Safer, more comfortable, better performance. These three qualities are what Pirelli says motorists can now expect from its Scorpion range of SUV tyres following the range’s recent revamp, which the tyre maker undertook in response to forecasted global growth in SUV sales over the next few years.
Leading German motoring magazine Auto Bild has named Goodyear its summer tyre manufacturer of the year. It announced this honour in the 13 April 2022 edition of Auto Bild (issue 15/2022) after declaring the Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 winner and eco champion in its main summer 2022 tyre test and the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 victor in its high-performance test. Partner publication Auto Bild Allrad also voted the EfficientGrip 2 SUV joint winner of its summer test.
During the past couple of months, we’ve followed the performances of just under 200 tyre models and sizes in comparative tests published by major car magazines, specialist tyre sites and motoring organisations. The results suggest that replacement tyre buyers are spoiled for choice, with the test experts giving 41 of the products – including some affordably-priced models – a rating of ‘very good’ or better. At the other end of the scale, they considered 16 tyres ‘not recommendable’.
When we published German motoring association ACE’s coverage of the tyre test it jointly undertook with Austrian counterpart ARBÖ, we commented that there were “no bad tyres” in the size 195/55 R16 evaluation. The ARBÖ begs to differ, as it has consigned two tyres to the undesirable ‘not recommendable’ category.
Safe, efficient motoring shouldn’t be the preserve of the wealthy, and anyone seeking excellent value can find this amongst the compact cars available today. The same applies when it comes to the tyres that these cars wear. To help drivers find good but affordable footwear, European motoring associations ACE and ARBÖ, together with vehicle monitoring organisation GTÜ, looked at the popular small car tyre dimension 195/55 R16.
When sharing the results of both its main summer 2022 test of 50 tyres and the performance-oriented Auto Bild Sportscars tyre test, esteemed European publication Auto Bild commented that the days of Chinese-made tyres failing these tests due to outdated technology are well and truly behind us. Auto Bild spoke about one product from China in particularly favourable tones.
With summer approaching, Auto Bild Sportscars has delivered a timely test of 15 tyre combinations. The publication examined 11 brands in the all-round size 225/45 R18 and four as a mixed 225/45 (front) and 255/40 R18 (rear) fitment, taking each set “to the limit and a bit beyond” with a series of tests in wet and dry conditions. The goal was to identify the “tops and flops” on the market this season.
Goodyear’s freshly minted Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 has become the first tyre to gain auto motor und sport’s (ams) new top rating of phenomenal. The German motoring publication’s testers judged this recent arrival a tyre that delivers a balanced spectrum of performance, with precise and easily controllable handling on dry roads particularly noteworthy strengths. “Goodyear’s newcomer convinces with much safety and top dynamics,” states ams.
Every tyre competing in round two of the Auto Bild summer tyre test has already proven its ability to stop without undue fuss on wet and dry roads, and the testers now turn their attention to separating the great amongst the 21 finalists from the good and just okay. Auto Bild honoured three of the size 215/55 R17 tyres with its top exemplary rating. The publication considered further seven tyres good and ten satisfactory. The last-placed tyre gains just a conditional recommendation.
When searching for the best tyre for sporty driving, the choice is between maximum safety and the highest possible dynamics. The former involves good grip and deep grooves, especially in the rain. But for the fastest cornering and optimal contact with the road, especially in dry conditions, a tyre with a low void ratio is the way to go.
Just as talented chefs tweak their recipes to improve flavours, tyre manufacturers make updates during the production cycle to gain better performance. Such a tweak has helped Bridgestone: When Autozeitung tested the Turanza T005 in 2020 it found the tyre imperfect on wet roads. Bridgestone adjusted the T005’s tread compound last year, and the result is a safer “wet specialist” – and an Autozeitung test win for the Bridgestone tyre.
The 2022 summer tyre tests performed by German motoring organisation ADAC and its Austrian and Swiss counterparts ÖAMTC and TCS evaluated a total of 34 tyres, both in size 185/65 R15 88H as well as the 215/60 R16 99V tyre size for compact SUVs that we’re looking at here. Overall, ADAC considers the outcome of the two tests a “positive review” of recent tyre evolution, as it considers almost all the tested tyres “recommendable or even particularly recommendable.”
The latest incarnation of the Hankook Ventus Prime is now available and takes over from a predecessor that has sold more than 20 million units since 2015, is original equipment on several vehicles and has racked up a number of tyre test honours, including two wins in the renowned Auto Bild summer test. Hankook says the new Ventus Prime 4 offers generational improvements “in practically all relevant points,” including further optimised handling, rolling resistance and mileage.
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.
The popular small car size 185/65 R15 is one of two dimensions that European motoring associations ADAC, TCS and ÖAMTC have evaluated for their summer 2022 tests. They fitted 16 tyre brands to a VW Polo and subjected them to the usual wet, dry safety tests as well as a range of comfort, environmental and economy-related evaluations.
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