2025 | 225/55R18 | Summer - Tyre Reviews Summer tire test

The Italian magazine Al Volante has prepared a test for its readers of summer UHP tires in size 225/55 R18, which are suitable for SUVs but can also be used on Touring vehicles if you prefer a higher tire sidewall that would protect you from damage when driving on unpaved roads.
The main character was of course the Italian summer tire Pirelli Cinturato C3, which is new this summer. The second new product in the test is the Michelin Primacy 5, so let's see how their duel turned out.
The test is a bit truncated and does not provide as many tested categories as we are used to, but the most important ones such as braking and rolling resistance are of course there.
The Hankook Ventus Prime 4 was also included among the premium summer tires, which are still in the mid-range class, but we also consider them premium - and it is also a novelty for summer 2025. And for comparison, the cheap Chinese tire Austone Athena SP 303 was added.

We recommend that you look at the individual results of each tire in all tested categories. In our opinion, all tested summer tires are very good and we recommend them as summer tires for your vehicles. Of course, the Chinese Austone is outside this warm recommendation, but if you are forced to choose cheap tires, even the Austone will fulfill its purpose, you just have to reduce the performance at speed and driving style.

On dry roads, only the braking distance from 100 km/h to 10 km/h was tested. The Continental PremiumContact 7 performed best with its 36.6 meters. The Pirelli Cinturato C3 and the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 finished right behind it with 36.9 meters. The worst was the Austone with 40.6 meters, which is a difference of 4 meters compared to the first Continental.

Several tests were conducted on wet roads, as the tire is most likely to behave uncontrollably on water.
When braking from 80km/h to 10km/h, the best was again the Continental PremiumContact 7 with a distance of 28.7m. This was followed again by the Pirelli Cinturato C3 and the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 with the same distance of 29.4m. Behind them, with minimal gaps in tens of centimeters, were the Michelin Primacy 5, Hankook Ventus Prime 4 and Firestone Roadhawk 2 ENLITEN. The Austone stands out again with its 32.8m, which is again 4 meters more than the first Continental.
In handling, Pirelli finally showed its performance. It finished in first place, ahead of Goodyear in second and Continental in third. The Auston still couldn't convince itself that it could be better than a premium tire and finished last with a difference of almost 10 seconds per lap.

Aquaplaning used to be a test where even cheap tires ended up in good places. Well, that wasn't the case this time, and the Austone finished at the bottom of the standings in both the straight-line and lateral tests. However, the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 performed well, winning both aquaplaning tests. The Pirelli Cinturato C3 held on to second place in both tests.

Comfort was assessed only on the basis of noise when driving on the road. The quietest summer tires were the Michelin Primacy 5 with 70.6 dB. The second was the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 with an almost identical result of 70.8 dB. In last place this time is not Austone but Hankook Ventus Prime 4. We could say that surprisingly, Hankook has had problems with noise in the past. We hope that the new summer tire was noisy only in this test.
It could happen that drivers would come back after changing their tires at the tire service to complain about the noise, and that would not benefit the brand.
The value was measured, as usual, based on rolling resistance. The best result was achieved by the Firestone Roadhawk 2 with a value of 6.8 kg/t. Our cheap Austone tire again managed not to end up in last place but was "beaten" by the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6, which had the worst result of 8.7 kg/t.

According to the test results, it is the Pirelli Cinturato C3, which the magazine rates as a well-balanced tire on both dry and wet roads. The noise and rolling resistance results put it in third place, but that is still excellent and overall makes it an excellent choice in this dimension.
The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 and Continental PremiumContact 7 summer tires are in second and third place, but don't pay attention to the order. It would be hard to find such excellent summer tires as these two. Excellent braking properties, handling on both dry and wet roads, plus good results in noise and rolling resistance only prove that you can't make a mistake with them if you choose them at a tire service and fit them to your car.
The Michelin Primacy 5 was mostly in the middle of the pack, coming in first in both comfort and value testing. This may indicate that the French manufacturer is focusing more on durability and quietness than on improving ride quality.
The Firestone Roadhawk 2 and Hankook Ventus Prime 4 were more at the back of the pack, with Hankook in particular lagging behind. This is strange, as in previous tests they were in the top four and often beat premium brands. The Firestone managed to win in rolling resistance, against Michelin, which is a really solid performance. It seems that the Enliten technology they got from Bridgestone is working well.
The Austone Athena SP-303 came in last. While it may seem like a poor tire, it's not that bad in its price range. Yes, it has longer braking distances and slower lap times, but it costs significantly less and there are certainly vehicle owners who can't afford more expensive tires. A lower-quality tire isn't as much of a problem as irresponsible driving with such a tire.

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.