One almost very good

Three clear winners in the big summer tire test

(Bild: ÖAMTC)

The ÖAMTC tire testers and their partners have never seen anything like it: after the big final tally of the summer tire test, they didn't have to advise against a single brand. Nevertheless, there are three clear winners among the 16 candidates in the 215/55 R17 dimension.

"In over 50 years of tire tests, we have never had a test with such good results: three 'Good', 12 'Satisfactory' and one 'Sufficient'. But even the model at the bottom of the test table is not a bad tire, depending on the requirements profile," marvels club tire expert Steffan Kerbl.

The fact that there is no "very good" despite the good results is due to the methodology. "For a tire to be rated 'very good' overall, it would also have to score 'very good' in all individual categories - realistically, this is not to be expected. There is a perpetual conflict of objectives, especially in tire testing: good driving characteristics usually go hand in hand with softer rubber compounds, which in turn has a negative impact on mileage and tire wear," explains the head of the ÖAMTC test department.

(Bild: ÖAMTC)

Here are the three test winners
The "Continental Premium Contact 7" performed all the more respectably, achieving the best rating in the test with an overall score of "2.0" - and narrowly missing out on "very good", as Kerbl says. The "Michelin Primacy 4+" and the "Kumho Ecsta HS52" were also close behind with "good".

The results of the summer tire test at a glance - click to enlarge!(Bild: ÖAMTC)

One of the test models must inevitably be at the bottom of the test table because it simply wears out too quickly: the "Vredestein Ultrac". "Due to the predicted mileage of just under 30,000 kilometers, this tire only receives a 'sufficient'.

For comparison: the best in this criterion - Kumho Ecsta HS52 and Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance 2 go 40,000 kilometers further! "Nevertheless, the Vredestein can be an option for infrequent drivers, for example. In the driving safety category, this tire performs quite well," explains Kerbl. Conversely, in addition to the Kumho and the Goodyear, the Michelin and the Continental, each with a predicted mileage of 60,000 km, are also interesting for frequent drivers. The "Semperit Speed-Life 3" also offers very good mileage.

The broad midfield in the test consists of twelve summer tires that scored "satisfactory". "Depending on your personal requirements, you can get reasonably priced tires that offer good performance in certain categories. If, on the other hand, a tire has to be able to do everything as well as possible, you should go for a more expensive premium manufacturer," says Kerbl.

The test table helps with the selection: broken down by driving safety and environmental balance, everyone can find what they need. The decisive factor is the personal driving profile. "In terms of safety, the price should be secondary - a significantly shorter braking distance can be decisive for safety in an emergency and the price difference over the service life is usually not huge."

Why only one tire dimension this time?
The ÖAMTC usually tests two different dimensions in a tire test - in this summer tire test only one (215/55 R17). The background to this is that the club will instead publish a test with all-season tires at the end of June, also in just one dimension (205/55 R16).