255/40 R18 - Best summer tyres 2026 - market overview, tests, reviews

The Pilot Sport range from Michelin is now almost legendary, with the Cup variants being the fastest road legal tyres available. But the ‚ordinary‘ Pilot Sport 5 not as spory as it’s name suggest - it’s incredibly well balanced, with the priority being low rolling resistance and high mileage over sporty handling. It’s still a Michelin tire, so higher price is to be expected.

Hankook tyres are getting better with every new generation and the Ventus Evo is the latest evolution. It aims for the stars with excellent dry and wet handling, best-in-test wet braking and top aquaplaning speed, while producing very low exterior noise. The only notable weakness is higher rolling resistance. Still, it is a premium tyre for slightly less than a premium price.

The Asymmetric 6 is the latest addition in the Eagle F1 range, offering great compromise between every day comfort and sporty driving. While it has dynamic steering response, it’s also very good on wet and has a low rolling resistance. Definitely recommended!

A solid all-rounder at a fair price. The Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 blends dry and wet grip with sporty, predictable steering and offers no dramatic weaknesses. Aquaplaning resistance and comfort are its weaker spots, but you're getting upper-middle performance for less than you'd expect.

Firestone, the affordable brand belonging to the Bridgestone group, has a fresh addition to their lineup - the Roadhawk 2. And it seems like it’s set off for success - it offers the Bridgestone’s ENLITEN technology, which makes the rolling resistance and mileage exceptional for a budget tyre and it combines it with safe behavior on wet and dry.

The upgraded version of the legendary P7 has a good steering response and low rolling resistance, which makes sense as it's often a first equipment of many car manufacturers.

The Turanza T005 was introduced in 2018, but still stands as a great tyre, offered in incredible 350 different sizes. It’s universal also in it’s properties - it’s a balanced mix of wet and dry performance with above-average rolling resistance.

Hankook Ventus tyres are designed to offer a very sporty experience for affordable price, which is also the case for evo3. It’s also safe on wet and got short braking distances, the only drawback being lower mileage.

One of the cheaper tyres that can be recommended as it hasn't failed a single test and is often rated as a economical choice. It's surprisingly quiet, so if you are looking for a good and comfortable tyre, Azenis FK520 could be a tyre for you.

The Ultrac Pro is very well balanced tyre for every day driving made mainly for larger wheel sizes.

The Kumho Ecsta PS71 has been around for a while and keeps showing up well in tests. Strong aquaplaning resistance, short braking distances, and balanced handling across conditions make it a dependable choice. Comfort and noise are where it compromises.

A budget tyre with real wet grip — that's rare. The Maxxis Victra Sport 5 handles wet roads confidently, brakes well, and stays quiet. The delayed steering response takes getting used to, but at this price point, the overall safety package is hard to argue with.

The P Zero range is with us for a long time, also being a favorite choice for car manufacturers as first equipment. It’s a good, well balanced and enjoyable tyre. It tends to get quite a few mid-life updates so make sure you get the latest one.

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The Yokohama Advan Sport V107 is a summer tyre. It has been homologated as original equipment (MO1) for the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4Matic+ Coupe. This tyre model is approved for this vehicle in sizes 265/35ZR20 and 295/30ZR20.

The SP Sport MAXX RT2 has been in Dunlop's lineup for a long time, and it shows. Decent aquaplaning resistance and comfortable ride are probably its best qualities, and rolling resistance is reasonable too. But wet braking and wet handling have never been its strong suits, and the dry handling can be unpredictable. As the rest of the segment moved on, it's been struggling to keep up in the tests, which makes it hard to recommend at a premium price.

If rolling resistance is your priority, the Firehawk Sport is hard to beat — it topped the charts. Add short braking distances and low noise, and you get an efficiency-focused tyre that doesn't sacrifice safety basics. Wet handling and aquaplaning are the compromises.

The BFGoodrich Advantage 2 is a well-rounded summer touring tire that benefits from Michelin group technology and a completely redesigned tread pattern. It improves on its predecessor with 5% better longevity and 1.6 meters shorter wet braking distances while maintaining consistent performance across all disciplines. Available in an exceptionally wide 288-size range spanning 16 to 21 inches, it covers nearly every modern passenger car and SUV fitment.

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