2016 AutoBild Summer Tyre Test

Test Summary
Wet BrakingHankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue
Dry BrakingPirelli Cinturato P7 Blue
Uniroyal RainSport 3
Semperit SpeedLife 2
Rolling ResistanceGoodyear EfficientGrip Performance
Dunlop Sport BluResponse
NoiseContinental Premium Contact 5
Nexen N Blue HD Plus
Semperit SpeedLife 2
Snow BrakingYokohama BluEarth AE50
Snow HandlingYokohama BluEarth AE50
Ice BrakingYokohama BluEarth AE50
This year the German AutoBild magazine have taken the 15 best tyres from their 205/55 R16 50 tyre braking shootout through to the full test, and the result is another impressive win for Hankook!

The Tests

Auto Bild tested all 15 tyres across twelve tests using a MK7 VW Golf. The tests covered wet performance, dry performance, comfort, noise, wear, rolling resistance and the value of the tyre, based on the cost per set and the number of miles achieved. 

The Wet

In the wet, the second placed overall Pirelli P7 Cinturato proved to be the best wet performer, with the test winning Hankook marked down for an average aquaplaning performance, third placed Continental good in all areas, but couldn't quite match the Pirelli, and fourth placed Goodyear all extremely close top the Pirelli. Two other Continental owned brands scored extremely well in the wet, with Semperit and Uniroyal matching the Pirellis overall wet result.

The Dry

As these were the best 15 tyres from a test of 50, all the tyres were extremely close in the dry with the average lap speed separated by just 1.4 mph! Once again the Pirelli was the best across the dry lap, with the Hankook, Dunlop and Continental  close behind. The Semperit and Uniroyal tyre, which proved to be strong in the wet, highlighted a good wet / dry balance is still reserved for the premium tyres, as they finished last in the dry handling test.

Fuel economy

The overall result of the rolling resistance testing was extremely close, with the test winning Dunlop offering just 4% better economy than the Nokian, which was the worst tyre on test.

Wear

Wear tests are extremely hard to replicate in the lab, so Auto Bild hired the independent test body DEKRA to carry out real-world wear tests. DEKRA drove each tyre for 10,000 km on the road, then laser measured the wear to extrapolate total mileage at 1.6mm.

Surprisingly, the usual wear king Michelin only took second place at 40,981 km, with Yokohama a surprise victor with a projected distance of 42,660 km. Hankook showed an excellent balance of wet grip and wear, finishing third with 36,884 km, whereas Hankooks wet and dry rival Pirelli only promised 28,208 km.

The test once again highlighted the trade between wet grip and wear some of the manufacturers have to make to hit a price point, with Semperit and Uniroyal finishing bottom of the test with almost half the tread life the Yokohama offered, at 24,139 km and 22,998 km respectively.

Value

With an accurate wear test, Auto Bild were able to compare price vs mileage to give the tyres a value score. Unsurprisingly Yokohama win, with Hankook , Nexen and Michelin close behind. Pirelli finished eleventh due to the high price / average wear, and unsurprisingly Uniroyal finished last.

The Full Results

2016 seems to be the year of Hankook, with the new Ventus Prime3 offering premium levels of performance at a slightly lower price than the established premium rivals. The wet grip / wear balance is one of the best on tests, and the only real weakness is an average aquaplaning performance.

Pirelli must have recently updated the Cinturato P7 Blue, as it seems to be testing very well this year, and Continental stay strong with their now aging Premium Contact 5, rounding out the top three.

1st: Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125

Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 53
  2. Dry: 9
  3. Wet: 7
  4. Comfort: 7
  5. Rolling Resistance: 6
  6. Noise: 7
  7. Wear: 8
  8. Cost: 9
Very good on dry and wet roads, good value for money, accurate and quick steering response, very short braking distances on dry and wet roads, low wear
Average resistance to aquaplaning
Exemplary

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2nd: Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue

Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 45
  2. Dry: 9
  3. Wet: 8
  4. Comfort: 6
  5. Rolling Resistance: 6
  6. Noise: 6
  7. Wear: 6
  8. Cost: 4
Excellent results in the wet, fast steering response and good feedback, highest braking performance
Expensive
Exemplary

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3rd: Continental Premium Contact 5

Continental Premium Contact 5
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 48
  2. Dry: 8
  3. Wet: 6
  4. Comfort: 8
  5. Rolling Resistance: 8
  6. Noise: 6
  7. Wear: 6
  8. Cost: 6
Very good tyres with no apparent disadvantages, high braking performance, accurate and rapid steering response on dry roads, good handling on wet surfaces, low rolling resistance
Expensive
Exemplary

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4th: Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance

Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 45
  2. Dry: 7
  3. Wet: 7
  4. Comfort: 6
  5. Rolling Resistance: 9
  6. Noise: 6
  7. Wear: 6
  8. Cost: 4
A good balance of performance and optimum level of safety on wet and dry roads, high lateral stability and precise steering response, high braking performance, low rolling resistance
Expensive
Exemplary

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5th: Dunlop Sport BluResponse

Dunlop Sport BluResponse
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 42
  2. Dry: 7
  3. Wet: 6
  4. Comfort: 6
  5. Rolling Resistance: 9
  6. Noise: 6
  7. Wear: 4
  8. Cost: 4
Good handling on wet and dry roads, precise steering response and good handling, high resistance to aquaplaning, short braking distances on dry roads, low rolling resistance
High wear
Exemplary

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6th: Fulda EcoControl HP

Fulda EcoControl HP
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 44
  2. Dry: 6
  3. Wet: 6
  4. Comfort: 6
  5. Rolling Resistance: 7
  6. Noise: 6
  7. Wear: 6
  8. Cost: 7
A well balanced tyre, short braking distances on wet surfaces, good handling on dry surfaces, good value, low rolling resistance
Poor directional stability and slow reaction to steering on wet surfaces
Recommended

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7th: Michelin Primacy 3

Michelin Primacy 3
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 48
  2. Dry: 6
  3. Wet: 6
  4. Comfort: 6
  5. Rolling Resistance: 6
  6. Noise: 7
  7. Wear: 9
  8. Cost: 8
Good handling on dry roads, high comfort, low wear, low rolling resistance
Tendency to understeer in the wet, expensive
Recommended

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8th: Vredestein Sportrac 5

Vredestein Sportrac 5
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 42
  2. Dry: 5
  3. Wet: 6
  4. Comfort: 6
  5. Rolling Resistance: 6
  6. Noise: 6
  7. Wear: 6
  8. Cost: 7
High wear resistance, good value for money, good handling and shorter braking distances on wet roads, low noise
Poor handling and stability in the dry
Recommended

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9th: Bridgestone Turanza T001

Bridgestone Turanza T001
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 39
  2. Dry: 6
  3. Wet: 7
  4. Comfort: 6
  5. Rolling Resistance: 6
  6. Noise: 6
  7. Wear: 4
  8. Cost: 4
Excellent resistance to aquaplaning, good controllability, precise steering response and short braking distances on wet roads
Poor wear, high price
Satisfactory

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10th: Semperit SpeedLife 2

Semperit SpeedLife 2
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 40
  2. Dry: 5
  3. Wet: 8
  4. Comfort: 8
  5. Rolling Resistance: 6
  6. Noise: 6
  7. Wear: 3
  8. Cost: 4
Good handling on wet roads, high resistance to aquaplaning, short braking distances on dry and wet roads, high level of comfort
Poor directional stability on dry roads, poor wear
Satisfactory

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11th: Uniroyal RainSport 3

Uniroyal RainSport 3
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 41
  2. Dry: 5
  3. Wet: 8
  4. Comfort: 7
  5. Rolling Resistance: 8
  6. Noise: 7
  7. Wear: 3
  8. Cost: 3
The highest resistance to curved aquaplaning, good handling in the wet, short braking distances on dry and wet roads, low rolling resistance
Inaccurate response to steering and a tendency to understeer in the dry, highest wear
Satisfactory

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12th: Yokohama BluEarth AE50

Yokohama BluEarth AE50
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 51
  2. Dry: 6
  3. Wet: 4
  4. Comfort: 7
  5. Rolling Resistance: 6
  6. Noise: 8
  7. Wear: 10
  8. Cost: 10
Low wear, good handling on dry roads, high level of comfort, best value for money
Low resistance to aquaplaning, poor grip and tendency to understeer in the wet
Satisfactory

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13th: Nexen N Blue HD+

Nexen N Blue HD Plus
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 43
  2. Dry: 5
  3. Wet: 4
  4. Comfort: 8
  5. Rolling Resistance: 6
  6. Noise: 6
  7. Wear: 6
  8. Cost: 8
Good value for money, short braking distances on dry surfaces, high level of comfort, high resistance to aquaplaning
Average braking performance in the wet, tendency to understeer on dry surfaces
Satisfactory

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14th: Falken ZE914

Falken ZE914
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 39
  2. Dry: 6
  3. Wet: 6
  4. Comfort: 6
  5. Rolling Resistance: 7
  6. Noise: 7
  7. Wear: 3
  8. Cost: 4
High resistance to aquaplaning, short braking distances on wet roads, high comfort, low rolling resistance
Poor wet handling, high wear, average value
Satisfactory

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15th: Nokian Line

Nokian Line
  • 205/55 R16
  • 3PMSF: no
  1. Total: 33
  2. Dry: 5
  3. Wet: 6
  4. Comfort: 6
  5. Rolling Resistance: 4
  6. Noise: 6
  7. Wear: 3
  8. Cost: 3
High resistance to aquaplaning, short braking distances on wet surfaces
Slow response to steering on wet surfaces, relatively long stopping distance on dry surfaces, average wear, high rolling resistance
Satisfactory

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