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2019 ADAC Summer Tyre Test - 185/65 R15

Jonathan Benson
Data analyzed and reviewed by Jonathan Benson
8 min read Updated
Contents
  1. Introduction
  2. Results
  3. Bridgestone Turanza T005
  4. Vredestein Sportrac 5
  5. Michelin CrossClimate+
  6. Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance
  7. Firestone RoadHawk
  8. Kumho Ecowing ES01 KH27
  9. Maxxis Mecotra ME3
  10. Toyo Proxes CF2
  11. Continental Premium Contact 5
  12. Falken ZIEX ZE310 EcoRun
  13. Semperit Comfort Life 2
  14. Giti GitiSynergy E1
  15. Petlas Imperium PT515
  16. Hankook Kinergy Eco 2
  17. Pirelli Cinturato P1 Verde
  18. Linglong Green Max HP010

Test Summary
Wet Braking Bridgestone Turanza T005
Firestone RoadHawk
Dry Braking Bridgestone Turanza T005
Wear Bridgestone Turanza T005
Rolling Resistance Maxxis Mecotra ME3
Snow Braking Michelin CrossClimate Plus
Snow Handling Giti GitiSynergy E1
The 2019 summer tyre test season is underway,with the first published car tyre test by the German motoring organisation ADAC.

This year ADAC have tested sixteen 185/65 R15 summer tyre patterns using a VW Polo, and interestingly included the Michelin CrossClimate instead of the Michelin Energy Saver+ as the Michelin "summer" tyre.

Impressively, the Michelin scores third overall, with the lowest wear on test, and only a slight weakness in the dry. When you consider this is the only tyre of the sixteen that will have any sort of snow capabilities, it's a mighty impressive result.

Bridgestone manage to continue their strong run of results for the T005, which is a tyre that seems to work really well in the smaller sizes, and the seemingly refreshed Vredestein Sportrac 5 finishes an excellent second place.

Other notably strong results are the Firestone Roadhawk in fourth place overall, which is the midrange brother of the Bridgestone, and the low priced Maxxis finishing in seventh.

Surprisingly weak results go to the Continental Premium Contact 5 due to very poor wear characteristics (which has been greatly improved in the Premium Contact 6), and a very lowly fifteenth place for the Pirelli Cintuato P1 Verde, which was poor in the wet.

Sadly ADAC never supply the test data, just the overall scores which can be found below. Be sure to check out the ADAC website for all the excellent details on how they test, and the score weighting they apply to the overall results.

Results

1st

Bridgestone Turanza T005

185/65 R15
Bridgestone Turanza T005
Dry 9
Wet 8.2
Rolling Resistance 7.4
Noise 6.2
Wear 8
Overall 8
2nd

Vredestein Sportrac 5

185/65 R15
Vredestein Sportrac 5
Dry 7.4
Wet 7.6
Rolling Resistance 7.8
Noise 7
Wear 9
Overall 7.8
3rd

Michelin CrossClimate+

185/65 R15
Michelin CrossClimate Plus
Dry 6.8
Wet 7.2
Rolling Resistance 7.2
Noise 6.8
Wear 11
Overall 6.8
Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance
Dry 8.2
Wet 6.6
Rolling Resistance 8.6
Noise 6.2
Wear 8
Overall 6.6
5th

Firestone RoadHawk

185/65 R15
Firestone RoadHawk
Dry 9
Wet 6.4
Rolling Resistance 7
Noise 6.2
Wear 7
Overall 6.4
6th

Kumho Ecowing ES01 KH27

185/65 R15
Kumho Ecowing ES01 KH27
Dry 6.4
Wet 6.4
Rolling Resistance 8
Noise 6.4
Wear 8
Overall 6.4
7th

Maxxis Mecotra ME3

185/65 R15
Maxxis Mecotra ME3
Dry 8.2
Wet 6.4
Rolling Resistance 9.2
Noise 7.2
Wear 7
Overall 6.4
8th

Toyo Proxes CF2

185/65 R15
Toyo Proxes CF2
Dry 7.6
Wet 6.4
Rolling Resistance 8
Noise 7.4
Wear 8
Overall 6.4
Continental Premium Contact 5
Dry 7.6
Wet 7.2
Rolling Resistance 7.4
Noise 7
Wear 6
Overall 6
10th

Falken ZIEX ZE310 EcoRun

185/65 R15
Falken ZIEX ZE310 EcoRun
Dry 8.4
Wet 6
Rolling Resistance 7.6
Noise 6.4
Wear 9
Overall 6
11th

Semperit Comfort Life 2

185/65 R15
Semperit Comfort Life 2
Dry 6.2
Wet 6
Rolling Resistance 7.4
Noise 6.4
Wear 7
Overall 6
12th

Giti GitiSynergy E1

185/65 R15
Giti GitiSynergy E1
Dry 6.4
Wet 5.6
Rolling Resistance 8.8
Noise 7.8
Wear 7
Overall 5.6
13th

Petlas Imperium PT515

185/65 R15
Petlas Imperium PT515
Dry 6
Wet 5.4
Rolling Resistance 7.4
Noise 6.6
Wear 7
Overall 5.4
14th

Hankook Kinergy Eco 2

185/65 R15
Hankook Kinergy Eco 2
Dry 7.2
Wet 5.2
Rolling Resistance 8.6
Noise 7.2
Wear 7
Overall 5.2
15th

Pirelli Cinturato P1 Verde

185/65 R15
Pirelli Cinturato P1 Verde
Dry 7.4
Wet 5.2
Rolling Resistance 8
Noise 7
Wear 8
Overall 5.2
16th

Linglong Green Max HP010

185/65 R15
Linglong Green Max HP010
Dry 6
Wet 6.4
Rolling Resistance 7.8
Noise 7
Wear 5
Overall 5

Discussion

22 comments
  1. Tolga Çalışkan archived

    Hello, I have a Polo 6R 90PS and I want to buy 4 new tires for summer 185/60/15 what do you recommend? I'm thinking of buying Michelin Cross Climate 2,I'm not sure if it's the right decision

    #7558
  2. Liviu archived

    Hello, I have a Polo 6R 90PS and I want to buy 4 new tires for summer 185/60/15 and I choose 3 options Bridgestone T005, Vredestein SportTrac 5 and Dunlop Sport BluResponse and drive 60 km/day to work and home and most important I live in West Romania , what do you recommend?Thanks

    #7440
    1. TyreReviews Liviu archived

      Of the three I believe the T005 is the most proven in tests and reviews

      #7442
      1. Liviu TyreReviews archived

        Thanks!I wait for Black Friday for super discounts

        #7447
      2. Liviu TyreReviews archived

        And 1 think, I see on internet 2 specifications, 185/60/15 84H and 88H XL which is cheaper but more noise, the XL is more heavy?

        #7502
  3. Roman archived

    Hi, this ranking is misleading, i read the ADAC test beacuse i could not understand why Toyo was ranked lower than Kumho when it scored better in almost all categories. Their ranking system is such that if a tyre scores badly enough in one category (which gets marked), that becomes its overall score with other categories contributing 0% and the tyres with the same score are written alphabetically, so Firestone,Kumho,Maxxis and Toyo are all ranked the same, also Continental,Falken and Semperit...it would be better to clearly make this known or people who just quickly glance at the ranking will think a tyre is better, when in truth its name is just alphabetically sooner. thank you&have a great day

    #4647
    1. TyreReviews Roman archived

      I'll get the places updated. We do normally highlight when the tyres score the same, eg have 3 tyres in 6th place, but this must have been missed for this one.

      #4652
      1. Roman TyreReviews archived

        Great. I also have a question: i was thinking of buying the Toyo Proxes, but i wasn't keen on its wet performance in this test and then i also saw it finished last in another wet braking test with 40 meters, 5 meters more than the best (Hankook Ventus Prime 3). So now i am thinking about the Turanza, Sportac 5 and Ventus Prime 3, but i am not sure i wanna pay as much as Turanza costs and i was most impressed with Ventus Prime 3 until i saw it finished almost last in 2017 ADAC test on account of wet performance, i don't understand how the tests can be so different. So can you help me arrange these 3 according to your recommendation? thank you very much :) (they would be 185/55 R15 for Renault Twingo)

        #4660
        1. TyreReviews Roman archived

          Size plays and issue, also tyres often go through unannounced updates during their life, which can change the performance. Always look at the latest test data, and make sure you insist you get recently produced tyres from your retailer.

          #4661
          1. Roman TyreReviews archived

            Ok, tnx i went for the Hankook. Have a great day

            #4666
  4. John Frost archived

    Do you have a link to the test on ADACs website?

    #4387
      1. Pedro Neves TyreReviews archived

        ADAC also launched at the same time a test for the size 215/65 R16 C (Cargo).
        Why not show it? They even mentioned the results of the wet braking and wear tests:
        https://www.adac.de/infotes...
        https://www.adac.de/rund-um...
        Althought they are not the most fun tyres, It's great information for those who have to work or take care everyday of vans, ambulances and mini vans (children transport incl.).
        I would like to think that I'll cross the road with vans equipped with good tyres that won't crash into me easily. Unfortunately most of them seem to be terrible in the wet!...

        #4507
        1. TyreReviews Pedro Neves archived

          I've 90% finished it, just been too busy to finish it recently :(

          #4508
          1. Pedro Neves TyreReviews archived

            Oh, sorry, then! I hope the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV test you did here in Portugal went fine. Would love to read about it! :)

            #4510
            1. TyreReviews Pedro Neves archived

              That's also no the list to write up :(

              #4511
              1. Pedro Neves TyreReviews archived

                By the way, on the Gity positive comments, you should probably meant to write "low noise" instead of "low wear", since it was the most silent tyre of this test.

                #4582
  5. pantel archived

    About pirelli," positive: none mentioned"? When at other test by adac, it came at first place compared with some of the tires included in this test. Worst than petlas and Giti, almost the same as the Linglong. Ok Adac we will take your test under "serious" consideration.

    #4384
    1. Alexornot pantel archived

      I was thinking the same thing... The overall score is somehow not comprehensible. Just don't look at the list and read what you are actually looking for in a tyre, and then choose!
      My bet is for the second time in a row Vredestein.
      In my 2nd family car Vredestein Quatrac 5 are just way above anything else I've ever tried (I live in Milan so very hot summers, rare snow but cold Temps in winter, lots of rain).

      #4441
  6. Andy Holmes archived

    Some absolutely bizarre results here!
    The P1 Verde for example are definitely not that weak in the wet, from personal experience never mind other tests and reviews, and the Kumho ecowing frequently get scorned for their teflon qualities in the wet...
    I am very perplexed!

    #4383
    1. TyreReviews Andy Holmes archived

      Remember wet will include aquaplaning scores, and the P1 has been called a poor aquaplaning tyre before.

      #4386
      1. Kolemjdouci TyreReviews archived

        Here are the P1 Cinturato ADAC summer test 2019 details: https://www.adac.de/infotes...
        P.S. I remember in one of the previous summer tests once it has not been published the results for the Cinturato P1 model, as they were not consistent among different samples produced in Italy and in Turkey.

        #4389