245/40 R19 - Best summer tyres 2026 - market overview, tests, reviews

The Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo is the successor to the multi-award-winning Potenza Sport, featuring ENLITEN Technology for enhanced performance. It delivers 5% shorter wet braking, 2% shorter dry braking, and 15% greater mileage compared to its predecessor, while achieving EU label A-grade wet grip.

The P Zero range is with us for a long time, also being a favorite choice for car manufacturers as first equipment. It’s a good, well balanced and enjoyable tyre. It tends to get quite a few mid-life updates so make sure you get the latest one.

The Pilot Sport range from Michelin is now almost legendary, with the Cup variants being the fastest road legal tyres available. But the ‚ordinary‘ Pilot Sport 5 not as spory as it’s name suggest - it’s incredibly well balanced, with the priority being low rolling resistance and high mileage over sporty handling. It’s still a Michelin tire, so higher price is to be expected.

The Turanza T005 was introduced in 2018, but still stands as a great tyre, offered in incredible 350 different sizes. It’s universal also in it’s properties - it’s a balanced mix of wet and dry performance with above-average rolling resistance.

The Kumho Ecsta PS71 has been around for a while and keeps showing up well in tests. Strong aquaplaning resistance, short braking distances, and balanced handling across conditions make it a dependable choice. Comfort and noise are where it compromises.

We really like the new Potenza Sport, as it’s more sporty and dynamic than the usual tyre in this category, but still perfectly usable and safe for everyday driving, which makes it unique. It’s rolling resistance, mileage and overall comfort are also on a good level, except for a slighty higher noise.

We really like when a budget tyre surprises the testers — it is always a good story, but unfortunately it happens like once in a few years. The Giti GitiSport S2+ is one of those stories. It delivered confident handling and reliable braking on both wet and dry surfaces, holding its own against more expensive rivals. Comfort and rolling resistance are where the savings show, but for the price, it is hard to complain.

Firestone, the affordable brand belonging to the Bridgestone group, has a fresh addition to their lineup - the Roadhawk 2. And it seems like it’s set off for success - it offers the Bridgestone’s ENLITEN technology, which makes the rolling resistance and mileage exceptional for a budget tyre and it combines it with safe behavior on wet and dry.

The previous model was already a good, economy-focused model and the Primacy 5 is expected to take it even further with 18% better mileage. But Michelin said also the wet performance is improved, which is something we are looking forward to see in the tests.

The Turanza 6 is quite a new addition to Bridgestone’s lineup, being introduced in 2023. Featuring the new ENLITEN technology, it should be lighter and have positive effect on fuel efficiency. In the tests, the efficiency is confirmed alongside with higher mileage. That being said, it somehow lacks the performance of other premium tyres, so we would recommend it only when the price is lower.

A dry-road specialist with track-day ambitions. The Supersport delivers incredible dry grip and handling precision, but it pays for that with weak wet performance, high noise, and the worst rolling resistance in test. A tyre for sunny weekends, not rainy commutes.

A budget tyre with real wet grip — that's rare. The Maxxis Victra Sport 5 handles wet roads confidently, brakes well, and stays quiet. The delayed steering response takes getting used to, but at this price point, the overall safety package is hard to argue with.

Hankook Ventus tyres are designed to offer a very sporty experience for affordable price, which is also the case for evo3. It’s also safe on wet and got short braking distances, the only drawback being lower mileage.

One of the cheaper tyres that can be recommended as it hasn't failed a single test and is often rated as a economical choice. It's surprisingly quiet, so if you are looking for a good and comfortable tyre, Azenis FK520 could be a tyre for you.

The Ultrac Pro is very well balanced tyre for every day driving made mainly for larger wheel sizes.

If rolling resistance is your priority, the Firehawk Sport is hard to beat — it topped the charts. Add short braking distances and low noise, and you get an efficiency-focused tyre that doesn't sacrifice safety basics. Wet handling and aquaplaning are the compromises.

Hankook tyres are getting better with every new generation and the Ventus Evo is the latest evolution. It aims for the stars with excellent dry and wet handling, best-in-test wet braking and top aquaplaning speed, while producing very low exterior noise. The only notable weakness is higher rolling resistance. Still, it is a premium tyre for slightly less than a premium price.

A solid all-rounder at a fair price. The Kumho Ecsta Sport PS72 blends dry and wet grip with sporty, predictable steering and offers no dramatic weaknesses. Aquaplaning resistance and comfort are its weaker spots, but you're getting upper-middle performance for less than you'd expect.

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The SP Sport MAXX RT2 has been in Dunlop's lineup for a long time, and it shows. Decent aquaplaning resistance and comfortable ride are probably its best qualities, and rolling resistance is reasonable too. But wet braking and wet handling have never been its strong suits, and the dry handling can be unpredictable. As the rest of the segment moved on, it's been struggling to keep up in the tests, which makes it hard to recommend at a premium price.