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Aquaplaning

SUV tyre test

Losing control due to aquaplaning is less than fun, but how long does it take for our tyres to lose grip?

Aquaplaning

Date: October 2009

The test

When driving on wet roads, the grooves on a tyre act like a pump, shifting water from under the rubber. Aquaplaning occurs when the tread is overwhelmed and rides up on to the water, leaving you without control.

We measured when grip was lost both in a straight line and when cornering.

It’s no surprise to see Goodyear at the top of these results, as the US giant really knows how to build tyres that are good in the wet. French firm Michelin tends to put the emphasis on long life and low fuel economy and generally struggles to match the best in the wet, but its aquaplaning scores show it can produce a rain champion, too.

The pair were well clear of the pack in the curved test, with Michelin taking the win, while Continental and Kumho were closely matched.

The other Korean, Hankook, fell back thanks to an intricate tread pattern which did not work well when distorted on the curve.

Pirelli’s Scorpion was left trailing on both tests, as its small grooves showed a dislike for deep water.

On the straight, Goodyear and Michelin swapped positions, with Kumho surprisingly close behind in third. Hankook managed to match the performance of Continental’s CrossContact in a straight line.


Straight aquaplaning

Goodyear        100.0
Michelin          98.6
Kumho            97.7
Continental    94.4
Hankook        94.4
Pirelli             93.5


Curved aquaplaning

Michelin          100.0
Goodyear        97.4
Continental     90.9
Kumho           89.5
Hankook        79.2
Pirelli             73.3

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