Tag: Tyre tests
‘A compromise of the compromise’ – Vredestein wins all-season tyre test
Past tyre tests have on occasion presented all-season tyres as a compromise solution, a jack of all trades but master of none. But is this always the case? German car magazine Auto Bild Allrad doesn’t think so – in its current test of seven size 235/55 R19 SUV tyres, the publication opines that all-season products are no longer a “lazy compromise”. While noting that a single tyre that can do everything well at all times of year still doesn’t exist, Auto Bild Allrad found one that came close.
From highly recommended to not at all – Promobil van tyre test
It’d been a long time since a tyre test had delivered results so poor as those recently seen in a van tyre comparo jointly conducted by three European motoring associations: More than half the candidates were rated ‘not recommended’. In comparison, the seven size 235/60 R17C tyres tested by specialist campervan magazine Promobil were – mostly – considered competent products. Only one wasn’t recommended.
Test World opens newly expanded indoor proving ground
Test World officially opened additional new indoor test facilities at its Ivalo, Finland operation on 27 March 2019, signalling the culminating of that latest part of a multi-million-euro series of investments in Test World. The recently constructed indoor facilities increase Test World’s capacity for year-round cold weather testing, allowing for simultaneous testing on snow, ice, and wet and dry asphalt, 365 days a year.
Nokian Tyres: Test rigging case referred to Prosecutor’s Office
Finland’s central police agency, the National Bureau of Investigation, has completed its pre-trial investigation related to Nokian Tyres and accusations of tyre test rigging. It has referred the case to the Prosecutor’s Office of Helsinki.
Best in braking: Michelin crowned Auto Bild’s ‘Manufacturer of the Year’
Although tyre tests cover everything from handling to comfort and fuel consumption, the value of a tyre's role in bringing a vehicle to a safe stop can’t be underestimated. Auto Bild agrees - it's the criterion the motoring magazine uses to determine which tyres to further examine in its tyre tests, and which it should eliminate.
Sportauto test: Most tyres fail to enthuse
Yesterday we reported the results of the Auto Motor und Sport summer 2019 tyre test and noted that while no tyre received the publication’s highest rating, most gained its recommendation. It’s a different story at sister title Sportauto – its test of eight tyres yielded a ‘highly recommended’ winner, but six of the candidates only received a lukewarm endorsement.
No highly recommended tyres in AMS summer test
For its 2019 summer tyre test, Auto Motor und Sport (AMS) looked at 215/55 R17, a size favoured by compact SUVs. It tested 11 tyres on a VW T-Roc. What it found was a group of tyres that largely performed well, but failed to dazzle. None of the candidates received the German motoring publication’s top ‘highly recommended’ rating. The good news is, however, that no less than seven were ‘recommended’.
Test World wins Tire Industry Supplier of the Year Award again
Test World has won the ‘Tire Industry Supplier of the Year’ award at the Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence 2019. According to the company, the win recognises continued investment in Test World, with expanded indoor test facilities due to be officially opened during a ceremony on the 27 March.
Tyre test shows premium brands’ technological leadership is shrinking
Another tyre test from the Auto Bild family of magazines. This time, Auto Bild Sportscars has looked at 11 products in the size 245/45 R18 100W/Y. The exercise was happily free of major dramas, with testers Henning Klipp and Dierk Möller not reporting any serious safety issues amongst the candidates.
From exemplary to not recommended – Auto Bild Allrad tests SUV tyres
Look at recent tyre test results from Auto Bild and Gute Fahrt and you might assume there’s no such thing as a bad tyre these days, but you’d be wrong. Auto Bild Allrad has evaluated ten SUV tyres, and while six were awarded the top ‘exemplary’ rating, one certainly wasn’t recommended and another hesitantly so. The upshot is that it still pays to do your homework when buying replacement tyres.
Win for Michelin, 6 ‘exemplary’ tyres in Auto Bild test
As expected, this year’s Auto Bild size 225/45 R17 summer tyre test delivered no nasty surprises. With more than half of the original field of 53 already eliminated in a preliminary round of wet and dry braking tests, the remaining 20 candidates all gave a good account of themselves. Six of their number were even declared ‘exemplary’ tyres.
The good, the better and the very good – Gute Fahrt tests 225/40 R18 tyres
During its years of performing comparative tyre tests, German car magazine Gute Fahrt has been confronted with the good, the bad and the ugly. But this time round things were a little different – in its latest evaluation of summer car tyres, all candidates put in a performance worthy of a rating of ‘good’ or better. This is the first occasion that no tyre has gained a lowlier rating in a Gute Fahrt test.
Podium finish for Maxxis in 235/45 R18 summer tyre test
When evaluating the latest crop of tyres for the coming summer season, Germany’s Autozeitung opted to look at ten brands of size 235/45 R18 rubber. We weren’t especially surprised to see the Continental PremiumContact 6, last year’s runner-up, in first place and the Michelin Primacy 4 in second, but it was nice to see the Maxxis Premitra HP5 acquaint itself with the victors’ podium.
Auto Bild summer tyre test: Elimination round
Shortlisting has taken place for the Auto Bild 2019 summer tyre test, with a starting field of 53 candidates reduced to 20 finalists in the initial round. The size 225/45 R17 91/94 W/Y tyres selected for further testing mainly come from the premium and mid-range segments, while the budget segment was well-represented in the group of 33 tyres eliminated from proceedings. Disappointingly, the group also included two tyre brands belonging to leading manufacturers – both delivered ‘bottom ten’ results.
Motoring associations test small car, van tyres
For their current summer tyre test, the main motoring associations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (the ADAC, ÖAMTC and TCS) have looked at 32 products in total. Half of these were in the small family car size 185/65 R15 H/V, and the remainder size 215/65 R16C, tyres suited for use on vans, minibuses and campervans.