When summer is just around the corner, people also like to use their cars for excursions. Driving towards the sun on dry roads is more pleasant than having to deal with (potential) black ice. So it’s time to put on the right summer tires!
consider the rim size when choosing the right tires. Fuel efficiency class is also of interest for thrifty driversclass A causes no additional consumption, class B requires 0.1 liters more per 100 kilometers and class E already devours 0.14 liters more per 100 kilometers. Our product table tells you what else you need to know when buying a summer tire!
Summer tire recommendations
Pirelli P zero XL FSL
Continental premiumcontact 6 FR
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Buying advice: how to find the right product in our summer tire comparison 2022
- Not sure if the tire is any good? On the tire sidewall find the uniform tire quality grade (UTQG) indicated, which gives information about the quality of the tire.
- Unsure about the grip of the tire? The traction rating tells you: AA are the best summer tires, A and B are okay, C the worst tires still allowed in germany.
- This and many other interesting facts, especially about the purchase of summer tires, can be found here.
The season for summer or winter tires cannot be precisely determined with a date, since the mounting of the tires is linked to the weather conditions. Drivers must fit appropriate tires in the winter months, this regulates the "situational winter tires" the road traffic regulations § 2, abs. 3a. One thing is certain: driving summer tires in winter is forbidden – and can be expensive. Many drivers therefore leave their winter tires on the rims all year round. Four reasons why you should still drive with summer tires in summer:
- At high temperatures, the surface of the winter tires becomes very unstable and the driving characteristics deteriorate.
- In the ADAC tire test, it was found that braking forces are transferred to the road much less effectively in spring-like outside temperatures and also in summer heat – the braking distance is significantly longer.
- the rubber compound of winter tires is designed to still be soft enough to build grip at low temperatures. In summer, the compound becomes so soft that it wears down noticeably faster – resulting in higher wear and tear.
- The softer rubber compound results in higher rolling resistance, and this also results in increased fuel consumption.
Those who save on summer tires not only save at the wrong end, but also endanger themselves and other road users. This buying guide for the year 2021 / 2022 will help you find the best summer tire for you. Our summer tire comparison and the links to extensive summer tire tests show you the way to buying the right summer tire.
1. What is the interesting history of the car tire??
1.1. Small rubber tire time table
car tires from dandelion
Rubber was in short supply in the early twentieth century, especially after the first world war. Therefore, the plan was made to grow dandelions on a large scale – after all, the root of the dandelion contains 7% rubber.
1844: american charles goodyear files a patent on the vulcanization of rubber.
1888: scotsman john dunlop patents a simple pneumatic bicycle tire.
1895: frenchman edouard michelin achieves an economic breakthrough with the introduction of a pneumatic tire with a tube.
1904: continental is the first company in the world to produce a "treaded tire for automobiles.
Did you know..? continental is not only known as the first tire manufacturer, and incidentally germany’s most important producer of tires, but has now become one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers, with 220.000 employees at over 200 locations in 53 countries.
1.2. The dark beginnings of the car tire
Until the pneumatic tire as we know it today became established, vehicles were equipped with solid tires. Compared to the wooden wheels with metal rings that were common before, this was a decisive advance in terms of ride comfort. This development has created a worldwide, large demand for rubber, the raw material for rubber tires. Rubber was mainly extracted from the rubber tree, which grew in Southeast Asia, South America and Africa.
1.3. Rubber shortage
Sap extraction from the rubber tree – the basis of rubber production.
the belgian crown prince leopold louis philippe marie victor from the house of saxony-coburg and gotha had ascended the throne in 1865 and started to found colonies on the african continent. along the congo river, it appropriated large tracts of land – today’s democratic republic of the congo. He founded leopoldville, today’s capital kinshasa. Starting there, he built mission stations, schools, roads and rail lines – with disastrous consequences for Belgium’s public finances. The beginning of the rubber boom through the tire industry opened up a profitable opportunity for the belgians to improve their budget. However, the companies involved squeezed ever-growing quotas of rubber from the Congolese population with unprecedented brutality – creating a chapter of Belgian colonial history that no one likes to talk about today – the Congo atrocities.
Nowadays, tires are mainly made from synthetic rubber. Natural rubber is grown and collected in orderly plantations. So you don’t have to have a bad conscience if you change your tires in spring.
2. Which brands and manufacturers recommend summer tire tests?
2.1. The founders
In the time table you can see four names, all of which have become large, globally active companies. Dunlop, goodyear, michelin and continental are still the world’s most important tire brands, along with pirelli. For decades, the global market for car and motorcycle tires remained firmly in the hands of european and american companies.
2.2. Competition from Asia
The GTu warns against the model federal SS 595. The long braking distance with this tire can cost lives in a critical situation!
With bridgestone and yokohama, the japanese entered the market first, followed later by china, indonesia and south korea. Chinese tires were initially conspicuous for their radically low prices and poor quality. 225/45 R17 summer tires were tested by the GTu technical inspection agency. Two standard golf GTI were the test vehicles.
The test took place on a designated tire test track. In the braking test, the cheap tires failed mercilessly -compared to the reference tire from dunlop. With aquaplaning or. They performed miserably in the wet, by making the test vehicles float. tires for passenger cars from china are therefore not recommended. However, tires from asia are not always bad. Hankook from South Korea or GT radial from Indonesia can certainly keep up in terms of quality.
3. Is there a summer tire test winner?
stiftung warentest conducts new tests for summer and winter tires almost every year, but all-weather tires are also regularly tested. other institutes and portals also conduct tests every year: in the autobild test, the continental summer tire premium contact took the trophy. ADAC tested tires especially for SUVs. The winner here was efficient grip from goodyear. Models like the fuel-saving 205 55 R16 summer tire are also popular.
The advantages of summer tires over all-season tires:
-
advantages
- Better road grip in summer
- Less tire rolling noise
- Improved driving comfort
- Less wear in summer
-
disadvantages
- Costs for changing tires
- Unused wheels have to be stored
4. What questions are often asked?
4.1. How old can summer tires be??
the legislator does not prescribe a maximum age for car tires. However, as the material deteriorates over time, TuV and ADAC advise that tires should be replaced after six years at the latest. the u.s. department of transportation has standardized a number code – the so-called DOT number. In addition to some coded data about the place of production, the last four digits indicate the time of manufacture. A tire with the digits 2314 was manufactured in the 23. Calendar week of the year 2014 produced.
4.2. How long do summer tires last??
Sometimes the choice can seem overwhelming.
This depends on your driving style and the number of kilometers you drive per year. If you want to drive for a long time with your summer tires, you should refrain from violent acceleration, heavy, unnecessary braking, and fast cornering. With a calm and balanced driving style, the tires will last for three or four summers.
however, frequent drivers will have to change their tires beforehand. Tires quickly wear out if you drive a car for sport. By the way, make sure that the tires are not driven down completely. The law requires a tread depth of at least 1.6 mm for summer tires.
4.3. How much tread do new summer tires have?
When you buy new summer tires, they always have at least seven millimeters of tread.
Small tip: if you have little space, it is best to have your summer wheels stored at a tire dealer over the winter. This costs a small fee, but saves you space in the garage.
4.4. When to buy summer tires?
To get summer tires at a reasonable price, it is advisable to go shopping as early as autumn. When winter approaches and drivers switch to winter tires, dealers often want to get rid of their stock. Whether you want to buy just the tires, complete wheels or the aluminum rims, autumn is the best time to do it. The situation is different if you don’t have the space to store your summer tires with rims over the winter: then you should buy them just before the change in the spring.
4.5. From when summer tires?
Even if the house rule recommends "from easter", you should rather wait. The legislator says in this regard in § 2 abs. 3a stvo: "in icy, slippery, slushy, icy or slippery road conditions, a motor vehicle may only be driven with tires that meet the requirements specified in annex II no. 2.2 of the council directive 92/23/EEC of 31. March 1992 meet the characteristics described (M+s tires)". So if it snows again after easter – which is normal in southern germany and in the mountains – you must leave your car or truck with summer tires on, otherwise you could be fined.
4.6. What does the marking on the summer tire – 215 55 R16 mean??
the first three digits describe the width of the tire in millimeters. The middle two digits indicate the ratio between sidewall height of the tire and the width in percent. The letter ‘R’ stands for radial – this category applies to all tires in 2021 / 2022. The last two digits indicate the diameter of the required rim in inches. The above mentioned tire is 22.5 cm wide, 11.8 cm high, and fits on rims with 16 inch diameter. Usually, this designation is followed by the load index and a code for the maximum permitted speed (for example, V for speeds up to 210 km/h).
Can reduce fuel consumption
X often slightly higher rolling noise
X in winter not as good as a winter tire, in summer not as good as a summer tire
Best liability for fast cornering
X very expensive
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currently available from 64,56 € » to the amazon offer" to the ebay offer |
| load index | 88 |
| speed index | H |
| how do continental contipremiumcontact 5 summer tires perform when braking on wet roads?? | The continental contipremiumcontact 5 summer tire has particularly good wet grip thanks to newly developed technology. Both on wet and dry roads, very short braking distances are achieved with these summer tires. |
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currently available from 48,58 € » go to amazon offer" to the ebay-offer |
| load index | 91 |
| speed index | H |
| how does the dunlop sport bluresponse summer tire perform in a test with other comparable summer tires?? | The dunlop sport bluresponse achieves the best score in the test on dry roads with relatively low fuel consumption; in the wet, it delivers somewhat weaker test values. |
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currently available from 103,09 € » to the amazon offer" to the ebay-offer |
| load index | 92 |
| speed index | Y |
| what is behind the "dynamic response" of the summer tire michelin pilot sport 4 EL FSL?? | The dynamic response technology developed by michelin for the michelin pilot sport 4 EL FSL summer tire enables optimum steering response. This is achieved by a layer of aramid-nylon compound (very high tensile fiber) in the tire structure. |
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currently available from 60,84 € » to the amazon offer" to the ebay offer |
| load index | 91 |
| speed index | V |
| how does the hankook ventus prime 2 K115 summer tire perform on wet roads?? | The tread design of the hankook ventus prime 2 K115 is inspired by the fangs of a jaguar and ensures maximum grip on wet roads. The design also provides a 20% shorter braking distance in wet conditions. |
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currently available from 71,19 € » to the amazon offer" to the ebay offer |
| load index | 91 |
| speed index | H |
| what does the class B wet grip rating of the pirelli cinturato P1 summer tire mean?? | Class B wet grip means that the braking distance of the pirelli cinturato P1 summer tire is three meters longer in the wet than in the dry. |
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currently available from 100,48 » to the amazon offer" to the ebay offer |
| load index | 98 |
| speed index | Y |
| how does the bridgestone TURANZA T005 summer tire perform on wet roads?? | The TuV certifies the bridgestone TURANZA T005 summer tire very good wet performance and braking performance in the wet and a wet grip class A. Class A wet grip means no increase in braking distance compared to dry roads. |
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currently available from 89,98 € » to the amazon offer" to the ebay offer |
| load index | 88 |
| speed index | H |
| how does the summer tire continental premiumcontact 6 FR behave when cornering at higher speeds?? | Thanks to an optimized tread design, the continental premiumcontact 6 FR summer tire has high cornering stability and guarantees maximum vehicle control even when cornering at higher speeds. |
the summer tire comparison gives an overview of the entire range of manufacturers in the summer tire category?
We attach great importance to offering an overview of the entire range of summer tires in our summer tire comparison. that’s why we offer summer tires from 7 different manufacturers. More information"
What is the price of the most expensive summer tire considered in the comparison??
The most expensive summer tire from our comparison costs approx. 50 euros and offers convincing product features in return. If you value high quality, you should also take a look at our comparative winner pirelli P zero XL FSL for approx. 159 euro throw. More information"
Which summer tire from the product comparison has prompted the most customers to write a review so far??
the continental premiumcontact 6 FR is the summer tire in the product comparison that prompted the most customers to leave a review: the total of ca. 750 customer testimonials can help to form a differentiated picture of the product. More information"
How often could the editorial team award the top rating "VERY GOOD" to a tire? award to a summer tire from the product comparison?
According to the strict criteria of our editors, the top score "VERY GOOD" could not be achieved be awarded not only once, but 11 times. These 11 summer tires earned the top rating: pirelli P zero XL FSL , continental sportcontact 6 XL , continental premiumcontact 6 FR , bridgestone TURANZA T005 , dunlop 532674 SP sport maxx RT 2 , michelin pilot sport 4 EL FSL , michelin primacy 4 , nexen N’fera primus , nexen N’fera SU1 XL , NEXEN N8000 XL and hankook ventus prime 2 K115 . More information"