2018 Auto Express Summer Tyre Test

Test Summary
Wet Braking	Continental Premium Contact 6 Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Dry Braking	Continental Premium Contact 6
Wear	Continental Premium Contact 6

The 11th July 2018 issue of Auto Express magazine tested ten 225/45 R17 summer tyres, using a VW Golf at the Continental test facility in Uvalde, Texas. The end result was closer than ever, with the worst tyre on test just 3.7% overall behind the test winner.

As always with the Auto Express tests, we recommend heading over to the excellent Auto Express website for the full results of the test, as we've only summarised the basic information below.

Highlights

There were three surprises in this years Auto Express test.

Firstly, the new Premium Contact 6 won the test, beating the Michelin Pilot Sport 4. This might not be a surprise in itself, but it also was rated as the best handling, and most sporty feeling tyre in the group, something the Michelin has been known for until now.

The second surprise was the Dunlop SportMaxx RT2 finishing joint second. This must have had a mid-life update as it's now an older tyre pattern, and didn't test that well across 2017.

The final surprise was the poor result of the new Bridgestone Turanza T005. This tyre has generally performed well in the European tyre tests, but Auto Express found it to be "too good" in the rolling resistance testing, which hurt its dry and wet performance.

Results