Summer tyre test 235/45 R18 - Autozeitung 2026

Summer Goodyear test facility near Mireval, southern France. Wet tests conducted on a specially smooth asphalt track with artificial irrigation. All tyres purchased anonymously in retail. Rolling resistance, mileage, and wear measured under controlled laboratory conditions.

2026

Year

10

Tyres

Audi A5 TFSI 150 hp (110 kW) with S tronic dual-clutch gearbox, front-wheel drive, 0–100 km/h in 9.8 s, 216 km/h top speed

Winner

Continental PremiumContact 7

Best Value

Continental PremiumContact 7

Test Vehicle

Audi A5

Tested tyres

10

article

AUTO ZEITUNG tyre test 2026: 235/45 R18 — summer tyres

AUTO ZEITUNG compared 10 tyres in size 235/45 R18.

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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 posts the shortest dry braking distance at 32.8 m, with Goodyear and Pirelli close behind (both score 38 versus Continental's 40). Westlake Z-007 Zuper Ace is last at 35.7 m — a 2.9 m gap from the leader, which the article describes as still manageable in real-world terms, with all tyres remaining controllable on dry roads.

#	Name	Our rating	Segment	Price
1	Premium Dunlop Blue Response TG 98%	98%	Premium	£126 98 W
2	Premium Continental UltraContact NXT 96%	96%	Premium	£146 98 Y
3	Premium Bridgestone POTENZA SPORT EVO 93%	93%	Premium	£147 98 Y
4	Premium Hankook ION Evo 93%	93%	Premium	£157 98 W +2 More
5	Premium Pirelli P ZERO PZ4 89%	89%	Premium	£166 94 Y +5 More
6	Premium Michelin Pilot Sport 5 88%	88%	Premium	£159 98 Y
7	Premium Bridgestone Turanza T005 88%	88%	Premium	£167 94 W +7 More
8	Premium Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2 88%	88%	Premium	£136 94 W +3 More

9	Upper-middle Kumho Ecsta PS71 86%	86%	Upper-middle	£123 98 Y +3 More
10	Premium Bridgestone Potenza Sport 85%	85%	Premium	£163 98 Y
11	Upper-middle Nokian Powerproof 2 84%	84%	Upper-middle	£124 0 Y +1 More
12	Premium Continental PremiumContact 6 83%	83%	Premium	£133 94 V +9 More
13	Premium Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 K127 81%	81%	Premium	£121 98 Y
14	Premium Pirelli Cinturato P7 80%	80%	Premium	£139 94 W +3 More
15	Premium Vredestein Ultrac Pro 79%	79%	Premium	£116 94 y +1 More
16	Upper-middle Falken ZIEX ZE320 78%	78%	Upper-middle	£126 98 W

17	Upper-middle Toyo Proxes Comfort 78%	78%	Upper-middle	£113 98
18	Premium Continental Ecocontact 6 77%	77%	Premium	£132 94 W +2 More
19	Budget Linglong Sport Master 77%	77%	Budget
20	Premium Hankook Ih61 Ion St As 77%	77%	Premium	£132 98 V
21	Premium Dunlop SP Sport MAXX RT2 77%	77%	Premium	£164 98 Y
22	Budget Sailun Atrezzo ZSR 2 76%	76%	Budget	£79 98 Y +1 More
23	Premium Bridgestone Turanza 6 76%	76%	Premium	£142 94 W +2 More
24	Upper-middle Kumho Ecsta HS52 76%	76%	Upper-middle	£105 98 W +1 More

25	Premium Hankook Ventus Prime 4 76%	76%	Premium	£110 98 W +2 More
26	Premium Hankook Ventus Evo 76%	76%	Premium	£104 98 Y
27	Upper-middle Cooper Summer 76%	76%	Upper-middle	£109 98 Y
28	Budget GT Radial SportActive 2 EVO 75%	75%	Budget
29	Upper-middle Kumho Ecsta Sport (PS72) 75%	75%	Upper-middle	£103 98 Y +1 More
30	Budget Nexen N fera Sport 72%	72%	Budget	£97 98 Y +1 More
31	Budget GT radial Sport Active 2 71%	71%	Budget
32	Upper-middle BFGoodrich Advantage 70%	70%	Upper-middle	£121 98 W +1 More

33	Upper-middle Nokian PowerProof 1 69%	69%	Upper-middle	£120 98 Y
34	Upper-middle Uniroyal RainSport 5 69%	69%	Upper-middle	£114 98 Y
35	Upper-middle Falken ZIEX ZE310 ECORUN 69%	69%	Upper-middle
36	Upper-middle Toyo Proxes Sport 2 67%	67%	Upper-middle	£116 98 Y +1 More
37	Premium Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 67%	67%	Premium	£135 98 Y
38	Premium Michelin e.Primacy 67%	67%	Premium	£193 98 W +2 More
39	Budget Sava Intensa UHP 2 65%	65%	Budget	£147 98 Y +1 More
40	Budget Fulda SportControl 2 64%	64%	Budget	£107 98 Y +1 More

41	Upper-middle Firestone Roadhawk 60%	60%	Upper-middle
42	Upper-middle Yokohama Advan Sport V107 59%	59%	Upper-middle	£133 98 Y
43	Upper-middle Kleber Dynaxer UHP 56%	56%	Upper-middle
44	Upper-middle Kleber Dynaxer HP5 56%	56%	Upper-middle	£123 94 W +4 More
45	Budget Semperit Speed-Life 3 55%	55%	Budget	£117 98 Y
46	Upper-middle Nokian Hakka Black 3 54%	54%	Upper-middle	£253 98 W +1 More
47	Budget Debica Presto UHP2 52%	52%	Budget	£105 98 Y +1 More
48	Budget Maxxis Premitra HP5 52%	52%	Budget

49	Premium Pirelli Powergy 48%	48%	Premium	£144 98 Y
50	Budget Delinte DS2 46%	46%	Budget
51	- Leao Nova-Force Acro 44%	44%	-
52	Budget Barum Bravuris 5 HM 44%	44%	Budget
53	B Landspider Sportraxx UHP 42%	42%	B
54	Upper-middle Cooper Zeon CS8 38%	38%	Upper-middle	£156 0 Y
55	Budget Goodride Solmax 1 33%	33%	Budget
56	Budget Barum Bravuris 6 30%	30%	Budget	£94 98 Y

57	B Event Potentem UHP 27%	27%	B
58	Budget Tracmax X-Privilo TX-3 23%	23%	Budget
59	Budget Matador MP47 Hectorra 3 22%	22%	Budget
60	Budget Matador Hectorra 5 22%	22%	Budget
61	Budget Landsail RapidDragon 19%	19%	Budget
62	Budget Kormoran Ultra High Performance 18%	18%	Budget
63	Budget Tomason Sportrace 17%	17%	Budget
64	- Aplus A610 12%	12%	-

65	Budget Lanvigator Catch Power Plus 8%	8%	Budget

Summer tyre test 235/45 R18 - Autozeitung 2026

AUTO ZEITUNG tyre test 2026: 235/45 R18 — summer tyres

Price vs Quality

Results

Detailed results

Aquaplaning - cross

Aquaplaning - longitudal

Wet braking

Wet circle cornering

Wet handling

Wet safety

Dry braking

Dry handling

Safety

Dry steering response

Comfort

Exterior noise

Mileage

Rolling resistance

Wear

Same size tyres not featured in the test

Cars with 235/45 R18 tyres