There's a new comfort bias summer tire to market, the Pirelli Cinturato C3! To see how good the new tire really is, I've tested it against some of its key rivals from Michelin and Continental. I've also added some new tires I've not tested before.
As usual, all the tires in this test will be tested in the dry and wet, and I'll be assessing the comfort, noise, and rolling resistance (energy use) of the tires to give you a complete overview of which tire is best.
4 categories (11 tests)
| Test Category | Best Performer | Worst Performer | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (3 tests) | |||
| Dry Braking | ▲ Pirelli Cinturato C3: 34.13 M | ▼ Goodtrip GR 66: 37.09 M | 3.0 M (8.0%) |
| Dry Handling | ▲ Falken ZIEX ZE320: 85.54 s | ▼ Goodtrip GR 66: 87.4 s | 1.9 s (2.1%) |
| Subj. Dry Handling | ▲ Michelin Primacy 4 Plus: 10 Points | ▼ Goodtrip GR 66: 6 Points | 4.0 Points (66.7%) |
| Wet (5 tests) | |||
| Wet Braking | ▲ Continental PremiumContact 7: 24.61 M | ▼ Goodtrip GR 66: 34 M | 9.4 M (27.6%) |
| Wet Handling | ▲ Falken ZIEX ZE320: 105.18 s | ▼ Goodtrip GR 66: 116.72 s | 11.5 s (9.9%) |
| Subj. Wet Handling | ▲ Vredestein Ultrac: 10 Points | ▼ Goodtrip GR 66: 8 Points | 2.0 Points (25.0%) |
| Straight Aqua | ▲ Continental PremiumContact 7: 98.1 Km/H | ▼ Goodtrip GR 66: 88.2 Km/H | 9.9 Km/H (11.2%) |
| Curved Aquaplaning | ▲ Pirelli Cinturato C3: 2.6 m/sec2 | ▼ Falken ZIEX ZE320: 2.27 m/sec2 | 0.3 m/sec2 (14.5%) |
| Comfort (2 tests) | |||
| Subj. Comfort | ▲ Michelin Primacy 4 Plus: 10 Points | ▼ Goodtrip GR 66: 7 Points | 3.0 Points (42.9%) |
| Noise | ▲ Vredestein Ultrac: 70.9 dB | ▼ Continental PremiumContact 7: 73.2 dB | 2.3 dB (3.1%) |
| Value (1 tests) | |||
| Rolling Resistance | ▲ Firestone Roadhawk 2 ENLITEN: 7.31 kg / t | ▼ Goodtrip GR 66: 7.94 kg / t | 0.6 kg / t (7.9%) |
Dry
Dry handling was very close! As always for the dry I'm not just testing outright lap time, as that is probably less interesting for this category of tire, but we're digging deep into things like steering precision and predictability, things which impact your life on the road with these tires.
The Firestone was lovely and predictable driving around, light steering, but as you sped up the rear got saturated quickly.
The Vredestein felt pretty bouncy, the steering wasn't precise and the softness of the tire meant the rear took time to stabilise when turning which isn't a feeling I enjoy, it means you're guessing where the car is going. Otherwise, great grip.
The Falken felt more sporty, and was very stable, this new falken continues to perform well.
The top three were pretty difficult to pick from, which were the Conti, Michelin and Pirelli. The Conti had the quickest steering but did feel a touch elastic in this size, whereas the Michelin and Pirelli both felt very stable, rounded, mature and had excellent grip.
Subjectively it was very hard to pick a favorite between Michelin and Pirelli, but as the Pirelli was faster around the lap, it won.
The Pirelli Cinturato C3 needed just 34.13 meters to stop from 100 km/h, while the Goodtrip GR 66 took nearly 3 meters longer at 37.09 meters.
Wet
It's been a while since I wet tested in a RWD car, and while safety systems have come a long way, it is a nice reminder how important tires are.
The Goodtrip must have been named ironically as you wouldn't have a good trip in the wet. To be fair to it, it's not the worst cheap tire I've ever used, but it certainly doesn't compare to the rest.
Next up was the Michelin Primacy 4+, as usual this was classic Michelin, super safe feeling with plenty of understeer. The French tire is now a little down on grip, showing its age as one of the oldest tires in this test.
The top 5 were separated by less than 3% which is crazy close on such a complicated track. While all the times were close, as usual, the grip was delivered in varying ways.
The Firestone was an easy tire to drive, the rear felt very planted and it posted a good time, it didn't feel special but it wasn't particularly bad in any way either.
Next up was the Continental, and we're now 1.8% away from the best so these is a very tight group.
I usually love Continental in subjective handling, but in this size and this vehicle it didn't really gel for me. Still loads of grip, but the rear was a little behind the front, and the front had high levels of understeer. But again, we're within 2% of the best.
Third and second was the new Pirelli and the Vredestein Ultrac. The Pirelli felt like one of the best on this vehicle with nice steering and a solid balance, whereas the Vredestein felt a little sluggish in comparison but like always, the Ultrac had buckets of grip.
Finally, the new Falken posted the fastest time by the smallest of margins. It felt very similar to the vredestein, as in a little sluggish compared to the Pirelli, but loads of grip and no issue with the deeper water on the track.
A very close handling test, so let's see if braking is can spread things out!
The Continental PremiumContact 7 showed its wet weather ability by stopping in just 24.61 meters from 80 km/h. The Goodtrip GR 66 needed an extra 9.4 meters to stop, taking 34 meters in total - a significant safety gap between best and worst.
The Continental PremiumContact 7 maintained grip up to 98.1 km/h before aquaplaning, while the Goodtrip GR 66 lost control at just 88.2 km/h.
The Pirelli Cinturato C3 generated the most grip in curved aquaplaning with 2.6 m/s², while the Falken could only manage 2.27 m/s². Unlike other wet tests, the Goodtrip wasn't the worst performer here.
Comfort
The Michelin Primacy 4+ led the comfort ratings with a perfect 10/10 score. The Goodtrip GR 66 scored lowest at 7/10, feeling somewhat firm in all impact conditions.
The Vredestein Ultrac was the quietest tire tested at 70.9 dB, while the Continental PremiumContact 7 was the loudest at 73.2 dB.
Value
The Firestone Roadhawk 2 ENLITEN had the lowest rolling resistance at 7.3 kg/t, while the Goodtrip GR 66 was least efficient at 7.9 kg/t. A close group overall.
Results
1st: Pirelli Cinturato C3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Strong dry performance with the best dry braking distance, excellent dry handling characteristics and impressive wet performance with near class-leading scores in both curved aquaplaning and braking. Slightly lower comfort levels on harsh impacts when compared to the best. The new Cinturato C3 is an excellent upgrade to the P7 C2. This tire had no real weaknesses, just a string of excellent performances across both wet and dry tests. While it might not have the absolute highest scores in comfort or refinement, the balance of performance puts it at the top of this test.
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1st: Continental PremiumContact 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dominated the wet tests with best-in-test wet braking and straight aquaplaning performance, matched with good dry grip and handling balance. The noisiest tire in test at 73.2 dB, and showed some slight balance issues in wet handling with the rear end feeling less planted than the front. The PremiumContact 7 continues Continental's strong run of form, matching the Pirelli's overall performance. The tire clearly prioritized safety with its class-leading wet grip, but the higher noise levels and slight handling imbalance kept it from another clear win.
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3rd: Vredestein Ultrac | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Class-leading refinement with the lowest noise levels and excellent comfort scores. Strong wet handling performance with consistent, predictable behavior. Bouncy handling characteristics in the dry with slower rear response to direction changes. One of the highest rolling resistance scores, though the group was very close. The Ultrac proves Vredestein knows how to make a refined tire. While it might not have the outright performance of the top three, its comfort and refinement make it a solid choice for drivers prioritizing these characteristics.
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3rd: Falken ZIEX ZE320 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted the fastest times in both wet and dry handling, demonstrating excellent grip and balance. Near the top of the pack for noise levels with good overall refinement. Struggled with curved aquaplaning, posting the worst result in test. Higher than average rolling resistance impacts, though the group was very close. Falken keeps improving with each new tire, and the ZE320 shows they can compete with the premium brands. The handling performance in both wet and dry was impressive, but the curved aquaplaning performance suggests there's still room for improvement.
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5th: Michelin Primacy 4+ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Best-in-test comfort scores and second quietest tire tested. Low rolling resistance. Wet performance now showing the tire's age, with longer stopping distances and slower handling times than the newer designs. The Primacy 4+ demonstrates Michelin's comfort expertise but shows its age in wet performance. While still a safe, capable tire, newer designs have moved the game on in terms of outright grip and handling. I look forward to testing the Primacy 5 in the near future.
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6th: Firestone Roadhawk 2 ENLITEN | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Best rolling resistance of any tire tested and predictable handling characteristics with no nasty surprises. Poor straight aquaplaning performance, longer wet braking distances than the class leaders, and below average comfort scores. The Roadhawk 2 ENLITEN shows promise with its efficiency focus, but falls short in too many key areas to challenge the leaders. While safe and predictable, it lacks the all-round performance needed in this competitive segment.
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7th: Goodtrip GR 66 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Significantly lower price than the other tires tested. Longest wet braking distances, poorest handling times, lowest comfort scores and highest rolling resistance showing consistent weakness across all test criteria. The budget price brings budget performance, with the GR 66 trailing significantly in almost every test. While much cheaper than the premium brands, the performance gap is too large to make this a recommended choice in any category. Read Reviews | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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