Data Explorer / Tyre Reviews
Are Budget Tyres Finally Good Enough? 8 Cheap Tyres VS 1 Premium Tyre
- Tested size
- 205/55 R16
- Tyres tested
- 9
- Disciplines
- 12
Set the weightings
Move a slider. The other categories rebalance automatically to keep the total at 100%.
Starts with the saved weights for this test.
Test defaults
Results
Movement is compared with the default calculation, not the published finishing order. Scores use unrounded totals for ranking.
No ranking for this setup. Give at least one category a positive weight and include a discipline in each active category, or reset the weights.
Filtering never changes the benchmark, scores or positions.
No tyres selected. Add tyres to your shortlist to focus the ranking.
| m ↓ | s ↓ | Points ↑ | m ↓ | s ↓ | Points ↑ | s ↓ | km/h ↑ | m/sec2 ↑ | Points ↑ | dB ↓ | kg/t ↓ | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 99.62 | 35.27 | 51.73 | 100 | 100.0 | 31.58 | 84.85 | 100 | 11.5 | 74.91 | 3.3 | 100.0 | 92 | 72.0 | 94.8 | 8.38 | 98.8 | |
StrengthsBest in every braking, handling and aquaplaning test, with a huge wet braking margin over the budget tyres. ConsiderationsBeaten by three budget tyres for noise and two for rolling resistance, and by far the most expensive. Score contributionCategory score × of overall score Dry100 × 35% = 35 Wet100 × 50% = 50 Comfort94.75 × 5% = 4.74 Rolling Resistance98.81 × 10% = 9.88 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 92.13 | 37.83 | 52.78 | 85 | 94.6 | 38.69 | 89.21 | 90 | 12.0 | 70.52 | 2.8 | 88.7 | 91 | 72.6 | 93.8 | 8.28 | 100.0 | |
StrengthsThe closest budget tyre to the premium benchmark: second for dry and wet braking and wet handling, with the lowest rolling resistance. ConsiderationsStill a long way behind the Continental in the wet, and only mid-field for aquaplaning and noise. Score contributionCategory score × of overall score Dry94.56 × 35% = 33.1 Wet88.68 × 50% = 44.34 Comfort93.85 × 5% = 4.69 Rolling Resistance100 × 10% = 10 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | 3 | 89.76 | 38.45 | 52.23 | 75 | 93.3 | 39.61 | 89.36 | 70 | 11.9 | 74.13 | 3.2 | 86.8 | 90 | 71.9 | 93.8 | 9.18 | 90.2 | |
StrengthsSecond for dry handling, the wet circle and both aquaplaning tests, and third for dry and wet braking. ConsiderationsTricky to drive, with a sudden switch from grip to oversteer, and the third-highest rolling resistance. Score contributionCategory score × of overall score Dry93.35 × 35% = 32.67 Wet86.75 × 50% = 43.38 Comfort93.82 × 5% = 4.69 Rolling Resistance90.2 × 10% = 9.02 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 4 | 89.47 | 39.41 | 52.85 | 90 | 93.3 | 40.91 | 92.25 | 70 | 12.4 | 70.83 | 3.0 | 84.0 | 100 | 72.2 | 98.6 | 8.37 | 98.9 | |
StrengthsBest comfort, the second-lowest rolling resistance and the second-best subjective dry handling, with an easy understeer balance. ConsiderationsMid-field in every braking, handling and aquaplaning test. Score contributionCategory score × of overall score Dry93.32 × 35% = 32.66 Wet83.98 × 50% = 41.99 Comfort98.62 × 5% = 4.93 Rolling Resistance98.92 × 10% = 9.89 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | 5 | 88.28 | 39.08 | 53.32 | 70 | 91.3 | 40.75 | 92.19 | 65 | 12.4 | 70.98 | 3.1 | 83.8 | 91 | 70.3 | 95.4 | 8.56 | 96.7 | |
StrengthsThird for both aquaplaning tests, second quietest, and fourth for dry and wet braking. ConsiderationsThe most expensive budget tyre, and second slowest for dry handling with a low subjective rating. Score contributionCategory score × of overall score Dry91.27 × 35% = 31.95 Wet83.79 × 50% = 41.89 Comfort95.43 × 5% = 4.77 Rolling Resistance96.73 × 10% = 9.67 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | 6 | 86.81 | 40.01 | 52.97 | 80 | 91.6 | 43.60 | 93.11 | 70 | 12.7 | 69.51 | 2.7 | 81.1 | 91 | 73.2 | 93.5 | 8.71 | 95.1 | |
StrengthsJoint fourth for subjective wet handling and sixth through the dry handling course. ConsiderationsLongest dry braking in the test, in the bottom three for wet braking and both aquaplaning tests, and one of the dearest budget tyres. Score contributionCategory score × of overall score Dry91.61 × 35% = 32.07 Wet81.13 × 50% = 40.56 Comfort93.45 × 5% = 4.67 Rolling Resistance95.06 × 10% = 9.51 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | 7 | 85.86 | 39.48 | 52.84 | 85 | 92.8 | 43.93 | 95.24 | 65 | 12.7 | 69.61 | 2.8 | 79.9 | 91 | 72.9 | 93.7 | 9.42 | 87.9 | |
StrengthsFourth through the dry handling course with a joint third subjective dry rating, a fair result for a retread. ConsiderationsSecond-longest wet braking, second slowest round the wet handling track and the second-highest rolling resistance. Score contributionCategory score × of overall score Dry92.76 × 35% = 32.47 Wet79.85 × 50% = 39.93 Comfort93.65 × 5% = 4.68 Rolling Resistance87.9 × 10% = 8.79 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | 8 | 85.70 | 39.32 | 53.21 | 75 | 91.6 | 43.45 | 93.93 | 75 | 12.7 | 67.30 | 2.6 | 81.1 | 91 | 74.4 | 92.7 | 9.82 | 84.3 | |
StrengthsThird for subjective wet handling and fifth for dry braking. ConsiderationsThe loudest tyre with the highest rolling resistance, and second from last for both aquaplaning tests. Score contributionCategory score × of overall score Dry91.61 × 35% = 32.06 Wet81.15 × 50% = 40.57 Comfort92.68 × 5% = 4.63 Rolling Resistance84.32 × 10% = 8.43 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | 9 | 82.46 | 39.62 | 53.39 | 30 | 86.7 | 46.04 | 96.27 | 50 | 12.8 | 64.55 | 2.3 | 75.6 | 90 | 70.2 | 95.0 | 8.63 | 95.9 | |
StrengthsThe cheapest and quietest tyre in the test. ConsiderationsLast in every wet test and for dry handling, with by far the worst wet grip. Score contributionCategory score × of overall score Dry86.66 × 35% = 30.33 Wet75.57 × 50% = 37.79 Comfort95 × 5% = 4.75 Rolling Resistance95.94 × 10% = 9.59 | |||||||||||||||||||
Raw results do not change when you move the sliders. Scroll horizontally to see every discipline.
Leading with these priorities
Continental PremiumContact 7
These are calculated scenarios, not new test awards. The published verdict may reflect judgement, close results and factors outside this calculation.
Not ranked: a measurement needed for these weights is missing. Missing results are not treated as zero or redistributed.
Reference tyres provide context only. They do not set the benchmark and cannot win the personalised ranking.
Weighting vs real impact
What decides this ranking
The weighting is how much each category counts. The real impact is how much of the difference between the tyres it creates: a discipline in which every tyre performed about the same barely changes the order, however much it counts.
- Dry Weighting 35% Real impact 17%
- Wet Weighting 50% Real impact 65%
- Comfort Weighting 5% Real impact 1%
- Rolling Resistance Weighting 10% Real impact 17%
- Rolling Resistance counts for 10% of the score but creates 17% of the difference between the tyres, because their results in it were far apart.
- Dry Handling counts for 15.8% of the score but creates only 2% of the difference, because most tyres performed about the same in it.
Every discipline 12
| Discipline | Weighting | Real impact |
|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | 15.8% | 8% |
| Dry Handling | 15.8% | 2% |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 3.5% | 7% |
| Wet Braking | 20% | 29% |
| Wet Handling | 17.5% | 16% |
| Subj. Wet Handling | 5% | 10% |
| Wet Circle | 2.5% | 3% |
| Straight Aqua | 2.5% | 1% |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 2.5% | 6% |
| Subj. Comfort | 2.5% | 0% |
| Noise | 2.5% | 1% |
| Rolling Resistance | 10% | 17% |
How it is worked out: each discipline’s weighting is multiplied by the spread of its results (the gap across the middle half of the tyres, as a percentage of the best result), then shared out so that all the disciplines add up to 100%. It estimates what separates the tyres; it is not a second set of weights, and it follows the weights you set.
How your ranking is calculated
Each discipline is scored against the best non-reference tyre in the full test field: best ÷ result × 100 when lower is better, or result ÷ best × 100 when higher is better. Discipline scores are rounded to two decimal places, then combined using your weights.
Within-category weights divide that category’s share of the overall score. A 50% wet category and 40% wet-braking share give wet braking 20% of the total. A weight is a scoring priority, not a measure of its actual effect on the ranking: the performance gaps matter too. What decides this ranking ↑
Published joint positions are preserved separately. Calculated positions tie only when their underlying scores match; two displayed scores can look equal after rounding.
A zero weight excludes that category or discipline. At least one active discipline is required, and the disciplines in every active category must have a positive total.
More tyre tests
Cross-check this test
Where these tyres were tested again, and how the verdict held up.
2024 Summer Tyre Market Overview
205/55 R1655 tyres tested
3 of these 9 tyres tested again
Tyre Reviews Best Summer Touring Tyres
205/55 R1613 tyres tested
3 of these 9 tyres tested again
2023 ADAC Summer Tyre Test
205/55 R1650 tyres tested
2 of these 9 tyres tested again
