Price vs Quality
See how tyre price relates to test performance at a glance
Results
Agenda:Best value in test
Better than average value
Worse than average value
Worst value in test
Pirelli Cinturato C3 leads dry braking with a score of 4.7 (#1/15), closely followed by Continental UltraContact NXT, BF Goodrich Advantage 2, and Falken ZIEX ZE320 all at 4.5. The Autogreen Smart Chaser SC1 is the worst at 3.2 — a full 1.5 points below the leader, with the Sunfull SF-888 and Nexen N'Fera Primus also scoring a weak 3.9.
1
1
Rating: Highly recommended
Wet4.72
Dry4.59
Enviromental impact4.36
Rolling resistance3.9
Noise4.2
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#1/15
Wet Braking#1/15
Wet Handling#1/15
Wet Handling Measured#1/15
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/15
Dry
Dry Braking#1/15
Dry Handling Measured#1/15
Dry Handling#3/15
Economy
Mileage#3/15
Rolling Resistance#12/15
Pirelli Cinturato C3 dominates wet braking with a score of 4.8 (#1/15), while the Autogreen Smart Chaser SC1 scores a dangerous 1.0 (#15/15) — the maximum possible gap in this test field. The Sunfull SF-888 is nearly as alarming at 2.0 (#14/15). Both budget tyres are rated 'not recommended' specifically because of these safety-critical wet braking deficiencies, which the article explicitly flags as dangerously long stopping distances.
2
2
Rating: Highly recommended
Wet4.43
Dry4.53
Enviromental impact4.67
Rolling resistance4.8
Noise4.6
Wet
Wet Braking#3/15
Wet Handling#3/15
Wet Handling Measured#3/15
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#12/15
Aquaplaning Cross#14/15
Dry
Dry Braking#2/15
Dry Handling#2/15
Dry Handling Measured#3/15
Economy
Rolling Resistance#1/15
Mileage#3/15
The Falken ZIEX ZE320 achieves the joint-best aquaplaning scores in the entire test (4.5 cross, 4.4 longitudinal — both #1 or tied #1), yet finishes only 5th overall due to weaker rolling resistance (3.9, #12/15) and mileage (4.0, #12/15) pulling down its economy score.
3
3
Rating: Highly recommended
Wet4.55
Dry4.31
Enviromental impact4.76
Rolling resistance4.4
Noise4.4
Continental UltraContact NXT scores #1 in rolling resistance (4.8), fuel consumption (4.7), and exterior noise (4.6) — making it the most well-rounded eco-performer in the test, which earned it the AvD 'Greenovation' award alongside Goodyear and Bridgestone.
4
4
Rating: Highly recommended
Wet4.37
Dry4.46
Enviromental impact4.60
Rolling resistance4.6
Noise4.4
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#3/15
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/15
Wet Braking#3/15
Wet Handling Measured#4/15
Wet Handling#10/15
Dry
Dry Handling#1/15
Dry Handling Measured#1/15
Dry Braking#8/15
Economy
Rolling Resistance#2/15
Mileage#3/15
The Linglong Sport Master surprises with joint-best aquaplaning longitudinal score (4.4, tied #1) and strong wet braking (4.5, tied #3), yet finishes 12th overall due to the worst rolling resistance (3.2, #15/15) and worst mileage (3.6, #15/15) — strong safety but poor economy.
Wet4.51
Dry4.46
Enviromental impact4.00
Rolling resistance3.9
Noise4.5
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#1/15
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#1/15
Wet Braking#2/15
Wet Handling#3/15
Wet Handling Measured#4/15
Dry
Dry Braking#2/15
Dry Handling#3/15
Dry Handling Measured#5/15
Economy
Mileage#12/15
Rolling Resistance#12/15
Michelin Primacy 5 scores #1 in dry handling (4.7) but only ranks 8th in wet braking (4.5, #3) and 10th in wet handling (4.2, #10) — a notably unbalanced profile for a premium tyre, with wet handling being a relative weak spot despite strong overall ranking.
6
6
Rating: Highly recommended
Wet4.39
Dry4.20
Enviromental impact4.66
Rolling resistance4.6
Noise4.2
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#3/15
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/15
Wet Handling Measured#4/15
Wet Handling#5/15
Wet Braking#7/15
Dry
Dry Handling Measured#6/15
Dry Handling#7/15
Dry Braking#10/15
Economy
Mileage#2/15
Rolling Resistance#2/15
Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 achieves the highest mileage score in the entire test (5.0, #1/15) — a perfect score — while also scoring #1 in wet handling measured (4.7) and finishing 3rd overall, making it arguably the best long-term value in the premium segment.
7
7
Rating: Highly recommended
Wet4.29
Dry4.28
Enviromental impact4.37
Rolling resistance4.1
Noise4.5
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#3/15
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/15
Wet Handling Measured#4/15
Wet Handling#8/15
Wet Braking#10/15
Dry
Dry Braking#5/15
Dry Handling Measured#9/15
Dry Handling#10/15
Economy
Mileage#6/15
Rolling Resistance#11/15
8
8
Rating: Highly recommended
Wet4.39
Dry4.19
Enviromental impact4.30
Rolling resistance4.3
Noise4.2
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#3/15
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/15
Wet Handling Measured#4/15
Wet Handling#5/15
Wet Braking#7/15
Dry
Dry Handling Measured#6/15
Dry Handling#7/15
Dry Braking#10/15
Economy
Rolling Resistance#7/15
Mileage#11/15
The AvD introduced a new 'Greenovation' sustainability award for the first time in this test, recognising Goodyear (best mileage), Continental (65% recycled/renewable materials), and Bridgestone Turanza 6 (lightweight construction) — reflecting growing weight given to environmental criteria.
Wet4.25
Dry4.21
Enviromental impact4.36
Rolling resistance4.3
Noise4.1
Wet
Wet Handling Measured#4/15
Wet Handling#8/15
Wet Braking#10/15
Aquaplaning Cross#12/15
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#12/15
Dry
Dry Handling#5/15
Dry Handling Measured#6/15
Dry Braking#10/15
Economy
Rolling Resistance#7/15
Mileage#8/15
Safety warning: The Autogreen Smart Chaser SC1 and Sunfull SF-888 are explicitly 'not recommended' — their wet braking scores (1.0 and 2.0 respectively) are dangerously below the field average of ~4.3, representing a serious safety risk in real-world rain conditions.
Wet4.30
Dry4.25
Enviromental impact4.08
Rolling resistance4.3
Noise4.4
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#3/15
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/15
Wet Handling#5/15
Wet Braking#10/15
Wet Handling Measured#10/15
Dry
Dry Handling#5/15
Dry Braking#8/15
Dry Handling Measured#9/15
Economy
Rolling Resistance#7/15
Mileage#13/15
Pirelli Cinturato C3 is the overall winner and the most complete performer: #1 in dry braking, wet braking, and wet handling, with top-tier aquaplaning scores — the only tyre to genuinely dominate across all safety-critical wet and dry disciplines simultaneously.
Wet4.16
Dry4.22
Enviromental impact4.39
Rolling resistance4.4
Noise4.3
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#3/15
Wet Braking#7/15
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#11/15
Wet Handling#13/15
Wet Handling Measured#13/15
Dry
Dry Braking#2/15
Dry Handling Measured#9/15
Dry Handling#11/15
Economy
Rolling Resistance#4/15
Mileage#8/15
Best value award goes to Maxxis Premitra HP6, explicitly highlighted by AvD for offering convincing safety reserves at €375 — finishing 9th overall with consistently good scores across all categories, significantly cheaper than premium rivals like Continental (€635).
12
12
Rating: Conditionally recommended
Wet4.31
Dry4.16
Enviromental impact3.51
Rolling resistance3.2
Noise4.4
Wet
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#1/15
Aquaplaning Cross#3/15
Wet Braking#3/15
Wet Handling#11/15
Wet Handling Measured#11/15
Dry
Dry Braking#5/15
Dry Handling Measured#9/15
Dry Handling#11/15
Economy
Mileage#15/15
Rolling Resistance#15/15
Eight of 15 tyres (over half) rated 'very good', confirming the high overall quality level among mainstream and premium brands in this size — but the bottom two budget entrants pull the average down sharply, underlining the risk of choosing on price alone.
13
13
Rating: Conditionally recommended
Wet4.09
Dry3.84
Enviromental impact4.05
Rolling resistance4.4
Noise4.5
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#3/15
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/15
Wet Handling Measured#11/15
Wet Handling#12/15
Wet Braking#13/15
Dry
Dry Braking#13/15
Dry Handling#13/15
Dry Handling Measured#13/15
Economy
Rolling Resistance#4/15
Mileage#14/15
Continental UltraContact NXT (€635, ranked 2nd) is the eco and efficiency leader: #1 in rolling resistance, fuel consumption, and noise — ideal for high-mileage drivers and EV users who prioritise running costs and refinement over outright wet performance.
Wet3.15
Dry3.74
Enviromental impact4.03
Rolling resistance3.3
Noise4.2
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#12/15
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#12/15
Wet Braking#14/15
Wet Handling#14/15
Wet Handling Measured#14/15
Dry
Dry Braking#13/15
Dry Handling#14/15
Dry Handling Measured#14/15
Economy
Mileage#8/15
Rolling Resistance#14/15
Falken ZIEX ZE320 is a standout value-performance surprise: finishing 5th overall with the best aquaplaning resistance in the test and top-tier wet braking (4.6, #2/15) and wet handling (4.5, #3/15), likely at a lower price than the premium brands it outperforms in those categories.
Wet2.52
Dry2.80
Enviromental impact4.44
Rolling resistance4.3
Noise4.0
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#15/15
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#15/15
Wet Braking#15/15
Wet Handling#15/15
Wet Handling Measured#15/15
Dry
Dry Braking#15/15
Dry Handling#15/15
Dry Handling Measured#15/15
Economy
Mileage#6/15
Rolling Resistance#7/15
Same size tyres not featured in the test
Tests usually don't cover the whole market - here is our selection what not to miss when shopping for tyres in this size.
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