Summer tyre test 225/50 R17 - ADAC 2026
Summer N/A — test location not specified in available article text
Audi A4 (also representative of Alfa Giulia, BMW 3er/4er, Opel Zafira, Peugeot 3008, Volvo V70 segment)
Price vs Quality
See how tyre price relates to test performance at a glance
Results
Agenda:Best value in test
Better than average value
Worse than average value
Worst value in test
Continental PremiumContact 7 leads dry performance by a clear margin with a score of 1.6 — the only tyre to break into the 1.x range on dry. Firestone, Goodyear, and Pirelli share second place at 2.3, while Linglong Sport Master is last with a critical 3.8, accompanied by dangerous oversteer and sluggish steering response flagged as a genuine safety hazard. The gap between Continental and the Linglong represents the widest dry discipline spread in the test. Actual braking distances in metres were not published.
Wet1,7
Dry1,6
Enviromental impact2,2
Driving safety1,7
The most striking finding in the test: Linglong Sport Master achieves the best wet score of any tyre in the entire field — 1.5, ahead of even the Continental (1.7) — yet finishes dead last overall because its catastrophic dry behaviour makes it too dangerous to recommend. Continental is the strongest safe all-round wet performer at 1.7. Hankook Ventus Prime 4 drops from a respectable 5th on dry to joint-15th on wet (3.3), a significant and safety-relevant reversal. Leao Nova-Force Acro also scores 3.3 in wet, making it one of two tyres at the bottom of both disciplines. Actual braking distances in metres were not published.
Wet2,0
Dry2,3
Enviromental impact2,4
Driving safety2,1
Linglong Sport Master produces the most extreme dry-to-wet split of any tyre in recent ADAC testing history: it earns the best wet score in a 16-tyre field (1.5) while simultaneously posting the worst dry score (3.8) — described by ADAC as dangerous oversteer and unresponsive steering on dry roads. This results in a final grade of 4.2 and a 'not recommended' verdict despite its exceptional wet capability.
Wet2,5
Dry2,3
Enviromental impact1,9
Driving safety2,4
Wet2,5
Dry2,3
Enviromental impact3,0
Driving safety2,4
ADAC weights driving safety at 70% and environmental assessment at 30% of the overall grade, which explains why a tyre with class-leading wet grip (Linglong) can still finish last — dry handling failures are weighted heavily enough to override strong wet scores.
Wet2,4
Dry2,6
Enviromental impact2,9
Driving safety2,6
Kumho Ecsta HS52 is the most notable mid-field overperformer on wet roads: scoring 2.0 (#3 in wet), it matches Pirelli and trails only Linglong and Continental — a remarkable result for a budget-oriented tyre that finishes 9th overall.
6
6
£120 98 Y
tyres-pneus-online.co.uk
Wet2,8
Dry3,0
Enviromental impact2,0
Driving safety3,0
Michelin Primacy 5 finishes 7th overall with a 'satisfactory' grade, scoring 3.2 on dry (#13) and 2.8 on wet (#11) — underwhelming for a premium brand, and consistent with wet performance flagged as a weak point in other independent tests of this model.
Wet2,8
Dry3,2
Enviromental impact1,8
Driving safety3,2
Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 achieves a projected tyre life of approximately 57,800 km — by far the highest mileage forecast in the test and more than double the Linglong Sport Master's projected 26,000 km — while also finishing 3rd overall with a 'good' rating.
Wet2,7
Dry2,5
Enviromental impact3,0
Driving safety2,7
Hankook Ventus Prime 4 shows a pronounced dry-to-wet performance inversion: 5th on dry (2.4) but joint-15th on wet (3.3), placing it alongside the outright budget failures in the wet discipline despite being a current-generation premium product.
Wet2,0
Dry2,7
Enviromental impact3,1
Driving safety2,7
Continental PremiumContact 7 is the clear and comprehensive test winner (grade 1.9), leading dry performance outright and finishing second in wet — the only tyre in the test to score in the 1.x range on dry and the most well-rounded product across all disciplines.
Wet3,2
Dry2,4
Enviromental impact2,6
Driving safety3,2
Safety warning: Linglong Sport Master is rated 'not recommended' (grade 4.2) despite having the best wet grip in the test. Its dry behaviour — dangerous oversteer and sluggish steering response — makes it genuinely hazardous and disqualifies it despite its wet-weather capability.
Wet3,3
Dry2,4
Enviromental impact2,5
Driving safety3,3
Lassa Revola and Leao Nova-Force Acro both receive 'insufficient' ratings and show critical handling characteristics. The Leao additionally suffers from high wear rates and a projected short service life, making it a poor value choice at any price.
Wet2,5
Dry2,9
Enviromental impact3,5
Driving safety2,9
Wet3,2
Dry2,5
Enviromental impact3,0
Driving safety3,2
Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 earns the best mileage forecast (approximately 57,800 km) in the test while finishing 3rd overall with a 'good' rating — a strong choice for high-mileage drivers who want both safety credentials and long tread life.
Wet2,5
Dry3,6
Enviromental impact3,1
Driving safety3,6
Michelin Primacy 5 and Bridgestone Turanza 6 — both premium brands — finish only 7th and 6th respectively with 'satisfactory' grades, underperforming significantly in dry handling relative to the price premium they command.
Wet3,3
Dry3,7
Enviromental impact3,8
Driving safety3,7
Kumho Ecsta HS52 is the budget standout, matching Pirelli Cinturato C3 in wet performance (both score 2.0, joint 3rd) while finishing 9th overall — a meaningful wet-safety overperformance at a mid-range price point.
Wet1,5
Dry3,8
Enviromental impact4,2
Driving safety3,8
Same size tyres not featured in the test
Tests usually don't cover the whole market - here is our selection what not to miss when shopping for tyres in this size.
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