AutoBild has recently conducted an on and off-road tyre test of ten SUV tyres in size 255/55 R18, evaluating their performance on both asphalt and in off-road conditions. The test included premium brands like Pirelli, Bridgestone, Michelin, Falken, Vredestein and Kumho, alongside budget options from Triangle and Hifly.
The testing was split into three main categories: on-road wet performance, on-road dry performance, and off-road capability across various terrains including grass, sand, gravel, and loose stone surfaces.
Interestingly, the test included both a standard Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 summer tyre and Goodyear's Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure, specifically designed for tough off-road use. This inclusion provided valuable insight into the trade-offs between specialized off-road tyres and standard SUV summer tyres, especially as both tyres are test winners in their respective categories.
The results were revealing: while the Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure excelled in off-road traction tests, particularly showing the highest measured traction on grass and sand, it struggled significantly in standard road safety tests. Its wet braking distance was 37% longer than the standard Goodyear Eagle F1, stopping more than three car lengths later. Similarly, in dry conditions, the all-terrain tyre stopped nine meters after the best-performing tyre.
The testers concluded that while the all-terrain tyre has valid uses for serious off-road driving, it's "completely unsuitable for everyday traffic" due to these safety compromises. They noted its robust profile offers excellent resistance to cuts from sharp rocks and other hazards, but this comes at the cost of on-road performance and safety.
The test crowned the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 as the overall winner, with testers praising its ability to balance safety standards on asphalt with good off-road traction. Falken, Pirelli, and Vredestein tyres also received "exemplary" ratings, showing that specialized all-terrain tyres aren't necessary for most SUV owners who occasionally venture off-road.
Dry
The Falken Azenis FK520 led the dry braking test with a stopping distance of 33.2 meters, followed closely by the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 at 34.3 meters. The specialized Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure trailed significantly behind all other tyres, requiring 42.2 meters to stop - over 9 meters longer than the best performer, highlighting the safety compromise made for off-road capability.
Dry Braking
Dry braking in meters (100 - 0 km/h) (Lower is better)
Falken Azenis FK520
33.20 M
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
34.30 M
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
34.70 M
Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV
34.80 M
Pirelli Scorpion
35.30 M
Vredestein Ultrac
35.50 M
Bridgestone Turanza 6
36.10 M
Triangle EffeX SUV TS 601
36.70 M
Hifly HP801
37.40 M
Goodyear Wrangler All Terrain Adve
42.20 M
In dry handling tests, the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 achieved the highest average speed of 108.1 km/h, with the Falken FK520 close behind at 107.8 km/h. The All-Terrain Wrangler again finished last with 102.3 km/h, showing consistent limitations on paved surfaces where cornering grip and response are crucial for everyday driving safety.
Dry Handling
Dry Handling Average Speed (Higher is better)
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
108.10 Km/H
Falken Azenis FK520
107.80 Km/H
Pirelli Scorpion
106.70 Km/H
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
106.50 Km/H
Bridgestone Turanza 6
106.40 Km/H
Vredestein Ultrac
106.40 Km/H
Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV
106.30 Km/H
Triangle EffeX SUV TS 601
105.50 Km/H
Hifly HP801
104.40 Km/H
Goodyear Wrangler All Terrain Adve
102.30 Km/H
Wet
Michelin's Pilot Sport 4 SUV dominated wet braking with the shortest stopping distance of 46.8 meters, followed by the Goodyear Eagle F1 at 47.6 meters. The Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure performed worst by a significant margin, requiring 65.4 meters - nearly 19 meters more than the Michelin and 37% longer than its Goodyear stablemate, revealing a critical safety compromise in wet conditions.
Wet Braking
Wet braking in meters (100 - 0 km/h) (Lower is better)
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
46.80 M
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
47.60 M
Falken Azenis FK520
48.40 M
Pirelli Scorpion
48.80 M
Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV
49.00 M
Vredestein Ultrac
50.80 M
Bridgestone Turanza 6
52.40 M
Triangle EffeX SUV TS 601
55.00 M
Hifly HP801
59.50 M
Goodyear Wrangler All Terrain Adve
65.40 M
The Falken FK520 led wet handling tests with an 86.6 km/h average speed, closely followed by the Goodyear Eagle F1 at 86.5 km/h. The Wrangler All-Terrain again struggled considerably, managing only 75.5 km/h - over 11 km/h slower than the leader and showing consistent limitations across all wet-performance metrics compared to standard SUV tyres.
Wet Handling
Wet Handling Average Speed (Higher is better)
Falken Azenis FK520
86.60 Km/H
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
86.50 Km/H
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
86.00 Km/H
Vredestein Ultrac
85.90 Km/H
Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV
85.70 Km/H
Pirelli Scorpion
85.00 Km/H
Bridgestone Turanza 6
84.00 Km/H
Triangle EffeX SUV TS 601
83.60 Km/H
Hifly HP801
82.90 Km/H
Goodyear Wrangler All Terrain Adve
75.50 Km/H
In aquaplaning tests, Michelin's Pilot Sport 4 SUV showed excellent water evacuation in straight lines at 87.8 km/h, while the Vredestein Ultrac demonstrated superior lateral grip in wet curves with 2.74 m/s² of remaining acceleration. The Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure performed poorly in both measures, managing only 72.2 km/h in straight aquaplaning and 1.30 m/s² in curves - less than half the lateral grip of the best performer, revealing a severe compromise in wet safety that could be critical in rainy conditions.
Straight Aqua
Float Speed in Km/H (Higher is better)
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
87.80 Km/H
Hifly HP801
87.40 Km/H
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
86.70 Km/H
Bridgestone Turanza 6
86.40 Km/H
Vredestein Ultrac
86.20 Km/H
Pirelli Scorpion
85.90 Km/H
Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV
85.50 Km/H
Triangle EffeX SUV TS 601
83.10 Km/H
Falken Azenis FK520
82.80 Km/H
Goodyear Wrangler All Terrain Adve
72.20 Km/H
Curved Aquaplaning
Remaining lateral acceleration [Average Temperature 0] (Higher is better)
Vredestein Ultrac
2.74 m/sec2
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
2.59 m/sec2
Bridgestone Turanza 6
2.57 m/sec2
Hifly HP801
2.51 m/sec2
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
2.48 m/sec2
Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV
2.41 m/sec2
Triangle EffeX SUV TS 601
2.41 m/sec2
Falken Azenis FK520
2.32 m/sec2
Pirelli Scorpion
2.26 m/sec2
Goodyear Wrangler All Terrain Adve
1.30 m/sec2
Off road
On loose gravel, the Pirelli Scorpion led with an average speed of 61.2 km/h, with the Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure close behind at 60.9 km/h. The performance gap between specialized off-road and standard SUV tyres narrowed significantly in this test, with most tyres showing comparable capability - indicating that many drivers don't need a dedicated off-road tyre for light gravel use.
Gravel Handling
Gravel Handling Average Speed (Higher is better)
Pirelli Scorpion
61.20 Km/H
Goodyear Wrangler All Terrain Adve
60.90 Km/H
Falken Azenis FK520
60.80 Km/H
Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV
60.50 Km/H
Vredestein Ultrac
60.40 Km/H
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
60.30 Km/H
Bridgestone Turanza 6
59.90 Km/H
Hifly HP801
59.70 Km/H
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
59.40 Km/H
Triangle EffeX SUV TS 601
59.30 Km/H
Michelin's Pilot Sport 4 SUV surprisingly delivered the highest gravel traction with 12,150 Newtons of pulling force, followed by Bridgestone's Turanza 6 at 11,180 N. The Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure ranked 8th at 10,360 N - despite its off-road focus, it was outperformed by several standard SUV tyres in this loose surface test, challenging assumptions about specialized tyres' advantages.
Gravel Traction
Pulling Force in Newtons (Higher is better)
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
12150.00 N
Bridgestone Turanza 6
11180.00 N
Pirelli Scorpion
10920.00 N
Hifly HP801
10800.00 N
Vredestein Ultrac
10630.00 N
Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV
10560.00 N
Falken Azenis FK520
10530.00 N
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
10360.00 N
Goodyear Wrangler All Terrain Adve
10360.00 N
Triangle EffeX SUV TS 601
10070.00 N
The Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure finally demonstrated its specialized capability, leading in sand traction with 11,510 Newtons of pulling force, followed by the Vredestein Ultrac at 10,280 N. This test revealed the All-Terrain's true advantage in specific challenging off-road conditions, showing 12% better traction than the nearest competitor on soft, yielding surfaces.
Sand Traction
Pulling Force in Newtons (Higher is better)
Goodyear Wrangler All Terrain Adve
11510.00 N
Vredestein Ultrac
10280.00 N
Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV
10260.00 N
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
10190.00 N
Pirelli Scorpion
10170.00 N
Falken Azenis FK520
10050.00 N
Triangle EffeX SUV TS 601
9980.00 N
Hifly HP801
9870.00 N
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
9740.00 N
Bridgestone Turanza 6
9440.00 N
The Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure again showed its off-road prowess with the quickest grass acceleration time of 1.51 seconds, followed by the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV at 1.58 seconds. This result further confirms the specialized tyre's advantage in specific off-road conditions, though the performance gap to standard SUV tyres was relatively small compared to the larger deficits seen in on-road tests.
Grass Traction
Grass Acceleration in Seconds (Lower is better)
Goodyear Wrangler All Terrain Adve
1.51 s
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
1.58 s
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
1.62 s
Pirelli Scorpion
1.65 s
Triangle EffeX SUV TS 601
1.66 s
Bridgestone Turanza 6
1.72 s
Vredestein Ultrac
1.72 s
Falken Azenis FK520
1.75 s
Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV
1.84 s
Hifly HP801
2.00 s
Comfort
The Triangle EffeX SUV TS 601 budget tyre was quietest at 62.1 dB, with Pirelli's Scorpion a close second at 62.2 dB. The Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure generated the most road noise at 65.2 dB, confirming the expected comfort compromise from its aggressive tread pattern. Interestingly, the premium Michelin was also among the noisier options at 65.0 dB.
Noise
External noise in dB (Lower is better)
Triangle EffeX SUV TS 601
62.10 dB
Pirelli Scorpion
62.20 dB
Vredestein Ultrac
62.90 dB
Hifly HP801
63.50 dB
Bridgestone Turanza 6
63.50 dB
Falken Azenis FK520
63.90 dB
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
64.00 dB
Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV
64.40 dB
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV
65.00 dB
Goodyear Wrangler All Terrain Adve
65.20 dB
Value
The Bridgestone Turanza 6 demonstrated the best fuel efficiency with a rolling resistance of just 6.23 kg/t, followed by the Falken FK520 at 7.15 kg/t. The Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure ranked last at 9.66 kg/t, confirming that its aggressive tread pattern results in significantly higher rolling resistance, which translates to increased fuel consumption compared to standard SUV tyres.
The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 is the overall test winner with excellent all-round performance. It offers dynamic handling on both wet and dry surfaces with short braking distances. This tyre provides good safety reserves at aquaplaning and delivers capable performance in off-road conditions. It has an impressive balance between on-road safety and off-road traction. Not the most fuel-efficient with moderate rolling resistance, but compensates with good comfort and reasonable pass-by noise. Priced at the premium end, it represents a justified investment for SUV owners wanting no compromises.
The Falken Azenis FK520 is a strong performer placing second overall with outstanding dry handling and the shortest dry braking distance. It offers refreshingly dynamic handling character and short braking distances in both wet and dry conditions. Good performance off-road with particularly impressive handling on gravel. Reasonably fuel-efficient with good rolling resistance and moderate pass-by noise. At a mid-range price point, it represents excellent value compared to more expensive premium options.
The Pirelli Scorpion tied for second place, delivering top-level performance on all surfaces. Especially notable for being the quietest tyre in the test. It provides dynamic and secure handling with short braking distances on asphalt. Surprisingly strong in off-road tests despite not being a specialist, with particularly good performance on sand. Offers a good balance of low rolling resistance and comfort. Among the most expensive options but delivers premium performance to match.
The Vredestein Ultrac tied for second place with balanced and secure handling across all conditions. It offers the best performance in curve aquaplaning tests with superior lateral grip. Good braking performance on both wet and dry surfaces. Provides consistent traction across varied off-road surfaces. Quiet operation with good comfort characteristics and average rolling resistance. Priced in the mid-premium range, it offers top performance at a slightly lower price point than some competitors.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV is a solid performer earning fifth place with the best wet braking performance and excellent aquaplaning resistance. It shows strong off-road capabilities, particularly on gravel with the highest traction. Fuel-efficient with good rolling resistance, but surprisingly noisy with one of the highest pass-by noise levels among street tyres. As the most expensive option in the test, it offers proven performance but at a premium price.
The Kumho Ecsta PS71 SUV delivers good overall performance at a more accessible price point. It offers decent handling on wet and dry surfaces with respectable braking distances. Demonstrates good off-road performance, particularly in sand traction tests. Average in terms of rolling resistance and noise levels. Presents a balanced package with no major weaknesses but lacks the outstanding qualities of the top performers. Good value for money for SUV owners seeking reliable performance without the premium price.
The Bridgestone Turanza 6 offers strong points in its class-leading rolling resistance, making it the most fuel-efficient tyre in the test. It provides balanced good dynamics on asphalt and in off-road use, with particularly strong performance on loose gravel. Shows slightly understeer-heavy handling characteristics in wet conditions but maintains good overall safety. Mid-range for pass-by noise with decent comfort characteristics. A solid performer that prioritizes efficiency without major compromises in other areas.
The Triangle EffeX SUV TS 601 is a budget option that delivers acceptable performance without grave deficiencies. It offers one of the quietest ride experiences in the test despite its price point. Shows limited lateral grip and extended braking distances in wet conditions compared to premium brands. Reasonable off-road performance considering its price. For budget-conscious SUV owners, it presents a usable option with acceptable compromises, though safety reserves are noticeably reduced compared to premium options.
The Hifly HP 801 SUV is the most affordable tyre in the test with reasonable aquaplaning resistance being its main strength. Shows significant limitations in wet handling and braking, with extended stopping distances that raise safety concerns. Dry performance is similarly compromised with borderline handling characteristics. Off-road capability is merely adequate. Despite the attractive price, the compromises in safety-relevant characteristics make it difficult to recommend for daily use.
The Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure is a specialized off-road tyre that excels in its intended environment but struggles on paved roads. Features a robust profile that's highly resistant to punctures and cuts from sharp rocks and it delivers the best traction on grass and sand among all tested tyres. However, it shows major deficiencies in wet performance with significantly longer braking distances and poor aquaplaning resistance. Dry handling and braking are similarly compromised. While excellent for dedicated off-road use, it's described as "completely unsuitable for everyday traffic" by the testers.
Interestingly, the test included both a standard Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 summer tyre and Goodyear's Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure, specifically designed for tough off-road use. This inclusion provided valuable insight into the trade-offs between specialized off-road tyres and standard SUV summer tyres, especially as both tyres are test winners in their respective categories.
