225/55/17 Replacement Tire Testing
05-17-2011, 09:43 AM
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225/55/17 Replacement Tire Testing
Tire Rack has recently tested a number of tires that offer the stock G37 Sedan 225/55/17 tire size.
While the tires were tested over 4 different days from May to September, 2010, each test was conducted in the same car (2011 328i Coupe) on the same driving course.
However, I don't know if the same driver was used. So this makes comparisons of the subjective categories iffy. Further, the subjective ratings were based on the 4 tires that were tested on a particular day. Not against the whole field.
As a result, I placed greater reliance on the objective measurements.
The following tires were tested at a size of 205/55/16:
Primacy MXM4
Goodyear ComforTred Touring
Turanza Serenity
ContiProContact
Yoko Avid ENVigor
Michelin Hydro Edge
Sumitomo HTR A/S P01
Four tires were tested at a larger size (225/45/17):
Yoko S.Drive
Kumho Ecsta SPT
Firestone Wide Oval Indy
G-Force Sport
The first thing I looked at was Wet Stopping Distance. 8 of the 11 tires were in the 99-112 foot range except:
ContiProContact 122.4
Turanza Serenity 132.9
ComforTred Touring 134.9
I can appreciate ride comfort, but not at the expense of safety. I eliminated these 3 tires from any further consideration.
I also eliminated the HydroEdge as the inferior of the two Michelin entries. Down to 7 tires.
Next, an evaluation of MPG:
Avid ENVigor - 28.7
Primacy MXM4 - 28.3
Sumitomo HTR - 27.9
S.Drive - 27.8
Ecsta SPT KU31 - 27.3
Wide Oval Indy - 27.0
g-Force Sport - 26.4
Generally, a wider tire will produce worse MPG, and the 4 at the bottom of this list were all 225 tires vs. 205 for the top 3. Given that, the S.Drive MPG number is impressive. If all the tires were tested at 225, the S.Drive might have topped the list.
In the dry testing (Slalom, Lap, Stopping Distance, Cornering), the Ecsta SPT and Wide Oval Indy ruled the day, finishing 1st or 2nd in nearly every category.
However, there really was not much differentiation between all 7 tires (e.g.,one tenth of a second in the dry slalom, 6 feet of dry stopping distance). The bigger tires all cornered at 0.95-0.96 vs. 0.91-0.93 for the 205 tires, but that's to be expected.
In the wet testing, the Ecsta SPT won 3 of the 4 categories. The Wide Oval Indy fell way back, however. The Sumitomo had a 1st and a 2nd, while the Avid ENVigor and S.Drive each had a couple of 2nds.
Interestingly, the Primacy MXM4 blew away the field in the subjective wet track testing, but scored among the "worst" of the 7 tires in the objective wet testing. Things that make you go hmmmm.
The only subjective categories I relied on were Ride Comfort and Noise Comfort.
The Primacy MXM4 won both categories, and the Sumitomo was 2nd in both while the Avid ENVigor was a close 3rd.
Among the larger tires, the S.Drive scored the best in both categories, and the Ecsta SPT scored the worst.
Conclusion
The Ecsta SPT ($109) is the best performing tire of the group in the objective testing, but scored the worst for ride and noise in the subjective testing.
The Primacy MXM4 ($151) scored the best in the ride/noise subjective testing, but did not distinguish itself in the objective testing.
The Sumitomo ($102) and the 2 Yoko tires seem to be good all around choices, with the S.Drive ($135) leaning towards performance and the Avid Envigor ($132) leaning towards comfort.
While the tires were tested over 4 different days from May to September, 2010, each test was conducted in the same car (2011 328i Coupe) on the same driving course.
However, I don't know if the same driver was used. So this makes comparisons of the subjective categories iffy. Further, the subjective ratings were based on the 4 tires that were tested on a particular day. Not against the whole field.
As a result, I placed greater reliance on the objective measurements.
The following tires were tested at a size of 205/55/16:
Primacy MXM4
Goodyear ComforTred Touring
Turanza Serenity
ContiProContact
Yoko Avid ENVigor
Michelin Hydro Edge
Sumitomo HTR A/S P01
Four tires were tested at a larger size (225/45/17):
Yoko S.Drive
Kumho Ecsta SPT
Firestone Wide Oval Indy
G-Force Sport
The first thing I looked at was Wet Stopping Distance. 8 of the 11 tires were in the 99-112 foot range except:
ContiProContact 122.4
Turanza Serenity 132.9
ComforTred Touring 134.9
I can appreciate ride comfort, but not at the expense of safety. I eliminated these 3 tires from any further consideration.
I also eliminated the HydroEdge as the inferior of the two Michelin entries. Down to 7 tires.
Next, an evaluation of MPG:
Avid ENVigor - 28.7
Primacy MXM4 - 28.3
Sumitomo HTR - 27.9
S.Drive - 27.8
Ecsta SPT KU31 - 27.3
Wide Oval Indy - 27.0
g-Force Sport - 26.4
Generally, a wider tire will produce worse MPG, and the 4 at the bottom of this list were all 225 tires vs. 205 for the top 3. Given that, the S.Drive MPG number is impressive. If all the tires were tested at 225, the S.Drive might have topped the list.
In the dry testing (Slalom, Lap, Stopping Distance, Cornering), the Ecsta SPT and Wide Oval Indy ruled the day, finishing 1st or 2nd in nearly every category.
However, there really was not much differentiation between all 7 tires (e.g.,one tenth of a second in the dry slalom, 6 feet of dry stopping distance). The bigger tires all cornered at 0.95-0.96 vs. 0.91-0.93 for the 205 tires, but that's to be expected.
In the wet testing, the Ecsta SPT won 3 of the 4 categories. The Wide Oval Indy fell way back, however. The Sumitomo had a 1st and a 2nd, while the Avid ENVigor and S.Drive each had a couple of 2nds.
Interestingly, the Primacy MXM4 blew away the field in the subjective wet track testing, but scored among the "worst" of the 7 tires in the objective wet testing. Things that make you go hmmmm.
The only subjective categories I relied on were Ride Comfort and Noise Comfort.
The Primacy MXM4 won both categories, and the Sumitomo was 2nd in both while the Avid ENVigor was a close 3rd.
Among the larger tires, the S.Drive scored the best in both categories, and the Ecsta SPT scored the worst.
Conclusion
The Ecsta SPT ($109) is the best performing tire of the group in the objective testing, but scored the worst for ride and noise in the subjective testing.
The Primacy MXM4 ($151) scored the best in the ride/noise subjective testing, but did not distinguish itself in the objective testing.
The Sumitomo ($102) and the 2 Yoko tires seem to be good all around choices, with the S.Drive ($135) leaning towards performance and the Avid Envigor ($132) leaning towards comfort.
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