21 from 50: Auto Bild names tyre test finalists

The scramble to make this year’s Auto Bild summer tyre test shortlist is over, with no less than 21 of the 50 competing tyres making the grade. These finalists achieved the shortest combined stopping distances in wet and dry braking tests and include established premium brands as well as products that offer good performance at a competitive price.

This year, Auto Bild examined 215/55 R 17, a tyre size found on mid-sized cars such as the VW Passat, Skoda Superb and Ford Mondeo, and on SUVs like the Audi Q2 and VW T-Roc. The publication’s testers employed a VW Passat for the braking tests.

The summer 2022 finalists’ list is an international affair, with candidates from European, North American, Japanese, South Korean and Chinese manufacturers making an appearance. Top honours went to the Bridgestone Turanza T005, whose combined braking distance of 63.3 metres was 5.8 metres shorter than that of the 21st place candidate, Continental’s EcoContact 6.

The motoring magazine eliminated further 29 tyres in this preliminary test round. It was a close call for the first few candidates not to make the grade, however Auto Bild advises its readers against buying the 13 lowest-placed tyres on the table as these “offer too little safety margin.”