This season, ADAC decided to test 225/45 R17 Y size summer tyres. If you’re looking for such a product, this test is one of the best sources of information about these tyres.
The German association decided to test 16 tyre models, with products ranging from economy to medium classes. The tyres were tested in the Y speed index (up to 186.41 mph). Four models were rated as “particularly recommended”, 11 as “satisfactory” and one as “passable”.
The key category in the summer tyre test - wet performance
Buying new tyres is not an easy experience for many drivers. Below we will discuss, briefly, what to start with when choosing this piece of equipment. Knowing the size of your tyres is they key thing. You can read it from the sidewall of your current model, on a sticker near the door or in the user manual.
It is advisable to change entire sets of tyres (all 4 tyres). Two pairs of different tyres have different performance factors ( such as different braking distances, grip or water expulsion rates). This means that such pairs of tyres will interact differently with each other, which will translate into more difficult and unpredictable control of the car, making it more difficult to drive.
When choosing summer tyres it is worth defining your own driving style. Is it relaxed, moderate or dynamic? This will affect your choice of a tyre class. Offering the highest performance, premium class tyres are fitted mainly on more powerful cars by drivers who like more aggressive driving. The medium class is an excellent compromise between the performance and price. Economy tyres are a good choice for smaller cars and people who drive in a relaxed way and mainly in the city.
What tread pattern should you choose? Asymmetric and directional tyres are the most popular options at the moment. The former offer well balanced performance and are comfortable and resistant to wear. An asymmetric tyre can be recognised by its division into two sides – marked as inside and outside. With the tread resembling the letter V, directional tyres are best suited for wet surfaces, but can also be loud and tend to wear down faster than asymmetric ones. Finally, there are symmetric tyres, but in the case of passenger cars they are the least popular and are quite rare as a result.
225/45 R17 summer tyres – application
225/45 R17 tyres are fitted onto cars such as the Audi A3, A4, A6, TT, BMW 1&3 series, Honda Accord, Civic, C, CLK and SLK class Mercedes, Skoda Superb, VW Passat, Volvo S60, C70, S70 and V70.
These car models often offer more power and or often used by drivers who prefer a dynamic driving style, or travel long distances (whether alone or with the family).
Most importantly, summer tyres for these cars should offer very good grip both on dry and wet surfaces. Other important features include comfort, fuel consumption and resistance to wear. The ADAC test is a good example of a test of these parameters.
NOTE! Bear in mind that 225/45 R17 tyres are just one of the options available for your car. Fitting a specific model will depend on such factors as the year of manufacture, generation of your car, the capacity and power of the engine, as well as the variant of the equipment. Our car tyre configurator will help you choose the best tyre size for your car. ADAC test results
The Continental ContiSportContact 5 was one of the best summer tyres, according to the rest results
Buy the ADAC test winner, Continental ContiSportContact 5
In the 225/45 R17 size, ADAC recommends four models that have been rated as “good”: Continental ContiSportContact 5, ESA-Tecar Spirit 5 UHP, Pirelli P Zero and Vredestein Ultrac Vorti.
The best tyre models in respective categories
| Dry surface | Continental ContiSportContact 5, Vredestein Ultrac Vorti, Yokohama Advan Sport V105, Michelin Pilot Sport 3, GT Radial Champiro HPY |
| Wet surface | Continental ContiSportContact 5, ESA-Tecar Spirit 5 UHP, Pirelli P Zero, Vredestein Ultrac Vorti, Uniroyal Rainsport 3, Michelin Pilot Sport 3 |
| Noise/comfort | all scores similar (with only Firestone Firehawk SZ90 slightly worse) |
| Fuel consumption | ESA-Tecar Spirit 5 UHP |
| Resistance to wear | Sava Intensa UHP, Yokohama Advan Sport V105, Fulda SportControl |
The best tyres in the test
The winner of this year’s ADAC test of 225/45 R17 summer tyres is Continental ContiSportContact 5. The tyre demonstrated excellent performance, particularly on wet surfaces. Its only weak spot was the comfort of driving. Yet, this model is clearly ahead of all other tested models in terms of overall score.
Surprisingly, it was followed by an economy class tyre - ESA-Tecar Spirit 5 UHP - which fared particularly well in terms of rolling resistance. In other categories (except for driver comfort), the tyre’s received notes as good as the test winners.
The third position was taken by the Italian Pirelli P Zero. In a similar fashion to the test winner, the tyre got excellent notes for its wet performance and slightly worse comments for its driving comfort. In other categories, it showed a solid, good performance.
Vredestein Ultrac Vorti was the last model in the “most recommended” group. As with the other types in this grouping, this model demonstrated outstanding performance on wet surfaces but it was slightly weaker in terms of comfort.
Video presentation of the test winner
ADAC test vs. other tests
You should know there there have been other tests of summer tyres in the 225/45 R17 size. In a test by GTÜ, the winner was Continental ContiSportContact 5, too, followed by Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3, Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2, Pirelli P Zero and Falken Azenis FK510.
Last year, 225/45 R17 tyres were tested by Auto Express and Gute Fahrt magazines. The winner of the former was also Continental ContiSportContact 5 followed by Dunlop Sport BluResponse, Michelin Pilot Sport 3 PS3, Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 and Pirelli P Zero.
In the test by “Gute Fahrt”, the top five list was, ascending order, as follows: Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue, Dunlop SP Sport Maxx RT, Hankook Ventus S1 evo2, Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance and Continental ContiSportContact 5.
As shown by the results, the Continental tyre did not win this year’s ADAC test by accident. The class of this summer tyre is also demonstrated by the high scores given by visitors to our portal.
ADAC test methodology
The final score in ADAC tests is always based on the weighted average of notes in all individual categories. In the case of testing summer tyres, the largest weight is given to wet grip. This is followed by dry grip, with a 20% weight, and wear (also 20%). The lowest weight is given to fuel consumption and driving comfort, each with 10%.
The ADAC scoring system promotes versatility. It also makes it possible to lower the score for tyres that fared well in less important categories but failed to satisfactory scores in safety-related areas.
While these test results offer great information for anyone looking to buy new 225/45 R17 summer tyres, you might also want to check out other sources. We published a list of the best summer tyres in R17, according to the user reviews in our portal.