Profile cross section: summer tire tests 2021

ADAC tested on golf 7 in the 205/55 R16 format and on audi A4 in the 225/50 R17 format.

  • Christian lorenz

Easter is tire change time. According to the usual rule, the summer tire season lasts from "O to O", i.e. from easter to october. For many drivers, therefore, the time has come to buy new summer tires. Every year therefore appear around can confuse with contradictory results at first more than help. Accurate classification of test results is more important than ever before.

Tire tests are carried out every season by the largest German-speaking automobile clubs ADAC, the oAMTC, Austria’s largest automobile club, and the touring club switzerland (TCS) in cooperation. tested this year in the dimensions 205/55 R16 (test vehicle: VW golf 7) and 225/50 R17 (audi A4). These tests are the reference in terms of data abundance and evaluation standards. If a tire is "dry" in one of the criteria, "wet", "wear and tear" and "fuel consumption not the grade "good it is downgraded to the worst individual score. In this way, the ADAC test ensures that "recommendable" vehicles tires deliver a good package in every respect.

The auto bild tested in the dimension 205/55 R16 on a VW golf 8, the size 215/60 R17 common for compact SUVs on jeep renegade and in the sports car format 265/35 ZR20 on ford mustang. Unfortunately, the reader is not informed about the auto bild no comprehensive test table provided. Three resp. Two inconsistent criteria with school grades (16-incher: "wet,dry, cost", SUV: "off-road, wet, dry", sport tires: "wet, dry") steam up the elaborate test into a comparatively undifferentiated distillate. Results that deviate from the ADAC test are unfortunately not comprehensible. However, the auto bild with a devaluation standard, the tires from a single grade "3" devalued in one safety-relevant criterion. Unfortunately, however, these individual criteria are not stated anywhere.

Test car with front-wheel drive

The society for technical monitoring (GTu) tested the dimension 225/45 R17 in cooperation with the european automobile club ACE and the second largest austrian traffic club ARBo (auto-, motor- und radfahrerbund osterreich). This dimension is common in compact class models (VW platform MQB, peugeot 308, BMW 1 Series, Mercedes A and B Class) as well as in the middle class (A4, BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C Class). test vehicle was the golf 8. GTu and ACE provide a table with detailed individual criteria, but not quite as profound as those of ADAC, oAMTC and TCS. In addition, the GTu traditionally weights the price so heavily that under certain circumstances the technically best tire does not become the overall winner.

GTu table requires in-depth evaluation

The criterion "technical characteristics" is of decisive importance in the GTu test. It is advisable to compare individual criteria on the basis of the table and, in the case of unexpected results such as the test winner nexen N’fera, to use the ADAC/oAMTC table in the, albeit not quite identical, dimension 225/50 R17 as a cross-check. There is also interesting additional information in the text.

Summer tire tests 2021 (6 pictures)

Profile cross section: summer tire tests 2021

ADAC, oAMTC and TCS measuring consumption on the audi A4 circuit.

The Taiwanese tire maxxis premitra 5, rated "highly recommended" in the final result, is also the tire with the longest braking distance in the test. With the worse rated michelin premacy 4, the golf stops 8.6 m earlier from 100 km/h in the wet. Although the maxxis wins the aquaplaning rating by a wide margin, i.e. it can be kept precisely on the road in the rain for the longest time. Nevertheless, we would not go for the tire with the longest braking distances.

All-rounder from continental

Generally speaking, the same tread pattern in different formats can have very different properties. Some tires are ideal for a specific format. But there are also tires that were consistently among the best in the overall view of all tests in all formats. The continental premiumcontact 6 is one of these winners.

In the dimension 205/55 R16, the continental premiumcontact 6 is test winner at the ADAC and second at the car picture. In the 225/50 R17 format, the continental comes second in the major ADAC test. Especially the wet performance is highlighted in all tests. But even on dry roads, the continental is consistently among the best tires. In the GTu test, the premiumcontact even achieved the shortest braking distance (from 100 km/h) of 34.5 m on a dry road surface.

the korean tire kumho ecsta HS51 is certified by the testers of car picture and the car clubs also excellent wet properties. With the car picture it even becomes test winner in the dimension 205/55 R16. However, the ADAC and its partners gave the kumho an overall rating of "satisfactory" due to weaknesses in dry handling from. The GTu does not test the kumho.

the bridgestone turanza T005 was also not tested by the GTu. In all other tests in the formats 205/55 R16 and 225/50 R17 it belongs however at least to the top four of the test field. In contrast to the kumho, the bridgestone is clearly at its best on dry roads, where it provides the front-wheel-drive models from the VW group with sporty, precise handling and short braking distances. In the wet, it is one of the good, if not very good tires.

endurance runners from michelin and goodyear

The michelin primacy 4 is also always in front, but leaves an inconsistent picture. GTu (225/45 R17), it achieves the shortest wet braking distance of 48 m. In the big test by ADAC, oAMTC and TCS (225/50 R17), the michelin is the best in the dry. However, it is downgraded to "satisfactory" due to weaknesses in aquaplaning. In the 205/55 R16 size, the car picture on the other hand with it an imprecise handling on dry dry road on.

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