The biggest challenge for the summer tires is the wet road . The test therefore investigated how the tire is controlled on slippery wet surfaces, how long the braking distance is, whether dangerous aquaplaning, etc. Control, braking distance and driving stability were also evaluated in dry runs. We also tested wear (thousands of kilometers on the test instrument and the test convoy), the impact on fuel consumption and tire noise.
The results of this year's test of 14-inch tires surprised. "In previous years, more expensive products of the so-called premium brands have been at the top of the table. This time the situation is different. Two cheaper brands of brands Falken and Semperit were placed on the top slots. The only premium brand that keeps pace with the winner is Dunlop with the SP Street Response 2 model. However, its rating has moderated the average wet performance, especially in terms of handling and directional guidance, " commented Michal Mikoláš, editor of dTest.
Sava Perfecta was the worst among the fourteen, due to poor maneuverability, long braking distance and poor directional guidance on the wet. Wet performance was the biggest surprise. Most of the gums did not please, just praised Falken Sincera SN832 Ecorun, Semperit Comfort-Life 2 and Continental PremiumContact 5 .
Negative fourteen is a relatively low life. More than 30,000 km in the test, only Goodyear, Kleber, Pneumant, Vredestein and Fulda were offensive. Worst tires last only about 20,000 km. Why is that so? "The reason for a certain laxity of the manufacturers is their assumption that these relatively small tires will be used especially on small cars that are used as a second car in the household - for example, to buy or bring children to school. Such cars have a much shorter annual raid, so a shorter lifetime does not cause such trouble as busy cars, " says Michal Mikoláš.
There are not so many surprises among the 16-inch tires. Michelin, Bridgestone and Continental have won the reputation of more expensive premium tires. They won the Michelin Primacy 3 tires , which had the best durability between this year's tires tested. A fair price is offered by Firestone Roadhawk due to its overall quality. " Infinity Ecosis and Vredestein Sportrac 5 are at the other end of the ladder. Both of them collapsed in the high-speed test. So do not drive on German highways, " says Mikoláš.
If your head hurts, it is not just your car's drive unit, air resistance, or rugged road surface. It can also be the properties of tires. The sound effects of the tested tires were assessed from two points of view - external and internal noise. The frame was subjectively evaluated by two experts. On the asphalt and concrete surfaces of the known Contidrom test track, the evaluators let the car with the engine off at a speed of between 30 and 80 km / h. The best mark did not bring any gum, at least two experts awarded the fourteen Goodyear EfficientGrip Compact, Firestone Multihawk 2 and Sava Perfecta, but also sixteen-caliber Michelin Primacy 3, Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance, Nexen N'blue HD Plus and Vredestein Sportrac 5.
The results of the external noise were very balanced in both size categories. Unfortunately, the most common mark was enough . Absolutely the most decibels are driven by Firestone Roadhawk and Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue. Complete results of the test can be found in the March issue of dTest and on www.dtest.cz.
Source: tz, edited editorially
