From O to O – from october to easter – drive with winter tires, that’s the common rule of thumb for car drivers. For the warmer months, on the other hand, summer tires are recommended. The offer is large and varied. We have a "summer tires" feed a lot of information and test data collected and clearly arranged for you here.
Summer tires best list 2022
Last updated on: 05.01.2022
What is a summer tire and and how does it work?
At summer the driving pleasure increases. Nevertheless, even with summer tires the safety always in the foreground on the roads. Summer tires offer high traction. The rolling resistance is significantly lower compared to winter tires, but the behavior on wet roads is optimal. Good summer tires are convincing in test with excellent performance on dry and wet roads – thanks to their construction, material mix and tread pattern.
Especially on wet roads summer tires can show what they can do in a test. In heavy rain, roads are quickly submerged and aquaplaning is imminent. Optimal tread with sipes, ribs and grooves displaces water on the road, the tire has "grip" and the ride is and remains safe.
diagram on the price-performance ratio of summer tires
Applications – summer tires in use
According to surveys and analyses, vehicles are used for a wide variety of purposes: to drive to work and to the shops, for trips on vacation, for weekend excursions, to take the children to sporting events and much more. For some drivers reliable tires important, others attach more importance to great driving pleasure and want to performance potential of your vehicle.
What types of summer tires are there?
summer tires for passenger cars always meet the same requirements in principle. However, there are differences in construction and price. So-called budget tires are in comparison inexpensive, qualitatively however not always very high-quality. At summer tire test however, it has been shown that inexpensive models do indeed meet the quality requirements.
At ultra high performance tires are they models that offer tremendous road grip and outstanding traction offer. These summer tires are especially popular with sporty drivers, despite their high purchase price.
brief information on leading 7 manufacturers/brands
- Bridgestone
- Continental
- Dunlop
- Hankook
- Michelin
- Pirelli
- Nokian
This is how summer tires are tested
In the warm season more driving performance is generally demanded of the cars, because driving pleasure should also increase when the weather is nice. The requirements for good summer tires are correspondingly high summer tires. In an objective and independent summer tire test the most different opinions and evaluations are consulted and compared.
When comparing commercially available summer tires, we would like to recommend that not only the test reports of relevant institutes, but also the customer opinions to consider. Because most weaknesses and strengths usually only become apparent after a certain amount of mileage under a wide variety of conditions.
At laboratory conditions summer tires have to meet several test categories proven. This includes precise steering behavior also at high speed as well as on wet roads.
A very important test criterion is the braking distance. Even the seemingly best summer tire fails when the braking distance is too long and the safety at risk in road traffic.
To achieve a good comparison To be able to present the best performance, the tires are tested on both dry and wet roads, as well as on different surfaces. On wet roads, all summer tires have difficulty transmitting braking force efficiently.
We have found that in external test procedure only with activated ABS (anti-lock braking system) is being worked on, because all vehicles that have been 2004 built are and will be equipped with this assistance system.
The next step is to also test the directional stability of the summer tires – especially on wet road – tested. Here you will quickly find out how the respective tire reacts to aquaplaning, when and at what speed the vehicle breaks away and how it behaves on damaged road surfaces. Finally, it’s about the rolling noise, because today it’s actually the case that the tires cause more noise than the engine.
Test criteria: summer tires in comparison
Efficiency class
The label shows how high the rolling resistance of the tire and therefore the fuel consumption compared to the next better class is. The best grade is A.
Wet grip class
This point is about the braking performance at wet road compared to a standard reference test strip. Assuming a speed of 80 kilometers per hour in the brake test.
Rolling noise
The noise when a vehicle passes by, the noise is expressed in decibels. The reference value is a limit set by the EU.
Season / time of year
That one summer tires not suitable for winter weather conditions, the designation says it all. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile in the test report a closer look at this criterion. Possibly a so-called all season tires in the comparison.
tire dimension
These values provide information on the tire width and to tire cross section and to the load-bearing capacity- and speed index. You can also see here whether it is a radial or a bias tire.
Special features
Under this point you will find more interesting information to summer tires in test. Does it have a particularly good grip? Is it quieter in comparison than other tires?? Convincing with above-average service life?
customer comments
The ratings from customers come directly from the field and are usually based on longer-term experience with the respective tire.
Common defects and weak points – what to look for when buying a summer tire!
A customer complained about the cornering behavior of his vehicle after he put on what he thought were high-quality summer tires. He could not return the tires because they had already been used.
Rolling noise is becoming more and more important for many drivers. One driver was all the more disappointed that the summer tires, which were quiet according to the description, developed very high driving noise at higher speeds.
- Vehicle "floats" on wet road surfaces
A particular summer tire model proved to be very unreliable on wet roads. The tread and grip couldn’t counteract the vehicle’s tendency to float in the wet.
A fairly high-quality summer tire should score points with a long service life. However, the customer already had to buy after a little more than 1.The customer had to have new tires fitted after only 000 kilometers, as the tread had suffered considerably.
- Inaccurate steering response
One customer complained that the sidewalls of a summer tire model were too soft, which had a negative effect on steering behavior.
- Steering wheel vibrates at a certain speed
As soon as a customer drove faster than 120 kilometers per hour, the steering wheel began to vibrate. He went to a specialist garage for advice and was told that the summer tires had probably been stored improperly.
A summer tire model could not be balanced properly. The customer had visited different garages and finally had to switch to other tires.
Internet vs. Specialist dealers: where is the best place to buy summer tires??
The tire purchase at the local dealer, his advantages: you can count on good advice, and usually the tires are mounted on the rims and balanced on the same day. Nevertheless, more and more drivers are opting to use the tires online to buy. Here you have numerous test reports and customer reviews available for the ideal comparison. You have a direct view of the EU label and can overall quality the tires are good to go.
These are the current summer tire bestsellers at amazon
DUNLOP 195/65 R15 91H SP sport blu response
delivery and price without rim
current production tires, age 36 months max
fuel efficiency class B, wet grip class A
class external rolling noise: 1; measured value 68 db
SIZE: 60 x 60 x 20 cm
weight: 7.65 kg
smooth running
made in germany
sale and shipping through amazon
delivery time: two to three working days
DUNLOP 205/55 R16 91V SP sport blu response
delivery and price without rim
tires from current production, not older than 36 months
fuel efficiency class B, wet grip class A
class external rolling noise: 1; measured 68 db
size: 60 x 60 x 21 cm
weight: 3.4 kg
smooth running, high ride comfort
sale and shipping through amazon
delivery time: two to three working days
GOODYEAR 205/55 R16 91V efficientgrip performance
Delivery and price without rim
tires from current production, maximum age 36 months
fuel efficiency class B, wet grip class A
external rolling noise class: 1; measured value 68 db
size: 60 x 60 x 21 cem
weight: 7.83 kg
smooth running, good grip
manufactured in poland
sale and shipping through amazon
delivery time: two to three working days
Hankook ventus V12 evo 2 K120 – 225/45/R17 94Y – C/B/70
Delivery and price without rim
from current production, old maximum 36 months
fuel efficiency class C, wet grip class B
class external rolling noise: 2; measured value 70 db
SIZE: 63.5 x 63.5 x 22.4 cm
weight: 9.07 kg
smooth running, quiet rolling noise
high grip
sale and shipping by amazon
delivery time: two to three working days
Hankook ventus prime 3 K125 – 205/55/R16 91V – C/A/71
price and delivery without rim
from current production, maximum 36 months old
fuel efficiency class C, wet grip class A
class external rolling noise: 2; measured value 71 db
size: 40.6 x 40.6 x 11.2 cm
WEIGHT: 7.7 kg
good price-performance ratio
high running smoothness, strong grip
sale and shipping through amazon
delivery time: two to three working days
Stiftung warentest summer tires test – the results
The foundation warentest refers with date from 19. march 2019 on a summer tire test from ADAC. Both summer tires for small cars and vans were tested.
Overall 16 different models the size 185/65 R15 H on the test bench. The cost per piece was 48 to 99 euros; all tires were set to a maximum speed of max 210 kilometers per hour designed. The test winner was priced in the mid-range; the summer tire showed the best properties on both dry and wet roads in the test.
The second place in the test, a model whose performance on dry and wet roads was not quite as confident as that of the test winner, but on the other hand, rolling noise was lower, and wear and fuel consumption were also lower than those of the top-ranked tire. In third place is often the price-performance winner in the test. Compared in march 2019 did the third-placed tire score significantly better on fuel consumption than the two better-placed tires?.
In the second part of the test, summer tires of the size 215/65 R16 C for vans on the test bench. In this segment, too, the ADAC 16 models, priced between 96 and 153 euro per piece layers. The tire category C is mainly found in the commercial sector for vans, but these tires are also used in vans and campers.
Best results in the test delivered an inexpensive model of a Indian company at the price of 106 euro. The summer tire performed convincingly on dry roads and still scored "satisfactory" on wet roads. For a tire of the category C however, its consumption and wear were quite high.
Second place went to a high-quality model from a well-known manufacturer. Although it required a slightly longer braking distance than the best-ranked tire, it impressed with its efficient braking performance fuel consumption and high mileage. Price-wise this model was priced at 139 euro significantly higher.
Figures, data, facts about summer tires
Analyses show that worldwide every year over 250 million car tires are discontinued. It’s nice to see that the majority of tire manufacturers have decided to use the environmentally friendly tire recycling use. Particularly effective is the so-called retread.
Conclusion: retreaded summer tires are better than their reputation, are better for the environment and are cheaper to buy. Grab it!
