Summer tire test by Die Reifentester — 2025
In the first test of summer tires in 2025, experts from the German portal Die Reifentester compared the characteristics of eight sports models in the 225/40 R18 92Y XL size on wet and dry asphalt. The tests were conducted at a test site in Papenburg, Germany, and the Continental SportContact 7 was used as a reference tire, with competitors from Bridgestone, Goodyear, Hankook, Maxxis, Michelin and Vredestein, as well as the season's novelty - Kumho Ecsta Sport. All tires belong to either the premium or mid-range segment, and budget tires were not taken for testing.
Test participants:
Continental SportContact 7 (reference tire)
Braking on dry and wet asphalt was carried out at 100 and 80 km/h, respectively, and experts noted that although the difference of a few meters in braking distance may seem insignificant, in an emergency situation it can play a critically important role. On dry pavement, Bridgestone, Goodyear and Continental were the best, and only Vredestein lagged slightly behind the competitors. On a wet surface, and this is a key discipline for summer tires, the novelty from Kumho took the lead, followed by Bridgestone. At the same time, although Continental tires are known for their good performance on wet pavement, this time they took a place only in the middle of the table. Vredestein again took the last place, and Maxxis also showed an average result.
In the handling test on dry pavement, the tires were evaluated at the limit of their capabilities, and Goodyear, Kumho, Continental, as well as Bridgestone, showed a very high level of grip, which allows you to confidently pass turns. Hankook was the lagging one, with not such stable behavior when maneuvering.
On a wet track, Continental, which had previously not impressed with braking performance, proved that they can work effectively in such conditions. Kumho also showed a very good result. At the same time, Michelin, Maxxis, and, in particular, Vredestein did not have the most impressive properties on wet pavement.
Aquaplaning resistance was evaluated both on a straight line and in a turn, and in the first case, Michelin and Continental were the best, while all other participants also coped well with the task, and in the second case, the situation changed slightly: Michelin was again the best, but three tires - Kumho, Vredestein and Continental - showed average results, with SportContact 7 taking the last place.
Noise was measured in the car's cabin on various types of pavement (measurements were taken after the engine was turned off at 60 km/h), and the best acoustic comfort can be provided by Hankook and Maxxis, but in general, all tires were quite quiet, and only Goodyear received a "Satisfactory" rating. As for the comfort of the ride, the experts highlighted the Hankook, Bridgestone and Maxxis tires, and Goodyear again took the last place.
Finally, in the rolling resistance test, Michelin and Continental took the first places, and Maxxis, Bridgestone and Goodyear had relatively low results.
According to the results of all tests, the "Very Good" rating was earned by Bridgestone, Continental and Kumho, which, however, all had certain drawbacks (Bridgestone had relatively high rolling resistance, and Continental and Kumho had reduced resistance to lateral aquaplaning). Goodyear could also have received the highest rating, as they have good grip in any conditions, but the rating was lowered due to the clearly not the best level of comfort, which can be forgiven for tires of this class. Hankook, Maxxis and Michelin showed good results, and only Vredestein received a "Satisfactory" rating, which increased the length of the braking distance on both wet and dry asphalt.
The experts of Die Reifentester are Dirk Winken, a rally participant and former tire developer at Uniroyal/Continental; as well as Joachim Fischer, an automotive journalist since 1988 and former editor-in-chief of the magazine Gute Fahrt.
Source: Die Reifentester