Summer tyre test 255/45 R19 - Auto Bild 2026
Summer Wet and dry disciplines were run at the Goodyear proving ground in Mireval, southern France. Off-road handling was tested on the Drive Control rally course in nearby Monteils. The overall weighting was 20% off-road, 40% wet, and 40% dry.
Auto Bild does not name a single reference car. The test targets all-wheel-drive SUVs and crossover EVs using size 255/45 R19, including VW Tiguan, Audi Q3, Seat Tarraco, Tesla Model Y, and Volvo XC40.
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
Falken delivers the shortest dry braking distance at 32.5 m from 100 km/h, followed by Hankook at 32.8 m and Goodyear at 32.9 m. Bridgestone is the dry-handling leader at 106.6 km/h, ahead of Toyo at 104.9 km/h and Kumho at 104.6 km/h.
1
1
Rating: Exemplary (test winner)
Wet2-
Dry2+
Offroad2+
Rolling resistance2+
Noise1-
Stopping distance on dry1-
Stopping distance on wet2+
Comfort2+
Strengths
Test winner with best wet properties, short braking distances, dynamic handling, good value for money
Weaknesses
Limited traction on sand
Hankook is the wet benchmark with 50.2 m wet braking from 100 km/h and the fastest wet handling at 89.1 km/h. Michelin leads straight aquaplaning at 90.9 km/h, Toyo leads curve aquaplaning at 2.56 m/s2, and Giti is weakest in the wet at 60.1 m.
2
2
£203 104 Y
tyres.pneus.online.uk
Wet3+
Dry2+
Offroad2-
Rolling resistance2
Noise1-
Stopping distance on dry2+
Stopping distance on wet2+
Comfort1-
Strengths
Dynamic with direct steering response and agile behavior on all surfaces, short braking distances
Weaknesses
Most expensive candidate, slightly increased rolling resistance
Auto Bild adds a real off-road chapter: gravel handling plus traction on grass, gravel, and sand, worth 20% of the final result.
Wet1-
Dry2+
Offroad1-
Rolling resistance2-
Noise2+
Stopping distance on dry2+
Stopping distance on wet2-
Comfort2-
Strengths
All-rounder with balanced and safe driving characteristics, lowest rolling resistance, fair price
Weaknesses
Limited traction on gravel
Bridgestone leads gravel handling at 64.2 km/h, Hankook leads grass and gravel traction with 3729 N and 11442 N, and Falken is the sand specialist with 10718 N.
Wet2+
Dry2+
Offroad2+
Rolling resistance2
Noise1-
Stopping distance on dry2
Stopping distance on wet2
Comfort2
Strengths
Gravel specialist with high safety reserves on all test surfaces, short dry braking distances, low rolling resistance
Weaknesses
Slightly weaker in aquaplaning
5
5
£208 100 V
tyres.pneus.online.uk
Wet2-
Dry2
Offroad2
Rolling resistance2+
Noise2
Stopping distance on dry2+
Stopping distance on wet2
Comfort2
Strengths
Wet specialist with great reserves in aquaplaning, good traction on gravel, pleasant rolling comfort
Weaknesses
Limited load capacity, approved up to 240 km/h (V)
Michelin has the strongest aquaplaning reserve, while Vredestein stands out on efficiency with the lowest rolling resistance at 6.92 kg/t.
Wet2
Dry2
Offroad2-
Rolling resistance2
Noise2
Stopping distance on dry2-
Stopping distance on wet2-
Comfort2+
Strengths
Convincing performance off-road, dynamic behavior on dry track, cheapest tire in the test
Weaknesses
Slightly weaker in wet
Hankook Ventus Evo wins with 1.2 and an exemplary verdict thanks to top wet safety, short braking distances, and strong value.
Wet2-
Dry2
Offroad2
Rolling resistance2+
Noise2
Stopping distance on dry2
Stopping distance on wet2-
Comfort2+
Strengths
Good safety reserves in aquaplaning, dynamic behavior on dry track, good comfort
Weaknesses
Weaknesses in gravel handling and sand traction
Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo, Vredestein Ultrac Pro, and Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 also score exemplary, forming a tight top group from 1.2 to 1.4.
Wet2+
Dry2
Offroad2+
Rolling resistance2
Noise1-
Stopping distance on dry2
Stopping distance on wet2-
Comfort3+
Strengths
Braking ace with short braking distances on wet and dry asphalt, best traction on sand, low rolling resistance
Weaknesses
Weak traction on gravel
The off-road section changes the order in a meaningful way: Bridgestone and Kumho gain, while Toyo and Giti lose ground once terrain scores are included.
Wet2
Dry2
Offroad2
Rolling resistance3+
Noise2
Stopping distance on dry3+
Stopping distance on wet3+
Comfort2
Strengths
Dry specialist with decent traction on grass and gravel
Weaknesses
Limited grip level with extended braking distances in wet, weaker on sand
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.
Cars with 255/45 R19 tyres
