About Tyre Reviews
Jonathan Benson - Independent Tyre Tester & Founder of Tyre Reviews
Jonathan Benson founded Tyre Reviews in 2006 and tests tyres at proving grounds. Featured on BBC Radio 4 and quoted by Continental, Goodyear, Pirelli and Nokian.
On this page
Jonathan Benson founded Tyre Reviews in 2006 as an independent tyre review site, and has 20 years of specialist experience in tyre technology and performance testing.
He is one of the most recognised and trusted voices in tyre testing. Continental, Goodyear, Pirelli and Nokian Tyres have quoted him by name, Michelin, Bridgestone and Hankook cite his test results, and he has been featured on BBC Radio 4, in Top Gear Magazine, MotorTrend and Motor1. Popular Mechanics has based buying advice on his test data, and Road & Track, Jalopnik and evo have reported or quoted his work.
Featured as a tyre expert by BBC Radio 4, Top Gear Magazine, MotorTrend, Motor1 and Tyrepress.
Quoted by the industry
Tyre manufacturers don't just cite Tyre Reviews test results, they quote Jonathan personally.
Quotes Jonathan by name in a press release on the AllSeasonContact 2 winning the Tyre Reviews 2024 all-season tyre test, and in its SportContact 7 launch announcement.
Continental's Marketing Director commented on the result in the same 2024 press release.
Quotes Jonathan directly in its press release on the Eagle F1 SuperSport winning our ultra ultra high performance test, and features him in educational videos on 26+ of its country websites.
Goodyear describes Tyre Reviews as "a leading source of independent tyre information".
Quotes Jonathan by name in its April 2026 press release on the P Zero Trofeo RS winning his track tyre test: "I had to recalibrate my braking points twice because the grip was always beyond my expectations."
Pirelli has issued 6+ press releases citing Tyre Reviews results since 2024, through press.pirelli.com, and publishes product pages on pirelli.com about Jonathan's tests.
Quotes Jonathan in an article on its North American site about the Hakkapeliitta 10, which he said "absolutely dominated ice braking and traction on smooth ice".
Nokian Tyres describes him as a "famed tire reviewer".
Lists Tyre Reviews on michelin.co.uk among the test publications "fully independent of Michelin", alongside ADAC, Auto Bild, Auto Express and evo, and shows "Tyre Reviews - Highly Recommended" badges on its product pages.
He is quoted outside the industry too: by evo on whether tyre labels can be trusted in 2015, by Motor, the magazine of the Norwegian motoring club NAF, in 2022, and by the Independent Institute, a US think tank, on the trade-offs of eco tyres in 2026. Grassroots Motorsports cited his view on California's tyre efficiency proposals the same year.
Expertise and testing methodology
Jonathan trained with several premium tyre manufacturers to learn professional tyre testing methods before starting the Tyre Reviews independent testing programme. His approach combines the methods of manufacturer testing with the editorial independence of a tester who answers to no manufacturer.
He runs several controlled comparative tests every year at professional proving grounds in Europe and the United States, with a base at Utah Motorsports Campus. Braking distances, traction, lateral grip, handling, aquaplaning resistance, noise and comfort are measured with precision instruments, and rolling resistance and tread wear by specialist laboratories and test providers.
To minimise subconscious bias, Jonathan avoids knowing which tyres are fitted to the test car wherever possible. Testing blind and publishing every measured result is what lets manufacturers treat his results as credible enough to cite in their own communications.
Proving ground accreditation and manufacturer sign-offs
Professional proving grounds are not open access: each one trains, assesses and signs off its drivers before they can run instrumented tyre tests. Jonathan holds active sign-offs at every major European tyre-testing proving ground, and is a signed-off test driver in several tyre manufacturers' own driver programmes.
- IDIADA - Applus IDIADA, Catalonia, Spain
- Balocco - Stellantis proving ground, Italy
- UTAC - Linas-Montlhéry and Mortefontaine, France
- UTAC Ivalo - winter testing proving ground, Finland
- MIRA - HORIBA MIRA, Nuneaton, UK
- Papenburg - ATP high-speed proving ground, Germany
- and more
- Michelin - North America and Europe
- Continental - North America and Europe
- Goodyear - North America and Europe
- Pirelli - North America
- Sumitomo - North America
- Hankook - Korea
- and more
International Race Licence. Jonathan also holds an International Race Licence, which qualifies him to compete in FIA-sanctioned motorsport: independent evidence of car control at the limit, the level the manufacturers who trust him with their pre-production prototypes require.
Media and appearances
Jonathan is regularly asked for his view as a tyre testing expert by broadcast, print and online media.
BBC Radio 4 - featured as a tyre safety and technology expert on Sliced Bread, in an episode on whether budget tyres match premium ones
Perfect Lap Podcast - "Tire Testing is King", on test methods, original equipment tyres and track performance (2026)
Drivesport - how pressure, wheel size and heat affect grip and lap times (2026)
LVRY - episode #010 (2025)
Motor1 "Rambling About Cars" - a dedicated episode on tyre technology and testing
Car Chat with Sam Moores - an in-depth interview on testing methods (2022)
Behind The Glass - "Meet The Shmee150 Of Tyres" (2020)
Top Gear Magazine - tyre testing expert
MotorTrend - tyre performance commentary
Motor1 - regular coverage of Tyre Reviews test results
Road & Track - features on his tests since 2018
Jalopnik - reports of his tests since 2017
Popular Mechanics - a winter tyre buying guide built on his test data (2021)
evo - quoted on tyre labelling (2015)
Tyrepress - many features in the UK tyre trade press
Tyre Trends - an in-depth profile on his testing and its influence
Top Tire Review - an interview feature
UMC Behind the Gates - a profile from Utah Motorsports Campus
90 million+ views
300,000+ subscribers
Around 500,000 views per video on average
Writers outside the motoring press recommend his work too. The retired tyre engineer behind Barry's Tire Tech calls him "excellent", Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott's Carmudgeon Show recommends his videos, and the writer Dan Luu holds up his tyre testing as an example of the depth of work that video publishing supports. Every source is listed in Who cites Tyre Reviews.
Tyre safety advocacy
Beyond testing, Jonathan is a committed advocate for tyre safety. Since 2024 Tyre Reviews has been a partner of TyreSafe, the UK tyre safety charity, carrying its safety campaigns to drivers, and TyreSafe lists Tyre Reviews among its media partners. He uses Tyre Reviews to show drivers why a well-engineered tyre can be the difference between a safe stop and an accident.
"Tyre Reviews' trusted voice and vast reach among consumers will help amplify the critical importance of tyre safety and maintenance."
Stuart Lovatt, Chair of TyreSafe, announcing the partnership in November 2024
His comparative tests consistently show the real-world performance gap between premium and budget tyres, and turn it into hard data for safer buying decisions. According to the tyre trade press, Tyre Reviews influences about one in six tyre purchases in the United Kingdom.
Professional background
- 2006
Founds Tyre Reviews, an early user-generated tyre review site.
- 2006-2018
Builds the site into a comprehensive independent tyre information resource, while training with several tyre manufacturers in professional testing methods.
- 2015
Quoted as a tyre expert by evo on whether tyre labels can be trusted.
- 2017
Launches the Tyre Reviews YouTube channel, now past 90 million views.
- 2018
Road & Track writes up his test of tyre widths, the first of several features on his tests.
- 2019
Runs and publishes his first fully independent comparative tyre test at a professional proving ground.
- 2019 onwards
Goodyear, Pirelli and Continental cite his test results in their press releases.
- 2022
Continental AG quotes Jonathan by name in its press communications.
- 2023
Michelin lists Tyre Reviews alongside Auto Bild, ADAC and evo as an independent test source on michelin.co.uk.
- 2024
Sets up US testing at Utah Motorsports Campus, and Tyre Reviews becomes a partner of TyreSafe, the UK tyre safety charity.
- 2026
Rebuilds the Tyre Reviews Score and publishes the method used to score Tyre Reviews tests. Pirelli quotes him by name on the P Zero Trofeo RS winning his track tyre test.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Jonathan Benson?
Jonathan Benson is an independent tyre tester and the founder of Tyre Reviews, which he started in 2006. He runs controlled comparative tyre tests at professional proving grounds in Europe and the United States, and has been featured on BBC Radio 4, in Top Gear Magazine, MotorTrend and Motor1. Continental, Goodyear, Pirelli and Nokian Tyres have quoted him by name, and Michelin, Bridgestone and Hankook cite his test results.
What qualifies Jonathan Benson to test tyres?
Jonathan trained with several tyre manufacturers to learn professional testing methods before starting the Tyre Reviews testing programme. He is signed off at every major European tyre-testing proving ground, including IDIADA (Spain), Balocco (Italy), UTAC (France), MIRA (UK) and Papenburg (Germany), and is a signed-off test driver for Michelin, Continental, Goodyear, Hankook and other manufacturers in North America, Europe and Asia. He also holds an International Race Licence. Continental quotes him by name in press releases, and Michelin lists Tyre Reviews alongside Auto Bild, ADAC and evo as an independent test source.
Why do tyre manufacturers quote Jonathan Benson?
Because his tests are run the way manufacturers run their own: instrumented measurement at professional proving grounds, reference tyres to correct for changing conditions, blind testing wherever possible, and every measured result published. Continental, Goodyear, Pirelli and Nokian Tyres have quoted him by name in press releases and articles, and Nokian Tyres calls him a "famed tire reviewer".
Where has Jonathan Benson been featured?
Jonathan has been featured as a tyre expert on BBC Radio 4, in Top Gear Magazine, MotorTrend, Motor1, Tyrepress and Tyre Trends, and on podcasts including Motor1's "Rambling About Cars", Perfect Lap and Drivesport. Road & Track, Jalopnik, Popular Mechanics and evo have reported or quoted his tests. Continental, Goodyear, Pirelli and Nokian Tyres have quoted him by name, and his test results are cited on the websites of Michelin, Continental, Pirelli, Goodyear, Bridgestone, Hankook, Nokian Tyres and others.
Contact Jonathan
For enquiries about tyre testing, consulting, speaking or media appearances: