Summer tire test 2025

Summer tire test 2025

The size 225/40 R18 is popular in the lower middle class or compact class as a sporty alternative to standard tires. All tires were tested for their driving and safety properties, comfort and cost-effectiveness aspects as well as sustainability. ÖAMTC tire expert Steffan Kerbl sums up: "In this test, the range between good and bad tires was particularly large. This is also reflected in the result grades, which range from eleven 'good' to four 'satisfactory' to two 'enough' and one 'not enough'. Our recommendation: If you value the sporty look of your wheels, you shouldn't spend everything on nice rims, but also plan enough buffer for good tires."

Big difference in braking distance

“The differences were most dramatic during the brake test on wet roads at 80 km/h,” reports the ÖAMTC technician. If you compare the braking values ​​of the best in this rating (Continental SportContact 7) with the worst (Doublecoin DC-100), there is a whole 17 meter difference between them. Kerbl illustrates: "At the point where the vehicle with the Continental tire comes to a stop, the same car with the Doublecoin still has a remaining speed of around 49 km/h on the speedometer - collisions with this impact speed can have fatal consequences." As a result, the tire “Doublecoin DC-100” receives a “not sufficient” rating in the “driving safety” rating, which ultimately affects the overall grade. The “Norauto Prevensys 4” and the “Syron Premium Performance” models don’t do much better, with a grade of “sufficient”. “They can only be controlled imprecisely on dry roads, constant steering corrections are necessary in curves and the behavior at the limit is also very demanding,” explains Kerbl.

Very good driving safety

For the first time, two models achieved a “very good” rating in the “driving safety” rating. "The 'Continental SportContact 7' and the 'Bridgestone Potenza Sport' have a very high level of grip on dry roads, excellent precision and are absolutely safe even during critical driving maneuvers. The situation is similar on wet roads," reports the ÖAMTC tire expert. In addition, both offer a respectable predicted mileage - even if the Bridgestone ultimately does not go beyond "satisfactory" due to its somewhat weaker environmental efficiency. This is followed by nine tires with an overall grade of “good”. The “Michelin Pilot Sport 5” and the “Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6” impress in terms of driving safety and environmental performance. The “Vredestein Ultrac Pro”, the “Yokohama Advan Sport V107” and the “Firestone Firehawk Sport” score points in terms of driving safety with high performance, but are weak in terms of environmental performance due to the only satisfactory predicted mileage. The “Falken Azenis FK520” and the “Nexen N Fera Sport” show slight weaknesses in driving comfort on dry roads, but secure good marks due to their short braking distances in the dry. Additionally, both offer decent predicted mileage. The “Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2” misses out on a better ranking due to its higher abrasion, but offers good driving safety. The last tire rated “good” is the “Toyo Proxes Sport 2”. Although it scores well in terms of driving safety, it only achieves mediocre to moderate results in terms of environmental balance and sustainability.

Further tests planned

The following four tires do not achieve a grade of “satisfactory” in terms of driving safety and in some cases also in terms of environmental performance. The “Ceat SportDrive” has weaknesses on wet roads, the “Kumho Ecsta PS71” shows weaknesses on dry roads and in the predicted mileage, the “Nokian Tires Powerproof 1” also shows weaknesses on dry roads and the “Giti GitiSport S2” has deficits on wet roads and shows increased abrasion and a mediocre range. In this year's summer tire test, only one dimension (225/40 R18) was tested. “Instead of a second dimension, this year we are also devoting ourselves to all-terrain tires in the spring and all-season tires in the summer in the form of our own tests,” announces Steffan Kerbl.