Skip advert
Advertisement

Tyre test: results by category

It was a close-fought competition, but Pirelli did enough to just pip its rivals and take the crown

A close contest right down to ninth spot, with the top eight covered by just two percentage points, showing that these are all good-quality tyres. The ninth-placed Ceat SportDrive delivers acceptable performance but, significantly, is well short of the standard in wet braking and on the wet circuit. Yet it’s more expensive than the majority of the tyres here, so ranks low on both performance and value for money. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

Eighth is a disappointing result for Continental, which comes up a bit short in the wet, while seventh is a good finish for the Yokohama, another product that’s better in the dry than the wet. The Goodyear is an impressive tyre whose sixth place overall reflects the strength of the competition this year. 

Kumho surprised with fifth overall. Despite lowly placings in most of the wet tests, it was great to drive on the wet track and added refinement and economy for a strong mix. The Michelin was also a better drive in the wet than the tests suggested and got within one per cent of the win. 

The top three are all great. The Hankook was superbly refined and impressive in the wet, as was the Bridgestone that came within an ace of top spot. But the winning Pirelli topped the tables in the wet and dry, and delivered superb refinement. 

Winner: Pirelli P Zero (PZ5)

The new PZ5 version of the P Zero puts Pirelli back at the top of a very competitive class with a remarkable, unmatched breadth of ability. It combines excellent refinement with mastery of the wet and the dry.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Used - available now

Sportage

2022 Kia

Sportage

26,923 milesManualDiesel1.6L

Cash £18,100
View Sportage
Corsa

2019 Vauxhall

Corsa

19,889 milesManualPetrol1.4L

Cash £9,200
View Corsa
Qashqai

2022 Nissan

Qashqai

8,495 milesAutomaticPetrol1.3L

Cash £20,500
View Qashqai
F-Pace

2023 Jaguar

F-Pace

33,613 milesAutomaticDiesel3.0L

Cash £39,490
View F-Pace

Buy the Pirelli P Zero (PZ5) from Blackcircles.com…

Results by Category

Overall  
1stPirelli100
2ndBridgestone99.9
3rdHankook99.6
4thMichelin99.3
5thKumho99.1
6thGoodyear98.8
7thYokohama98.6
8thContinental98.6
9thCeat95.2
Price  
1stKumho£84.99
2ndHankook£99.81
3rdYokohama£101.49
4thBridgestone£105.92
5thGoodyear£108.52
6thContinental£111.99
7thCeat£112.49
8thMichelin£119.99
9thPirelli£135.15
Wet braking  
1stBridgestone100
2ndPirelli97.5
3rdMichelin95.0
4thHankook92.6
5thYokohama90.3
6thGoodyear88.0
7thContinental85.8
8thKumho83.6
9thCeat81.5
Wet handling  
1stPirelli100
2ndHankook99.8
3rdBridgestone99.4
4thKumho99.0
=5thGoodyear98.9
=5thMichelin98.9
=7thYokohama98.0
=7thContinental98.0
9thCeat92.1
Wet cornering  
1stPirelli100
2ndBridgestone99.7
3rdMichelin99.4
4thGoodyear99.1
5thYokohama98.8
6thContinental98.5
7thHankook98.2
8thKumho97.9
9thCeat97.6
Straight aquaplaning  
1stMichelin100
2ndHankook98.2
3rdGoodyear97.0
4thBridgestone96.8
5thContinental96.4
6thPirelli96.0
7thYokohama95.2
8thKumho95.0
9thCeat92.4
Curved aquaplaning  
1stMichelin100
2ndHankook99.9
3rdYokohama97.4
4thGoodyear93.5
5thPirelli92.0
6thCeat91.0
7thBridgestone88.6
=8thContinental82.5
=8thKumho82.5
Dry braking  
1stYokohama100
=2ndBridgestone97.3
=2ndContinental97.3
4thPirelli96.7
5thGoodyear95.5
6thHankook93.3
7thMichelin92.5
8thKumho92.3
9thCeat88.7
Dry handling  
=1stPirelli100
=1stBridgestone100
3rdContinental99.4
=4thYokohama99.2
=4thKumho99.2
6thGoodyear99.1
=7thHankook98.7
=7thMichelin98.7
9thCeat97.9
Noise and refinement  
1stKumho100
2ndHankook96.0
3rdPirelli93.0
4thCeat90.0
=5thBridgestone88.0
=5thYokohama88.0
=7thContinental87.0
=7thMichelin87.0
9thGoodyear84.0
Rolling resistance  
1stCeat100
2ndKumho95.1
3rdMichelin94.0
=4thContinental91.8
=4thGoodyear91.8
6thHankook88.6
7thPirelli87.6
8thBridgestone84.8
9thYokohama78.0
Skip advert
Advertisement
In This Review

New & used car deals

Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £24,625Avg. savings £2,462 off RRP*Used from £11,800
Audi A3

Audi A3

RRP £26,295Avg. savings £3,432 off RRP*Used from £11,895
Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

RRP £29,820Avg. savings £5,028 off RRP*Used from £14,260
Renault Clio

Renault Clio

RRP £16,160Avg. savings £3,343 off RRP*Used from £9,500
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: Bag a desirable plug-in hybrid BMW X3 M Sport for less than £380 a month
BMW X3 - full width, front

Car Deal of the Day: Bag a desirable plug-in hybrid BMW X3 M Sport for less than £380 a month

The new BMW X3 is fresh out of the blocks, but you can already lease a well-specced one for an eye-opening £378 a month. It’s our Car Deal of the Day …
News
17 Aug 2025
New Suzuki Swift Allgrip 2025 review: why bother with an SUV?
New Suzuki Swift Allgrip - front tracking

New Suzuki Swift Allgrip 2025 review: why bother with an SUV?

The Swift Allgrip’s all-wheel-drive system makes this a niche option in the supermini class, but one that some customers will definitely appreciate
Road tests
19 Aug 2025
Three car garage: Skoda Superb Estate, BMW i3 and a Ford Mustang GT Convertible for £75k
3-car garage for 75k

Three car garage: Skoda Superb Estate, BMW i3 and a Ford Mustang GT Convertible for £75k

The 75-plate is coming but what if you spent £75k on used cars instead? This three-car garage covers all the bases
Features
18 Aug 2025