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2019 Auto Zeitung Summer Tyre Test

Jonathan Benson
Data analyzed and reviewed by Jonathan Benson
6 min read Updated
Below are all the data points for the 2019 Auto Zeitung Summer 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.

Pirelli CINTURATO P7
Maxxis Premitra HP5
Kumho Ecsta HS51
Apollo Aspire XP
Michelin CrossClimate Plus
Michelin Primacy 4
Nankang AS1
Yokohama BluEarth AE50
Bridgestone Turanza T005
Continental Premium Contact 6

Quick Navigation

Dry Performance Overview

Dry Braking (M)

Spread: 3.20 M (8.9%) | Avg: 37.61 M

Dry braking in meters (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Continental Premium Contact 6 with a result of 36 M. The difference between best and worst was 8.2%.
  1. Continental Premium Contact 6
    36 M
  2. Maxxis Premitra HP5
    36.4 M
  3. Michelin Primacy 4
    36.6 M
  4. Bridgestone Turanza T005
    36.8 M
  5. Apollo Aspire XP
    37.4 M
  6. Pirelli CINTURATO P7
    37.5 M
  7. Yokohama BluEarth AE50
    37.8 M
  8. Kumho Ecsta HS51
    39.2 M
  9. Michelin CrossClimate Plus
    39.2 M
  10. Nankang AS1
    39.2 M

Dry Handling (s)

Spread: 1.60 s (2.7%) | Avg: 60.28 s

Dry handling time in seconds (Lower is better)

Key Insight: All the tyres in the dry handling test finished less than 3% apart.
  1. Continental Premium Contact 6
    59.3 s
  2. Michelin Primacy 4
    59.7 s
  3. Maxxis Premitra HP5
    60.2 s
  4. Pirelli CINTURATO P7
    60.2 s
  5. Apollo Aspire XP
    60.3 s
  6. Yokohama BluEarth AE50
    60.4 s
  7. Michelin CrossClimate Plus
    60.4 s
  8. Kumho Ecsta HS51
    60.7 s
  9. Bridgestone Turanza T005
    60.7 s
  10. Nankang AS1
    60.9 s

Wet Performance Overview

Wet Braking (M)

Spread: 22.70 M (41.6%) | Avg: 63.27 M

Wet braking in meters (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Michelin CrossClimate Plus with a result of 54.6 M. The difference between best and worst was 29.4%.
  1. Michelin CrossClimate Plus
    54.6 M
  2. Continental Premium Contact 6
    57.7 M
  3. Pirelli CINTURATO P7
    58.8 M
  4. Yokohama BluEarth AE50
    59 M
  5. Maxxis Premitra HP5
    59.2 M
  6. Michelin Primacy 4
    60.6 M
  7. Apollo Aspire XP
    65.8 M
  8. Bridgestone Turanza T005
    66.6 M
  9. Kumho Ecsta HS51
    73.1 M
  10. Nankang AS1
    77.3 M

Wet Handling (s)

Spread: 9.90 s (11%) | Avg: 94.61 s

Wet handling time in seconds (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Continental Premium Contact 6 with a result of 90 s. The difference between best and worst was 9.9%.
  1. Continental Premium Contact 6
    90 s
  2. Maxxis Premitra HP5
    91.2 s
  3. Bridgestone Turanza T005
    92.8 s
  4. Yokohama BluEarth AE50
    93.4 s
  5. Apollo Aspire XP
    94 s
  6. Michelin Primacy 4
    94.2 s
  7. Michelin CrossClimate Plus
    96 s
  8. Pirelli CINTURATO P7
    96.6 s
  9. Kumho Ecsta HS51
    98 s
  10. Nankang AS1
    99.9 s

Straight Aqua (Km/H)

Spread: 6.90 Km/H (9.2%) | Avg: 72.66 Km/H

Float Speed in Km/H (Higher is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Kumho Ecsta HS51 with a result of 75.1 Km/H. The difference between best and worst was 9.2%.
  1. Kumho Ecsta HS51
    75.1 Km/H
  2. Bridgestone Turanza T005
    74.3 Km/H
  3. Pirelli CINTURATO P7
    74.2 Km/H
  4. Apollo Aspire XP
    74.1 Km/H
  5. Continental Premium Contact 6
    74 Km/H
  6. Maxxis Premitra HP5
    73.2 Km/H
  7. Michelin Primacy 4
    72.3 Km/H
  8. Yokohama BluEarth AE50
    70.8 Km/H
  9. Michelin CrossClimate Plus
    70.4 Km/H
  10. Nankang AS1
    68.2 Km/H

Comfort Performance Overview

Noise (dB)

Spread: 4.00 dB (5.9%) | Avg: 70.20 dB

External noise in dB (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Maxxis Premitra HP5 with a result of 68 dB. The difference between best and worst was 5.6%.
  1. Maxxis Premitra HP5
    68 dB
  2. Nankang AS1
    69 dB
  3. Pirelli CINTURATO P7
    70 dB
  4. Yokohama BluEarth AE50
    70 dB
  5. Kumho Ecsta HS51
    70 dB
  6. Apollo Aspire XP
    70 dB
  7. Michelin Primacy 4
    71 dB
  8. Continental Premium Contact 6
    71 dB
  9. Bridgestone Turanza T005
    71 dB
  10. Michelin CrossClimate Plus
    72 dB

Value Performance Overview

Price

Spread: 380.00 (143.4%) | Avg: 460.00

Price in local currency (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Nankang AS1. The difference between best and worst was 58.9%.
  1. Nankang AS1
    265
  2. Kumho Ecsta HS51
    325
  3. Maxxis Premitra HP5
    345
  4. Apollo Aspire XP
    400
  5. Pirelli CINTURATO P7
    465
  6. Yokohama BluEarth AE50
    470
  7. Bridgestone Turanza T005
    540
  8. Continental Premium Contact 6
    555
  9. Michelin Primacy 4
    590
  10. Michelin CrossClimate Plus
    645

Rolling Resistance (kg / t)

Spread: 1.72 kg / t (23.9%) | Avg: 8.05 kg / t

Rolling resistance in kg t (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Michelin Primacy 4 with a result of 7.2 kg / t. The difference between best and worst was 19.3%.
  1. Michelin Primacy 4
    7.2 kg / t
  2. Bridgestone Turanza T005
    7.46 kg / t
  3. Yokohama BluEarth AE50
    7.68 kg / t
  4. Michelin CrossClimate Plus
    7.78 kg / t
  5. Apollo Aspire XP
    8.16 kg / t
  6. Pirelli CINTURATO P7
    8.19 kg / t
  7. Maxxis Premitra HP5
    8.31 kg / t
  8. Continental Premium Contact 6
    8.34 kg / t
  9. Kumho Ecsta HS51
    8.49 kg / t
  10. Nankang AS1
    8.92 kg / t

Overall Findings

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

Position Tyre Score
Continental Premium Contact 6 0%
2 Michelin Primacy 4 0%
3 Maxxis Premitra HP5 0%
4 Pirelli CINTURATO P7 0%
5 Bridgestone Turanza T005 0%
6 Yokohama BluEarth AE50 0%
7 Michelin CrossClimate Plus 0%
8 Apollo Aspire XP 0%
9 Kumho Ecsta HS51 0%
10 Nankang AS1 0%

Discussion

25 comments
  1. Lux archived

    I would like a very quiet tyres and safety as well.
    My doubt is michelin primacy 4 or nokian wetproof. Size 225/45/17 for a Bmw 1 series.
    I understood that Nokian are better on wet and dry as well, and noise is approximately the same. But when they are much aged, will they maintain the same characteristics? thanks for helping!

    #4638
    1. TyreReviews Lux archived

      As a rule Michelin generally wear better than other brands, but the Nokian is a new tyre from a premium brand so there's no reason this should perform worse than any other brand.

      #4640
      1. Lux TyreReviews archived

        Thanks for your reply... In terms of noisy goodyear asymmetric 5 are better?

        #4642
        1. TyreReviews Lux archived

          Have a look at our video and the various test data on this site :)

          #4651
          1. Lux TyreReviews archived

            Already did ?. But I am confused. ...constructors declare a noise value but in test it is different. For instance goodyear f1 a3 68db and in your test f1 a5(70db) are quieter. Could you please advise me the quieter tyres(premium brands) at high speeds(motorway).
            I will appreciate very mutch! Thanks?

            #4653
            1. TyreReviews Lux archived

              You have all the data I have :) My noise test was internal noise, some tests are external.

              #4654
  2. Justin Saunders archived

    I would have liked to see Landsail tyres in the list. Appreciate there are many makes now
    though.

    #4424
  3. Lulu Bulu archived

    I think that load and speed index should be known. They make a difference even in the same size and model. Correct me if I'm wrong.

    #4403
    1. TyreReviews Lulu Bulu archived

      They don't always made a difference, but you're right, it can. I'll work on getting it added to the database where available!

      #4407
  4. J archived

    I have those Maxxis Premitra HP5, at first I liked them, but not anymore..
    At a certain point, where there's approx 5-5,5mm of thread left, they change a lot, like it's a whole different rubber compound. Suddenly they're terrible sub 5deg Celsius. Also their wet capabilities have become poor. When it's wet and sub 5C they're lethal. They've become extremely noisy over time.
    Wear is high in the beginning, but now it's really slow.

    #4396
    1. J J archived

      Also, how can the Premitra HP5 be 'new' (as mentioned in the text) if I have them already since February 2017.. DOT = 4616..
      Or did they have an update?

      #4398
        1. TyreReviews Jtp archived

          New with tyres is relative, though you're right, I thought they were launched in early 2018 but I was wrong.

          Obviously I can't comment on grip, but that's very good wear for 40,000 kms!

          #4402
    2. TyreReviews J archived

      Interesting information, hopefully it's a one off or weather related but I'll keep an eye out for other reviews like this. ADAC did wear test a Maxxis tyre and found nothing usual, though it was a different pattern.

      #4399
    3. giannis karadimos J archived

      For 5 years and 45000km I had the Pirelli Pzero Nero(205/45/16) and I was very satisfied with this tire. Now I'm thinking of putting the premitra hp5,but i am not sure if this should be a good choice. It can compare this tire with my old pirelli? Is Maxxis premitra a worth buying in your opinion?

      #4451
  5. Jirka Chomat archived

    Hi, I can't find it on the Autozeitung website as mentioned, can you give me a hint?

    #4395
    1. TyreReviews Jirka Chomat archived

      It might not be published yet, sorry! I'll update the article with a link when it is.

      #4397
  6. Andy Holmes archived

    Nice clear layout for this one!
    The surprise was the Kumho which usually tests pretty well and has strong reviews to back this up. Like the other Andy just said though, like the CC, this is more a 'general' tyre stretched out to a more 'sporty' size against some more 'sportier' tyres.
    That said, the second surprise is the Maxxis, also a 'general' tyre, testing a bit better than normal. They arent poor tyres, but its a strong result nevertheless. The big downside of these astronomic wear, but that is the downfall of a lot of decent tyres today!

    #4394
    1. TyreReviews Andy Holmes archived

      I've just added even more data points to the overall results, should make things even clearer (though the formatting does need updating!)

      #4400
  7. Engineer_Andy archived

    A couple of points, one that TR needs to include on the review details, the other, more a commentary over Auto Zeitung's methodology:

    1. The size/rating of the tyres tested is not mentioned in the details or title of the review (the size for the ADAC review is). Given the CC+ is more suited to 'standard' (non-performance/low profile) tyre sized to get the best performance (from reading previous reviews [and why I chose them for my car]), what size of tyre tested could easily sway the result as regards how the CC+ fairs.

    2. The test (at least as the results are shown here) don't show any marks for wear/value for money, which other tests often do. As many group tests have already shown, the CC+ is excellent on that score and more than offset the higher purchase price, especially when the winter performance is factored in. Similarly no marks were given for 'comfort', another rating that the CC+ often does very well on.

    It's a shame (you're not at fault Jon, but the magazines testing them) that there isn't a more unified testing regime as what criteria are used - I have no problems with performance tyres (obviously not the CC+ or other all-season tyres) being weighted more to the handling/braking side of things, but I think all reviews and group tests should include comparative scores across a wide range of aspects of the tyre, as some can look overly good or poor because a rating is included, excluded or weighted too heavily.

    #4392
    1. TyreReviews Engineer_Andy archived

      Hi Andy!

      The size was in the database, I just forgot to mention it in the article. First of the year, I'm rusty :) It's added now!

      As I'm sure you know, wear is very difficult to test, as to do it properly you actually have to go out and drive. For 10 sets of tyres, which need at least 10,000 miles on, that's a lot of driving. I'm always thankful when ADAC and Auto Bild do include wear testing.

      I'm in the process of adding the score weighting details to the database too so hopefully that will become more clear in the future. It's currently difficult to decide whether to use the raw data where available, or to use the scoring numbers magazines also feel the need to apply.

      #4393
      1. Engineer_Andy TyreReviews archived

        No problem Jon. I had an inkling that the tyre size in the group test was a lower profile one, as from the reviews generally the CC+ seems to do less well in wider, lower profile sizes than those over 50. I'm keen on a group test with it against other all-season and summer tyres for the two most popular sizes: 205/55 R16 and 195/65 R15.

        #4404
        1. TyreReviews Engineer_Andy archived

          I'm sure it's featured in those in the past? The data must be on the website (I'm on mobile so can't search right now)

          #4416
    2. 4cvg Engineer_Andy archived

      In my judgement, it's a good thing that various magazines use different test protocols & weight different parameters of performance differently & differently for different classes of tyre.
      An astute user of tests should be ignoring overall scores anyway & mining the data for information on parameters of interest. A variety of test protocol "takes" on those prioritised areas adds breadth.
      What should ideally be as apparent as possible is information about the test protocol which led to a given score & TR tries to supply this to some extent in the introductory "blurb" & in table annotations.

      #4432