Tyre Tests

Unlike some all-season tyre tests published so far in 2024, Italian magazine Al Volante has featured the latest models, including the Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6, Continental AllSeasonContact 2, and Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF3. The Al Volante team examined seven tyres in total, fitting the 225/50 R17 to an Audi A4 Avant for testing.

In its 2024 summer tyre test, the German motoring association ADAC decided to shake things up a bit. Instead of its usual two sizes, they focused on just one – the popular 205/55 R16. Why? To free up capacity for the growing demand in the all-season tyre segment. ADAC tested 16 all-season tyres in this size, and for the first time ever, one tyre earned a 'good' rating. They rated six tyres as 'satisfactory', seven as 'adequate', and two as 'insufficient'.

A wise choice when selecting 4x4 and SUV tyres is a tyre that can handle tougher conditions than you’ll actually encounter. To give tyre buyers a better idea of what their potential purchase is up for, as well as what it isn’t, Auto Bild Allrad examines both on and off-road strengths in its 2024 summer tyre test. The publication looked at 11 brands in size 235/55R19, and although none of the candidates achieved top marks on every type of surface, two tyres offer an “all-round, no worries package on and off the road.”

As we’ve seen with passenger vehicle design, a range of factors coming together have led to most tyres looking more or less the same these days. And while dipping our lids to progress, we miss being able to instantly recognise a brand by its tread pattern. Auto Bild Sportscars also remembers fondly the diversity that has been swept aside by a “yawning boredom in the uniformity of unimaginatively cut longitudinal groove patterns.” But the existence of an army of round, rubbery clones doesn’t mean all tyres offer the same levels of performance or safety.

To avoid surprises, best stick to the brands and products you know. This may well have been the auto motor und sport (AMS) approach to tyre testing recently, as the German publication selected products from the “eight most popular tyre brands” in its local market for its 2024 summer test. These are the Bridgestone Turanza 6, Continental PremiumContact 7, Falken Azenis FK 520, Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 SUV, Hankook Ventus S1 Evo³ SUV, Maxxis Victra Sport 5 SUV, Michelin Primacy 4+ and Vredestein Ultrac.

Anyone searching for 205/55 R16 tyres online will be spoiled for choice. This tyre size has been a bestseller for many years, with popular compact cars such as the VW Golf, Audi A3, Vauxhall Astra and Seat Leon wearing 205/55 R16 tyres as standard equipment. The broad range of brands and models for this dimension can complicate the process of buying replacement tyres, but Auto Bild helps here with its 2024 summer tyre test.

The 2024 summer tyre test conducted by European motoring organisations ADAC, ÖAMTC, and TCS has spotlighted the 215/55 R17 dimension, ideal for mid-size cars and smaller SUVs. Testing 16 tyre brands, the team expressed overall satisfaction with the results, despite noting “minor weaknesses” in some tyres.

The 205/55 R16 tyre size reigns as the top choice across Europe, especially popular among compact car owners like those driving VW Golf, Audi A3, and similar models. Recognising this trend, Auto Bild has opted for this size in its extensive 2024 summer tyre test. With 55 tyres under scrutiny, Auto Bild hasn't concluded testing yet but has given readers a taste of things to come with “noteworthy data” from initial wet and dry braking tests.

All-season tyres make a lot of sense for drivers of smaller cars who spend most of their time on urban roads, so it’s surprising that few tyre tests focus on tyre sizes suited to these vehicles. Tyre Reviews has addressed this in its 2023 all-season test by looking at ten tyres in the dimension 195/65 R15. Site founder and resident tester Jonathan Benson fitted the tyres to a VW Golf 7 and evaluated their performance in dry, wet and snowy conditions, and also appraised their comfort and value.