2025 | 215/55R17 | Summer - Auto Motor und Sport Summer Tire Test

In addition to classic tire tests, which focus on general driving characteristics and driving safety combined with comfort, there is a summer tire test, which this time focused on sustainability and overall impact on the environment.
The German magazine AutoMotoSport tried this new direction in testing and, in addition to the classic tests performed on tires, also took into account other facts that were supposed to show how sustainable the tire is and how big an impact it has on the environment.
The summer tires tested were classified as premium touring tires in the 215/55R17 size, which is used by vehicles such as mid-size sedans, station wagons and compact SUVs. Tires that had a minimum rating of B on the EU label in the Rolling Resistance category were selected. In addition to the new tires, a retreaded tire was also included in the test for comparison purposes, as the mere fact that it was a re-used tire earned it extra points.

Test conditions:

• Size : 215/55 R17
• Minimum rolling resistance : EU label "B"
• Test vehicles : VW Passat, Audi Q2

In this evaluation, the testers tried to be as fair as possible and took into account various aspects that affect the sustainability of the tire and its impact on the environment - production, transportation and rolling resistance, which they converted into fuel consumption.
So they had to find out what methods and materials are used in production, what is the distance from the factory to the country where the tires are sold (the country is of course Germany, since this is a German motoring magazine), and the rolling resistance value, based on which they calculated the possible fuel savings as accurately as possible.
During the tests themselves, they even used fuels that minimize the carbon footprint as much as possible.
The winner of this special test category was the Michelin e.Primacy, which achieved excellent results, partly because it is manufactured using an innovative method directly in Germany. It also achieved the best result in rolling resistance, receiving maximum points for production processes, logistics and fuel economy.
In second place was the Continental UltraContact NXT, which had slightly worse rolling resistance (by 1% than Michelin), but natural and recyclable materials were used in its production - natural rubber, bio-silica obtained from rice husk ash, recycled PET bottles.
In third place is the Falken e.Ziex with up to 29% recycled and sustainable materials and the third lowest rolling resistance. Since it is manufactured in Turkey, it had to take minus points for logistics.
In fourth and fifth place are the Bridgestone Turanza 6 and the Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance2. Both have excellent mileage but failed to convince with any new methods and processes in production. The transportation distance is not great but still they did not achieve a better position.
The Insa Turbo EcoEvolution had the advantage simply because it was a retreaded tire, meaning it reused the material in its entirety. But despite receiving top marks for this, it was a complete failure in fuel economy. Rolling resistance was 11.4% higher, so it lost its overall lead and finished in last place.

The best performers on dry roads were the Falken e.Ziex summer tires, which braked in 35.2 meters from 100 km/h. The Insa Turbo EcoEvolution retreaded tire came in last place, taking 6.4 meters more.
The second test was Handlig – Controllability when driving on the track. The evaluation result was the highest speed achieved and Falken e,Ziex won again with a result of 107.4 km/h. Insa Turbo EcoEvolution finished in last place again.
In both tests, the Continental UltraContact NXT came in second place, just behind Falken.

The Continental UltraContact NXT brakes best in the wet at a distance of 31.5 meters from a speed of 80 km/h. In second and third place are Falken and GoodYear with minimal differences. In fourth is Bridgestone with a gap of more than 1 meter and FIFTH Michelin with a 4.5 meter longer path. In last place is still Insa with a 11.1 meter longer path than Continental.
In Handling, Bridgestone and Goodyear lead with the same speed value - 78.9 km/h. However, Falken and Continental follow them and the difference is within 1 km/h. Michelin lags behind here too, and Insa is at the tail with the lowest speed.
In Aquaplaning, Bridgestone beat its rivals in both tests. GoodYear and Continental followed, also in both tests. Insa performed worst again.

The quietest tires in the test are the Michelin e,Primacy with a noise level of 70.5 dB. In second place is the Continental, followed by the GoodYear.
The Michelin e,Primacy has the best rolling resistance with 5.7 kg/t. This result was also taken into account for the sustainability points. The worst is Insa with 10.4 kg/t, which had a big impact on its sustainability rating.

The overall winner is the Continental UltraContact NXT, which also impressed in tests and received a high number of extra points for sustainability from a special test - logistics, production processes and fuel consumption.
In second place, perhaps a little surprisingly, is the Falken e.Ziex, which achieved good results in the tests and is more affordable than the Continental. Overall, the test showed that although retreaded tires should receive the best rating in the sustainability and ecology test, their results in general tests, which focus on safety and fuel economy, prove that they are not the most suitable alternative for driving. The much higher economy makes them unecological tires, and the poor driving characteristics make them dangerous tires.

If you can't decide which tires are more suitable for you, we will be happy to discuss the choice of new tires with you and try to suggest the best alternative.
In our e-shop you will find a wide range of various summer tires, winter tires and all-season tires, from classic to real off-road tires, with which you can afford much more on unconventional terrain than with regular tires.
We will be happy to advise you on choosing tires in our brick-and-mortar store, and you can change your tires in our tire service.
Visit us in Košice on Popradská Street (ORLEN gas station) or call the following phone numbers:

+421 (0) 55 78 99 273, +421 (0) 905 606 842