Results by category

IN recent tests the gap between best and worst has narrowed, but this is one of our closest results, with six tyres within one per cent of each other. Avon won’t like finishing last, but its rivals have raised the bar.

We know Nokian can make top winter and all-season tyres, but its summer offering has yet to reach that level. Still, there was little between the zline, Hankook and Bridgestone, and all got close to the top six.

Falken and Pirelli were impossible to separate but got their results in different ways; Pirelli had the edge in the wet and Falken on fuel economy. Goodyear lacked a little to challenge the top three, which were very close. Michelin nearly repeated its success and Dunlop starred in deep water. But our winner was also the best to drive: the Continental Premiumcontact 6.