2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test

Dry and Wet Video can be watched here - This article will be updated with the snow performance shortly

Dry BrakingMichelin Pilot Sport All Season 4: 34.97 MKumho Ecsta PA51: 37.66 M
Dry HandlingGoodyear Eagle Exhilarate: 49.54 sFuzion UHP Sport AS: 50.9 s
Subj. Dry HandlingGoodyear Eagle Exhilarate: 10 PointsFuzion UHP Sport AS: 7 Points
Wet BrakingMichelin Pilot Sport All Season 4: 18.84 MFuzion UHP Sport AS: 21.87 M
Wet HandlingContinental Extremecontact DWS 06: 49.65 sFuzion UHP Sport AS: 52.17 s
Subj. Wet HandlingBridgestone Potenza RE980AS: 10 PointsFuzion UHP Sport AS: 6 Points
Snow BrakingMichelin Pilot Sport All Season 4: 13.66 MCooper Zeon RS3 G1: 16.58 M
Snow TractionMichelin Pilot Sport All Season 4: 4.86 sCooper Zeon RS3 G1: 6.1 s
Snow HandlingMichelin Pilot Sport All Season 4: 99.66 sCooper Zeon RS3 G1: 110.53 s
Subj. ComfortCooper Zeon RS3 G1: 10 PointsBridgestone Potenza RE980AS: 6.5 Points
Subj. NoiseKumho Ecsta PA51: 10 PointsBridgestone Potenza RE980AS: 6.5 Points
Tyre WeightContinental Extremecontact DWS 06: 42.48 KgKumho Ecsta PA51: 50.08 Kg
PriceFuzion UHP Sport AS: 118.03 Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4: 193.99
What's the best ultra high performance all season tire on the market? To find out, I test 7 of the most popular ultra high performance all season tires, and test them in dry handling, dry braking, wet handling, wet braking, noise and comfort tire tests, to see which is the top UHP AS tire.

Ultra high performance all season tires are performance sports tires that are designed to be used all year, and perform well in hot summer conditions and cold winter weather, while having more snow performance than a summer tire.

Dry

During dry braking testing, the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 had an impressive lead to the second placed Bridgestone Potenza RE880AS.

The Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate proved to be the most dynamic UHP all season tyre during the dry handling testing, with the Michelin a close second.

Subjectively the Goodyear also had a small lead over the Michelin and Bridgestone, with the Cooper, Continental and Kumho all having similar overall scores, but delivering the result in different ways.

Wet

Michelin retained its advantage during wet braking testing, but this time had to share the top spot with the Cooper Zeon RS3 G1. The budget Fuzion tyre took significantly longer than the other tyres to stop the car.

In a very close group, the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 proved to have the quickest laptime, but any of the top five tyres were extremely close.

As in the dry, subjectively all the top tyres were very close during the wet handling testing.

Snow - Updated 16th Febuary 2021

Snow braking testing showed the Michelin to have a clear advantage over the group, with only the Continental anywhere close in terms of raw grip.

Snow handling saw a very similar order to snow braking, with the Michelin retaining its vast lead, and the Continental being the best of the rest.

Snow traction moved Kumho slightly up the order, with Michelin again dominating the snow testing.

Environment

The Cooper had the best subjective comfort on test, with the Goodyear and Continental a close second.

The Kumho had the best subjective noise qualities on test.

There seems to be a link between tyre weight and comfort levels, as the heavier tyres on test were some of the least comfortable.

The Fuzion was significantly cheaper than all but the Kumho, with a set of 4 Fuzion tyres costing over 300 dollars less to buy.

Results

1st: Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4

Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4
  • 245/40 R18 97Y
  • UTQG: 540 AA A
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking1st34.97 M100%
Dry Handling2nd49.65 s49.54 s+0.11 s99.78%
Subj. Dry Handling2nd9.5 Points10 Points-0.5 Points95%
Wet Braking1st18.84 M100%
Wet Handling4th49.84 s49.65 s+0.19 s99.62%
Subj. Wet Handling4th8.5 Points10 Points-1.5 Points85%
Snow Braking1st13.66 M100%
Snow Traction1st4.86 s100%
Snow Handling1st99.66 s100%
Subj. Comfort4th8 Points10 Points-2 Points80%
Subj. Noise4th8 Points10 Points-2 Points80%
Tyre Weight5th47.72 Kg42.48 Kg+5.24 Kg89.02%
Price7th193.99 118.03 +75.96 60.84%
Good grip in the dry and wet, significant lead in dry braking and shortest wet braking.
Expensive purchase price, average levels of noise and comfort.
The new Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 earns a win in its first test, proving to have a balanced performance in almost all tests, and an impressive ability to top the vehicle quickly and safely in all conditions.


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2nd: Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate

Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate
  • 245/40 R18 97Y
  • UTQG: 500 AA A
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking5th36.53 M34.97 M+1.56 M95.73%
Dry Handling1st49.54 s100%
Subj. Dry Handling1st10 Points100%
Wet Braking3rd19.03 M18.84 M+0.19 M99%
Wet Handling3rd49.71 s49.65 s+0.06 s99.88%
Subj. Wet Handling2nd9.5 Points10 Points-0.5 Points95%
Snow Braking6th16.46 M13.66 M+2.8 M82.99%
Snow Traction5th5.89 s4.86 s+1.03 s82.51%
Snow Handling5th108.98 s99.66 s+9.32 s91.45%
Subj. Comfort2nd9.5 Points10 Points-0.5 Points95%
Subj. Noise2nd9.5 Points10 Points-0.5 Points95%
Tyre Weight2nd45 Kg42.48 Kg+2.52 Kg94.4%
Price4th183.99 118.03 +65.96 64.15%
Excellent all round tire, sporty handling in the dry and wet, good levels of comfort, low noise, well priced.
Average dry braking.
The Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate is an impressively sporty feeling ultra high performance tyre, that manages to blend good handling with good levels of nose and comfort.


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3rd: Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS

Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS
  • 245/40 R18 97W
  • UTQG: 500 AA A
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking2nd35.47 M34.97 M+0.5 M98.59%
Dry Handling3rd49.97 s49.54 s+0.43 s99.14%
Subj. Dry Handling2nd9.5 Points10 Points-0.5 Points95%
Wet Braking3rd19.03 M18.84 M+0.19 M99%
Wet Handling2nd49.66 s49.65 s+0.01 s99.98%
Subj. Wet Handling1st10 Points100%
Snow Braking3rd15.93 M13.66 M+2.27 M85.75%
Snow Traction6th5.93 s4.86 s+1.07 s81.96%
Snow Handling3rd106.91 s99.66 s+7.25 s93.22%
Subj. Comfort5th6.5 Points10 Points-3.5 Points65%
Subj. Noise7th6.5 Points10 Points-3.5 Points65%
Tyre Weight6th49.72 Kg42.48 Kg+7.24 Kg85.44%
Price6th191.99 118.03 +73.96 61.48%
Excellent performance in the dry and wet, quick feeling sporty steering.
Low levels of comfort, high levels of noise, lacked steering detail at the very limit, expensive.
The Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS is a dynamic feeling ultra high performance all season tyre with excellent grip in the dry and wet, that just lacks a little detail at the limit of grip.


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4th: Cooper Zeon RS3 G1

Cooper Zeon RS3 G1
  • 245/40 R18 97W
  • UTQG: 500 AA A
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking3rd35.82 M34.97 M+0.85 M97.63%
Dry Handling6th50.67 s49.54 s+1.13 s97.77%
Subj. Dry Handling4th8 Points10 Points-2 Points80%
Wet Braking1st18.84 M100%
Wet Handling5th49.88 s49.65 s+0.23 s99.54%
Subj. Wet Handling6th7.5 Points10 Points-2.5 Points75%
Snow Braking7th16.58 M13.66 M+2.92 M82.39%
Snow Traction7th6.1 s4.86 s+1.24 s79.67%
Snow Handling7th110.53 s99.66 s+10.87 s90.17%
Subj. Comfort1st10 Points100%
Subj. Noise4th8 Points10 Points-2 Points80%
Tyre Weight4th47.36 Kg42.48 Kg+4.88 Kg89.7%
Price3rd158.99 118.03 +40.96 74.24%
Excellent wet braking, good dry braking, highest levels of comfort.
Average dry and wet handling, subjectively it felt more like a touring tire than a UHP tire.
The Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 proved to have excellent levels of comfort and good grip in dry and wet braking, but didn't feel as sporty as the best tyres on test.


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5th: Continental Extremecontact DWS 06

Continental Extremecontact DWS 06
  • 245/40 R18 97Y
  • UTQG: 560 AA A
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking4th36.17 M34.97 M+1.2 M96.68%
Dry Handling5th50.52 s49.54 s+0.98 s98.06%
Subj. Dry Handling4th8 Points10 Points-2 Points80%
Wet Braking5th19.22 M18.84 M+0.38 M98.02%
Wet Handling1st49.65 s100%
Subj. Wet Handling3rd9 Points10 Points-1 Points90%
Snow Braking2nd14.74 M13.66 M+1.08 M92.67%
Snow Traction3rd5.7 s4.86 s+0.84 s85.26%
Snow Handling2nd106.74 s99.66 s+7.08 s93.37%
Subj. Comfort2nd9.5 Points10 Points-0.5 Points95%
Subj. Noise3rd8.5 Points10 Points-1.5 Points85%
Tyre Weight1st42.48 Kg100%
Price4th183.99 118.03 +65.96 64.15%
Excellent wet handling, good levels of comfort, low levels of noise.
Average dry performance, subjectively it felt more like a touring tire than a UHP tire.
The Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 was very strong in the wet and had good levels of comfort, but had an average performance in the dry, feeling more like a comfort bias tire.


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6th: Kumho Ecsta PA51

Kumho Ecsta PA51
  • 245/40 R18 97W
  • UTQG: 500 AA A
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking7th37.66 M34.97 M+2.69 M92.86%
Dry Handling4th50.45 s49.54 s+0.91 s98.2%
Subj. Dry Handling4th8 Points10 Points-2 Points80%
Wet Braking6th20.46 M18.84 M+1.62 M92.08%
Wet Handling6th51.07 s49.65 s+1.42 s97.22%
Subj. Wet Handling5th8 Points10 Points-2 Points80%
Snow Braking4th16.14 M13.66 M+2.48 M84.63%
Snow Traction2nd5.53 s4.86 s+0.67 s87.88%
Snow Handling6th110.08 s99.66 s+10.42 s90.53%
Subj. Comfort5th6.5 Points10 Points-3.5 Points65%
Subj. Noise1st10 Points100%
Tyre Weight7th50.08 Kg42.48 Kg+7.6 Kg84.82%
Price2nd134.99 118.03 +16.96 87.44%
Low purchase price, quietest tire on test, good handling in the dry.
Longest dry braking distance, slow wet handling time, low levels of comfort.
The Kumho Ecsta PA51 had good dry handling, and felt sporty at lower speeds, but it had limited grip during dry and wet braking and low levels of comfort compared to the best on test.

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7th: Fuzion UHP Sport AS

Fuzion UHP Sport AS
  • 245/40 R18 97W
  • UTQG: 380 A A
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking5th36.53 M34.97 M+1.56 M95.73%
Dry Handling7th50.9 s49.54 s+1.36 s97.33%
Subj. Dry Handling7th7 Points10 Points-3 Points70%
Wet Braking7th21.87 M18.84 M+3.03 M86.15%
Wet Handling7th52.17 s49.65 s+2.52 s95.17%
Subj. Wet Handling7th6 Points10 Points-4 Points60%
Snow Braking5th16.24 M13.66 M+2.58 M84.11%
Snow Traction4th5.82 s4.86 s+0.96 s83.51%
Snow Handling4th108.23 s99.66 s+8.57 s92.08%
Subj. Comfort5th6.5 Points10 Points-3.5 Points65%
Subj. Noise6th7.5 Points10 Points-2.5 Points75%
Tyre Weight3rd45.56 Kg42.48 Kg+3.08 Kg93.24%
Price1st118.03 100%
Low purchase price, reasonable levels of comfort.
Longest wet braking, slowest dry and wet handling times, low subjective handling scores.
The Fuzion UHP Sport AS was the least expensive tire on test, and had reasonable levels of comfort, but it lacked outright grip and couldn't match the more expensive tires in any of the objective tests.

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