The results of the first tire test from Die Reifentester have been released

The process of conducting tire tests is quite complex and time-consuming, and new players in this field appear rarely. However, in 2024, the German portal Die Reifentester presented the results of their first tests. In reality, the creators of Die Reifentester are not newcomers, as Dirk Winken and Joachim Fischer previously tested tires for the magazine Gute Fahrt, and they were joined by Michael Blumenstein from the publication Auto Flotte.

In their first test, eight summer models of the "comfort" class in size 225/45 R17 were compared. The experts evaluated not only the driving characteristics on dry and wet surfaces but also comfort (smoothness and noise in the cabin) and economy. Particular attention, as in other similar tests, was paid to the balance of characteristics, although safety, of course, is of key importance.

According to the results of the first test, Die Reifentester recognized the premium-class tires Continental PremiumContact 7 and Pirelli Cinturato P7 (P7C2) as the best, both of which received a rating of "Very Good". The Continental PC7 tires have been showing excellent results in independent tests this year, and in the new test, they received the highest rating in all four key disciplines, which evaluated handling and braking efficiency on dry and wet asphalt. At the same time, the tires have some drawbacks, such as increased noise and not the best fuel efficiency, but the weight of the assessments in these disciplines, logically, was lower than in those related to safety. Pirelli's tires have excellent economy and comfort, and they also performed almost flawlessly on dry and wet tracks (only the braking distance on the latter was slightly longer than that of Continental), but their result was not perfect due to relatively weak resistance to aquaplaning.

The experts gave a rating of "Good" to three tires: Firestone Roadhawk 2, Michelin Primacy 4+, and Vredestein Ultrac. In this trio, only Michelin did not allow themselves obvious weaknesses in any discipline, which speaks to balanced characteristics. Meanwhile, Firestone had increased noise, and Vredestein had relatively long braking distances on both wet and dry surfaces, which is much more important.

Next are the Falken Ziex ZE310 Ecorun (the Falken Ziex ZE320 model has already replaced it) and Nokian Wetproof 1 with an overall rating of "Satisfactory". These tires do not have serious drawbacks, but Falken has not the highest grip on wet asphalt, and Nokian should improve the braking quality of their tires.

The rating is closed by the Triangle EffeXSport TH202 tires, which can provide good handling on dry roads and effectively counteract aquaplaning. However, they were unable to receive a high rating in any of the other disciplines. There are claims to comfort and fuel efficiency, but especially weakly, the tires showed themselves in tests of handling and braking efficiency on wet surfaces.

As noted in DR, although Triangle tires "attract with an unprecedentedly low price, their result once again confirms that 'you get what you pay for,' and the surprisingly good resistance to aquaplaning cannot compensate for the obvious lack of grip when braking and maneuvering on a wet road, affecting safety." "Most likely, the Chinese, who have already proven their ability to learn quickly in many areas, will present really good tires on the market in the medium term, but in 2024, this clearly does not apply to Triangle," the experts stated.

It remains to add that the UHP tires Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 participated in the test outside of the competition. As expected, they performed well in the track disciplines (although Continental was still more efficient overall), but demonstrated only an average level of comfort and economy.