For their 2024 summer tyre test, the magazine "Auto Motor und Sport" tested eight summer tyres in the popular 235/55 R18 SUV size. 

The test includes new tyres like Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 SUV, Bridgestone Turanza 6, and Continental PremiumContact 7, evaluating them on wet and dry braking, handling, aquaplaning resistance, comfort, and environmental impact. 

The report emphasises the importance of short braking distances and reliable performance under various conditions. Continental's PremiumContact 7 stood out for its excellent grip and safety, while others like Michelin and Bridgestone were noted for their fuel efficiency and environmental considerations.

Dry

As we've seen many times before, the Continental PremiumContact 7 had a good lead in dry braking. While the Goodyear was last in dry braking, it also has the highest starting tread depth which affects this test.

The Continental was also the fastest around the dry handling lap.

Wet

Shockingly the Continental was back at the front for wet braking.

The Continental also led wet handling and the wet circle.

Wet Circle

The Falken, Vredestein and Goodyear all did well in the deeper water of aquaplaning.

Comfort

The new Goodyear had the lowest noise, an impressive feat considering its high starting tread depth.

Value

The Michelin Primacy 4+ and Bridgestone Turanza 6 had the lowest rolling resistance on test.

Results

1st: Continental PremiumContact 7
235/55 R18 100V EU Label: C/A/71 Weight: 11.34kgs Tread: 6.6mm 3PMSF: no	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Braking 1st 34.1 M 100% Dry Handling 1st 93.8 Km/H 100% Wet Braking 1st 27.9 M 100% Wet Handling 1st 75.5 Km/H 100% Wet Circle 1st 8.62 m/s 100% Straight Aqua 7th 73.5 Km/H 77.9 Km/H -4.4 Km/H 94.35% Curved Aquaplaning 6th 8.25 m/sec2 8.8 m/sec2 -0.55 m/sec2 93.75% Noise 8th 73.2 dB 69.3 dB +3.9 dB 94.67% Rolling Resistance 7th 7.7 kg / t 6.6 kg / t +1.1 kg / t 85.71% Outstanding grip on wet surfaces, safe in aquaplaning. Also strong adhesion in dry curves, precise and reliable. Good rolling comfort. Islak yüzeylerde olağanüstü kavrama, suda kızaklamada güvenli. Ayrıca kuru virajlarda güçlü tutunma, hassas ve güvenilir. İyi yuvarlanma konforu. Hervorragender Grip auf nasser Fahrbahn, sicher bei Aquaplaning. Starke Haftung auch in trockenen Kurven, präzise und zuverlässig. Guter Abrollkomfort. Excellente adhérence sur sol mouillé, sûre en cas d'aquaplaning. Forte adhérence également dans les virages secs, précise et fiable. Bon confort de roulement. Slightly louder rolling noise outside, increased rolling resistance/low fuel efficiency. Dışarıdan gelen yuvarlanma sesi biraz daha yüksek, yuvarlanma direnci artmış/yakıt verimliliği düşük. Etwas lauteres Rollgeräusch außen, erhöhter Rollwiderstand/geringere Kraftstoffeffizienz. Bruit de roulement légèrement plus fort à l'extérieur, résistance au roulement accrue/faible rendement énergétique. By far the highest grip and safest tyre in the test. Testteki en yüksek yol tutuşuna sahip ve en güvenli lastik. Der mit Abstand griffigste und sicherste Reifen im Test. De loin le pneu le plus adhérent et le plus sûr du test. Read Reviews    Buy from £140.56
2nd: Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 SUV
235/55 R18 104W EU Label: C/A/72 Weight: 12.64kgs Tread: 7.6mm 3PMSF: no	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Braking 5th 36.1 M 34.1 M +2 M 94.46% Dry Handling 2nd 93.7 Km/H 93.8 Km/H -0.1 Km/H 99.89% Wet Braking 3rd 28.9 M 27.9 M +1 M 96.54% Wet Handling 3rd 74.2 Km/H 75.5 Km/H -1.3 Km/H 98.28% Wet Circle 3rd 8.53 m/s 8.62 m/s -0.09 m/s 98.96% Straight Aqua 6th 74 Km/H 77.9 Km/H -3.9 Km/H 94.99% Curved Aquaplaning 7th 6.61 m/sec2 8.8 m/sec2 -2.19 m/sec2 75.11% Noise 3rd 70.3 dB 69.3 dB +1 dB 98.58% Rolling Resistance 3rd 6.9 kg / t 6.6 kg / t +0.3 kg / t 95.65% Very good, dynamic wet handling with high grip level and easy controllability. Direct steering response, very dynamic on dry roads, good comfort features. Çok iyi, yüksek kavrama seviyesi ve kolay kontrol edilebilirlik ile dinamik ıslak yol tutuşu. Doğrudan direksiyon tepkisi, kuru yollarda çok dinamik, iyi konfor özellikleri. Sehr gutes, dynamisches Nasshandling mit hohem Gripniveau und einfacher Kontrollierbarkeit. Direkte Lenkreaktion, sehr dynamisch auf trockener Fahrbahn, gute Komforteigenschaften. Très bonne tenue de route dynamique sur sol mouillé avec un niveau d'adhérence élevé et une maniabilité aisée. Réponse directe de la direction, très dynamique sur route sèche, bonnes caractéristiques de confort. Weaknesses in corner aquaplaning and in driving stability during fast lane changes. Virajlarda suda kızaklamada ve hızlı şerit değiştirmelerde sürüş dengesinde zayıflıklar. Schwächen beim Kurven-Aquaplaning und in der Fahrstabilität bei schnellen Spurwechseln. Faiblesses en matière d'aquaplaning en virage et de stabilité de conduite lors des changements de voie rapides. Balanced and comfortable with only marginal weaknesses. Dengeli ve rahat, sadece ufak tefek zayıflıkları var. Ausgewogen und komfortabel mit nur marginalen Schwächen. Équilibré et confortable avec seulement des faiblesses marginales. Read Reviews    Buy from £143.78
3rd: Vredestein Ultrac
235/55 R18 100V EU Label: B/A/70 Weight: 10.98kgs Tread: 6.5mm 3PMSF: no	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Braking 4th 35.7 M 34.1 M +1.6 M 95.52% Dry Handling 7th 92.6 Km/H 93.8 Km/H -1.2 Km/H 98.72% Wet Braking 2nd 28.7 M 27.9 M +0.8 M 97.21% Wet Handling 2nd 75.1 Km/H 75.5 Km/H -0.4 Km/H 99.47% Wet Circle 4th 8.42 m/s 8.62 m/s -0.2 m/s 97.68% Straight Aqua 2nd 77.5 Km/H 77.9 Km/H -0.4 Km/H 99.49% Curved Aquaplaning 2nd 8.58 m/sec2 8.8 m/sec2 -0.22 m/sec2 97.5% Noise 2nd 70.1 dB 69.3 dB +0.8 dB 98.86% Rolling Resistance 5th 7.1 kg / t 6.6 kg / t +0.5 kg / t 92.96% Very good grip and easy controllability in wet conditions, safe in aquaplaning. Benign handling characteristics on dry asphalt. Islak zeminde çok iyi kavrama ve kolay kontrol, suda kızaklamada güvenli. Kuru asfaltta yumuşak yol tutuş özellikleri. Sehr guter Grip und leichte Kontrollierbarkeit bei Nässe, sicher bei Aquaplaning. Gute Handlingeigenschaften auf trockenem Asphalt. Très bonne adhérence et maniabilité aisée sur sol mouillé, sans danger en cas d'aquaplaning. Comportement de conduite doux sur asphalte sec. Sensitive to load changes and cause for a slightly unstable rear during fast lane changes. Limitations in rolling comfort due to slight bumpiness. Yük değişimlerine karşı hassastır ve hızlı şerit değişimleri sırasında hafif dengesiz bir arkaya neden olur. Hafif engebelilik nedeniyle yuvarlanma konforunda sınırlamalar. Empfindlich bei Lastwechseln und dadurch leicht instabiles Heck bei schnellen Spurwechseln. Einschränkungen im Abrollkomfort durch leichte Unebenheiten. Sensible aux variations de charge et pouvant entraîner une légère instabilité de l'arrière lors des changements de voie rapides. Limitations du confort de roulement dues à de légères bosses. Especially in the rain: a tyre you can rely on. Özellikle yağmurda: Güvenebileceğiniz bir lastik. Besonders bei Regen: Ein Reifen auf den Sie sich verlassen können. Surtout sous la pluie : un pneu sur lequel vous pouvez compter. Read Reviews
4th: Bridgestone Turanza 6
235/55 R18 100V EU Label: B/A/69 Weight: 10.64kgs Tread: 7.3mm 3PMSF: no	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Braking 7th 36.4 M 34.1 M +2.3 M 93.68% Dry Handling 4th 93.5 Km/H 93.8 Km/H -0.3 Km/H 99.68% Wet Braking 4th 29.9 M 27.9 M +2 M 93.31% Wet Handling 7th 73.3 Km/H 75.5 Km/H -2.2 Km/H 97.09% Wet Circle 8th 8.27 m/s 8.62 m/s -0.35 m/s 95.94% Straight Aqua 4th 75.2 Km/H 77.9 Km/H -2.7 Km/H 96.53% Curved Aquaplaning 4th 8.42 m/sec2 8.8 m/sec2 -0.38 m/sec2 95.68% Noise 4th 70.5 dB 69.3 dB +1.2 dB 98.3% Rolling Resistance 1st 6.6 kg / t 100% Good aquaplaning prevention and decent wet braking properties. On dry roads, sporty-dynamic yet still easily controllable tyre. İyi suda kızaklama önleme ve iyi ıslak frenleme özellikleri. Kuru yollarda, sportif-dinamik ancak yine de kolayca kontrol edilebilen lastik. Guter Aquaplaning-Schutz und ordentliche Nassbremseigenschaften. Auf trockener Fahrbahn sportlich-dynamischer und dennoch gut kontrollierbarer Reifen. Bonne prévention de l'aquaplaning et bonnes propriétés de freinage sur sol mouillé. Sur route sèche, pneu sportif et dynamique mais néanmoins facilement contrôlable. Limitations in traction and cornering grip on wet surfaces. Somewhat jolty over transverse joints. Islak yüzeylerde çekiş ve viraj tutuşunda sınırlamalar. Enine eklemlerde biraz sarsıntılı. Einschränkungen bei Traktion und Kurvengrip auf nasser Fahrbahn. Über Querfugen etwas holprig. Limitations de traction et d'adhérence en virage sur sol mouillé. Légère secousse au niveau des joints transversaux. Dry-strong summer tyre with very low fuel/electricity consumption. Çok düşük yakıt/elektrik tüketimine sahip, kuru zeminde dayanıklı yaz lastiği. Trockenbeständiger Sommerreifen mit sehr geringem Kraftstoff-/Stromverbrauch. Pneu été résistant au sec avec une très faible consommation de carburant/électricité. Read Reviews    Buy from £121.79
5th: Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 SUV
235/55 R18 100V EU Label: B/A/70 Weight: 12.04kgs Tread: 8.6mm 3PMSF: no	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Braking 8th 36.6 M 34.1 M +2.5 M 93.17% Dry Handling 6th 93 Km/H 93.8 Km/H -0.8 Km/H 99.15% Wet Braking 6th 30.3 M 27.9 M +2.4 M 92.08% Wet Handling 6th 73.7 Km/H 75.5 Km/H -1.8 Km/H 97.62% Wet Circle 6th 8.36 m/s 8.62 m/s -0.26 m/s 96.98% Straight Aqua 5th 75.1 Km/H 77.9 Km/H -2.8 Km/H 96.41% Curved Aquaplaning 1st 8.8 m/sec2 100% Noise 1st 69.3 dB 100% Rolling Resistance 3rd 6.9 kg / t 6.6 kg / t +0.3 kg / t 95.65% High aquaplaning safety in curves. Dry good lane change safety, precise, easily controllable handling, very quiet rolling noise, good comfort. Virajlarda yüksek suda kızaklama güvenliği. Kuru zeminde iyi şerit değiştirme güvenliği, hassas, kolay kontrol edilebilir yol tutuşu, çok sessiz yuvarlanma sesi, iyi konfor. Hohe Aquaplaningsicherheit in Kurven. Trocken gute Spurwechselsicherheit, präzises, gut kontrollierbares Handling, sehr leises Abrollgeräusch, guter Komfort. Sécurité élevée contre l'aquaplaning dans les virages. Bonne sécurité de changement de voie sur sol sec, maniabilité précise et facile à contrôler, bruit de roulement très faible, bon confort. Weak braking, moderate cornering grip and pronounced understeering on wet surfaces. Quite sluggish steering response. Zayıf frenleme, orta viraj tutuşu ve ıslak yüzeylerde belirgin önden kayma. Oldukça yavaş direksiyon tepkisi. Schwaches Bremsen, mäßiger Kurvengrip und ausgeprägtes Untersteuern auf nasser Fahrbahn. Ziemlich träge Lenkreaktion. Freinage faible, adhérence moyenne en virage et sous-virage prononcé sur sol mouillé. Réponse de la direction assez lente. The new Goodyear. Supposed to last longer, but lacking in grip. Yeni Goodyear. Daha uzun süre dayanması gerekiyordu ama tutunma eksikliği var. Der neue Goodyear. Soll länger halten, hat aber nicht genug Grip. Le nouveau Goodyear. Censé durer plus longtemps, mais manque d'adhérence. Read Reviews
6th: Maxxis Victra Sport VS5 SUV
235/55 R18 100Y EU Label: C/A/71 Weight: 12.98kgs Tread: 7.4mm 3PMSF: no	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Braking 5th 36.1 M 34.1 M +2 M 94.46% Dry Handling 4th 93.5 Km/H 93.8 Km/H -0.3 Km/H 99.68% Wet Braking 8th 31.1 M 27.9 M +3.2 M 89.71% Wet Handling 3rd 74.2 Km/H 75.5 Km/H -1.3 Km/H 98.28% Wet Circle 2nd 8.54 m/s 8.62 m/s -0.08 m/s 99.07% Straight Aqua 3rd 77.2 Km/H 77.9 Km/H -0.7 Km/H 99.1% Curved Aquaplaning 3rd 8.51 m/sec2 8.8 m/sec2 -0.29 m/sec2 96.7% Noise 7th 71.4 dB 69.3 dB +2.1 dB 97.06% Rolling Resistance 8th 9.1 kg / t 6.6 kg / t +2.5 kg / t 72.53% With the exception of the comparatively long braking distances, good, balanced wet performance with safe aquaplaning behavior. Quite responsive steering, safe in evasive maneuvers, reliable in handling. Nispeten uzun fren mesafeleri hariç, güvenli suda kızaklama davranışıyla iyi, dengeli ıslak performans. Oldukça duyarlı direksiyon, kaçamak manevralarda güvenli, kullanımda güvenilir. Bis auf die vergleichsweise langen Bremswege gute, ausgewogene Nässe-Performance mit sicherem Aquaplaning-Verhalten. Recht feinfühlige Lenkung, sicher bei Ausweichmanövern, zuverlässig im Handling. A l'exception des distances de freinage relativement longues, bonnes performances équilibrées sur sol mouillé avec un comportement sûr en cas d'aquaplaning. Direction assez réactive, sûre dans les manœuvres d'évitement, fiable dans la conduite. Long braking distances on both wet and dry roads, highest rolling resistance in the test. Hem ıslak hem kuru zeminde uzun fren mesafesi, testteki en yüksek yuvarlanma direnci. Lange Bremswege auf nasser und trockener Fahrbahn, höchster Rollwiderstand im Test. Longues distances de freinage sur routes sèches et mouillées, résistance au roulement la plus élevée du test. The Maxxis stumbles over its long wet-braking distances. Maxxis, uzun ıslak zemin frenleme mesafelerinde tökezliyor. Der Maxxis stolpert über seine langen Nassbremswege. Le Maxxis trébuche sur ses longues distances de freinage sur sol mouillé. Read Reviews
7th: Falken Azenis FK520
235/55 R18 104Y EU Label: C/A/70 Weight: 12.9kgs Tread: 7.5mm 3PMSF: no	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Braking 2nd 35.2 M 34.1 M +1.1 M 96.88% Dry Handling 2nd 93.7 Km/H 93.8 Km/H -0.1 Km/H 99.89% Wet Braking 5th 30.1 M 27.9 M +2.2 M 92.69% Wet Handling 5th 73.8 Km/H 75.5 Km/H -1.7 Km/H 97.75% Wet Circle 4th 8.42 m/s 8.62 m/s -0.2 m/s 97.68% Straight Aqua 1st 77.9 Km/H 100% Curved Aquaplaning 5th 8.32 m/sec2 8.8 m/sec2 -0.48 m/sec2 94.55% Noise 6th 70.9 dB 69.3 dB +1.6 dB 97.74% Rolling Resistance 6th 7.5 kg / t 6.6 kg / t +0.9 kg / t 88% Very good aquaplaning prevention, easily controllable but not very dynamic driving behavior on dry roads. Çok iyi suda kızaklama önleme, kolay kontrol edilebilir ancak kuru yollarda çok dinamik bir sürüş davranışı yok. Sehr guter Aquaplaning-Schutz, gut kontrollierbares aber wenig dynamisches Fahrverhalten auf trockener Fahrbahn. Très bonne prévention de l'aquaplaning, comportement de conduite facilement contrôlable mais pas très dynamique sur route sèche. Limitations in braking and traction on wet surfaces. Also, unbalanced driving dynamics with oversteering and understeering in wet conditions. Islak yüzeylerde frenleme ve çekişte sınırlamalar. Ayrıca ıslak koşullarda aşırı dönüş ve yetersiz dönüşle dengesiz sürüş dinamikleri. Einschränkungen beim Bremsen und bei der Traktion auf nasser Fahrbahn. Außerdem unausgewogene Fahrdynamik mit Über- und Untersteuern bei Nässe. Limitations de freinage et de traction sur sol mouillé. Dynamique de conduite déséquilibrée avec survirage et sous-virage sur sol mouillé. In wet grip and driving stability, Falken could still improve a bit. Islak zeminde yol tutuşu ve sürüş dengesi konusunda Falken'in biraz daha ilerlemesi gerekiyor. In Sachen Nasshaftung und Fahrstabilität könnte Falken noch etwas nachlegen. En termes d'adhérence sur sol mouillé et de stabilité de conduite, Falken pourrait encore s'améliorer un peu. Read Reviews    Buy from £130.36
8th: Michelin Primacy 4+
235/55 R18 104V EU Label: B/A/70 Weight: 11.68kgs Tread: 6.3mm 3PMSF: no	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Braking 3rd 35.5 M 34.1 M +1.4 M 96.06% Dry Handling 7th 92.6 Km/H 93.8 Km/H -1.2 Km/H 98.72% Wet Braking 7th 31 M 27.9 M +3.1 M 90% Wet Handling 8th 73.1 Km/H 75.5 Km/H -2.4 Km/H 96.82% Wet Circle 7th 8.28 m/s 8.62 m/s -0.34 m/s 96.06% Straight Aqua 8th 68.6 Km/H 77.9 Km/H -9.3 Km/H 88.06% Curved Aquaplaning 8th 6.42 m/sec2 8.8 m/sec2 -2.38 m/sec2 72.95% Noise 4th 70.5 dB 69.3 dB +1.2 dB 98.3% Rolling Resistance 1st 6.6 kg / t 100% Short braking distances and spontaneous steering behavior on dry asphalt. Kuru asfaltta kısa fren mesafeleri ve anlık direksiyon davranışı. Kurze Bremswege und spontanes Lenkverhalten auf trockenem Asphalt. Distances de freinage courtes et comportement de direction spontané sur asphalte sec. Long braking distances, weak cornering grip, and poor traction on wet surfaces. Deficiencies in aquaplaning protection. On dry asphalt, increased risk of oversteering during fast lane changes and in load change situations. Uzun fren mesafeleri, zayıf viraj tutuşu ve ıslak yüzeylerde zayıf çekiş. Suda kızaklama korumasında eksiklikler. Kuru asfaltta, hızlı şerit değişiklikleri ve yük değiştirme durumlarında aşırı dönüş riskinin artması. Lange Bremswege, schwacher Kurvengrip und schlechte Traktion auf nasser Fahrbahn. Mängel beim Aquaplaning-Schutz. Auf trockenem Asphalt erhöhte Übersteuergefahr bei schnellen Spurwechseln und in Lastwechselsituationen. Distances de freinage longues, faible adhérence en virage et faible traction sur sol mouillé. Déficiences en matière de protection contre l'aquaplaning. Sur asphalte sec, risque accru de survirage lors des changements rapides de voie et dans les situations de changement de charge. With low rolling resistance, great in the fuel-saving chapter. Unfortunately, at the expense of safety. Düşük yuvarlanma direnciyle, yakıt tasarrufu konusunda harika. Ne yazık ki, güvenlik pahasına. Durch den geringen Rollwiderstand super im Kapitel Spritsparen. Leider auf Kosten der Sicherheit. Avec une faible résistance au roulement, il est idéal en termes d'économie de carburant. Malheureusement, au détriment de la sécurité. Read Reviews    Buy from £138.26