Best car tyres 2025: evo tyre test
Looking to fit new tyres to your performance car soon? Let the latest edition of the annual evo tyre test help you make the right choice
We’ve previously tested the increasingly popular 235/35 R19 on front-drive cars, but this year our test car is a BMW 135i xDrive, a predominantly rear-drive car that goes four-wheel drive when required. It’s a different challenge for the tyres, finding traction mainly at the rear and only occasionally at the front.
Three manufacturers bring new tyres to this year’s test. Falken debuts its new Azenis RS820, Maxxis fields its new Victra Sport 6 and Yokohama brings the Advan Sport V107, all of them aiming to challenge the establishment, represented here in depth. The Continental SportContact 7 topped the table last time out, with the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S second and the Bridgestone Potenza Sport and Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport tied for third. Pirelli was a little off the pace and returns with the PZ5 version of the venerable P Zero, while the notable absentee is Vredestein, which is in the process of replacing the Ultrac. We have also included a budget tyre to see what performance you get for a chunk less money.
> Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 review – 'N0' tyre makes Porsche GT3 RS a wet weather weapon
Once again, we’re using the format we introduced last year, with each tyre’s strengths and weaknesses conveyed in a profile piece. The tests and the scoring regime are unchanged, with the scoring weighted towards performance in the wet. Objective results make up 60 per cent of each tyre’s total score and subjective ratings 40 per cent, the latter appraising qualities such as steering feel and feedback, handling balance and breakaway characteristics. We also use a road route to assess ride comfort and road noise to help generate a rounded picture of each tyre’s abilities.
The car
The vast majority of our tyre tests have been conducted using a front-drive car, but this year we’ve taken the opportunity to use a predominantly rear-drive model, the BMW M135i xDrive. Its turbocharged in-line four delivers a hefty 302bhp and 332lb ft of torque to a drivetrain that, as already mentioned, is rear-drive until the rear axle is overwhelmed. Although not blessed with the most communicative steering, the separation of power and steering gives an opportunity for the quality of steering feel provided by each tyre to show through.
The track
Bridgestone’s test facility in Aprilia, near Rome, played host to this year’s test, in high ambient temperatures. Since our last visit the direction of travel on the wet handling circuit has been reversed, making the lap more of a challenge, especially the section that sweeps right and gently downhill into a braking area for a tighter right. The dry handling circuit remains a stern test of cornering grip and precision, and traction out of the tight hairpins.
The tests
As always, the most significant tests are straight-line wet braking and laps of the demanding wet handling circuit. The weir-fed circuit is just over a mile in length, wetted to 8mm, and tackled mostly in third gear, with second required for the tight hairpin, which properly tests traction. There are gentle sweeps taken at speed, testing transient stability, and a mix of uphill and downhill corners challenging turn-in and dynamic balance. Grip, precision and calm adjustability are key to a good lap time and each tyre’s feel and feedback contributes to its subjective rating.
Straight-line wet braking is measured on an evenly wetted surface from 50 to 12mph (not zero, to eliminate anti-lock interference), the result being the average of a number of runs. We also test wet cornering, taking the average time of a number of laps of a 50m-diameter wetted circle.
There are also two deep-water tests measuring aquaplaning performance. In straight-line aquaplaning we measure the speed at which each tyre generates 15 per cent slip in 7mm of water. Resistance to aquaplaning when cornering is calculated from the average amount of residual lateral acceleration when traversing a curve flooded with 7mm of water over a range of speeds.
The dry handling circuit combines a short but challenging mix of traction-testing hairpins, fast sweeps and sequences of bends that put a premium on each tyre’s grip, traction and stability under braking, but we also assess poise, precision and transient responses. Straight-line dry braking is measured from 100 to 0kph (62 to 0mph), again taking the average with outlier runs discounted.
Supplementing the EU drive-by noise rating, we subjectively assess each tyre’s road noise and ride comfort over a variety of surfaces and features, including lateral ridges and drain covers.
An industry-standard test of rolling resistance gives us a more accurate figure than the EU label. A four or five per cent increase in rolling resistance is equivalent to a one per cent drop in economy.
All the tyres tested were sourced independently from the open market. Prices shown are from Blackcircles at the time of writing and include fitting.
Calculating a winner
In each test, the highest performing tyre scores 100 per cent and the scores of the other tyres are calculated relative to this. Wet performance accounts for 30 per cent of the total, dry 20 per cent, and subjective ratings for wet and dry circuit handling and the road route another 40 per cent. Rolling resistance and price account for the final 10 per cent.
Tyre ratings
For each tyre you will see its load and speed ratings, weight, and EU label ratings: RR = rolling resistance, on a scale of A (best) to E (worst); a tyre with a better rating should give better fuel economy. Wet = wet grip, again on a scale of A (best) to E (worst); this EU rating is derived solely from a straight-line braking test. Noise = exterior (pass-by) noise, measured in decibels on a standard, certified surface and tyre-width related, and rated from A (<69 dB) to C (>72 dB).
9th Kormoran Ultra High Performance
£100, 91Y, 9.96kg, RR C, Wet C, Noise B 72
It may say Ultra High Performance on the sidewall but that’s not what the Kormoran delivers. You get the lowest price and the lowest rolling resistance, but if you replace a quality brand with a set of these you will ruin the handling of your car. And at £100 a tyre, fitted, you’re saving very little on a safety-critical item.
In the crucial straight-line wet braking test, slamming on the brakes to slow from 50 to 12mph took 27.56m on the best tyre and 39.43m on the Kormoran – that’s almost 12m more, over 40 per cent longer. Around the wet handling circuit it was more than 8sec a lap off the pace, which was no surprise given that, compared to the others, it felt like the surface was ice. The BMW has a limited-slip diff at the rear, and on all the other tyres there was a hint of oversteer at most. On the Kormoran, the BMW found so little traction the rear was quickly overwhelmed and it was four-wheel drifting out of most of the corners. The ‘high’ spots of the objective tests were seventh and eighth in straight and curved aquaplaning respectively.
It was poor in the dry too: last in braking, around the circuit and subjectively. It simply did not grip as hard as other tyres, felt less precise and squealed under load.
Less confident, less enjoyable in the dry than all rivals here and treacherous in the wet, this is a tyre with few redeeming features. Definitely not recommended.
Overall score 80.1%
Blackcircles says...
Blackcircles.com is unable to provide any insight into the popularity or performance of the Kormoran Ultra High Performance with our customers at present.
8th Falken Azenis RS820
£163, 91Y XL, 10.96kg, RR D, Wet A, Noise B 70
Falken’s new contender feels good but its performance is still a little way behind that of the bigger brands, notably in wet braking, where it took 6m more to slow to 12mph than the best.
It was sixth best around the wet circle and eighth on wet lap time but not that far off the pace – and it felt good, too. Positive, clean turn-in allowed early throttle to load the rear and punch onto the straights with full traction, and it was easy to find and tread the limit in the quick, inner sweeps. Generally there was good composure and adjustability, making it biddable and fun.
Fourth in straight-line aquaplaning, very close to the best, and fifth in curved aquaplaning were its best placings.
In the dry its steering was encouraging, with a keen, connected feel. It was sixth on lap time, within a second of the best, and around the handling circuit it was smooth and quiet but struggled to make the late clipping points convincingly. There was some heaviness and delay through transitions too, but it delivered solid traction out of the hairpins and felt strong on the brakes: in the straight-line test it needed 1.5m more than the best when stopping from 62mph.
It wasn’t the most refined on the road, with a bassy rumble over coarse surfaces and a sharp response to ridges, but although it lacked the sharpness and bite of the best in the dry, it had keen steering feel and was good to drive, especially in the wet.
Overall score 90.4%
Blackcircles says...
Positively rated at 4.7 out of 5 for ‘would buy the same tyres again’ by our customers. Their feedback highlights very good performance in both wet and dry conditions.
7th Maxxis Victra Sport 6
£132, 91Y, 10.78kg, RR D, Wet A, Noise B 72
The new Victra Sport 6 picks up where the 5 left off, with mostly decent performances across the board, scoring well, but failing to break into the top half of the leaderboard, such is the quality of the field. Its star performances were in rolling resistance, where it was equal second, and the road route, where its refinement earned it equal third.
Seventh in wet braking (3m behind the leading tyre), eighth around the wet circle, and last and second to last in the aquaplaning tests was far from the best start. It was seventh on lap time on the wet handling circuit too, yet while it lacked the outright grip of the best, it did everything right, with superb traction and a useful dynamic balance. It found a settled poise to tackle the tricky infield sweeps confidently and offered useful fine adjustment via the throttle to tailor lines just so elsewhere. It just lacked the bite to climb higher.
If anything, it was more impressive in the dry. Eighth in dry braking reads worse than it was – it was within five per cent of the very best – and around the dry lap it was only 0.6sec off the pace. It felt really confident: poised, grippy and accurate, and locking onto late clipping points a long way out, accepting the hustle and providing useful amounts of adjustability.
It also offered good low-speed steering feel and was refined, rolling quietly over rough surfaces and taking the sting out of ridges. A good tyre that’s found itself up against a whole heap of excellent tyres.
Overall score... 94.3%
Blackcircles says...
Blackcircles.com is unable to provide any insight into the popularity or performance of the Maxxis Victra Sport 6 with our customers at present.
6th Pirelli P Zero PZ5
£172, 91Y XL, 9.84kg, RR D, Wet A, Noise B 70
The three mid-field tyres are so close – within half a per cent – that the Pirelli’s sixth place could have easily been fourth. It didn’t top any of the tests but scored well pretty much across the board, highlights being third fastest on both the wet and dry handling circuits, backed up by subjective rankings of fourth in both tests.
In the key straight-line wet braking discipline, the Pirelli was sixth, a fraction over 2m off the distance of the best. It was excellent around the wet lap, just a half second behind the fastest tyre, with positive turn-in and terrific traction allowing throttle early in the turns. It was solidly composed in the sweeps and very stable braking slightly downhill for the tight right. Agile, able and very reassuring. Ninth and last in straight aquaplaning is not as bad as it looks; it was less than six per cent off the best.
Fourth in the dry braking test, the Pirelli was equal third fastest around the dry lap, barely a tenth off the best. It felt willing and capable, with strong grip, easy precision and a confident agility in direction changes. It was also much quieter than lots of others while it delivered its strong, rewarding performance.
Rolling resistance and thus economy were OK. Where it unravels a little for the Pirelli is refinement. On the road route its steering feel was only OK and it was quite boomy and tactile, with troughs and ridges feeling abrupt. Overall though, a great driver’s tyre.
Overall score... 95.3%
Blackcircles says...
Rated 5 out of 5 by our customers for ‘would buy the same tyres again’. They noted that their cars felt good to drive when fitted with these tyres, especially in the dry.
5th Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S
£199, 91Y XL, 10.98kg, RR C, Wet A, Noise B 71
The last time we tested this size, on a front-drive Golf, the Michelin was second overall. This time it’s fifth, just a fraction off fourth place. Highlights include second-place finishes in the straight aquaplaning and rolling resistance tests, and being ranked best overall on the road route, in part due to its excellent steering feel.
In wet braking the Michelin was fifth, taking about 1.6m longer to slow than the top tyre, and it claimed a matching fifth in wet cornering. Around the wet lap it was a competitive fourth, less than a second off the top spot. It was well balanced and had useful, exploitable rotation, and felt strong on the brakes too. However, on turn-in it needed a moment to key into the surface before you could pour on the power and settle the car onto its rear for the exit.
In the dry it was a similar story, with fifth in braking, taking less than a metre more to stop than the best, and while it was eighth on lap time, the times were close: it was only 1.1sec a lap off the best. Subjectively it was a bit noisy, droning under load, but it was capable and had good feel and decent precision. It didn’t put a wheel wrong, it just lacked the brightness, the sharp focus of the very best.
Superb steering connection feel and linearity was part of the reason it was ranked top on the road route, along with low road noise and rolling comfort. An accomplished tyre.
Overall score... 95.5%
Blackcircles says...
A popular choice, rated 4.8 out of 5 for ‘would buy again’ from over 5400 reviews from our customers. They have noted this tyre’s excellent performance in wet or dry, and a quiet drive.
4th Yokohama Advan Sport V107
£159, 91Y XL, 10.18kg, RR D, Wet A, Noise B 71
Yokohama’s new tyre claimed numerous podium spots across the tests, though it was particularly strong in the wet. It was third in wet braking, a metre off the top spot, second around the wet circle, and sixth in wet handling, about 1.5sec off the pace.
Around the lap the Yokohama was very handy, with crisp turn-in allowing early throttle. It showed impressive stability into the sweeps too and then, off the throttle for the downhill tight right, it rotated progressively and proportionately, allowing the perfect line to be found. It was great on the brakes as well; all that was missing was a bit more grip. It was sixth in straight aquaplaning, in the lower mid-field but not far off the standard, and an impressive third in the curved test.
In dry braking it was second and around the dry track fifth, less than two-tenths off the best lap time, a result that was backed up by equal fifth subjectively. As in the wet, the Yokohama was neat and biddable and felt light, clean and keen, giving the BMW a nimble, precise demeanour. It just needed to be hustled a little to make the late apex of the first corner.
On the road route it suppressed road noise well and softened impacts with aplomb, but its steering was a little sticky around centre at B-road speeds. It also recorded the highest rolling resistance but did just enough to come out on top of the mid-field pack. A strong, new contender.
Overall score... 95.8%
Blackcircles says...
These tyres are well received – our customers have rated them 4.5 out of 5 overall. They particularly note the good driving experience in the wet and dry, as well as the quiet tyre noise.
3rd Continental SportContact 7
£152, 91Y XL, 10.12kg, RR D, Wet A, Noise B 72
A previous champion in this size, the Continental again delivered a strong performance, though here it claims just a single test win, in dry braking. It did, however, rank second subjectively on both the wet and dry handling circuits and scored highly pretty much everywhere else on its way to a solid podium place.
Fourth in wet braking, seventh on the circle and seventh in curved aquaplaning are inauspicious wet performances, but it posted the fifth fastest lap on the wet track and felt great. A strong front end got it into the tight turns quickly and gave some useful, exploitable lift-off rotation, particularly into the tight right, and it felt great on the brakes and pinned and poised through the sweeps. The only surprise was that the lap time wasn’t better.
The Continental nailed the dry braking test, stopping from 62mph a half metre better than the next best tyre, and it was little more than a tenth off the fastest lap on the dry circuit. It felt superb on the hot, dry asphalt, positive and abundantly grippy, and a ruthless apex hunter, particularly impressive in the first, late-apex right. It felt like the fastest and nearly was.
On the road route it was good but not outstanding, being loud over coarse sections but decent over the transverse challenges, while its steering delivered good feel. Low rolling resistance rounded out a solid performance, the highlights of which were its feel and feedback on both wet and dry tracks. A great tyre.
Overall score... 97.9%
Blackcircles says...
Our customers have rated these tyres well – 4.7 out of 5 overall from over 800 reviews. Drivers are very pleased with the driving experience in all conditions, especially wet weather.
2nd Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport
£147, 91Y XL, 9.96kg, RR D, Wet A, Noise B 72
Superb performances across both objective and subjective tests earned the Goodyear a strong second here. Highlights were a dry lap time a mere 0.03sec behind the fastest, the highest subjective dry lap score and a first in straight-line aquaplaning, but it scored numerous seconds and thirds too.
On the wet handling circuit it was deeply impressive, turning keenly into the tighter turns so you could be really early on the throttle, sitting the BMW into the corner and firing it out with all the torque in harness. It demonstrated a lovely dynamic balance elsewhere too, delivering precise amounts of lift-off oversteer on demand to arrive at the exact clipping point. It felt like the Goodyear was getting the very best out of the M135i. Second in wet braking and the curved aquaplaning test, plus third in wet cornering consolidated its wet performance.
It only got better in the dry tests, where it carried speed everywhere, homed in on the late clipping points with unerring precision, and delivered an inspiring performance. Again, sixth in dry braking looks worse that it is; it was just 1.3m shy of the shortest stopping distance.
Connected, linear and reasonably tactile steering plus low noise over coarse surfaces helped it achieve a good score on the road route. Perhaps its only weakness was rolling resistance, where it was ranked eighth overall, but that fails to take the shine off an accomplished tyre that’s wonderful to drive.
Overall score... 98.3%
Blackcircles says...
Our customers have rated these tyres 4.5 out of 5 overall. They particularly note that its good handling and excellent grip in wet conditions inspire driver confidence.
1st Bridgestone Potenza Sport
£130, 91Y XL, 9.92kg, RR D, Wet A, Noise B 72
No fewer than six table-topping performances ensure that the Bridgestone wins this test, comfortably almost.
Within the first couple of hundred metres on the wet handling circuit you could sense the grip of the Bridgestone. This encouraged early commitment and early throttle in the corners, and the BMW exited with the perfect attitude, just a hint of oversteer, following the ideal line precisely. The way it pivoted into the best balance quickly for each turn without overshooting, you could almost feel it gaining lap time, and it was very stable despite carrying more speed than most others. It was no surprise it set the shortest wet braking distance, but this is a major turnaround since the last test of this size, which saw the Bridgestone last in this particular discipline. Best in wet cornering and curved aquaplaning, plus third in straight-line aquaplaning, completed a dominant wet performance.
Third in dry braking and the fastest dry lap time added to its tally of wins. It felt great: fast, confident and precise; a reassuringly capable and rewarding tyre with excellent steering feel that’s also pretty refined too. The Potenza Sport is an emphatic winner, helped by the reversal of its wet braking performance, but the foundations of its win are in its superb performance and feel in the wet and the dry and on the road. An exceptional tyre.
Overall score... 100%
Blackcircles says...
These tyres meet customer expectations, with a 4.6 out of 5 rating for ‘would buy again’ from over 300 reviews. Feedback highlights good grip and feel in both dry and wet conditions.
Results by category
The Bridgestone’s win was emphatic, but so was the Kormoran’s last place. It was treacherous on the wet circuit, awful on the dry track, and so far off the pace in wet braking that we thought the test gear was faulty. At only £30 a tyre less than the Bridgestone, false economy has never been so clear.
Using the BMW was definitely a different challenge, particularly in the wet handling test, though the top three tyres are the same as when we used the front-drive Golf GTI, just in a different order. No question, the Bridgestone, Goodyear and Continental are all excellent tyres that will help get the best out of any car they’re fitted to.
It was a quality field from first to eighth, Yokohama back strongly in fourth, pipping Pirelli and Michelin in the mid-field, with the new Maxxis close behind and Falken with some work still to do to mix it with the biggest brands.
Wet Handling
| Lap time (sec) | % | |
| Bridgestone | 77.39 | 100 |
| Goodyear | 77.73 | 99.6 |
| Pirelli | 77.88 | 99.4 |
| Michelin | 78.03 | 99.2 |
| Continental | 78.67 | 98.4 |
| Yokohama | 78.95 | 98.0 |
| Maxxis | 79.45 | 97.4 |
| Falken | 81.73 | 94.6 |
| Kormoran | 85.53 | 90.5 |
Aquaplaning – straight
| kph | % | |
| Goodyear | 75.67 | 100 |
| Michelin | 75.13 | 99.3 |
| Bridgestone | 74.95 | 99.0 |
| Falken | 74.89 | 99.0 |
| Continental | 74.68 | 98.7 |
| Yokohama | 73.99 | 97.8 |
| Kormoran | 72.57 | 95.9 |
| Maxxis | 71.40 | 94.4 |
| Pirelli | 71.45 | 94.4 |
Dry Braking metres %
| Metres | % | |
| Continental | 31.49 | 100 |
| Yokohama | 32.00 | 98.4 |
| Bridgestone | 32.20 | 97.8 |
| Pirelli | 32.26 | 97.6 |
| Michelin | 32.36 | 97.3 |
| Goodyear | 32.80 | 96.0 |
| Falken | 33.01 | 95.4 |
| Maxxis | 33.08 | 95.2 |
| Kormoran | 35.15 | 89.6 |
Wet Handling
| Subjective score | % | |
| Bridgestone | 63 | 100 |
| Continental | 61 | 96.8 |
| Goodyear | 60 | 95.2 |
| Pirelli | 58 | 92.1 |
| Yokohama | 58 | 92.1 |
| Michelin | 56 | 88.9 |
| Falken | 54 | 85.7 |
| Maxxis | 54 | 85.7 |
| Kormoran | 32 | 50.8 |
Aquaplaning – curved
| m/s2 | % | |
| Bridgestone | 16.87 | 100 |
| Goodyear | 16.60 | 98.4 |
| Yokohama | 16.03 | 95.0 |
| Michelin | 15.76 | 93.4 |
| Falken | 15.29 | 90.6 |
| Pirelli | 15.28 | 90.5 |
| Continental | 14.68 | 87.0 |
| Kormoran | 14.43 | 85.5 |
| Maxxis | 13.26 | 78.6 |
Road Route Points %
| Points | % | |
| Michelin | 22.7 | 100 |
| Bridgestone | 21.6 | 95.2 |
| Goodyear | 21.0 | 92.5 |
| Maxxis | 21.0 | 92.5 |
| Yokohama | 21.0 | 92.5 |
| Continental | 20.5 | 90.3 |
| Falken | 19.2 | 84.6 |
| Pirelli | 19.0 | 83.7 |
| Kormoran | 18.7 | 82.4 |
Wet Braking
| Metres | % | |
| Bridgestone | 27.56 | 100 |
| Goodyear | 27.79 | 99.2 |
| Yokohama | 28.55 | 96.5 |
| Continental | 29.06 | 94.8 |
| Michelin | 29.15 | 94.5 |
| Pirelli | 29.68 | 92.9 |
| Maxxis | 30.62 | 90.0 |
| Falken | 33.63 | 82.0 |
| Kormoran | 39.43 | 69.9 |
Dry handling
| Lap time (sec) | % | |
| Bridgestone | 66.85 | 100 |
| Goodyear | 66.88 | 100 |
| Continental | 66.96 | 99.8 |
| Pirelli | 66.96 | 99.8 |
| Yokohama | 66.99 | 99.8 |
| Falken | 67.47 | 99.1 |
| Maxxis | 67.48 | 99.1 |
| Michelin | 67.96 | 98.4 |
| Kormoran | 69.47 | 96.2 |
Rolling Resistance Test value %
| Test value | % | |
| Kormoran | 7.90 | 100 |
| Maxxis | 8.30 | 95.2 |
| Michelin | 8.30 | 95.2 |
| Continental | 8.60 | 91.9 |
| Pirelli | 9.10 | 86.8 |
| Falken | 9.40 | 84.0 |
| Bridgestone | 9.50 | 83.2 |
| Goodyear | 9.70 | 81.4 |
| Yokohama | 9.80 | 80.6 |
Wet cornering %
| Sec | % | |
| Bridgestone | 9.11 | 100 |
| Yokohama | 8.83 | 96.9 |
| Goodyear | 8.80 | 96.9 |
| Pirelli | 8.79 | 96.5 |
| Michelin | 8.64 | 94.8 |
| Falken | 8.47 | 93.0 |
| Continental | 8.46 | 92.9 |
| Maxxis | 8.03 | 88.1 |
| Kormoran | 7.72 | 84.7 |
Dry Handling – subjective score %
| Subjective score | % | |
| Goodyear | 66 | 100 |
| Bridgestone | 64 | 97.0 |
| Continental | 64 | 97.0 |
| Pirelli | 62 | 93.9 |
| Maxxis | 59 | 89.4 |
| Yokohama | 59 | 89.4 |
| Michelin | 56 | 84.8 |
| Falken | 52 | 78.8 |
| Kormoran | 36 | 54.5 |
Overall %
| Bridgestone | 100 |
| Goodyear | 98.3 |
| Continental | 97.9 |
| Yokohama | 95.8 |
| Michelin | 95.5 |
| Pirelli | 95.3 |
| Maxxis | 94.3 |
| Falken | 90.4 |
| Kormoran | 80.1 |
