Tyre test: results by category

A brand-new winner, some high-flying new names and some big brands pushed down the order. Falken has changed the name a little to Ziex ZE320 and dropped the Ecorun name, but has clearly changed a lot of its characteristics, very much for the better, and the past champion, the Continental, finds itself second, sandwiched there by a talented newcomer, the Firestone. 

Just below the top three is the Maxxis, earning its best result with strong performances in the most important tests that lifted it clear of a pack of three separated by the very smallest of margins. Pirelli and Michelin would have expected to be higher up the order, Nokian can be pleased with its return, while all three have ground to make up in some significant areas. 

Once again, the rest of the field is made to look good by our ‘budget’ tyre, which is in fact an utter false economy, performing very poorly in all the critical tests. If you are ever tempted by low-price options, we implore you to do your homework, spend a bit extra on an established brand and get significantly more safety and better performance.

Winner: Falken Ziex ZE320 Ecorun 

Unsurprisingly, a strong all-round showing secured top spot for the Falken. It was class leading in three of our nine dynamic tests and on the podium in four others, making it a worthy winner.

Used - available now

2017 Kia

Ceed

94,300 milesManualDiesel1.6L

Cash £6,795

View Ceed

2017 Nissan

Qashqai

66,859 milesManualDiesel1.5L

Cash £9,250

View Qashqai

2015 Fiat

500

65,000 milesManualPetrol1.2L

Cash £3,849

View 500

2016 Hyundai

i10

95,250 milesManualPetrol1.0L

Cash £4,495

View i10

Buy the Falken Ziex ZE320 from Blackcircles.com

Results by Category