The Big Tyre Debate

[Steve]

Uniroyal

Rallye 540

Which? Magazine (4/00) gave this tyre mostly above average marks in its tyre test. It achieved a good result in the wet and dry grip categories and recorded low rolling resistance. Its only poor mark was for noise.

ADAC Motorwelt (3/2000) described the tyre as being particularly good in the wet, comfotable and with low internal noise. The tyre, however, was marked down because the particular tyre used in the test failed a high speed test. The magazine tested the tyre again in its 3/2001 issue where it received a reasonable mark. It was described as well balanced but weak in the dry compared to others.

Rallye 580

Which? Magazine reviewed this tyre (4/00), saying it was good in both the wet and the dry. However, it scored poorly for noise and wear.

ADAC Motorwelt (3/00) tested this tyre in two different sizes. Size 175/70 R13T was praised for its wet performance but slight weaknesses in exterior noise and wear tests were noted. 175/80 R14T was described as a very uncomfortable summer tyre without particular strengths or weaknesses, although it did produce loud exterior and interior noise. In the 3/2001 issue the tyre was again praised for its wet performance as well as its rolling resistance but criticised for its dry performance and its wear.

Rallye RTT-2

Overall this tyre was slightly above average according to the test in Auto Motor Und Sport magazine (6/00). It scored highly in the aquaplaning tests and did well in braking, comfort and rolling resistance tests but lost marks due to a tendency to understeer which limited handling on wet and dry surfaces.

Sport Auto(3/00) recommended this tyre with reservations after its test. On the plus side if offered good aquaplaning resistance, good wet braking characteristics and reviewers found it to be a responsive tyre. However it had a problem with understeering, which affected handling, and did not do well in the dry braking test.

[Steve]

VSS 100

This tyre's results were generally below average in Which? Magazine's test (4/00). It did poorly in the snow and ice tests, was thought to be a noisy tyre and had the highest rolling resistance of all those tested.

ADAC Motorwelt (3/2000) also had reservations about the tyre, citing weaknesses in dry performance and high wear.

[Steve]

Vredestein

Sportrac

The Sportrac gave an average performance in ADAC Motorwelt's test (3/00). It had a low wear rate but was uncomfortable and showed some weaknesses in the aquaplaning test. In the 3/2001 issue the tyre was praised for its wet performance but came in for criticism for below average dry performance and wear rates.

This tyre was not recommended by Auto Bild's reviewers (3/00) after its test results showed poor results for braking and aquaplaning in a line as well as low comfort levels. It did however, offer low noise and rolling resistance and was praised for aquaplaning resistance on a curve. The magazine's attitude had changed by the 11/2001 issue, however, where the tyre was recommended. Strengths were quoted as being balanced performance in the wet and good aquaplaning performance. Weaknesses were said to be dry braking and rolling comfort.

Which? Magazine (4/00) recommended this tyre after it achieved very low rolling resistance and performed well in both wet and dry conditions. It also gained a good mark for wear but was considered too noisy.

Gute Fahrt (3/00) found this tyre disappointing. It had an unacceptable braking distance and the tyre's dry performance was little better than its wet. It was noted that the Sportrac was better when loaded.

The Sportrac came second in Auto Express' (8/00) tyre rankings as, like the winning Continental tyre, its results were consistent. It was thought to be good in the wet, where it came top for handling, and recorded low rolling resistance.

Auto Motor und Sport (6/2001) gave the tyre only a limited recommendation. The Sportrac, it said, was good at the limit in the wet and in aquaplaning, but was ound wanting in wet and dry braking and was noisy on poor road surfaces.

T-Trac

Tested in ADAC Motorwelt's 3/2001 test, this tyre was described as being strong on dry surfaces but not so good in the wet. Rolling resistance was also criticised.

[Steve]

Yokohama

TW 1V

In a test by Auto Motor und Sport (6/00) this tyre was considered to offer good braking in both wet and dry conditions, safe dry surface handling and low noise. However, the TW1 performed poorly at wet braking and reviewers noted some sideways movement whilst aquaplaning in a curve.

This tyre came last in ADAC Motorwelt's test (3/00) after achieving the worst mark of sixteen tyres tested on the wet condition tests. It also lost marks for low comfort and high wear but it was found to have relatively quiet exterior noise as well as low rolling resistance.

According to Auto Bild's test results (3/00) the TW1-V is a quiet tyre which offers good braking and wet handling skills but is disadvantaged by a tendency to aquaplane in curves and understeer slightly in the dry.

This tyre achieved its highest mark in the rolling resistance category of Which? Magazine's tyre test (4/00). It performed well on the dry but lost marks for wear.

AVS Sport

Sport Auto's reviewers (6/00) rated this tyre as generally average, although it did offer good dry traction on the rear axle and the lowest noise levels. The test recorded a slight delay in steering.

Rallye Racing (7/2000) praised the tyre for good dry performance but criticised the tyre's aquaplaning capabilities.

S 760

Tested by ADAC Motorwelt in the 3/2001 test, this standard tyre was only given a limited recommendation. Weaknesses were found on both wet and dry surfaces as well as in noise and wear.

A 520

ADAC Motorwelt (3/2001) gave this tyre only a limited recommendation. It was described as being good in the dry but not so good in wet performance, comfort and noise.

A 539

This tyre was tested in AutoBild (11/2001), Gute Fahrt (3/2001) and Auto Motor und Sport (6/2001). All three magazines gave the tyre a lower than average rating.

Gute Fahrt said the tyre was good in rolling resistance but unsatisfactory in wet handling and comfort. AutoBild praised the tyres' harmonic performance in the dry and its precise steering but criticies wet and dry braking as well as directional stability in the wet. Auto Motor und Sport also praised the tyre's precise steering in the dry as well as dry braking and aquaplaning in a curve but criticised wet braking, straight-line aquaplaning, rolling noise and rolling resistance.

http://www.tyres-online.co.uk/tyretest/tests.asp

[Steve]

All reviews from

http://www.tyres-online.co.uk/tyretest/tests.asp

and

Autocar (UK)

Auto Express (UK)

Max Power (UK)

Motor Cycle News (UK)

Revs (UK)

Which? (UK)

ADAC Motorwelt (Germany)

Auto (Germany)

Autobild (Germany)

Auto Motor und Sport (Germany)

Auto Zeitung (Germany)

Gute Fahrt (Germany)

Rallye Racing (Germany)

Sport Auto (Germany)

Test MOT (Germany)