Tyre test

Four small patches of rubber – that’s all that keeps you and your car safe. But when buying tyres, many of us just look at the price.

That’s why Auto Express has consistently led the way in magazine tyre testing, so drivers can ensure they not only get the rubber that suits their pocket but which performs well, too. A brief trawl through online car forums will find a lot of talk on tyres, yet the only way to see which is best is to drive them back-to-back in the same car and on an identical road. Our verdict is not the result of a spin round the block...

This year, we’ve tested our biggest and fastest tyre ever – 225/45 R 17, with a W or Y speed rating (up to 168mph and 186mph). This is the rubber found on everything from family saloons to hot hatches and high-performance machines. As always, we wanted to see how associate and budget brands matched up to the big names, so we gathered 16 products from all sections of the market, including a first from China. All tests were carried out by Auto Express drivers where possible at Michelin’s test facility in Clermont-Ferrand, France. To ensure the tyres we were sent were the same as those you can buy, we purchased three sets at random, and compared wet braking performance – this shows any differences in compound or construction. All were the same as supplied.

Over the next eight pages, we reveal the results in eight categories, with the winner in each ranked at 100 per cent, and the rest rated relevant to that. So, which is our champion?