet grip, very long wet and dry braking distances, bad handling and poor aquaplaning resistance. Not Recommended. Read Reviews | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9th: Berlin Tires Summer UHP 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Low noise, low price. Very poor in the wet, dangerously long wet and dry braking distances, spongy unbalanced handling with poor steering response. Not Recommended. Read Reviews |