The best summer UHP tires for middle and business class passenger cars

Tires do more than just help the car move, increasing driving comfort and safety. With proper development, they can improve performance on the highway, for example, reduce fuel consumption, or off-road if they have the appropriate tread. As a rule, 17-inch tires are used on crossovers, minivans and SUVs, however, some sedans, station wagons and hatchbacks provide for the installation of just such tires.

In this review we present the best R17 summer tires. To simplify the choice, we divided the models into groups based on their cost, creating a rating of budget, mid-range and premium class tires. Each model was assessed taking into account its characteristics, expert tests and owner reviews.

Test of summer tires size 225/50 R17 2021

The sudden change in weather brings the summer season much closer, and the difference between the tires on the market is much greater than you think! The next test of experts from the Swedish auto magazine Teknikens Värld will help you figure out which models you should choose and which ones to avoid.

This time, tires from different price segments took part in the test. Popular models in this size: Michelin Primacy 4, Continental PremiumContact 6, Pirelli Cinturato P7, Hankook Ventus Prime3 K125, Nokian Hakka Blue 2, Kumho Solus HS51, Federal Evoluzion ST-1 and Nexen N'Fera SU1 competed equally with budget Chinese tires Sunny NA305 and new this season Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2.

The new product from Goodyear replaces the EfficientGrip Performance model, a numerous winner of tests by independent publications. According to a benchmark test conducted by the German organization TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH, the EfficientGrip Performance 2 model showed superiority in almost all disciplines over the Bridgestone Turanza T005, Continental PremiumContact 6, Michelin Primacy 4 and Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue tires. The benchmark test results set a high bar for all manufacturers.

Teknikens Värld experts noted that all tests were carried out in Sweden, with the exception of the hydroplaning test, for which they had to go to Germany. The fact is that in order to obtain accurate results, such a test requires a specially prepared route and certain conditions.

Braking

In braking tests on dry and wet roads, the new product from Goodyear was effective, but lost the palm to MICHELIN and Continental tires, respectively. Surprisingly, the promising Korean Nexen tires, advertised in Europe, showed the longest braking distance in both disciplines, which directly influenced their position in the final ranking.

Hydroplaning

Despite the fact that the difference between the participants was within the range of 6 km/h, Kumho and Nokian tires coped with this effect best of all. Experts noted that all manufacturers have done a good job in this direction, significantly increasing speed (over 70 km/h), increasing the level of safety when driving on wet roads.

An attempt to find the dependence of effective resistance to hydroplaning on the depth of the grooves was unsuccessful. Despite the fact that Kumho and Nokian tires have the deepest tread. Thus, Michelin tires have the smallest groove depth (6.25mm), but they showed better resistance to hydroplaning than Goodyear tires, with 8.05mm grooves. In addition to the depth of the grooves, the design and characteristics of the tread rubber compound also come into play here.

Wet handling track

The best times for completing three laps of the wet handling course were shown by Michelin and Pirelli tires. Pilots noted their predictable behavior, responsiveness and predictability. They followed the given trajectory better than others and were controlled in extreme modes.

Despite the fact that Kumho tires are more effective at removing water on wet roads, they failed to show good control in the handling test. The pilots noted that they had sluggish reactions to the steering wheel. But the Nexen tires were the slowest on the track. They were unable to provide adequate grip and controllability on wet asphalt, for which they received unflattering reviews from pilots.

Rearrangement (moose test)

Rare for this type of test, it has long been mandatory for tires participating in Teknikens Värld tests. It simulates an emergency avoidance of an obstacle at the highest possible speed. Here all the participants performed quite well. Despite the fact that the difference between rivals varied from 72 to 76 km/h, in real-life operating conditions this difference can become significant.

Nokian tires coped better than others with avoiding obstacles (76 km/h). They quickly respond to the pilot’s actions, precisely following the given trajectory. Continental and Pirelli made it possible to “go around the moose” at 75 km/h, also showing high efficiency. Federal tires showed the lowest speed (72 km/h). Experts noted their excessive tendency to skid when exiting a bend.

Comfort and noise level

The test is a subjective assessment of pilots on less-than-ideal sections of Swedish roads. Based on the test results, pilots commented on the tires' ability to absorb impacts and the noise level inside the car.

In this test, Michelin Primacy 4 tires performed better than the others. They absorbed impacts more effectively than others, guaranteeing a high level of comfort and low noise levels. The Kumho tires are the worst in terms of comfort, while the Sunny tires are the noisiest.

Fuel efficiency

Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 tires live up to their name with the lowest fuel consumption (5,503/100 km). At the same time, the difference with the most “voracious” Kumho was 3.5%. Here the experts emphasized that the fuel efficiency of a tire depends on many factors, such as the type of vehicle, driving style, weather and road conditions.

conclusions

According to the results of all tests, the new product from Goodyear was unable to repeat the success in the TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH test, losing the palm to Michelin Primacy 4 tires. Experts noted that if not for the weak resistance to aquaplaning, the seating arrangement could have been different. The weak performance of Nexen tires is alarming, especially in braking tests on dry and wet roads.

FINAL RATING:

+ Optimal performance ratio + Best braking distance on dry roads + Best level of comfort - Average resistance to aquaplaning - Average braking distance on wet roads