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2021 Motor Summer Tyre Test

Jonathan Benson
Data analyzed and reviewed by Jonathan Benson
6 min read Updated
Below are all the data points for the 2021 Motor 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 Blue
Debica Presto UHP2
Nokian PowerProof
Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2
Laufenn S Fit EQ Plus
Continental Premium Contact 6
Bridgestone Turanza T005
Imperial Ecosport 2
Maxxis Premitra HP5
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5

Quick Navigation

Dry Performance Overview

Dry Braking (M)

Spread: 4.60 M (13.3%) | Avg: 35.95 M

Dry braking in meters (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Continental Premium Contact 6 with a result of 34.5 M. The difference between best and worst was 11.8%.
  1. Continental Premium Contact 6
    34.5 M
  2. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
    34.9 M
  3. Nokian PowerProof
    35.3 M
  4. Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2
    35.5 M
  5. Bridgestone Turanza T005
    35.5 M
  6. Debica Presto UHP2
    35.6 M
  7. Laufenn S Fit EQ Plus
    35.9 M
  8. Maxxis Premitra HP5
    36.1 M
  9. Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue
    37.1 M
  10. Imperial Ecosport 2
    39.1 M

Dry Handling (s)

Spread: 1.50 s (2.7%) | Avg: 56.99 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
    56.1 s
  2. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
    56.2 s
  3. Bridgestone Turanza T005
    56.8 s
  4. Laufenn S Fit EQ Plus
    56.9 s
  5. Nokian PowerProof
    57 s
  6. Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2
    57.2 s
  7. Maxxis Premitra HP5
    57.2 s
  8. Imperial Ecosport 2
    57.3 s
  9. Debica Presto UHP2
    57.6 s
  10. Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue
    57.6 s

Subj. Dry Handling ( Points)

Spread: 0.75 Points (10.7%) | Avg: 6.55 Points

Subjective Dry Handling Score (Higher is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Continental Premium Contact 6 with a result of 7 Points. The difference between best and worst was 10.7%.
  1. Continental Premium Contact 6
    7 Points
  2. Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue
    6.7 Points
  3. Laufenn S Fit EQ Plus
    6.7 Points
  4. Bridgestone Turanza T005
    6.55 Points
  5. Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2
    6.5 Points
  6. Nokian PowerProof
    6.5 Points
  7. Maxxis Premitra HP5
    6.5 Points
  8. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
    6.4 Points
  9. Imperial Ecosport 2
    6.4 Points
  10. Debica Presto UHP2
    6.25 Points

Wet Performance Overview

Wet Braking (M)

Spread: 9.40 M (19.5%) | Avg: 52.35 M

Wet braking in meters (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Continental Premium Contact 6 with a result of 48.1 M. The difference between best and worst was 16.3%.
  1. Continental Premium Contact 6
    48.1 M
  2. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
    49.3 M
  3. Nokian PowerProof
    50.3 M
  4. Bridgestone Turanza T005
    51.2 M
  5. Maxxis Premitra HP5
    51.3 M
  6. Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2
    51.9 M
  7. Laufenn S Fit EQ Plus
    53.7 M
  8. Debica Presto UHP2
    53.8 M
  9. Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue
    56.4 M
  10. Imperial Ecosport 2
    57.5 M

Wet Handling (s)

Spread: 7.60 s (8.7%) | Avg: 90.96 s

Wet handling time in seconds (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Continental Premium Contact 6 with a result of 87.2 s. The difference between best and worst was 8%.
  1. Continental Premium Contact 6
    87.2 s
  2. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
    88.5 s
  3. Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2
    89.7 s
  4. Bridgestone Turanza T005
    90 s
  5. Maxxis Premitra HP5
    90.4 s
  6. Debica Presto UHP2
    90.4 s
  7. Nokian PowerProof
    90.4 s
  8. Laufenn S Fit EQ Plus
    93.6 s
  9. Imperial Ecosport 2
    94.6 s
  10. Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue
    94.8 s

Straight Aqua (Km/H)

Spread: 5.81 Km/H (5.9%) | Avg: 94.55 Km/H

Float Speed in Km/H (Higher is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Imperial Ecosport 2 with a result of 98.1 Km/H. The difference between best and worst was 5.9%.
  1. Imperial Ecosport 2
    98.1 Km/H
  2. Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2
    95.19 Km/H
  3. Nokian PowerProof
    94.94 Km/H
  4. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
    94.8 Km/H
  5. Bridgestone Turanza T005
    94.8 Km/H
  6. Maxxis Premitra HP5
    94.4 Km/H
  7. Debica Presto UHP2
    94.11 Km/H
  8. Continental Premium Contact 6
    94.01 Km/H
  9. Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue
    92.82 Km/H
  10. Laufenn S Fit EQ Plus
    92.29 Km/H

Curved Aquaplaning (m/sec2)

Spread: 0.79 m/sec2 (23%) | Avg: 3.11 m/sec2

Remaining lateral acceleration (Higher is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 with a result of 3.43 m/sec2. The difference between best and worst was 23%.
  1. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
    3.43 m/sec2
  2. Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2
    3.39 m/sec2
  3. Imperial Ecosport 2
    3.27 m/sec2
  4. Nokian PowerProof
    3.27 m/sec2
  5. Bridgestone Turanza T005
    3.22 m/sec2
  6. Debica Presto UHP2
    3.17 m/sec2
  7. Maxxis Premitra HP5
    3.09 m/sec2
  8. Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue
    2.82 m/sec2
  9. Laufenn S Fit EQ Plus
    2.78 m/sec2
  10. Continental Premium Contact 6
    2.64 m/sec2

Comfort Performance Overview

Noise (dB)

Spread: 2.30 dB (3.3%) | Avg: 71.27 dB

External noise in dB (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Nokian PowerProof with a result of 70.6 dB. The difference between best and worst was 3.2%.
  1. Nokian PowerProof
    70.6 dB
  2. Debica Presto UHP2
    70.7 dB
  3. Maxxis Premitra HP5
    70.8 dB
  4. Imperial Ecosport 2
    70.9 dB
  5. Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue
    70.9 dB
  6. Laufenn S Fit EQ Plus
    71.1 dB
  7. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
    71.3 dB
  8. Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2
    71.5 dB
  9. Bridgestone Turanza T005
    72 dB
  10. Continental Premium Contact 6
    72.9 dB

Value Performance Overview

Price

Spread: 408.00 (174.4%) | Avg: 456.40

Price in local currency (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Imperial Ecosport 2. The difference between best and worst was 63.6%.
  1. Imperial Ecosport 2
    234
  2. Laufenn S Fit EQ Plus
    319
  3. Maxxis Premitra HP5
    376
  4. Debica Presto UHP2
    390
  5. Nokian PowerProof
    452
  6. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
    508
  7. Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2
    525
  8. Bridgestone Turanza T005
    546
  9. Continental Premium Contact 6
    572
  10. Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue
    642

Rolling Resistance (kg / t)

Spread: 2.25 kg / t (34.1%) | Avg: 7.94 kg / t

Rolling resistance in kg t (Lower is better)

Key Insight: The best performer was Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue with a result of 6.6 kg / t. The difference between best and worst was 25.4%.
  1. Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue
    6.6 kg / t
  2. Bridgestone Turanza T005
    7.12 kg / t
  3. Debica Presto UHP2
    7.76 kg / t
  4. Laufenn S Fit EQ Plus
    7.76 kg / t
  5. Continental Premium Contact 6
    7.96 kg / t
  6. Maxxis Premitra HP5
    8.12 kg / t
  7. Nokian PowerProof
    8.18 kg / t
  8. Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2
    8.2 kg / t
  9. Imperial Ecosport 2
    8.85 kg / t
  10. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
    8.85 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 Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 0%
3 Nokian PowerProof 0%
4 Bridgestone Turanza T005 0%
5 Dunlop SportMaxx RT 2 0%
6 Maxxis Premitra HP5 0%
7 Debica Presto UHP2 0%
8 Laufenn S Fit EQ Plus 0%
9 Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue 0%
10 Imperial Ecosport 2 0%

Discussion

13 comments
  1. S500 archived

    Which of these 5 tyres in 235/55R17 do you recon would be the most comfortable and quiet on an S-Class?

    Premium Contact 6
    Premium Contact 6 MO-V (Mercedes spec tyre but for the V-Class which is a Van)

    Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5
    Sport Maxx RT2 with NST (sound deadening foam)

    Primacy 4

    #6926
    1. TyreReviews S500 archived

      Interesting question, The Dunlop would probably be the quietest thanks to the foam but I would guess the Primacy 4 would give the best overall levels of NVH

      #6927
  2. Jan archived

    Hi Jonathan, do you have any idea, if Dunlop plan something new in 17"? Something like SP Sport Maxx 2 or SportMaxx RT 3. And they have also no all season tyre. In Dunlop is something frozen probably :-D

    #6885
    1. TyreReviews Jan archived

      Dunlop do have a new all season tyre! https://www.tyrereviews.com... they're just not pushing it.

      If you don't already know, Goodyear own Dunlop, but at the moment they are going through a phase of pushing Goodyear which is why a lot of the Dunlop tyres are the same as previous generation Goodyear tyres (RT2 = Asym 3)

      #6886
      1. Jan TyreReviews archived

        Thank you, I didn't notice new all season from Dunlop. Looks like siped summer, such a Vredestein way. I prefer directional pattern in winter.
        I know about ownership, but I like Dunlop more. So they should release something new due to the name Dunlop.
        I'm little bit confused with RT2. In some test is too much "eco" and in another is sporty. A had RT on Auris, and they were good tyres. Not best, but definitely not what some tests are saying.

        #6890
  3. Morten B' Andresen archived

    Which summer tires would you recommend for a 2015 VW Polo 1.4TSI BlueGT? Tire size is 215/40/R17.

    The new Continental EcoContact 6 looks good on paper, but can't find any test of it?

    #6878
  4. Philby archived

    So the Pirellis oh boy have they plummeted. I am wondering are there any new tyres planned to be unveiled later this year?

    #6871
    1. TyreReviews Philby archived

      As far as I'm aware there's nothing big and new this year other than the CrossClimate 2.

      Strange result for the Pirelli but I'm sure their next range of tyres will be much improved, as the updated P Zero PZ4 is

      #6873
      1. Philby TyreReviews archived

        I was wondering because I do 50.000km / year so I change annually. In 205/55/16 the last 5 years I have sampled efficient grip performance 1, primacy 3, T005, rainstorm 5 and premium contact 6. So I am running out of options for October. As of now I am thinking of e-primacy but haven't been tested yet. Also pirelli is a letdown and the venture prime 3 is pretty old as is the Dunlop blu response.

        #6875
        1. TyreReviews Philby archived

          EGP2 is worth a go if you've only used V1?

          #6881
          1. Philby TyreReviews archived

            From the 5 tyres I would only refit PC6 and T005. I am intrigued by the AE51 Yokohama the EFP2 well it is good no doubt but it seems the least sporty premium choice.

            #6882
            1. Kolemjdouci Philby archived

              If you do 50.000 km/year than you will not find longer lasting tyre than GY EGP2 and it really also is very fuel efficient. Second best lasting should be Michelin Primacy 4, according to tests. All in 205/55/16.
              My experience with GY EGP1 195/65 R15 is that they de facto pay themselves/pay off via fuel saved and long lasting endurance.
              P.S. E.g. UK petrol prices are now at an eight-year high.

              #7034
      2. Asier TyreReviews archived

        I read somewhere about the upcoming Conti SportContact 7. How real is that. If they are able to blend the good sportiness of the SC6 with the wear properties of the latest Contis, it should be a killer, don’t you think?

        #6876