According to AutoBild, here is the selection of the best summer tyres for luxury saloons. As first part of its big summer tyre comparison, the German magazine has selected and compared the braking distances of 50 tyres in wet and dry conditions. Tested size: 245/45 R18. Test car: BMW 5-Series.
50 summer tyres tested: size 245/45 R18
The summer tyre test season has started! AutoBild has set the ball rolling, in the best possible way, by comparing 50 UHP summer tyres. This year, the German magazine chose the tyre size 245/45 R18 100 Y. AutoBild conducted tests on high performance saloons such as the Mercedes E-Class, the Volvo S 90 and the BMW 5-Series.
On the agenda, two braking sessions: one in wet conditions at 80 km/h, the other in dry conditions at 100 km/h. This first series of tests allowed these 50 tyres to be sorted and the best 20 tyres selected for a more complete comparison test which will be conducted later.
Braking and safety come at a price
For this review, AutoBild made no prior selection. All tyre brands available in this size were tested. A retreaded tyre, the King Meiler Sport 3, was even included in the test, without much success. It came last in the comparison test, with a total braking distance 6 metres longer than the second last tyre.
Not surprisingly, the latest generation of tyres from premium brands delivered shorter braking distances in dry and wet conditions. The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 came first with the shortest cumulative braking distances in dry conditions while Nokian and its recent Powerproof tyre confirmed the good impression it made when it was launched with its 2nd place.
A few flagship tyres such as the Yokohama Advan Sport V105 and the Pirelli P Zero paid for their age, particularly for their performance in wet conditions. They obtained results which were below expectations and finished out of the Top 20. Since the test, the Italian tyre manufacturer has launched a P Zero PZ4 tyre in this size which uses the latest technologies.
Other more specialised brands rank well according to AutoBild. Kumho and its Ecsta PS71 tyre was 5th for overall braking distances, with in particular, a 2nd place for wet braking tests just behind the Bridgestone Potenza S001. The Laufenn S Fit EQ+, which has just been launched, performed well in dry braking tests, finishing in 8th place which allowed it to take the 14th place in the final ranking.
The best summer tyres in braking tests
| Tyre | Braking distance on wet surfaces | Braking distance on dry surfaces |
| 1 – Michelin Pilot Sport 4 | 29,8 | 32,1 |
| 2 – Nokian PowerProof | 29,1 | 32,9 |
| 3 – Bridgestone Potenza S001 | 28,7 | 33,5 |
| 4 – Continental PremiumContact 6 | 30,2 | 33,2 |
| 5 – Kumho Ecsta PS71 | 29 | 34,9 |
| 6 – Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 | 30,8 | 33,2 |
| 7 – Nexen NFera Sport | 30,9 | 33,2 |
| 8 – Vredestein Ultrac Vorti | 31,3 | 33,4 |
| 9 – Apollo Aspire XP | 30,3 | 34,7 |
| 9 – Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 | 30,3 | 34,7 |
| 11 – Firestone Roadhawk | 30,8 | 34,3 |
| 12 – Fulda SportControl 2 | 31,7 | 34,2 |
| 13 – Kleber Dynaxer UHP | 32,3 | 34,1 |
| 14 – Laufenn S Fit EQ+ | 32,6 | 34 |
| 15 – Falken Azensis FK510 | 30,7 | 36 |
| 16 – Toyo Proxes Sport | 31,5 | 35,4 |
| 17 – Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 | 33 | 34,3 |
| 18 – Zeetex HP 200 vfm | 31,8 | 36 |
| 19 – Uniroyal RainSport 3 | 32,4 | 35,7 |
| 20 – Maxxis Victra Sport 5 | 33,4 | 34,8 |
AutoBild summer tyre braking test (in German).
