The 2023 Sport Auto summer tire test has set out to discover what the best UHP summer tire is by testing eleven summer tires in the popular 225/40 R18 size using an Audi S3.
Once again the Continental SportContact 7 won the test with a strong performance in the dry and wet, with the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 close behind in second place and the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S in third place.
There seems to be a running theme in 2023 tire testing, and that is the SportContact 7 and Asymmetric 6 are incredible tires!
Test Size:
225/40 R18
Tires Tested:
11 tires
Test Categories:
4 categories (10 tests)
4 categories (10 tests)
| Test Category | Best Performer | Worst Performer | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (2 tests) | |||
| Dry Braking | ▲ Continental SportContact 7: 33.7 M | ▼ Giti GitiSportS2: 35.4 M | 1.7 M (4.8%) |
| Dry Handling | ▲ Continental SportContact 7: 101.8 Km/H | ▼ Nexen N Fera Sport SU2: 99 Km/H | 2.8 Km/H (2.8%) |
| Wet (5 tests) | |||
| Wet Braking | ▲ Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6: 23.8 M | ▼ Pirelli P Zero PZ4: 26.6 M | 2.8 M (10.5%) |
| Wet Handling | ▲ Bridgestone Potenza Sport: 88.7 Km/H | ▼ Falken Azenis FK520: 83.1 Km/H | 5.6 Km/H (6.7%) |
| Wet Circle | ▲ Bridgestone Potenza Sport: 8.81 m/s | ▼ Nexen N Fera Sport SU2: 8.28 m/s | 0.5 m/s (6.4%) |
| Straight Aqua | ▲ Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S: 80.6 Km/H | ▼ Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6: 79.1 Km/H | 1.5 Km/H (1.9%) |
| Curved Aquaplaning | ▲ Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S: 3.63 m/sec2 | ▼ Nexen N Fera Sport SU2: 3.09 m/sec2 | 0.5 m/sec2 (17.5%) |
| Comfort (1 tests) | |||
| Noise | ▲ Kumho Ecsta PS91: 69.7 dB | ▼ Continental SportContact 7: 73.3 dB | 3.6 dB (4.9%) |
| Value (2 tests) | |||
| Price | ▲ Nexen N Fera Sport SU2: 84 | ▼ Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S: 181 | 97.0 (53.6%) |
| Rolling Resistance | ▲ Firestone Firehawk Sport: 7.1 kg / t | ▼ Bridgestone Potenza Sport: 10.2 kg / t | 3.1 kg / t (30.4%) |
Wet
The new Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 proved to have a small advantage over the Continental SportContact 7 during the wet braking test. The new Firestone Firehawk Sport also performed well, with the Pirelli P Zero PZ4 performing oddly poorly compared to its recent run of impressive test results.
The Bridgestone Potenza Sport took its usual spot at the top of wet handling, with the Continental and Pirelli close behind.
The new Falken FK520, Giti GitiSportS2 and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S all joint won the straight aquaplaning test. Curved aquaplaning can be found in the overall results at the base of the page.
Dry
The Continental and Goodyear were back at the front for dry braking.
And the Continental also narrowly beat the Bridgestone Potenza Sport for the fastest lap around dry handling.
Environment
The Kumho Ecsta PS91 was the quietest tire in the external noise drive by test.
The Firestone had an impressively low rolling resistance, with the Bridgestone having an impressive high one!
At usual, the Michelin tire was the most expensive on test.
Results
1st: Continental SportContact 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Very balanced handling and short braking distances in the wet. Very high level of grip when braking and cornering in the dry, very stable, fast handling. Cornering grip in the wet not quite at the top level, increased pass-by noise. High grip level and best driving safety in wet and dry conditions for the Continental SC7. Read Reviews Buy from £102.91 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2nd: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Shortest braking distances, best balance, very safe and wide limit in the wet. Strong braking, quick steering and high driving safety in the dry. Cornering grip not at top level in wet conditions. The EF1A6 is particularly strong on a dry track, top braking. Read Reviews Buy from £101.15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3rd: Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Good wet braking, brilliant aquaplaning safety. Strong braking, great precision and very low sensitivity to load changes on a dry track. Difficult balance in wet handling. Increased values in rolling resistance and tire noise. Top aquaplaning protection and strong in the dry for the Pilot Sport 4S, but slight deficits when wet. Read Reviews Buy from £142.68 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4th: Firestone Firehawk Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Good wet braking, very reliable wet grip with very precise steering, stable. Very balanced, easily controllable driving characteristics dry, lowest rolling resistance. Deficits in curved aquaplaning. Strong performance for the new Firestone FireHawk Sport, lowest rolling resistance. Read Reviews Buy from £90.38 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5th: Pirelli P Zero PZ4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Very easy to control and steer with a balanced, slightly understeering balance in the wet. Very quick steering, high lateral support and sensitive balance when cornering. Weak wet braking, increased rolling resistance. Strong when dry. Weaknesses in wet braking for the PZ4. Read Reviews Buy from £124.60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6th: Bridgestone Potenza Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Razor-sharp wet handling with high cornering. Safe, active handling on dry roads. Longer braking distances at low temperatures and slightly rear-biased in the wet. Weak dry braking, highest rolling resistance in the test. When the Bridgestone Potenza Sport is warm, it has very good grip in all directions. Read Reviews Buy from £88.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7th: Falken Azenis FK520 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Good wet braking, safe aquaplaning properties. Safe but less dynamic cornering, best ride comfort. Dull steering, somewhat indifferent balance in the wet. Less spontaneous steering and slightly longer braking distances when dry. The new FK520 is comfortable, but steers sluggishly on wet roads. Read Reviews Buy from £95.35 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8th: Kumho Ecsta PS91 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Decent water drainage, acceptable cornering grip and low load change reactions in the wet. Good deceleration values on dry roads, very quiet passing noise. Longer braking distances and significant understeer in the wet. Sluggish steering, increased rolling resistance. The PS91 is a quiet tire but has weaknesses in wet and dry grip. Read Reviews Buy from £100.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9th: Maxxis Victra Sport 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Good wet braking, easily controllable, tends to understeer in the wet and dry. Low curve aquaplaning resistance, cornering grip decreases with longer loads. The VS5 has safe braking and good grip level in wet and dry corners. Read Reviews | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10th: Giti GitiSportS2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Objectively good wet properties, best aquaplaning safety. When moving dynamically, there is a lack of steering precision and response in the wet. Comparatively long braking distances and unbalanced handling on dry roads. The Giti SportS2 has superior aquaplaning protection but is sluggish when turning in the dry. Read Reviews | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11th: Nexen N Fera Sport SU2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Good wet braking, decent longitudinal aquaplaning. Quiet pass-by noise. Very sluggish steering and high levels of understeer in the wet. Long braking distances and less dynamic handling on a dry track. The N`Fera Sport SU2 brakes properly when wet, otherwise rather low level of grip. Read Reviews | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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