EVO Magazine Summer Tire Test 235/35 R19 2025

In the 2025 Tire Test, Evo magazine evaluated nine ultra-high-performance tires in the size 235/35 R19. The tests were primarily of premium brands, along with one budget model, with the BMW 135i X-Drive (AWD) being used. The tires were evaluated in a variety of conditions, including dry, wet and handling, to determine which models offered the best compromise between safety, handling and sporty performance.

In the dry test, Continental, Bridgestone and Goodyear shared the victory, with the differences between the top 5 tires being less than 1 meter in braking distance and just 0.14 seconds in the timed lap.

• Continental won the championship in braking distance (half a meter ahead of the competition).
• Bridgestone set the fastest lap, just 0.03 seconds ahead of Continental.
• Goodyear in subjective evaluation of handling and ride comfort, although slightly behind in lap time.
• The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S excelled in comfort and steering precision, despite its middling ranking in other disciplines.

The worst was the budget Kormoran, which was more than 3.5 m behind in braking distance.

The Bridgestone Potenza Sport dominated the wet test, achieving the shortest braking distance and fastest lap, correcting its previous last-place performance.

• The Kormoran fell behind the most, with a braking distance almost 12 meters longer – a deficit of up to 43%.
• The Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport and Continental SportContact 7 trailed Bridgestone in subjective ratings of handling and ride comfort.
• The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S and Pirelli P Zero PZ5 had more average results, with the Pirelli finishing worst among premium models.
• The Maxxis Victra Sport 6 and Continental fell short here, despite strong performance in other disciplines.

Bridgestone thus confirmed its dominance in wet conditions, while the cheaper and less powerful Kormoran model lagged significantly behind.

The 235/35 R19 ultra-high-performance tire test was dominated by the Bridgestone Potenza Sport, which took six category wins, a significant improvement over the previous test, where it fell behind in wet braking.

The podium was completed by:

• Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport
• Continental SportContact 7 (dropped from first to third place)

The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S fell to fifth place, although it still maintained the best on-road performance.

The competition in the midfield was extremely tight – just half a percentage point separated 4th–6th place. The Yokohama Advan Sport V107 stood out as the strongest new product, especially in wet conditions, while the Pirelli P Zero PZ5 showed solid performance without a significant category win.

The Maxxis Victra Sport 6 and Falken Azenis RS820 offered average performance, but failed to compete with the leading brands.

The budget Kormoran Ultra High Performance performed worst, requiring almost 12 metres more than the Bridgestone in wet braking and, according to testers, feeling “like driving on ice”. The test once again confirmed that saving a few dozen pounds on safety-critical tyres can have serious consequences .