2015 AZ 225/40 R18 Summer Tyre Test

This year AZ have tested fourteen tyre patterns in the popular 225/40 R18 tyre size. During the testing they covered over 1,200km of dry and wet testing, and weighted the scores in favour of the wet results.

There were no real surprises in the top six places, with Bridgestone the only premium brand being edged out by Nokian. None the less, this is a strong result for the Bridgestone Turanza T001 which seems to have come good in the last six months of testing, normally Bridgestone would have submitted the Potenza S001 in this size, so there's obviously an upgrade to the range happening.

Vredestein ended up in a disappointing 11th with the Vorti. The Ultrac Sessanta was always well regarded for its wet performance, however the Vorti seems to have taken a step back when compared to its other midrange rivals such as Falken, Kumho and Nokian.

As always, the test was concluded with a budget tyre. The Westlake had some of the best rolling resistance on test, but had extremely long wet braking distances, and a tendency to snap oversteer in the wet, combined with early understeer in the dry.

Results

1^st

Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2

225/40 R18

High traction, good lateral support and braking on wet surfaces, short braking distances and high level of safety in the dry, low rolling resistance

Total: 269

Dry 99

Wet 129

Comfort 8

Rolling Resistance 25

Noise 8

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2^nd

Pirelli P Zero

225/40 R18

Very short braking distances, excellent handling and predictable behavior at the limit of grip on wet surfaces, Good handling and safe execution of the emergency maneuver in the dry

Total: 263

Dry 102

Wet 134

Comfort 7

Rolling Resistance 13

Noise 7

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3^rd

Continental Sport Contact 5

225/40 R18

Good handling when cornering on wet surface, High resistance to aquaplaning, Low rolling resistance, Good results in the dry

Longer braking on wet surfaces, high noise levels

Total: 253

Dry 96

Wet 130

Comfort 8

Rolling Resistance 14

Noise 5

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4^th

Dunlop SportMaxx RT

225/40 R18

Short braking distances on wet surfaces, short braking distance on dry roads, low rolling resistance

Slow response to steering and a tendency to understeer in the dry

Total: 246

Dry 94

Wet 113

Comfort 7

Rolling Resistance 24

Noise 8

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5^th

Nokian zLine

225/40 R18

Good braking on dry and wet surfaces, low rolling resistance

Lack of agility and lateral stability in the wet, tendency to oversteer in the dry

Total: 246

Dry 93

Wet 116

Comfort 7

Rolling Resistance 23

Noise 7

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6^th

Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3

225/40 R18

Predictable behavior with a tendency to understeer in the wet, effective braking on wet surface, good handling on dry roads, best time slalom in the dry

Total: 245

Dry 92

Wet 121

Comfort 8

Rolling Resistance 17

Noise 7

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7^th

Bridgestone Turanza T001

225/40 R18

Good traction on wet roads, high speed, good security and straight steering response on dry road, low rolling resistance

Relatively long braking distances on wet surfaces

Total: 244

Dry 96

Wet 114

Comfort 7

Rolling Resistance 20

Noise 7

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8^th

Yokohama Advan Sport V105

225/40 R18

Balanced behavior, good lateral stability of the front wheels and acceptable braking properties on wet surface, good lap time and high grip on dry surfaces

High rolling resistance

Total: 236

Dry 98

Wet 115

Comfort 7

Rolling Resistance 10

Noise 6

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9^th

Falken FK453

225/40 R18

Good resistance to aquaplaning, good lateral stability and late transition to understeer in the wet, stable handling on dry roads

Relatively long braking distances on wet surfaces, high rolling resistance

Total: 233

Dry 96

Wet 110

Comfort 6

Rolling Resistance 13

Noise 8

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10^th

Kumho Ecsta PS91

225/40 R18

Good dry braking, low rolling resistance

Poor handling and a relatively long braking distances on wet surfaces, tendency to oversteer in the dry

Total: 223

Dry 92

Wet 100

Comfort 7

Rolling Resistance 16

Noise 8

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11^th

Vredestein Ultrac Vorti

225/40 R18

Good lateral grip on the front axle on a dry surface, short braking distance on dry roads

Nervous behavior and long braking distances on wet roads, tendency to oversteer in the dry

Total: 216

Dry 94

Wet 93

Comfort 7

Rolling Resistance 15

Noise 7

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12^th

Fulda SportControl

225/40 R18

Low rolling resistance

Long braking distances on wet surfaces - a clear tendency to understeer and long braking distances on dry roads

Total: 201

Dry 86

Wet 81

Comfort 6

Rolling Resistance 21

Noise 7

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13^th

Cooper Zeon CS Sport

225/40 R18

Long stopping distances, remarkable tendency to oversteer and low speed cornering on wet surfaces, low traction and braking in the dry

Total: 190

Dry 84

Wet 79

Comfort 6

Rolling Resistance 14

Noise 7

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14^th

Westlake SA 07

225/40 R18

Low rolling resistance

Nervous handling on the rear axle, and the longest braking distances on wet surfaces, poor resistance to aquaplaning, long braking distances and very early transition to understeer in the dry

Total: 171

Dry 75

Wet 60

Comfort 7

Rolling Resistance 21

Noise 8

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