Results

The best all-round tyre money can buy is the Continental. The PremiumContact 2 will perform anywhere, and it deserves to take the crown for the German maker. It only dropped out of the leading pack in our rolling resistance test. But elsewhere, whether the track was wet or dry, the Conti was right up there. It’s a great performer.

Second spot goes to Goodyear. It has a less even-handed approach than the Continental: while it was less capable in the dry, in the wet it was a clear winner. And the dual-compound tread means that performance should be retained, even as it wears.In third is fellow wet road specialist Vredestein, followed closely by F1 star Bridgestone and Dunlop.

Associate brand Fulda makes it three out of the top seven for parent company Goodyear/Dunlop, and it ties with French giant Michelin, which paid the price for a poor performance in the wet.There’s then a big gap to Hankook and outgoing champ Pirelli, and another to Kumho.

While Maxxis showed promise, it’s not happy on wet roads. Chinese maker Wanli is way behind its rivals – you hope the car behind you on a busy, wet motorway is not on the S-1088.