The time of bad tires is over

The time of bad tires is over

Every year at this time, car companies and end customers wait for it current summer tire test. Sure, the relocation season is coming soon, so if you're still undecided, you can use the test results as a guide. The summer tire test provides great sales arguments, especially to tire retailers and workshops. The ÖAMTC and its partner clubs tested a total of 34 summer tire models in two dimensions (185/65 R15 and 215/60 R16) for this season with regard to their driving and safety properties as well as comfort, environmental and economic aspects. “This year we have a wide selection of good summer tires - eleven 'highly recommended', 22 'recommended' and only one 'conditionally recommended',” is the test conclusion from ÖAMTC tire expert Steffan Kerbl. 

The 16 tires measuring 185/65 R15 are mainly used on small cars. “The ‘Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2’ manages a remarkable balancing act: it achieves good values ​​in both dry and wet conditions and still achieves a top value for wear,” says Steffan Kerbl, impressed. “Until now, the rule was: for good driving and braking properties, the rubber mixture had to be rather soft and that generally resulted in poorer wear properties and vice versa.” For example, the “Continental EcoContact 6” and the “Fulda EcoControl HP 2” achieve very good wear values, but are accompanied by mediocre ratings when wet. On the other hand, the Continental scores with a top value for fuel consumption; both are “recommended”. In addition to the Goodyear, the “Bridgestone Turanza T005”, the “Michelin Primacy 4”, the “Pirelli Cinturato P1 Verde”, the “Dunlop Sport BluResponse” and the “Giti GitiSynergy H2” are “highly recommended” in this dimension. Or to put it another way: Each of the 16 test candidates was at least 'recommended'. 

The tire size 215/60 R16 is often installed in the compact and middle class and is also a popular size for compact SUVs. In addition to the “Michelin Primacy 4”, good all-rounders and therefore “highly recommended” are the “Continental Premium Contact 6”, the “Bridgestone Turanza T005”, the “Dunlop Sport BluResponse” and the “Toyo Tires Proxes comfort”. The “Debica Presto HP2”, the “Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125”, the “Kumho Ecowing ES31” and the “Sava Intensa hp 2” also showed very good individual values ​​for wear - but each with the disadvantage of mediocre wet behavior. "One tire was only 'conditionally recommended' in the test - the 'Kormoran Road Performance'. Although it showed the best value in terms of fuel consumption, it had clear weaknesses in terms of driving characteristics, especially on wet surfaces," says the ÖAMTC technician about the only outlier.

If a winter tire falls below the legally required tire tread depth of 4 mm, it can still be used as a “summer tire” (minimum tread depth then: 1.6 mm). But is this recommended? The ÖAMTC technician says: "If a tire still has 3-4 mm of tread depth, has no cracks and is not rock hard, it would be a waste to dispose of it immediately. If you can adapt to the limited driving characteristics, you can continue to drive a tire like this until spring and only change it before it gets really warm. Then you can avoid the usual rush to change tires in spring," says Kerbl. “As summer temperatures increase, the disadvantages of winter tires increase; driving behavior and braking values ​​are then significantly worse than with summer tires.” The legal winter equipment requirement in Austria ends on April 15th; there is no requirement for summer tires.