Michelin Primacy 3 tyre

December 2011

Price: £75 - £225
Contact: www.michelin.co.uk

Michelin claims its new tyre is safer in wet and dry conditions, so we headed to Chaste race track in Valencia, Spain to put the Primacy 3 through three tests.

First we accelerated to 50mph in a VW Passat fitted with the tyres and braked on a wet patch of road. GPS measured the distance it took us to decelerate to 6.2mph. The Michelin did this in 24.4 metres, and the car’s lack of movement under braking impressed.

We did a similar test in the dry, this time in a BMW 320d, measuring the distance it took us to come to a stop from 50mph. The Michelin came to a halt in 23.4 metres, and again felt very composed. Then we tackled a wet circle in a Mercedes E220 CDI to test lateral grip.

This showed up one weakness – there’s not as much feedback through the wheel as rivals. Yet we felt confident lapping at up to 38mph on the Michelin, and when it lost traction, it was easy to get the car back under control. Considering it’s an entry-level tyre (it sits below the performance-oriented Pilot Sport 3 we've already tested), the Primacy 3 is a convincing package.