Tyre guide
We now have our verdict. Here are the winners and losers
Goodyear has finally got the better of arch-rival Vredestein to take our top award. The HydraGrip may be a few years old now, but constant development has seen it keep pace with younger rivals. It takes a deserved victory over the Sportrac3 here.
Both tyres place an emphasis on wet road grip, but Goodyear had the edge – and it maintained this in the remaining disciplines. While it was denied a fourth successive Auto Express title, the Vredestein is still an excellent tyre... and cheaper, too.
A more balanced approach delivered another podium for the Continental. It’s a great all-rounder, performing strongly – if not quite starring – in all our tests. The world’s two biggest tyre makers finished level on points to round out the top five, but Michelin nudged ahead of Bridgestone to take fourth, thanks to its marginally better performance on the test track.
Our emphasis on wet road testing helped the Uniroyal to sixth, closely followed by Toyo, which did well to outclass big-hitters Dunlop and BFGoodrich. Maxxis drew level with Kumho, but it was awarded 10th based on its wet performance.
It was a similar situation with Fulda, Matador and Hankook, with the outcome settled on the wet tracks. Yokohama will not be pleased with its result. The firm may specialise in sports and competition rubber, but its standard road tyre is well off the pace.And let’s hope Pirelli has penned a replacement for the ageing P7, as it’s way below the standard expected from a premium brand. It struggled just about everywhere, and the fuel economy it returns is simply not good enough in these eco-friendly times.
