Tires for sports cars and high-performing luxury cars vary in grip and treadwear
Michelin leads the way among both summer and all-season ultra-high-performance tires, according to our latest test results, which are available on ConsumerReports.org.
But that doesn’t mean you don’t have other brands to choose from. There are also a number of highly rated tires from BFGoodrich, Continental, Goodyear, Nokian, Pirelli, and Yokohama.
This large test group features ratings of 21 models of UHP all-season tires and 18 models of UHP summer tires. In total, hundreds of tires were tested over the past year in order to be able to rank the models in this category.
By definition, UHP tires have speed ratings above 149 mph. Though that may seem excessive, the speed ratings reflect higher levels of grip needed to stop, go, and corner, adding up to the promise of more responsive handling.
Summer tires offer the ultimate grip on dry and wet roads, but as the name implies, they are only suited for warm weather. UHP all-season tires can be used in most weather conditions and offer at least modest snow traction, though they trade off some of the agility and grip found in UHP summer tires.
For those who drive their sports cars and performance sedans in severe winter weather, CR tested five dedicated winter tires in the performance winter/snow tire category. These come in the larger sizes required to fit those performance cars.
Top UHP Tires
The Michelin Pilot Super Sport is the UHP summer champ, with class-leading handling, impressive braking performance, and long tread life relative to peer models. Runner-up models in the UHP summer category include the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 and the Nokian zLine. Both performed well in terms of braking and handling on our test track.
Among UHP all-season tires, the top-rated Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ balances excellent handling, strong all-weather grip, and very good tread life. Notables among the UHP all-season category include the Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus and Continental ExtremeContact DWS06. The Pirelli is well-rounded for most road conditions, and the Continental has strong braking performance and outstanding wet handling.
Leading performance winter/snow tires is the Yokohama W.drive V095. Snow traction and stopping grip on ice are exemplary, and the tire has good performance on cleared roads.
Credit: consumerreport