Ten summer tires for the popular compact SUV segment will compete in this edition of the summer tire test. Which band is best on and off the beaten track?
You can choose to spend about 500 euros on a set of summer tires for your SUV. But you can also save about 50 percent and spend about 240 euros on a new set of fresh summer rubber. If you dig deep into your pockets, your car will be placed on the tires of a renowned manufacturer, in this case on Michelins Primacy 4 (average rate according to tyres.autoweek.nl). If you opt for the low-budget alternative, you will end up with discount tires from the Imperial brand, which only came on the market in 2011. Behind Imperial is the Belgian tire wholesaler Deldo, which has Imperial tires produced in one of the largest tire factories in China. That explains the enormous price difference with Western-made rubber.
Tires produced in China do not have a very good reputation in Western Europe. Okay, they are cheap. Does that automatically mean they are bad too? The Imperial is not the first Chinese tire that we have taken part in a tire test. Two things have come to the fore in previous tests: the Chinese manufacturers are taking particularly big steps, and it has also turned out that you cannot shave all Chinese tires together. The differences between them are just as great as the secondary ties of the established order. The prejudices are therefore not always correct.
There is only one way to find out what the different tires really have: testing and measuring in a professional way. And behold: the Imperial EcoSport SUV does not even sink through the ice hard. There are no major shortcomings in any of the test items. On the winding and wet test track, however, it only gets 6 out of 15 points due to the poor grip in corners and the relatively slow steering response. This kills him, because such a low score leads to a deduction of points, which gives the band the label ‘moderate’ below the line. This is not the case with any of the test items for the other participants. The other candidates from the Far East – Falken, Maxxis and Toyo – thus end up in front of the Imperial. This also applies to the tires of BF Goodrich, an American manufacturer with a long history that has been owned by the French tire giant Michelin for 30 years.
Tires from five renowned brands finish in the Top 5. Each tire has its own strengths that could convince buyers. The Nokian Wetproof, which finishes in fifth place, offers a relatively good grip on grass and gravel, but on the other hand, the rolling resistance is higher. The Continental Premiumcontact 6 (fourth place) is not in its element, especially on grass and gravel, but this tire is unbeatable in terms of grip on wet surfaces. The Bridgestone Turanza T005 (third place) does great on a dry surface, but it leaves points (and grip!) on the wet grass. Finished second Michelin Primacy 4 does not come out well on sand alone, but otherwise it is a very harmonious band. This year’s test winner is the Goodyear Efficientgrip 2 SUV and it does not perform less on any test item. Thus, a set of this summer rubber, for which you pay around 500 euros, is absolutely worth the high price.
The full results with all test results including charts and graphs can be read in Techzle no. 16 (21-28 April), or available digitally at the bottom of this article.
Price comparator
With the Techzle Car Tire Price Comparison we offer you a handy tool to find the best offers on summer tires. The price comparison site currently provides an overview of the full range of 18 different tire providers. Also here are the results all tire tests of the past 9 years.