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2018 AZ Summer AND All Season Tyre Test

Jonathan Benson
Data analyzed and reviewed by Jonathan Benson
6 min read Updated
Below are all the data points for the 2018 AZ Summer AND All Season Tyre Test, displaying how each tyre performed across all test categories. The spider chart below provides a complete overview of performance, where one hundred percent represents the best performance in each category. The larger the area covered by each tyre's plot, the better its overall performance.
How to read these charts: For each test category, data is presented relative to the best performing tire. The direction indicates whether lower or higher values are better - pay close attention to this when interpreting results.

Performance Overview

This radar chart shows relative performance across all test categories, with 100% representing the best performance in each category. Reference tires may have gaps where data is not available.

Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance
Continental AllSeasonContact
Falken Azenis FK510
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
GiTi GitiSport S1
Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2
Continental Premium Contact 6
Michelin CrossClimate Plus

Quick Navigation

Dry Performance Overview

Dry Braking (M)

Spread: 7.70 M (21.8%) | Avg: 38.31 M

Dry braking in meters (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Michelin Pilot Sport 4 with a result of 35.4 M. The difference between best and worst was 17.9%.
  1. Michelin Pilot Sport 4
    35.4 M
  2. Continental Premium Contact 6
    35.8 M
  3. Falken Azenis FK510
    36.5 M
  4. Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
    36.7 M
  5. Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance
    37.7 M
  6. GiTi GitiSport S1
    38.1 M
  7. Michelin CrossClimate Plus
    39 M
  8. Continental AllSeasonContact
    42.5 M
  9. Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2
    43.1 M

Dry Handling (s)

Spread: 2.90 s (4.6%) | Avg: 63.83 s

Dry handling time in seconds (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Michelin Pilot Sport 4 with a result of 62.8 s. The difference between best and worst was 4.4%.
  1. Michelin Pilot Sport 4
    62.8 s
  2. Falken Azenis FK510
    63.1 s
  3. Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
    63.2 s
  4. GiTi GitiSport S1
    63.3 s
  5. Continental Premium Contact 6
    63.3 s
  6. Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance
    63.4 s
  7. Michelin CrossClimate Plus
    64.6 s
  8. Continental AllSeasonContact
    65.1 s
  9. Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2
    65.7 s

Wet Performance Overview

Wet Braking (M)

Spread: 7.50 M (15.3%) | Avg: 51.92 M

Wet braking in meters (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Continental Premium Contact 6 with a result of 49.1 M. The difference between best and worst was 13.3%.
  1. Continental Premium Contact 6
    49.1 M
  2. Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2
    49.1 M
  3. Michelin Pilot Sport 4
    49.4 M
  4. Falken Azenis FK510
    50 M
  5. Continental AllSeasonContact
    50.9 M
  6. Michelin CrossClimate Plus
    50.9 M
  7. GiTi GitiSport S1
    55.2 M
  8. Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
    56.1 M
  9. Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance
    56.6 M

Wet Handling (s)

Spread: 5.20 s (6%) | Avg: 89.97 s

Wet handling time in seconds (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Michelin Pilot Sport 4 with a result of 87 s. The difference between best and worst was 5.6%.
  1. Michelin Pilot Sport 4
    87 s
  2. Continental Premium Contact 6
    87.6 s
  3. Falken Azenis FK510
    88.2 s
  4. Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2
    89.3 s
  5. Continental AllSeasonContact
    90.6 s
  6. Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance
    91 s
  7. Michelin CrossClimate Plus
    91.7 s
  8. GiTi GitiSport S1
    92.1 s
  9. Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
    92.2 s

Straight Aqua (Km/H)

Spread: 10.90 Km/H (14.1%) | Avg: 71.74 Km/H

Float Speed in Km/H (Higher is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Michelin Pilot Sport 4 with a result of 77.4 Km/H. The difference between best and worst was 14.1%.
  1. Michelin Pilot Sport 4
    77.4 Km/H
  2. Falken Azenis FK510
    73.3 Km/H
  3. Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance
    72.8 Km/H
  4. Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
    72.7 Km/H
  5. Continental Premium Contact 6
    72.3 Km/H
  6. GiTi GitiSport S1
    72.3 Km/H
  7. Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2
    69.9 Km/H
  8. Continental AllSeasonContact
    68.5 Km/H
  9. Michelin CrossClimate Plus
    66.5 Km/H

Comfort Performance Overview

Noise (dB)

Spread: 3.00 dB (4.3%) | Avg: 71.11 dB

External noise in dB (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was GiTi GitiSport S1 with a result of 70 dB. The difference between best and worst was 4.1%.
  1. GiTi GitiSport S1
    70 dB
  2. Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
    70 dB
  3. Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2
    70 dB
  4. Michelin Pilot Sport 4
    71 dB
  5. Continental AllSeasonContact
    71 dB
  6. Falken Azenis FK510
    71 dB
  7. Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance
    72 dB
  8. Continental Premium Contact 6
    72 dB
  9. Michelin CrossClimate Plus
    73 dB

Value Performance Overview

Price

Spread: 230.00 (79.3%) | Avg: 415.56

Price in local currency (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was GiTi GitiSport S1. The difference between best and worst was 44.2%.
  1. GiTi GitiSport S1
    290
  2. Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
    310
  3. Falken Azenis FK510
    330
  4. Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance
    390
  5. Continental Premium Contact 6
    450
  6. Michelin Pilot Sport 4
    450
  7. Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2
    490
  8. Continental AllSeasonContact
    510
  9. Michelin CrossClimate Plus
    520

Rolling Resistance (kg / t)

Spread: 1.54 kg / t (19.8%) | Avg: 8.74 kg / t

Rolling resistance in kg t (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance with a result of 7.76 kg / t. The difference between best and worst was 16.6%.
  1. Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance
    7.76 kg / t
  2. Continental AllSeasonContact
    8.27 kg / t
  3. Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125
    8.49 kg / t
  4. Continental Premium Contact 6
    8.8 kg / t
  5. GiTi GitiSport S1
    8.89 kg / t
  6. Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2
    8.91 kg / t
  7. Michelin CrossClimate Plus
    8.95 kg / t
  8. Falken Azenis FK510
    9.26 kg / t
  9. Michelin Pilot Sport 4
    9.3 kg / t

Overall Findings

Based on the weighted scoring from all tests, here are the overall results:

Position Tyre Score
Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2 0%
2 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 0%
3 Michelin CrossClimate Plus 0%
4 Continental Premium Contact 6 0%
5 Falken Azenis FK510 0%
6 Continental AllSeasonContact 0%
7 Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 0%
8 Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 0%
9 GiTi GitiSport S1 0%

Discussion

21 comments
  1. Kolemjdouci archived

    CPC6 "very strong in the dry" with 126 points & Hankook K125 with "average dry performance" with 129 points in the dry sounds a bit bias...

    #3314
    1. TyreReviews Kolemjdouci archived

      The AZ "dry" scoring also includes comfort, noise and rolling resistance points, which I also separated out but did not subtract from the total dry score. This is why there's a difference between the testers comments and the "dry" scoring.

      #3315
  2. Ger kruger archived

    Hello, the graph of the rolling resistence can’t be correct for the Giti tyres, because it’s got the
    Same points the Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance has got and in the Test Summary on top
    Of the page it’s classified as second.

    #3312
    1. TyreReviews Ger kruger archived

      Well spotted! The graph is correct, the score isn't. Updated :)

      #3313
  3. John Rayner archived

    I wish manufacturers would produce a summer tyre with slightly better snow capability. Enough to get you home, but not as good as the all-season tyres, and with no discernible loss of feel and feedback in the summer compared to a premium summer tyre. I think this is the tyre enthusiastic drivers are waiting for. You could fit it and leave it on all year, without worrying about getting stuck in the snow, and without feeling you're losing out on fun in the summer. Driving home from the dentist in the snow yesterday, in my BMW 130i on Conti Premium Contact 6, I almost didn't make it home. Not a nice feeling. I'd like to fit Michelin Crossclimate+, but I hear feel and feedback are some way off the mark compared to a premium summer tyre, so I just can't bring myself to do it. Still waiting for that elusive perfect tyre ...

    #3287
    1. TyreReviews John Rayner archived

      The CrossClimate is as close as we've gotten to that perfect tyre. Some of the basic requirements of a tyre which works in snow is a higher land/sea ratio (ie, more blocky pattern) and sipes, both of which detract from handling.

      Maybe one day the technology will exist, but for now we have to make do with what we have.

      #3288
  4. berckovich archived

    Hi. is this Falken Azenis FK510 is a run flat tyre ?

    #3261
    1. TyreReviews berckovich archived

      This test will have tested the non-runflat version of the tyre.

      #3262
  5. kelper archived

    It's a shame all the graphs have a false origin - the scale does not start at zero. This makes the differences appear much larger than they really are. In 'dry handling', for example, there's only a two-second spread in lap times of around a minute. that's 5% and most drivers wouldn't notice such a small change. Please use percentages like Auto Express.

    #3255
    1. Igor kelper archived

      If all the graphs started at 0 they would be almost unreadable, the purpose of the graph would vanish. The graphs look great and start at the right scale.
      Yes, the difference somewhere is minimal, and it's up to the reader to notice it and decide if it matters or not.
      Tyre tests are done driving at the limit. Of course in normal-everyday drive all the tyres would be almost equal. It's in emergencies when the tyre you have matters, than those 5% between the best and worst can mean accident/injury or forgetting about the incident next week if nothing happened.

      #3256
      1. kelper Igor archived

        But it's ridiculous to score tyres on attributes when the differences are so small. It would make more sense to put tyres into similar abilities in each test. Tyre tests should point out where there are significant shortfalls in a particular area. Auto Express did this in its last group test. Any graph with a false origin is either intended to deceive or an insult to its readers.

        All season tyres are inevitably a compromise. It's important to find where the manufacturer has sacrificed one ability to enhance another. I'm willing to lose some snow traction to get better wet grip. But a diference of 5% or less is of no consequence. I will never drive on the limit. In poor driving conditions I leave a large gap between me and vehicles in front. And when some moron tailgates me, I leave additional braking space so that I can brake gently if the car infront explodes or somersaults.

        #3257
        1. TyreReviews kelper archived

          As Igor mentioned, it's rare to find graphs starting at 0 when there's such a small spread of results as consuming the data is too difficult on smaller screens.

          Please can you explain your point about Auto Express more? Also express simply take the braking distances, make the best 100% then each one after that is a percentage of the 100% result. This means in things like dry braking you have 8 tyres all within 4% of each other, which is just as meaningful as 8 tyres within 2 meters of each other!

          #3258
          1. kelper TyreReviews archived

            4% is a small difference. 2 metrers is half the width of the graph and this looks a large difference. The noise differeces look significant but 3dB is the smallest change detectable by humans!

            Here's my version of AutoBild's 225/50R17 test

            https://drive.google.com/op...

            #3259
          2. kelper TyreReviews archived

            4% is quite a small difference, but 2 metres is a third the width of the graph. The noise differences look quite big, but 3dB is only just noticeable to the human ear.

            My version of AutoBild's 225/50R17 tests is here.....

            https://disq.us/url?url=htt...

            #3260
            1. TyreReviews kelper archived

              While I understand your point, your version of the graph is too difficult to see the differences between the results. The way the site generates the graph is actually fairly standard, with many of the magazines publishing their tables with non-zero indexes too.

              #3263
              1. kelper TyreReviews archived

                This made me laugh!

                " your version of the graph is too difficult to see the differences between the results."

                That's exactly my point when the differences are a bit trivial, let's say 5% or less, even 10%.

                But let's agree to differ :-)

                #3264
                1. Yoon Loke kelper archived

                  I completely agree with kelper.
                  For my sins, I teach medical students in university on critical appraisal of statistics.
                  Truncation of the graph axis, as done here, is generally considered to produce misleading interpretations by exaggerating the differences between products. A typical example is an expensive new drug which is only slightly better than the cheap old drug. But the graph can be drawn in a way that makes the expensive drug seem a whole lot better.
                  Lots of articles on the web explaining misleading graphs, and how to overcome this by showing the entire axis and/or axis breaks.
                  https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...
                  https://venngage.com/blog/m...

                  I do think this is a great tyre review site and I value the advice. But I don't look at graphs.

                  #3634
            2. MrEe kelper archived

              3db is double the noise so i would think you would definitely hear a difference.

              #3299
              1. kelper MrEe archived

                3dB is double the sound energy. It takes ten times the sound energy for a perceived doubling in noise. I think 1dB change is perceptible in lab conditions. But if two cars passed you and the measured sounds were less than 3dB, most people could not, reliably, say which was louder. If you are interested you can test this yourself at http://www.audiocheck.net/b...
                For a steady tone I could not hear the 1dB rise or fall. But the washing machine is on behind me and I have some high trequncy hearing loss from years in ship's engine rooms.

                look here for evidence http://www.autoexpress.co.u...

                #3300
  6. Igor archived

    There is no info of tyre size tested.
    Considering the tyre models, should I suppose its 225/45R17

    #3253
    1. TyreReviews Igor archived

      Sorry, and very good guess! Article updated :)

      #3254