Summer tire test by Teknikens Värld (2024)

The Swedish automotive publication Teknikens Värld conducted tests of summer tires in the 235/45 R18 size, and in 2024, it was decided to test models from several categories to help readers better understand the difference between different tire classes. Thus, the test included the Continental PremiumContact 7 and Pirelli Cinturato P7, which have increased comfort, but the list of participants also included several sports tires, such as the Bridgestone Potenza Sport, Michelin Pilot Sport 5, and Toyo Proxes Sport+ 2, with the latter being a novelty that has no information available yet.

As usual, budget tires were also included for comparison - this time, the economy segment chose the Nankang Sportnex AS-2+ from a Taiwanese manufacturer, since models in this category often clearly show what can happen when saving on tires that directly affect safety.

The first place was taken by the Continental PremiumContact 7, which, according to the testers, have no drawbacks, except for slightly increased noise. Previously, there were some complaints about the PC7's economy, but now this problem is also gone, added TV. The second place was taken by the Michelin Pilot Sport 5, which, like the Continental, work perfectly on all types of surfaces and also demonstrated the best combination of sportiness and comfort. At the same time, the Michelin was the most expensive tire among the participants. The top three are closed by the Pirelli Cinturato P7 (P7C2), which has been on the market for quite some time but is still worthy of being considered one of the best offers on the market. The grip is high, and in terms of comfort, the Pirelli was the best in the test, so there's nothing to complain about.

The fourth place was shared by the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 and Hankook Ventus iON S. The Goodyear, like the tires in the top spots, has no obvious weaknesses (and they handle aquaplaning particularly well, and they also have an excellent result in the moose test, where a sharp avoidance of an obstacle is simulated), while the Hankook impressed with very high grip on wet surfaces, scoring 29 out of 30 possible points in this part of the test, but they still conceded to the leaders in terms of comfort (smoothness, noise, and directional stability).

Next are the Nokian Hakka Black 3 tires, which unexpectedly performed poorly in the moose test. Previously, TV had tested this same model in the 225/50 R17 size, and then they easily coped with the tasks in this discipline, but this time problems arose. However, no other drawbacks were found, and the Nokian was also one of the most energy-efficient tires in the test.

The Falken Azenis FK520 Ultra-High Performance (UHP) tire performed very well in the wet surface tests and had low rolling resistance, but the moose test result was average, and the directional stability could also be improved, as the car pulled to the side when driving straight. The Toyo tires followed, which resisted aquaplaning well but showed mediocre grip on wet surfaces. Additionally, the Toyo had the worst result in the moose test and were recognized as one of the most uncomfortable due to high noise levels.

The second-to-last place was taken by the Bridgestone Potenza Sport, and this is a premium tire from one of the world's largest manufacturers. The reason was the low grip on a wet road, which should be considered a very serious drawback, and good fuel efficiency (also unexpected from a UHP-class tire) cannot compensate for it. Finally, the last place was taken by the Nankang, as expected. According to TV representatives, the grip on a dry surface is surprisingly weak, and the comfort is also far from ideal (although the situation is not catastrophic), but previously, tires that had everything bad had been tested, and this cannot be said about the Nankang.