Best car tyres 2026 – evo tyre test

We are back to the very popular 225/40 R18 size for this year’s test, with nine tyres competing. Among the big names, Bridgestone brings its new Potenza Sport Evo, while a couple of rivals have opted for their slightly less sporting options, Continental submitting its PremiumContact 7 rather than its SportContact, and Goodyear its Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 rather than its SuperSport. From Michelin we have the Pilot Sport 4 S rather than the newer S 5, from Hankook the Ventus Evo K137, and Falken returns with a refreshed Azenis FK520.

Two manufacturers compete with new tyres: Dunlop with its Blue Response TG and, after an enforced absence, Nokian is back with its new Powerproof 2. Notable absentees include Pirelli and Vredestein: both are readying new tyres for this sector. As usual, we include a ‘budget’ tyre, this time the Wanli Sport Macro SA302, the cheapest summer tyre in this size on the Blackcircles website when we organised this test.

We’ll present the results as a profile of each tyre, describing its strengths and weaknesses, and at the end of the feature there are results tables for individual tests. As usual, the overall scoring is weighted towards performance in the wet, and objective results make up 60 per cent of each tyre’s total score, with the other 40 per cent from subjective ratings, appraising qualities such as steering feel and feedback, handling balance and break-away characteristics on wet and dry handling circuits. We also use a ‘road route’ of various surfaces and features to judge ride comfort and road noise in order to generate a rounded picture of each tyre’s abilities.

Beside each tyre you see its average weight in kg, its load and speed ratings, and its EU label ratings: RR = rolling resistance, on a scale of A (best) and E (worst); a tyre with a better rating should give better fuel economy. Wet = wet grip, again on a scale of A to E; this rating is derived solely from a straight-line braking test, self-certified by the tyre maker. Noise = exterior (pass-by) noise, measured in decibels on a standard, certified surface and is tyre-width related, from quieter A (<69 dB) to C, louder (>72 dB).

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.

The car and the track

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When we put this tyre size through our test programme three years ago, the test car was the brilliant, rear-drive Toyota GR86, and this year we have a front-drive car of the highest calibre: the Hyundai i30 N. It’s got a great chassis and its turbocharged in-line four delivers a meaty 276bhp and 289lb ft of torque – from a useful 2100rpm – to the front wheels through a manual gearbox and ‘e-diff’. For the wet braking and straight-line aquaplaning tests, a specially equipped Skoda Octavia was used.

This year we used the Contidrom, Continental’s proving ground near Hannover in northern Germany. It has one of the best wet handling circuits, a 1.1‑mile, weir-style wetted track that has a demanding combination of turns and sweeps that test a tyre’s complete performance. The dry ‘lap’ is a 1.0-mile section of the dry handling circuit that takes in a series of tightening left-right sweeps, a long hairpin and some fast-entry turns that test grip, composure and adjustability. There are also a variety of surfaces on and adjacent to the banked, high-speed circuit to replicate a road route.

9th – Wanli Sport Macro S

• 92W XL, 9.2kg, RR C, Wet B, Noise B - 70

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As we’ve seen in previous tests, sometimes you get a solitary strong result from a budget tyre, and in the case of the Wanli it’s very low rolling resistance… but that’s it. You see very little performance elsewhere, particularly in the wet. The Wanli was last in all but one of the wet tests and notably poor in the most crucial test of straight-line wet braking. The best tyre stopped from 50mph in 26.0m, the Wanli took 32.7m. To add context: rainy day, the traffic ahead suddenly stops, and at 50mph you hit the brake pedal hard. When you pass the point where the best tyre here stopped, you’ll still be travelling at over 22mph, finally stopping 6.7m later.

If that’s not enough to put you off ‘budget’ tyres, the Wanli’s performance on the wet handling circuit should do the trick. The lap times of the other eight tyres ranged from 80 to 83sec, but the Wanli took over 92sec. It felt worse than that, with very limited grip, woeful traction and unpredictable handling, the tail swinging in some corners and the nose ploughing on in others as if the circuit had turned to ice. And it was noisy as it lunged and skittered around too.

It was no better in the dry tests, taking a fraction under 4m more than the best tyre to haul up from 60mph, and on the dry handling circuit it was slow, noisy and felt awful. Make no mistake: fit a cheap tyre like this to any car and both safety and handling would be severely degraded. Avoid.

Blackcircles says...

Our customers have rated the Wanli Sport Macro SA302 at 4.7 out of 5 for ‘value for money’. Customer reports suggest that they are ‘brilliant tyres for the money’ and perform well.

8th – Nokian Powerproof

• 92Y XL, 10.96kg, RR C, Wet A, Noise B - 70

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The Nokian delivers a fair performance, doing its best work on the road route, where it ranked third. Its wet results aren’t great but, budget tyre aside, this is a strong field. In the key wet braking test the Nokian was equal sixth, taking 1.7m longer to stop than the best, which was OK, but it was eighth in both aquaplaning tests and around the wet circle. It was also ranked eighth subjectively on the wet handling circuit, lacking the grip and traction to take full throttle early, as the best tyres could, a big factor in it being over 2.5sec a lap off the pace. Overall it was a tidy handler, predictable and precise enough to find all the lines and clipping points.

It was a similar story in the dry, though only in terms of the rankings. It was seventh in the braking test but was only 1.0m off the best tyre, and although it was eighth on lap time around the twists and turns of the dry handling circuit, it was only 1.2sec slower than the fastest. We ranked it equal seventh subjectively because it lacked the bite and precision of the best, feeling a little soft in comparison.

It was ranked equal third on the road route along with two other tyres, scoring well for feel and general refinement and for its ability to soften sharp impacts such as raised manhole covers. It also returned the lowest rolling resistance of all, making it the most economical tyre here. A decent tyre but room for improvement, particularly in the wet.

Blackcircles says...

Blackcircles.com does not currently stock the Nokian Powerproof 2, so is unable to provide any insight into the tyre’s popularity or performance with our customers at present.

7th – Hankook Ventus Evo

• 92Y XL, 10.04kg, RR D, Wet A, Noise B - 70DB

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The Hankook scored solidly in some of the most important areas, notably in wet and dry braking, and delivered great results in aquaplaning too.

It got off to a strong start in the wet braking test, stopping within a metre of the best and earning itself fourth place, and then added first place in straight-line aquaplaning and second in curved aquaplaning. Around the tricky wet handling circuit it was sixth fastest, approaching two seconds behind the fastest tyre, and ranked seventh subjectively only because this was such a strong field. It didn’t put a wheel wrong, offering great balance and accuracy, but other tyres did the same with stronger grip.

In the dry the Hankook was sound too, finishing equal fifth in braking (0.8m behind the best) and sixth around the lap of the handling circuit (under a second off the best), where we rated it sixth subjectively. It was a fine tyre with great grip and traction and a precisely adjustable balance. Again, it just found itself up against some exceptional tyres.

Around our road route it ranked equal third, dealing well with the mix of surfaces and impacts to deliver decent refinement. It was less impressive in the rolling resistance test, showing the second highest level of resistance in our group, impacting economy. Nonetheless, the Hankook is a good tyre in the wet and the dry that just needs to raise its game generally to compete with the best.

Blackcircles says...

The Hankook Ventus Evo K137 scores 4.6 out of 5 for ‘would buy the same tyres again’ with our customers, with comments also praising it for its ‘excellent handling’.

6th – Dunlop Blue Response TG

• 91Y XL, 9.84kg, RR D, Wet A, Noise B - 70DB

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The Dunlop brand has been licensed to Goodyear in Europe for many years but is now back under the control of Sumitomo, the Japanese firm which also owns Falken. This is the first of the new Dunlop summer tyres we’ve tested and there are some good results, though the key wet braking test isn’t one of them; the Dunlop was ranked eighth, taking 27.9m to stop versus the best of 26.0m.

This is its weakest wet result, though. It delivered equal third in straight-line aquaplaning and was fifth fastest around the demanding wet handling circuit, 1.5sec off the best, and subjectively it was impressive, praised for its strong corner grip and traction, reassuring poise in the faster sweeps and great feel too.

It was strong in dry braking, ranking fourth, just 0.7m off the best, and although it was seventh on lap time and equal seventh subjectively around the circuit, it wasn’t far off the best. In terms of feel it was a bit less positive than the leading tyres, a bit softer, but delivered all the feedback and the degree of adjustability needed to be on the right lines everywhere.

It was great around the lumps, bumps and varying surfaces of the road route too, absorbing the impacts and usefully quelling noise on the coarser surfaces, earning itself equal third. Mid-ranking rolling resistance completes the picture. Overall, the Dunlop is a good but solidly mid-field tyre.

Blackcircles says...

Despite few customer reviews so far due to the Dunlop Blue Response TG being a new model, this tyre scores a full 5 out of 5 overall and 4.5 out of 5 in the ’value for money’ category.

5.  Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S

• 92Y XL, 9.7kg, RR D, Wet A, Noise B - 72DB

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Fifth doesn’t look like a great result for the Pilot Sport 4 S. It has impressed in previous tyre tests and also as original equipment on a wide range of performance cars, and its overall placing here is more a reflection of the high standard of this year’s contenders. The top five are all excellent tyres that feel great and perform superbly, so although the Michelin doesn’t score any outright wins, it shouldn’t be underestimated.

Wet isn’t its strongest suit, though. In the benchmark braking test the Michelin was fifth, but only 1m behind the standard-setting Continental. It was off the pace in aquaplaning, ranking seventh and fifth in the two tests; it was seventh around the wet circle too and only eighth fastest around the wet handling circuit, 2.7sec slower than the best tyres. That said, it was ranked equal fifth subjectively because although it didn’t have the outright grip of the best, it had great feel and poise, making it reassuring, accurate and rewarding. 

It was at the sharp end in the dry tests, ranking third for braking, less than 0.5m behind the best, and fourth for the handling lap. Subjectively, it impressed around the turns and sweeps, being agile, precise and showing strong traction. It was even better on the road route, ranking second, its highest result, thanks to bright, crisp steering feel at all speeds and decent bump/thump suppression. Fourth best rolling resistance caps a solid performance.

Blackcircles says...

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S is a popular choice, rated 4.8 out of 5 for ‘would buy again’ from over 6300 customer reviews. They also note its excellent performance in the wet or dry, and a quiet drive.

4. Continental Premium Contact 7

• 92Y XL, 8.74kg, RR C, Wet A, Noise B - 72DB

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A good smattering of wins and podium places and very few low rankings would normally put a tyre in contention for at least a podium finish, but in such a strong field the Continental has to settle for fourth. 

A superb set of wet results is headlined by top spot in the key wet braking test, the PremiumContact 7 stopping 0.5m sooner than the next best tyre. It was first and second in the curved and straight aquaplaning tests, second around the wet circle and fourth around the wet lap, where subjectively it was fourth too, offering grip and traction in abundance with a useful, predictable degree of agility for a superb overall feel and accuracy.

In the dry, eighth in straight-line braking looks poor but, as with the dry lap, the field was closely bunched and the Continental took only 1.1m more to stop than the leading tyre, 34.6m versus 33.5. Around the dry handling circuit it was fifth fastest, 0.65sec off the leading tyre, and as in the wet it proved usefully agile but stable with it, for a solid, confident performance.

On the road route it delivered decent, connected steering feel but there was some sharpness over raised manholes and lateral ridges that knocked it back to equal sixth place, while it was third in rolling resistance, adding economy to an admirable set of results that left it just short of third overall.

Blackcircles says...

Our customers have rated the Continental PremiumContact 7 at 4.7 out of 5 overall from over 1400 reviews. They are very pleased with the driving experience in all conditions, especially wet weather.

3. Falken Azensis FK520

• 92Y XL, 9.42kg, RR C, Wet A, Noise B - 70DB

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We’ve tested Falkens in many earlier evo tyre tests and this is by far the best result we’ve seen, though the Ziex ZE320 just won the summer tyre test in our sister publication, Auto Express, suggesting that Falken has got a handle on what makes a great tyre. There were many strong results, including table-topping performances in a couple of key tests, and only a couple of low points.

The Falken’s wet performance was generally very good, though it didn’t get off to the best start, ranking equal sixth in the benchmark straight-line wet braking test, 1.7m off the best. It was third around the circle but then set the pace on the wet handling circuit, equal first with the Bridgestone, both being a second a lap clear of the next quickest. There was much to like about how the Falken tackled the tricky wet lap, too, with strong grip and great poise and accuracy, which made it highly capable and very satisfying – an excellent driver’s tyre. 

It proved that it’s not just a wet tyre, either. It topped the table in dry braking and was equal second around the dry handling circuit, where it felt great: clean, precise and finely adjustable. It was also good on the road route, softening impacts and quelling coarse surfaces, though it didn’t match the best for steering feel and feedback.

It was seventh on rolling resistance but actually not that far off the average, which all adds up to an impressive tyre and a well-earned third place.

Blackcircles says...

The Falken Azensis FK520 is rated 4.5 out of 5 for ‘would buy the same tyres again’ by our customers. Their feedback highlights very good grip in both wet and dry conditions.

2. Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo

• 92Y XL, 9.62kg, RR D, Wet A, Noise B - 72DB

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In the end it was a straight fight between the Bridgestone and the Goodyear, both of which offer outstanding performance. If the outright winner was decided on the number of test wins, the Bridgestone would romp away with the victory because it scored no fewer than five firsts, across both wet and dry disciplines.

It was mediocre in aquaplaning but stellar in the other wet tests, bagging second in the crucial wet braking test, first around the wet circle, and equal first with the Falken around the demanding wet handling circuit, the pair a clear second ahead of the third-placed Goodyear. The Bridgestone was ranked number one subjectively; it was right at home on the wet asphalt, finding terrific grip and traction and being stable and predictable in the fast stuff too, making for unbeatable feel.

It then posted second in the dry braking test, just 0.2m off the best, before setting the fastest time around the dry handling course, the only tyre to go sub-51sec. It garnered the highest subjective rating too, for its polished and effortless capability. 

There are a couple of downsides, the first being the highest rolling resistance here, though it’s not especially poor. The second is refinement; it’s very sharp over transverse ridges and manhole covers and the like. However, if you’re prepared to accept them as the price of superb dynamics and feel and feedback, in the wet and the dry, there’s nothing to touch the Bridgestone.

Blackcircles says...

Positively rated at 4.7 out of 5 overall, our customers review the Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo as a good ‘all-rounder’ with ‘impeccable grip’ on dry and wet roads.

1. Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6

• 92Y XL, 9.45kg, RR C, Wet A, Noise B - 70DB

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It may have won only one test category but the Goodyear built a winning performance through remarkable consistency across all the disciplines. It scored very highly in almost every test, only once dropping below 95 per cent.

In the key wet braking test it was third, just 0.6m off the best. It was an equally close third on the wet handling circuit too, about a second a lap down on the leading pair, and ranked second subjectively. It tackled the fast and slow corners confidently, with strong grip, terrific poise and lovely feel – like all the top tyres, it felt like it was getting the best out of the Hyundai. 

Completing the wet tests, it ranked a strong fourth on the wet circle, fifth in straight-line aquaplaning and fourth in the curved test – its lowest score at 90.2 per cent. 

Equal fifth in dry braking looks distinctly average, but like the dry lap this was a close-fought test and the Goodyear was less than 1m off the top. Equal second for its dry lap time was bolstered by second subjectively, where it was praised for being precise, biddable and quieter than most of its rivals.  It carried these qualities into the road route, while its rolling resistance was decent too. The Goodyear delivers superb dynamics and feel and is refined too, making for an exceptional, complete and winning combination. 

Blackcircles says...

The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 is positively rated by our customers at 4.7 out of 5 overall from over 1500 reviews. Reviewers say they are pleased with the performance and grip.

How we test tyres

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As always, the key test is straight-line wet braking. At the Contidrom, this is conducted using a rail system to ensure that the same section of asphalt is used every time. The stopping distance from 50mph to zero is measured and the test is repeated eight times for each tyre. The outliers – the best and worst results – are then deleted before the average stopping distance is calculated. 

It’s not just lap time that we measure on the wet circuit. Grip, precision and a degree of adjustability are key to a good lap time and each is assessed, along with response and feedback, all of which contribute to a tyre’s subjective rating. 

We also test wet cornering, taking the average of a number of laps of a 57.5m wetted circle, and there are 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 9mm of water. Resistance to aquaplaning when cornering is calculated from the average amount of residual lateral acceleration when driving through a curve flooded with 5mm of water at speeds from 60 to 90kph (37-56mph).

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Straight-line dry braking is measured from 100 to 0kph (62 to 0mph), again taking the average with outlier runs discounted, while we take lap times on the aforementioned 1.0-mile section of the dry handling track, at the same time appraising a tyre’s grip, response, poise and adjustability as part of our subjective assessment.

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, drain covers and various surface finishes, from smooth to concrete. 

The tyres are also subjected to an industry-standard test of rolling resistance, giving 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 reduction in economy. Prices shown are from Blackcircles at the time of writing and include fitting. Tyres not available from Blackcircles have an asterisk beside their price, which is instead an average of prices from various other sources.

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. 

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