Car enthusiasts would know straight away if a dealer was trying to sell them an old model of a car, but very few would ever know if a tyre fitter was trying to do the same.
And while there may look like there’s little difference between last year’s rubber and the newer version, the latest tyre test conducted by experts at evo proves the difference can be marked.
The test also revealed that brands that may be thought of as ‘budget’ are actually better performers than more established makes.
After a series of exhaustive tests taking into account handling and braking in both the wet and dry in addition to overall feel, the Continental which won in 2016 dropped to third place this year while the top two best performers were newly-launched tyres from Michelin and Pirelli.
The test also proved that a big name brand isn’t necessarily a guarantee of the best performance. Tyres from less established brands such as Falken and Hankook were rated higher than rubber from Goodyear.
The evo tyre tests are considered the most extensive in the industry, and are conducted annually to ensure readers can make an informed choice about the purchase of an expensive but crucial consumable.
It tested the most popular size of performance tyre – 225/40 R18 – from nine brands in the controlled environment of a test track. A Volkswagen Golf GTI was chosen as the car for the trials.
Under dry braking from 100kph (62mph), the difference between the best performer and the last placed tyre was 3.5 metres. In the wet the difference was 3.4 metres from just 80 kph (50mph) – enough to be the difference between a near miss and an accident.
Stuart Gallagher, Editor of evo, said: “Those black rings of rubber are the only component that connects your car to the tarmac, so you should research any tyre purchase thoroughly. Besides the safety aspects, the right choice of tyre can make your car far more enjoyable to driveâ€.
The full test is published in the September issue of evo, which is on sale now. A full list of the tyres and overall placings is below.
Overall Winner:
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Pirelli P Zero PZ4
Continental PremiumContact 6
Falken Azenis FK510
Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2
Bridgestone Turanza T0001 EVO
Hankook Ventus S1 EVO2
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3
Toyo Proxes Sport
