2012 has started with a bang with EVO, the UKs leading high performance car magazine, publishing its 2012 summer tyre test.
Unlike some of the European tyre tests which concentrate on the data, EVO rate the driving experience equal to the out right performance, meaning subjective scoring is very detailed. This is key, as when the top 5 tyres are separated by just a few seconds over a lap, how the tyre feels is the primary difference between brands.
The Test
Also refreshing was EVOs choice of location - a mix of the UK MIRA testing circuit, and their home track Bedford Autodrome. This effectively removes any "home advantage" tyre manufacturers gain when they host the tyre tests at their development circuits.EVO selected 10 tyres in 235/40 R18 to test on a 261bhp Audi S3. Each of the 6 premium brands were represented, with Hankook, Kumho and Vredestein from the mid range sector and Accelera from the budget end rounding out the group.
All the tests, including the road handling test were carried out on the various specialist circuits at MIRA, other than the dry lap time which was done at Bedford Autodrome.
Subjective feel
With the top 4 tyres separated by less than a second a lap in the wet, and just 0.4 seconds in the dry, subjectivity has never been more critical amongst the top runners.Of the pack leaders Continental fared best, winning the wet test and scoring a joint first position with Hankook in the dry, who could only manage 4th place in the wet. The Continentals were particularly praised in the wet, where they felt extremely sure footed, barely registering puddles which upset its rivals and offering supreme traction.
Goodyear finished a close 2nd overall, scoring two 3rd places only let down by a fraction of under steer on the limit in the wet. It’s dry performance was also excellent on the limit, with "grainy, grippy feedback" and the highest lateral G reading.
While Bridgestone could only manage the 7th fastest wet lap, it rated very well subjectively finishing just behind the Continental. As we’ve found with Bridgestone tyres, it’s dry performance was many times better than the wet, scoring the fastest lap and finishing just behind the Goodyear subjectively.
Hankook rounded out the top 4 with the 5th fastest wet lap but an excellent subject 4th place, and the 3rd fastest dry lap with the subjective rating equalling that of Continental for the win. Another strong performer for Hankook, who are quickly edging towards premium status.
"In many respects, wet handling is the most cricial test of a tyre. Good performance in the dry is much easier to achieve."
John Barker - EVO
Some what disappointingly, the online favourites Vredestein and Kumho finished 8th and 9th in the wet, with Vredestein edging out Kumho, and could only manage 8th and 10th in the dry, this time with Kumho ahead of Vredestein. Disappointing results for 2 brands often recommended online, however it demonstrates the old adage “you get what you pay for†still largely rings true in the world of tyres.
John Barker - EVO
The Results
As always our coverage doesn’t do the test justice, so make sure you pick up EVO issue 166 for the full write up and the detailed results breakdown.1st: Continental Sport Contact 3 | |
| The ContiSportContact 3s only weakness was a little subjective feel on the road. It dominated the wet tests and was extremely strong in the dry. EVO commented as "an impressively complete performance". The Sport Contact 3 has now been replaced by the Sport Contact 5, which should be an even more impressive tyre. ContiSportContact 3'ün tek zayıf noktası yolda biraz öznel hissiyattı. Islak testlerde baskındı ve kuru zeminde aşırı güçlüydü. EVO "etkileyici derecede eksiksiz bir performans" olarak yorumladı. Sport Contact 3 artık daha da etkileyici bir lastik olması gereken Sport Contact 5 ile değiştirildi. Die einzige Schwäche des ContiSportContact 3 war ein wenig subjektives Fahrgefühl. Er dominierte die Nasstests und war auf trockener Fahrbahn extrem stark. EVO kommentierte dies mit einer „beeindruckend kompletten Leistung“. Der Sport Contact 3 wurde nun durch den Sport Contact 5 ersetzt, der ein noch beeindruckenderer Reifen sein sollte. Le seul point faible du ContiSportContact 3 était son ressenti un peu subjectif sur la route. Il a dominé les tests sur sol mouillé et s'est montré extrêmement performant sur sol sec. EVO a commenté « une performance impressionnante et complète ». Le Sport Contact 3 a maintenant été remplacé par le Sport Contact 5, qui devrait être un pneu encore plus impressionnant. Read Reviews Buy from £123.85 |
2nd: Hankook Ventus S1 evo | |
| Although the Hankook S1 Evo only managed a single top place (its subjective feel on the dry track) the rest of its results were strong enough to give it a close second behind the Conti and a whisker ahead of the Goodyear. Hankook S1 Evo sadece tek bir zirveye yerleşebilse de (kuru pistteki öznel hissiyatı) diğer sonuçları Conti'nin hemen arkasında ikinci ve Goodyear'ın hemen önünde yer almasını sağlayacak kadar güçlüydü. Obwohl der Hankook S1 Evo nur einen einzigen Spitzenplatz erringen konnte (sein subjektives Gefühl auf trockener Strecke), waren seine restlichen Ergebnisse stark genug, um ihm einen knappen zweiten Platz hinter dem Conti und einen Hauch vor dem Goodyear zu sichern. Bien que le Hankook S1 Evo n'ait réussi qu'une seule première place (son ressenti subjectif sur piste sèche), le reste de ses résultats a été suffisamment solide pour lui donner une deuxième place proche derrière le Conti et un cheveu devant le Goodyear. Read Reviews |
3rd: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 | |
| Outstanding in the dry, pulling the highest lateral G and shortest dry braking. Also very good in the wet just 0.8% slower than the Conti. Highly rated subjectively, a great all round tyre. Kuru zeminde olağanüstü, en yüksek yanal G'yi ve en kısa kuru frenlemeyi çekiyor. Ayrıca ıslak zeminde de çok iyi, Conti'den sadece %0,8 daha yavaş. Subjektif olarak yüksek puan almış, harika bir genel lastik. Hervorragend im Trockenen, mit den höchsten Querbeschleunigungen und kürzesten Trockenbremszeiten. Auch im Nassen sehr gut, nur 0,8 % langsamer als der Conti. Subjektiv hoch bewertet, ein großartiger Allround-Reifen. Excellent sur sol sec, avec le G latéral le plus élevé et le freinage sec le plus court. Également très bon sur sol mouillé, seulement 0,8 % plus lent que le Conti. Très bien noté subjectivement, un excellent pneu polyvalent. Read Reviews Buy from £121.50 |
4th: Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3 | |
| The new Pilot Sport 3 scored well objectively in all tests. Slightly let down by its subjective feel, EVO still recommend it as a great all round tyre, having the best blend of comfort and precision on the road. Yeni Pilot Sport 3, tüm testlerde nesnel olarak iyi puan aldı. Öznel hissiyatıyla biraz hayal kırıklığına uğrasa da, EVO yine de onu harika bir çok yönlü lastik olarak öneriyor ve yolda konfor ve hassasiyetin en iyi karışımına sahip. Der neue Pilot Sport 3 hat in allen Tests objektiv gut abgeschnitten. Das subjektive Fahrgefühl trübt ihn zwar ein wenig, EVO empfiehlt ihn aber dennoch als großartigen Allround-Reifen mit der besten Mischung aus Komfort und Präzision auf der Straße. Le nouveau Pilot Sport 3 a obtenu de bons résultats objectifs dans tous les tests. Légèrement déçu par son ressenti subjectif, EVO le recommande néanmoins comme un excellent pneu polyvalent, offrant le meilleur mélange de confort et de précision sur la route. Read Reviews |
5th: Pirelli P Zero | |
| Slightly ahead of the Bridgestone, the Pirelli P Zero offered a good all round performance - not the best in any test but usually in the top half in every test. Bridgestone'un biraz önünde yer alan Pirelli P Zero, her açıdan iyi bir performans sergiledi; hiçbir testte en iyisi değildi ama genelde her testte ilk yarıda yer alıyordu. Knapp vor dem Bridgestone bietet der Pirelli P Zero eine gute Gesamtleistung – zwar nicht in jedem Test der Beste, aber in der Regel immer in der oberen Hälfte. Légèrement devant le Bridgestone, le Pirelli P Zero a offert de bonnes performances globales - pas le meilleur dans aucun test mais généralement dans la première moitié de chaque test. Read Reviews Buy from £120.10 |
6th: Bridgestone Potenza S001 | |
| Unlike when we tested the S001 and found it a little numb, this version of the new Bridgestone echoes Bridgestones of old. Good dry grip with excellent feedback, average grip the wet but the excellent subjective scores make the tyre uncomfortable and bumpy on the road. S001'i test ettiğimizde ve biraz hissiz bulduğumuzda, yeni Bridgestone'un bu versiyonu eski Bridgestone'ları yansıtıyor. Mükemmel geri bildirimle iyi kuru tutuş, ıslakta ortalama tutuş ancak mükemmel öznel puanlar lastiği yolda rahatsız edici ve engebeli hale getiriyor. Anders als bei unserem Test des S001 , den wir ein wenig gefühllos fanden, erinnert diese Version des neuen Bridgestone an die alten Bridgestones. Guter Trockengrip mit ausgezeichnetem Feedback, durchschnittlicher Grip bei Nässe, aber die ausgezeichneten subjektiven Bewertungen machen den Reifen unbequem und holprig auf der Straße. Contrairement au S001 que nous avions testé et que nous avions trouvé un peu engourdi, cette version du nouveau Bridgestone fait écho aux anciens Bridgestone. Bonne adhérence sur sol sec avec un excellent retour d'information, adhérence moyenne sur sol mouillé mais les excellents scores subjectifs rendent le pneu inconfortable et bosselé sur la route. Read Reviews |
7th: Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT | |
| Echoing our own long term test findings, while the Dunlop Sport Maxx GT offers excellent grip in the wet and dry, it's somewhat let down by the average steering feel it provides. Uzun vadeli test sonuçlarımızı yansıtacak olursak, Dunlop Sport Maxx GT ıslak ve kuru zeminde mükemmel bir yol tutuşu sunarken, sağladığı ortalama direksiyon hissiyatının biraz gerisinde kalıyor. Unseren eigenen Ergebnissen aus Langzeittests zufolge bietet der Dunlop Sport Maxx GT zwar hervorragenden Grip bei Nässe und Trockenheit, wird jedoch durch das durchschnittliche Lenkgefühl etwas enttäuscht. Faisant écho à nos propres résultats de tests à long terme, bien que le Dunlop Sport Maxx GT offre une excellente adhérence sur sol sec et humide, il est quelque peu déçu par la sensation de direction moyenne qu'il procure. Read Reviews Buy from £122.93 |
8th: Vredestein Ultrac Cento | |
| Slowest tyre in the dry with a poor subjective score to boot, and almost as poor in the wet. The Ultrac Cento might just be starting to show its age. Kuru zeminde en yavaş lastik, üstelik zayıf bir öznel puan ve ıslak zeminde de neredeyse aynı derecede kötü. Ultrac Cento yaşlanmaya yeni başlıyor olabilir. Langsamster Reifen im Trockenen mit einer schlechten subjektiven Bewertung und fast genauso schlecht im Nassen. Der Ultrac Cento beginnt vielleicht gerade, sein Alter zu zeigen. Le pneu le plus lent sur le sec, avec un score subjectif médiocre, et presque aussi médiocre sur le mouillé. L'Ultrac Cento commence peut-être à montrer des signes d'usure. Read Reviews |
9th: Kumho Ecsta KU39 | |
| A very average performance from the Kumho KU39 left Kumhos flagship tyre in 9th. Like the Accelera in 10th, the Kumho was ok in the dry, but struggled in the wet. Kumho KU39'un oldukça ortalama performansı, Kumho'nun amiral gemisi lastiğini 9. sıraya taşıdı. Accelera'nın 10. sıraya yerleşmesi gibi, Kumho da kuru zeminde iyiydi ancak ıslak zeminde zorlandı. Eine sehr durchschnittliche Leistung des Kumho KU39 ließ Kumhos Flaggschiff-Reifen auf Platz 9 landen. Wie der Accelera auf Platz 10 war der Kumho im Trockenen ok, hatte aber im Nassen Probleme. Une performance très moyenne du Kumho KU39 a permis au pneu phare de Kumho de se classer 9ème. Comme l'Accelera en 10ème position, le Kumho s'est montré correct sur le sec, mais a eu du mal sur le mouillé. Read Reviews |
10th: Accelera PHI | |
| Finishing bottom of the table in nearly every test secured the Accelera its last place, however EVO noted it wasn't as bad as some of the other budgets tested in previous years. As is the norm with budget tyres, it was capable in the dry but lacked grip, composure and safety when the surface changed to wet. Neredeyse her testte tablonun en altında yer almak Accelera'nın son sırasını garantiledi, ancak EVO bunun önceki yıllarda test edilen diğer bütçe lastiklerinden bazıları kadar kötü olmadığını belirtti. Bütçe lastiklerinde norm olduğu üzere, kuru zeminde yetenekliydi ancak yüzey ıslak zemine döndüğünde tutuş, denge ve güvenlikten yoksundu. Da der Accelera in fast jedem Test den letzten Platz belegte, war er laut EVO nicht ganz so schlecht wie einige der anderen in den Vorjahren getesteten Budgetreifen. Wie bei Budgetreifen üblich, war er im Trockenen leistungsfähig, aber es fehlte ihm an Grip, Laufruhe und Sicherheit, wenn die Oberfläche nass wurde. En terminant dernier du classement dans presque tous les tests, l'Accelera a assuré sa dernière place, mais EVO a noté qu'il n'était pas aussi mauvais que certains des autres pneus à petit budget testés les années précédentes. Comme c'est la norme avec les pneus à petit budget, il était capable sur le sec mais manquait d'adhérence, de sang-froid et de sécurité lorsque la surface passait au mouillé. Read Reviews Buy from £79.40 |
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