2024 Sport Auto Summer Tyre Test

The 2024 summer tyre test conducted by Sport Auto magazine compared five premium-category summer tyres against an all-season tyre on a Hyundai i20 N. The test aimed to determine if the all-season tyre could compete with the best summer tyres had to offer during warm (approximately 25c / 77f air temperature) conditions.

Including an all-season tyre in a summer tyre test, which is something we will be doing towards the end of 2024, provides an interesting insight into the performance differences between dedicated summer tyres and all-season options. It highlights the performance gap between summer and all-season tyres under conditions where summer tyres are expected to excel. This can help consumers understand the trade-offs involved in opting for an all-season tyre, particularly in terms of grip, braking, and handling on both wet and dry surfaces.

The all season tyre chosen was the Goodyear Vector 4-Season Gen-3, which has won many all season tyres tests, including the 2023 Tyre Reviews all season tyre test. However, when compared to the summer tyres in the Sport Auto test, showed that it could not match the performance of summer-specific tyres, particularly in wet conditions and handling aspects.

Wet Performance: The all-season tyre had significantly longer braking distances in the wet compared to the best-performing summer tyres. This indicates a clear disadvantage in wet grip, which is a critical safety aspect in rainy conditions.

Dry Performance: While the all-season tyre may have offered adequate performance on dry roads, it still fell short of the summer tyres' capabilities, particularly in terms of handling and braking distances. Summer tyres exhibited better grip, shorter braking distances, and more dynamic handling on dry asphalt.

Aquaplaning Resistance: The all-season tyre showed weaker performance in aquaplaning resistance. The summer tyres, with their specialized tread patterns, were more effective at water displacement, reducing the risk of aquaplaning on wet roads.

Handling and Stability: In dynamic handling tests, the all-season tyre was found to be less responsive and offered less stability compared to summer tyres. The summer tyres demonstrated superior lateral support and more precise steering on both wet and dry tracks.

While the Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 all-season tyre provided a versatile option suitable for varied conditions, it did not perform on par with summer tyres in the test, especially in critical areas like wet grip and handling. This performance gap underscores the trade-offs of using all-season tyres in conditions where summer tyres are optimized to excel.

Finally, it's worth noting that the Bridgestone Turanza T005 was the AO marked (Audi original) tyre, which will have been optimised for the Audi A1. We're not quite sure why this was in a test on a Hyundai, as a rule we do not test OE tyres.

Data

Michelin and Continental led the group, stopping the vehicle in 35.5 meters from 100km/h. The worst summer tyre, the Dunlop, took 37.1 meters and the all season tyre took 43.2 meters. The Goodyear has never been the best all season tyre in dry braking, but that's a significant gap.

It was a similar story in dry handling with the Continental and Michelin leading the group, and the all season tyre slowest.

Wet

Continental again led wet braking, this time with Bridgestone being the next best tyre.

Continental was again best during the wet handling and wet circle tests.

The all season tyre continued to struggle in the deeper water of aquaplaning.

Comfort

The all season tyre did have the lowest pass by noise, it's only test win.

Value

The Bridgestone Turanza T005 had the lowest rolling resistance, something the OE would tune the tyre towards.

Results

1^st

Continental PremiumContact 7

215/40 R18 89Y XL

Very grippy on wet and dry roads, very balanced and safe to drive.

Dry100%

Wet99.9%

Comfort98.8%

Rolling Resistance95.1%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tyres in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	%
Dry Braking	1st / 6	100%
Dry Handling	1st / 6	100%
Wet Braking	1st / 6	100%
Wet Handling	1st / 6	100%
Wet Circle	1st / 6	100%
Straight Aqua	4th / 6	98.96%
Curved Aquaplaning	1st / 6	100%
Noise	5th / 6	98.75%
Rolling Resistance	3rd / 6	95.12%

EU Label

C/A/71

Weight

8.26 kgs

Tread

6.7 mm

2^nd

Michelin Pilot Sport 5

215/40 R18 89Y XL

Balanced and very safe to drive on both wet and dry roads.

Dry99.9%

Wet98%

Comfort98.3%

Rolling Resistance95.1%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tyres in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	%
Dry Braking	1st / 6	100%
Dry Handling	2nd / 6	99.81%
Wet Braking	3rd / 6	96.75%
Wet Handling	2nd / 6	99.25%
Wet Circle	2nd / 6	99.89%
Straight Aqua	3rd / 6	99.35%
Curved Aquaplaning	5th / 6	91.83%
Noise	6th / 6	98.34%
Rolling Resistance	3rd / 6	95.12%

EU Label

C/A/72

Weight

8.8 kgs

Tread

6.6 mm

3^rd

Bridgestone Turanza T005

215/40 R18 89Y XL

Generally grippy and easy-rolling. Could be more balanced.

Dry97.9%

Wet98.2%

Comfort98.9%

Rolling Resistance100%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tyres in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	%
Dry Braking	4th / 6	97.53%
Dry Handling	5th / 6	98.29%
Wet Braking	2nd / 6	97.39%
Wet Handling	3rd / 6	98.63%
Wet Circle	4th / 6	99.54%
Straight Aqua	1st / 6	100%
Curved Aquaplaning	3rd / 6	94.2%
Noise	4th / 6	98.89%
Rolling Resistance	1st / 6	100%

EU Label

C/A/71

Weight

8.72 kgs

Tread

7.3 mm

4^th

Maxxis Victra Sport 5

215/40 R18 89Y XL

Dynamic handling, but long braking distances in the wet.

Dry98.7%

Wet97.4%

Comfort99.3%

Rolling Resistance84.8%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tyres in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	%
Dry Braking	3rd / 6	98.89%
Dry Handling	3rd / 6	98.58%
Wet Braking	4th / 6	94.6%
Wet Handling	3rd / 6	98.63%
Wet Circle	2nd / 6	99.89%
Straight Aqua	5th / 6	98.83%
Curved Aquaplaning	4th / 6	94.08%
Noise	3rd / 6	99.3%
Rolling Resistance	6th / 6	84.78%

EU Label

D/A/72

Weight

9.3 kgs

Tread

7.5 mm

5^th

Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2

215/40 R18 89W XL

Low rolling resistance, but minor grip deficits – both wet and dry.

Dry97.1%

Wet96.5%

Comfort99.4%

Rolling Resistance98.7%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tyres in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	%
Dry Braking	5th / 6	95.69%
Dry Handling	4th / 6	98.48%
Wet Braking	5th / 6	93.13%
Wet Handling	5th / 6	97.38%
Wet Circle	5th / 6	97.94%
Straight Aqua	2nd / 6	99.48%
Curved Aquaplaning	2nd / 6	96.45%
Noise	2nd / 6	99.44%
Rolling Resistance	2nd / 6	98.73%

EU Label

C/A/72

Weight

9.11 kgs

Tread

7.7 mm

6^th

Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen 3

215/40 R18 89W XL

On dry surfaces: quiet, stable during lane changes, comfortable. Insufficient grip in wet conditions.

Dry89.2%

Wet87.7%

Comfort100%

Rolling Resistance88.6%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tyres in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	%
Dry Braking	6th / 6	82.18%
Dry Handling	6th / 6	96.3%
Wet Braking	6th / 6	83.71%
Wet Handling	6th / 6	95.51%
Wet Circle	6th / 6	92.55%
Straight Aqua	6th / 6	92.23%
Curved Aquaplaning	6th / 6	62.96%
Noise	1st / 6	100%
Rolling Resistance	5th / 6	88.64%

EU Label

C/B/72

Weight

8.52 kgs

Tread

8.9 mm