7th Bridgestone Turanza T005

A LOT is riding on the Turanza T005 which, along with the Driveguard run-flat, is Japanese giant Bridgestone’s only offering in the touring segment spanning 14 to 20-inch wheels.

At launch in January, the T005 replaced the T001 EVO, which was third in last year’s 16-inch test. Bridgestone was no doubt hoping for a stronger result here, but it’s not far off the best.

To challenge for the top spots it needs a better all-round performance. The firm has nailed fuel economy with the T005, which put similar recent designs in the shade. It uses around three per cent less fuel than the next best and had around a five per cent advantage over the worst.

The biggest trade-off, though, was in the dry where it needed an extra two metres to stop than the pace-setting Pirelli. It was also more than two seconds behind the leading Michelin around the dry handling circuit.

It’s a lot to ask a design to span 14 to 20-inch rims and this feels very much like a touring design compared with others in this size where drivers are likely to be demanding more from their tyres. It felt very soft and lacks any sharpness. It is well balanced and adjusts well to the throttle, but is slow to react to inputs.

Wet braking is a concern, too – it took almost five metres more than the best to stop – but the handling on the soaked track was balanced, as it was in the dry, and a lot of the softness had gone.