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2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking Test

Jonathan Benson
Data analyzed and reviewed by Jonathan Benson
19 min read Updated
Below are all the data points for the 2020 Tyre Market Overview Braking 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.

Toyo Proxes Sport
Federal Evoluzion ST 1
Nexen N Fera Sport SU2
Maxxis Victra Sport 5
Apollo Aspire XP
Dayton Touring 2
Accelera PHI R
Rotalla RU01 S Pace
Debica Presto UHP2
Kleber Dynaxer UHP
Fulda SportControl 2
Sava Intensa UHP 2
Firestone RoadHawk
Continental Premium Contact 6
Mabor Sport Jet 3
GiTi GitiSport S1
Zeetex HP2000 vfm
Kumho Ecsta PS71
Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3
Nokian PowerProof
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
Barum Bravuris 5HM
General Altimax One S
Imperial Ecosport 2
Avon ZZS
Tracmax X Privilo TX3
Laufenn S Fit EQ Plus
Cooper Zeon Sport
Minerva Radial F 205
Tristar Sportpower 2
Marshal MU12
Seiberling Seiberling Touring 2
King-Meiler Sport 3 KM
Uniroyal RainSport 3
Pirelli P Zero
Nankang NS2
Bridgestone Potenza S001
Radar Dimax R8
Vredestein Ultrac Vorti
Gislaved Ultra Speed
Infinity Ecomax
Yokohama Advan Sport V105
Viking ProTech HP
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
GT-Radial SportActive
Matador MP 47 Hectorra 3
Semperit SpeedLife 2
Falken Azenis FK510
Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2

Quick Navigation

Dry Performance Overview

Dry Braking (M)

Spread: 8.90 M (27.7%) | Avg: 35.58 M

Dry braking in meters (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Michelin Pilot Sport 4 with a result of 32.1 M. The difference between best and worst was 21.7%.
  1. Michelin Pilot Sport 4
    32.1 M
  2. Nokian PowerProof
    32.9 M
  3. Nexen N Fera Sport SU2
    33.2 M
  4. Continental Premium Contact 6
    33.2 M
  5. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
    33.2 M
  6. Vredestein Ultrac Vorti
    33.4 M
  7. Bridgestone Potenza S001
    33.5 M
  8. Laufenn S Fit EQ Plus
    34 M
  9. Kleber Dynaxer UHP
    34.1 M
  10. Fulda SportControl 2
    34.2 M
  11. Firestone RoadHawk
    34.3 M
  12. Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2
    34.3 M
  13. Apollo Aspire XP
    34.7 M
  14. Sava Intensa UHP 2
    34.7 M
  15. Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3
    34.7 M
  16. Maxxis Victra Sport 5
    34.8 M
  17. Pirelli P Zero
    34.8 M
  18. Kumho Ecsta PS71
    34.9 M
  19. Federal Evoluzion ST 1
    35.3 M
  20. Yokohama Advan Sport V105
    35.3 M
  21. Toyo Proxes Sport
    35.4 M
  22. General Altimax One S
    35.4 M
  23. GiTi GitiSport S1
    35.5 M
  24. Uniroyal RainSport 3
    35.7 M
  25. Infinity Ecomax
    35.7 M
  26. Mabor Sport Jet 3
    35.9 M
  27. Zeetex HP2000 vfm
    36 M
  28. Cooper Zeon Sport
    36 M
  29. Matador MP 47 Hectorra 3
    36 M
  30. Falken Azenis FK510
    36 M
  31. Debica Presto UHP2
    36.1 M
  32. Avon ZZS
    36.2 M
  33. Semperit SpeedLife 2
    36.2 M
  34. Dayton Touring 2
    36.4 M
  35. Tristar Sportpower 2
    36.5 M
  36. Nankang NS2
    36.5 M
  37. Marshal MU12
    36.6 M
  38. Radar Dimax R8
    36.7 M
  39. GT-Radial SportActive
    36.8 M
  40. Minerva Radial F 205
    36.9 M
  41. Tracmax X Privilo TX3
    37 M
  42. Seiberling Seiberling Touring 2
    37 M
  43. Rotalla RU01 S Pace
    37.2 M
  44. Imperial Ecosport 2
    37.3 M
  45. Viking ProTech HP
    37.3 M
  46. Accelera PHI R
    37.4 M
  47. Gislaved Ultra Speed
    37.5 M
  48. Barum Bravuris 5HM
    37.7 M
  49. King-Meiler Sport 3 KM
    41 M

Wet Performance Overview

Wet Braking (M)

Spread: 14.50 M (50.5%) | Avg: 34.02 M

Wet braking in meters (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Bridgestone Potenza S001 with a result of 28.7 M. The difference between best and worst was 33.6%.
  1. Bridgestone Potenza S001
    28.7 M
  2. Kumho Ecsta PS71
    29 M
  3. Nokian PowerProof
    29.1 M
  4. Michelin Pilot Sport 4
    29.8 M
  5. Continental Premium Contact 6
    30.2 M
  6. Apollo Aspire XP
    30.3 M
  7. Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3
    30.3 M
  8. Falken Azenis FK510
    30.7 M
  9. Firestone RoadHawk
    30.8 M
  10. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
    30.8 M
  11. Nexen N Fera Sport SU2
    30.9 M
  12. Vredestein Ultrac Vorti
    31.3 M
  13. Toyo Proxes Sport
    31.5 M
  14. Fulda SportControl 2
    31.7 M
  15. Zeetex HP2000 vfm
    31.8 M
  16. Semperit SpeedLife 2
    32.2 M
  17. Kleber Dynaxer UHP
    32.2 M
  18. Uniroyal RainSport 3
    32.4 M
  19. Infinity Ecomax
    32.6 M
  20. Laufenn S Fit EQ Plus
    32.6 M
  21. Debica Presto UHP2
    32.8 M
  22. GiTi GitiSport S1
    32.9 M
  23. Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2
    33 M
  24. Maxxis Victra Sport 5
    33.4 M
  25. Gislaved Ultra Speed
    33.9 M
  26. Mabor Sport Jet 3
    34.3 M
  27. Cooper Zeon Sport
    34.5 M
  28. Pirelli P Zero
    34.6 M
  29. Yokohama Advan Sport V105
    34.7 M
  30. Viking ProTech HP
    34.8 M
  31. Avon ZZS
    35.2 M
  32. General Altimax One S
    35.4 M
  33. Tracmax X Privilo TX3
    35.4 M
  34. Sava Intensa UHP 2
    35.5 M
  35. Matador MP 47 Hectorra 3
    35.7 M
  36. Rotalla RU01 S Pace
    35.7 M
  37. Minerva Radial F 205
    36 M
  38. Barum Bravuris 5HM
    36.1 M
  39. Radar Dimax R8
    36.7 M
  40. Tristar Sportpower 2
    37 M
  41. Seiberling Seiberling Touring 2
    37 M
  42. Dayton Touring 2
    37.2 M
  43. Marshal MU12
    37.4 M
  44. Nankang NS2
    38.2 M
  45. Imperial Ecosport 2
    38.7 M
  46. GT-Radial SportActive
    39.1 M
  47. Federal Evoluzion ST 1
    39.4 M
  48. Accelera PHI R
    40.5 M
  49. King-Meiler Sport 3 KM
    43.2 M

Overall Findings

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

Position Tyre Score
Michelin Pilot Sport 4 0%
2 Nokian PowerProof 0%
3 Bridgestone Potenza S001 0%
4 Continental Premium Contact 6 0%
5 Kumho Ecsta PS71 0%
6 Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 0%
7 Nexen N Fera Sport SU2 0%
8 Vredestein Ultrac Vorti 0%
9 Apollo Aspire XP 0%
10 Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 0%
11 Firestone RoadHawk 0%
12 Fulda SportControl 2 0%
13 Kleber Dynaxer UHP 0%
14 Laufenn S Fit EQ Plus 0%
15 Falken Azenis FK510 0%
16 Toyo Proxes Sport 0%
17 Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 0%
18 Zeetex HP2000 vfm 0%
19 Uniroyal RainSport 3 0%
20 Maxxis Victra Sport 5 0%
21 Infinity Ecomax 0%
22 GiTi GitiSport S1 0%
23 Semperit SpeedLife 2 0%
24 Debica Presto UHP2 0%
25 Pirelli P Zero 0%
26 Yokohama Advan Sport V105 0%
27 Mabor Sport Jet 3 0%
28 Sava Intensa UHP 2 0%
29 Cooper Zeon Sport 0%
30 Avon ZZS 0%
31 Gislaved Ultra Speed 0%
32 Matador MP 47 Hectorra 3 0%
33 General Altimax One S 0%
34 Radar Dimax R8 0%
35 Viking ProTech HP 0%
36 Tracmax X Privilo TX3 0%
37 Minerva Radial F 205 0%
38 Rotalla RU01 S Pace 0%
39 Tristar Sportpower 2 0%
40 Dayton Touring 2 0%
41 Barum Bravuris 5HM 0%
42 Marshal MU12 0%
43 Seiberling Seiberling Touring 2 0%
44 Federal Evoluzion ST 1 0%
45 Nankang NS2 0%
46 GT-Radial SportActive 0%
47 Imperial Ecosport 2 0%
48 Accelera PHI R 0%
49 King-Meiler Sport 3 KM 0%

Discussion

38 comments
  1. Mohammed Hamed Ahmed Soliman archived

    Braking distance at what car speed?

    #7178
  2. TyreReviews archived

    Firstly, not my test so I can't answer. Autobild do an all season test every year with a summer and winter tyre as reference, which should answer your point.

    Also, my own all season test https://www.tyrereviews.com... has summer and winter references

    #6405
  3. Chris archived

    So Auto Bild want us to believe that Michelin PS4 are the only tyres that brake better in WET conditions (29.8 m) than dry (32.1 m)? Am I missing something, or is this against the laws of physics? Or did someone make a typo when entering the data?

    All the other tyres in this list behave normally, that is, brake better in dry conditions.

    #6331
    1. TyreReviews Chris archived

      Initial speed will be different, likely 100 for dry and 80 for wet

      #6332
  4. Simon Green archived

    Hi, really confused about the mixed reviews of the PS 4s. Seems to be getting great reviews at the technical level but mixed by the community. Are there quality issues compared to the competitors? Looking for tyres for my S63 Coupe and just so confused as to what would be ‘best’. I just want something that is safe, quiet and reasonably durable. That’s not too much to ask is it? :)

    #5672
    1. TyreReviews Simon Green archived

      Michelin probably make the most consistent tyres in the market, so I doubt it's due to quality issues!

      The only negatives I really see against the PS4 is that they can be a little noisy in some fitments, and they don't wear as well as previous Michelins.

      I'm not sure what sizes you have, but the Asymmetric 5 would be an alternative.

      #5673
      1. Simon Green TyreReviews archived

        Thanks for the reply! I’m currently running 255 45 19 and 285 40 19 which aren’t available in PS 4s from what I can tell. I think I can get the PS2 or SS in that size but they seem like old technology. I’m thinking of moving to 20” rims as tyres seem to be more available and cheaper in that size. So it would be 255 40 20 and 285 35 20 if I went with the Mercedes size recommendations. Cheers.

        #5675
  5. Scour archived

    Is there a reason why my last comment was marked as spam?

    #5587
  6. Damian archived

    How come the Bridgestone S001 has done so much better in the wet in this test than previous tests?

    #5580
    1. TyreReviews Damian archived

      I feel like I covered that in the article :)

      #5581
      1. Damian TyreReviews archived

        Are there different iterations of the same tyre? If so is there any way to find out what you've got? Asking as we bought a used car with S001's and was thinking of changing them but this has confused me.

        #5582
        1. TyreReviews Damian archived

          No way of telling unless Bridgestone will tell you. They will need a combination of the DOT code andthe factory it was produced, but I wouldn't be hopeful getting that data from them

          #5585
          1. Damian TyreReviews archived

            Numbers on mine (if this ever blows up): DOT 7GN1 P7C. 4218. 69873

            #5586
  7. MDGTI archived

    Another strange thing for me is how far the falken 510 has slipped down the list this year it was really good the last few years.
    Strange how they are testing the toyo t1 sport instead of the newer TR1 and the rainsport 3 instead of the rainsport 5.

    #5575
    1. Kolemjdouci MDGTI archived

      The test must have been done last summer or autumn...

      #5577
  8. Lulu Bulu archived

    Am I the only one that is disappointed by Michelin Pilot Sport 4? 225/45R17 (94Y) XL.
    I find them less grippy than the Kenda Vezda AST. They're spinning very easy and abs kicks in constantly.

    #5567
    1. TyreReviews Lulu Bulu archived

      Might it be down to the time of year? They're consistently well rated!

      #5569
      1. Lulu Bulu TyreReviews archived

        That is what worries me. If it wasn't consistent and if there were bad reviews I could understand that it was a bad choice. I chose what is considered the best without budget restrictions.
        I'm now playing with tyre pressure as they were overinflated by installer.
        I'm gonna wait a little more for weather to get hotter but I'm not hoping much.
        Could be the months stored be an issue? Greece hot summer etc. Installer is official Michelin trader-installer.

        #5572
    2. Kolemjdouci Lulu Bulu archived

      Depending on how they were stored, hopefully not on direct Greek sun. They should not be too much old either (DOT max. 4 years).
      You can try to change front & rear set, sometimes it can help, together with different air pressure. If one only tire is problematic, use it just as for the reserve wheel.
      P.S. You can also just start slower when no launch control available :-)

      #5573
      1. Lulu Bulu Kolemjdouci archived

        If one is problematic then I will change a pair under warranty. Spare wheel is 16", so not fitting!
        I believe they were protected by sun and extreme temperatures, I bought from main supplier of North Greece and they have a big warehouse. Dot1619
        I'll also try front-rear interchange after some testing with pressures.
        They feel solid in feedback and response comparing to my previous tyres. If we were talking about turning I would say that the safety feeling makes me getting in with higher speed. But it is difficult to start without spinning.

        #5576
        1. TyreReviews Lulu Bulu archived

          Fingers crossed you get to the bottom of your issue

          #5579
  9. DL archived

    Wet braking distance shorter than dry braking distance? What were the relative starting speeds and what vehicle was used?

    #5561
    1. Kolemjdouci DL archived

      Like they always test: Braking in dry from 100 km/h and from 80 km/h in wet.

      #5562
  10. FritzHatezYouAll archived

    Stupid test. The Debica and Sava tire are exactly the same.......still different in scores ?!?!?!?!

    #5553
      1. FritzHatezYouAll Lulu Bulu archived

        Thats only on the surface.....less then 1mm deep. The rest including the material is all the same.
        This test is useless. There are more weird tires used like the old Bridgestone S001.
        And what about the whole specs off the used tires....96 or 100 loadindex???

        #5558
        1. Lulu Bulu FritzHatezYouAll archived

          I can see what you're saying but these small differences could make a difference. The gum could also be "almost" the same.
          Can't say for sure.
          Yeah, for Pirelli also the old P zero.

          #5559
  11. Pedro Neves archived

    There´s going to be some serious arguing and yelling at Pirelli's and Yokohama's, since they went off the top 20 and the full test...

    #5551
    1. TyreReviews Pedro Neves archived

      At least it was the previous gen P Zero, not the new PZ4!

      #5552
        1. Kolemjdouci Lulu Bulu archived

          They bought it under known title "P Zero" in the shop anonymously like all others.
          They simulated purchase of a normal consumer (not a professional client).

          #5556
          1. Lulu Bulu Kolemjdouci archived

            What do you mean? Couldn't they ask for the new pz4? It's a different tyre. I'm not a pirelli fan but I think it's not fair. It's like asking for the Conti premium contact and getting the 5 no questions asked.

            #5557
            1. MDGTI Lulu Bulu archived

              I don't get it either. When looking for tyres I have no idea if it's an updated version or not. That's the problem with the p zero there is nothing to indicate if it's the pz4 or not. In any case a tyre shouldn't get worse but some how they do vary a lot. Not sure if tyre size makes a big difference or not.

              #5574
        2. TyreReviews Lulu Bulu archived

          It's perhaps more likely that in this size, at the time of test (last summer!) the PZ4 might not have been available, so they chose to test the older pattern instead rather than exclude it

          #5560
          1. Scour TyreReviews archived

            They wrote the PZ4 was tested in this dimension a year ago and it was much better

            https://www.tyrereviews.co....

            But it´s still strange. I bought the old P Zero in 2015, in that year it dominated in wet braking in two magazines, different size. In one test it the 2nd tyre needed over 3m more, in other test around 2m more.

            Can´t believe other tyres now are so much better now, so it means the P Zero is more worse now?

            Here is the test in another size in 2019

            https://www.tyrereviews.co....

            Very good in important points

            #5563
            1. TyreReviews Scour archived

              Sometimes tyre manufacturers have variable quality between factories, but I doubt this is the case with Pirelli. Unless in this size they've made a compound update to improve wear, at the expense of wet grip, I'm a bit stumped!

              #5564
              1. Mohamed Shalaby TyreReviews archived

                Pirelli have variable quality between factories.

                #5565
              2. Scour TyreReviews archived

                I remember some years ago the ADAC-magazine test the P1 Verde, made in Romania and Turkey. The romanian Tyres were much better than the turkish.

                But Pirelli said some weeks later it was because the romanian plant had already the new producition process, the turkish plant get it later.

                But still, the tyres don´t get so much better in a few years, so the P Zero must be getting worse

                #5566