Summer UHP tire test from Auto Bild Sportscars — 2025

The summer tire testing season continues, and now it's the turn of Auto Bild Sportscars magazine with tests of Ultra-High Performance models in size 245/35 R19. According to experts, just 10-15 years ago, the installation of 19-inch tires was an unaffordable dream for most drivers, but now they have become standard for many car models, especially sports ones, and only a few sports cars come off the assembly line with 18-inch or smaller diameter tires.

For the tests, the discontinued but still popular Audi TT was chosen, and the participants can be divided into three groups. In the premium segment, Continental SportContact 7, Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6, Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, and Pirelli P Zero (PZ4) were selected, and two mid-range tires also participated in the test: Firestone Firehawk Sport and Vredestein Ultrac Pro. Budget Chinese tires were not forgotten, and Double Coin DC100 and Triangle EffeXSport TH202 took part in the tests.

Wet asphalt

Usually, the difference between premium and cheap tires for the summer season becomes most obvious in the braking efficiency test on wet pavement, and this time was no exception, with Double Coin and Triangle showing unsatisfactory results. The long braking distance of Firestone tires from Japanese giant Bridgestone was somewhat unexpected, and Continental took first place with a significant margin from its competitors. It should be noted that Double Coin in size 225/40 R18 recently showed very weak braking qualities on wet pavement in the ADAC test, and this time they needed 30 meters more to stop from 100 km/h than Continental, which can be considered a phenomenal result.

In the handling tests, the situation hardly changed, with premium Continental and Pirelli tires providing the most reliable grip on wet asphalt, including at high speeds, while Firestone and Double Coin showed "strikingly poor" results, as they "slide on the track like on soft soap".

Double Coin tires also showed very weak resistance to both longitudinal and lateral aquaplaning, while Triangle managed to surprise in both disciplines, taking first place in both cases. In addition, Vredestein, Continental, and Goodyear showed good results.

Dry asphalt

On dry pavement, all tires have at least satisfactory braking properties, with Continental taking the lead again.

Continental was also recognized as the best in terms of handling on dry pavement, while Triangle and Double Coin showed less stable traction in turns compared to other participants.

The rolling resistance was also measured, with Firestone being the most economical, while Triangle had very low fuel efficiency.

Double Coin took the first place in the noise level test, while Pirelli and Continental were at the bottom. However, all tires received a "Good" rating in this discipline.

Test results

In the 2025 test, four tires received an "Exemplary" rating, with Continental SportContact 7 taking the first place, as they stopped the car faster than all competitors on both dry and wet pavement and had no significant drawbacks, except for slightly increased rolling resistance. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 took the second place, with a good balance of characteristics, but they slightly lagged behind the competitors in terms of safety, specifically in wet braking efficiency.

Next are Pirelli P Zero PZ4, which will soon be replaced by the fifth-generation model with the PZ5 index. Although PZ4 was introduced almost 10 years ago, it still remains one of the best tires in its class, as evidenced by the verdict of the experts, who stated that their only drawback is the high price. Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S (already available is Pilot Sport S 5) ranked slightly lower, with not the highest resistance to aquaplaning, but no other complaints.

Vredestein Ultrac Pro and Firestone Firehawk Sport completed the test with a "Good" rating, as they effectively resisted aquaplaning and provided a high level of comfort, but lost points due to a relatively long braking distance on wet pavement. Firestone worked well on dry pavement, combining a comfortable ride with low rolling resistance.

Triangle EffeXSport TH202 became the best in the aquaplaning resistance tests, and their handling on wet pavement was almost the same as that of the "exemplary" tires, but the braking distance on the wet track was too long, so the tires received a "Conditionally recommended" rating. Only Double Coin DC100 remains, which takes the last place due to very weak grip and a strikingly long braking distance on wet pavement. Double Coin also had the lowest noise level, but it's not recommended to buy them, of course.

Source: Auto Bild