Dino Eisele Summer tire test 2015 (235/35 R19)
30.03.2015
The readers of s port auto , as we know from our surveys, make no compromises. The best or nothing! No wonder that the top brands are the main focus when choosing tires. The information on the EU label that has been affixed to every tire since 2012 is also one of the deciding factors for purchase. Here you can find information on the rolling resistance, wet grip and rolling noise of a tire, A stands for the best, F for the worst category. The result: especially easy-running wetness specialists are increasingly being developed for advantageous labeling. In view of this, does the dry performance that is important for sports drivers fall by the wayside? We want to check that in our summer tire test 2015.
Pirelli P Zero the wet king in the summer tire test 2015
The dream grade 'AA' is given to sporty sizes like 235/35 R19Y far from the physical trade-off between low rolling resistance and the best wet grip. The Dunlop Sportmaxx and the Continental SportContact 5 P already create a realistic 'CA' label among the sports tires. The Nokian Z-Line, the new Hankook Ventus S1 Evo² and the Pirelli P follow with 'EA', i.e. slightly higher rolling resistance -Zero. The Bridgestone Potenza S 001 and the inexpensive Kumho Ecsta PS 91 start a wet grip and rolling resistance class worse with 'F-B' for comparison.
The classification of the tires in the respective label classes is carried out by the manufacturers themselves. Can you rely on the information in practice? In fact, the label's worst Kumho and Bridgestone miss the others in our summer tire test 2015 with 39.8 and 37.5 meters of braking distance from 80 km /h Development work to be done. Better: Dunlops Sportmaxx RT, whose exemplary low rolling resistance has to be used to save honor. In our summer tire test 2015 with around 35 meters then absolutely in the green A range: Nokian Z-Line, Hankook Ventus S1 Evo² PS 91 and Continental SportContact 5P, only braked by the wet king Pirelli P Zero, which has a braking distance that is two meters shorter can lift the asphalt.
Sports tires size 235/35 R19 in the driving dynamics check
What else can we do with the Read tire label? Right, the road noise and the rolling resistance.While the specified dB values are fortunately undercut by everyone, the indication of the rolling resistance is obviously interpreted a bit more tolerantly. Bridgestone tends to exaggerate a bit here, while Dunlop, Kumho and Nokian would have deserved a class better according to our measurements in the 2015 summer tire test.
The label is silent about the driving dynamics. But we don't: in six individual disciplines, we put the seven top tires to the test in the wet alone. First in the lead in the 2015 summer tire test: the recently revised Pirelli P Zero. When it comes to wet grip, it cannot be topped: the P-Zero-tyred VW Golf R impresses with its neutral handling, reacts reliably to targeted load changes, but reaches its limits in heavy rain and deep puddles - here the sports tire lacks tread depth.
The Continental SportContact 5 P plows through the water with slightly less grip when braking and cornering, but without aquaplaning weaknesses, makes high speeds easily manageable with a slight understeer tendency with calculable load change reactions - a clear 10 in wet handling! Hankook follows a blink of an eye behind with the Ventus S1 Evo² K 117: Excellent aquaplaning safety in our summer tire test 2015, high grip level and good-natured handling properties with a wide limit range make the new Hankook Ventus S1 Evo² a safe all-rounder.
Summer tire test 2015 on the Race Track
Can the wet specialists take their lead on the Defend a dust-dry and demanding race track? The Kumho can catch up a lot here, with decent steering precision, super lateral guidance and balanced, active handling, the Korean even approaches the level of the top group. Bridgestones Potenza does not really succeed with a narrow limit range and poor steering precision. The Nokian, on the other hand, is easy to control and safe at all times in the 2015 summer tire test, but its compound is too soft for fast lap times on the brisk course, so it tends to understeer.
No less safe and even more A little bit better: the particularly quiet and low rolling resistance Dunlop Sportmaxx RT - more elegant restraint really doesn’t have to be with a sports tire.
The top positions in this densely packed field are made up of the already convincing Conti, Hankook and Pirelli : With razor-sharp handling, the best steering feedback, exact load change reactions and fast lap times, the SportContact pushes itself to the top, closely followed by the newcomer Hankook. Itare only tenths with which the Hanoverian can break away during lap times, through more dynamic steering response or a more stable rear end when changing lanes.
Three strong profiles in the lead
And the Pirelli P Zero? It can keep up with precision and dynamics, but not with the lap times on the demanding circuit. The reason is likely to be found in the hot asphalt and its soft mix. Nevertheless, Pirelli snatches the test victory in the highly weighted dry braking from the nose of the two handling cracks: 32.8 meters! Hankook and Conti are only two meters later.
The wet specialists of the sport auto summer tire test 2015 are therefore hard to beat even in the dry. Apart from the rolling resistance, compromises are negligible. Some vehicle manufacturers see it differently. In order to define the driving characteristics of your models on wet and dry roads even more precisely and to meet the company's own requirements for fuel economy and tire durability, special tires are often developed together with the vehicles.
These summer tires with OE specification ( Original equipment) are often specially adapted to the special requirements of these cars in terms of their mix and construction and can differ significantly from the tested standard tires despite the same type designations. They can be recognized by small additional abbreviations on the tire sidewall.
For example, AR and ARR stand for OE tires for Alfa Romeo, AO, RO1 and RO2 for Audi, an asterisk for BMW, K1 for Ferrari, L for Lamborghini, LS for Lotus, MC for McLaren, MO and MOE for Mercedes and N0, N1 and N2 for Porsche. OE tires may also be used on other vehicles, but no reliable predictions can be made about their performance. It is doubtful that a Pirelli P Zero optimized for the Alfa-4C rear axle can also perform at its best on the Golf R. It certainly has little in common with the sport auto test winner.
This is how we tested the 2015 summer tire test
To ensure the best possible accuracy and reliable results , as far as practicable, all tests in this summer tire test 2015 will be carried out several times. In all criteria, the products are rated according to a previously defined model. In principle, the best summer tire in a test receives the maximum possible score of 10 points. The evaluation scheme follows a progressive mathematical function, which ensures that even high-quality products that are closely spaced in terms of their properties can be assessed with sufficient selectivity.
This scheme applies equally to the objective assessment by measuring devices as to the subjective rating by the experienced test drivers, which comes into play when assessing comfort and handling, for example. At theHandling on wet or dry tracks leads to a balanced, safe driving behavior that corresponds to the expectations of the presumed target group to an optimal grade.
Insufficient grip or pronounced load change reactions in the border area lead to points being deducted. The aquaplaning tests, each separated in the longitudinal and transverse directions, provide information about the reaction of the tires, for example when driving through deep ruts. The level of the critical floating speed when driving straight ahead or the achievable lateral acceleration when driving through water according to VDA criteria should each show the safety reserves of the tires.
The rolling resistance of the tires is basically determined in two different test laboratories on roller dynamometers. The results are included in the evaluation as a mean value minus the specified tolerances. The assessment is based on the European legislation on tire labeling, which is also relevant for the tire label
In detail: The wheels in the test
The VW Golf R was equipped with accessory wheels from Borbet for the driving tests and race track tests. The attractive, flow-forming rims with five double spokes are currently available in 19-inch sizes, painted in sterling silver. With various offsets and bolt circles, the wheels also fit many Audi and Mercedes models in the compact, medium and luxury class. The price per wheel (RRP) is around 239 euros.
With 17-inch tires, the possible braking deceleration is generally a little higher, the differences between the individual competitors are smaller. In dry conditions, the Bridgestone dominates, which also shows high braking power in wet conditions, but lands just behind the Continental Valley. The aquaplaning tests on straight roads prove that the larger tire width has certain disadvantages in the wet. It accelerates on a seven millimeter thick film of water until slip on the drive wheels signals that the tire is floating and thus losing contact with the ground. The measured values relate to a slip of 15 percent. They reveal very significant differences. The Goodyear and the Vredestein deserve the best rating among the 16-inchers, all other tires still score “good”. With the 245s in 17-inch format, a better rating is not possible anyway. Bridgestone and Continental are falling sharply. The Conti in particular, whose floating speed is 14.2 km /h below that of the frontrunner Dunlop, makes a slip that leaves it far behind in the overall standings. The Conti also does not do well when it comes to aquaplaning in bends, where the maximum lateral acceleration is measured when driving through a puddle. The driving characteristics on wet roads are only marginal with the 16-inch tiresRecognize differences, which of course is also due to the fact that the front-wheel drive Audi generally has a pronounced good-naturedness. The Bridgestone qualifies as the best, not only mastering the circuit as the fastest, but also showing very precise driving behavior with a low tendency to understeer.
The Mercedes E 500, which, like the Audi, completes the handling test with ESP switched off, in order to make the differences between the tires more recognizable, however, clearly emphasizes that the choice of tires for a strong rear-wheel drive vehicle has a far greater influence on the driving characteristics. The Dunlop and the Pirelli are in a class of their own in the wet. They remain neutral over a wide range, react very precisely to the steering and show a very smooth, easily manageable transition to oversteer when high power is used. The Conti and the Bridgestone also show good driving behavior, while the Michelin drops. With it, the Mercedes tends to violently understeer and breaks immediately with the rear when accelerating out of curves. The worst time by far on the handling course also underlines that the Michelin's lateral guidance does not quite reach the high level of its competitors. With its first-class braking power, the Michelin nevertheless takes first place. Bridgestone, Dunlop and Pirelli are closely behind with the same overall rating, only the Continental clearly falls behind. A similar head-to-head race also emerges with the 16-inch tires: Goodyear, Dunlop and Semperit are on par, but cannot endanger Bridgestone, who clearly sets the standards. The bottom line here is the Vredestein, where only the aquaplaning properties can really convince.
