The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5, which was so impressive on wet pavement, was also very good in the dry, also demonstrating excellent fuel-saving capabilities. According to Auto Zeitung, this evidences huge efforts in research and development.

Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2

The Sport Maxx RT2 model form Dunlop just doesn’t seem to be getting it all together — says the Tiresvote.com technical expert. Despite low rolling resistance and a real master class in combating the hydroplaning effect, it demonstrated the worst dry performance on test. But then again, the difference between the best and the worst result on dry pavement was not as striking as in the wet, totaling mere 1.9m.

The Hankook and the Maxxis tires, which did not perform up to the standard on wet pavement, demonstrated good or very good results on wet pavement with unfailing regularity. Also, a very confident dry performance was demonstrated by the Michelin Pilot Sport 4. The experts appreciated its shortest dry braking distance on test, low rolling resistance, and very safe handling performance.

Michelin Pilot Sport 4

The poorest dry performance was shown by the Nexen N’Fera Sport. This tire falls short of its rivals in terms of traction, handling response, and steering precision.

Conclusion: the overall ranking

The victory in the test, and, therefore, recommendation from the Auto Zeitung experts, was scored by the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5, which, in addition to its other merits, was recommended to drivers who want to save up on gasoline.

Second place was scored by the Continental PremiumContact 6 with its very confident behavior on dry pavement. The bronze medal of the test was bestowed on the Pirelli P Zero PZ4, despite the fact that it fell short of the leaders in the dry tests.

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4, which slightly lacked steering precision while cornering, occupied the fourth line in the final standings. Fifth place was scored by the Falken Azenis FK510, which offers the best price/quality ratio.

The sixth place in the tournament bracket was occupied by the Nokian Powerproof, which ultimately did not get recommended by the experts due to its weak wet braking performance. Seventh place in the final standings, also due to poor braking capabilities on wet pavement, was scored by the Maxxis Victra Sport 5.

Eighth and ninth places scored by the Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 and the Hankook K127 Ventus S1 evo3 respectively were also due to a less-than-perfect wet braking performance. It is noted that Hankook Tire has already addressed this issue by optimizing the tread compound. The K127 model with an upgraded tread compound has been put in mass production in the first quarter of 2021.

205/40 R18 UHP Summer Tire Test Results, Auto Zeitung 2021

The last tenth line in the final standings of the 225/40 R18 summer tire test was occupied by the Nexen N’Fera Sport, which had issues both in dry and wet performance. According to the testers, its capabilities fall short of those of the best models available on the market.