WASHINGTON (March 21, 2013) — The Michelin brand topped the list of preferred tire brands inConsumer Reports’ annual “Best and Worst Cars” issue. Michelin placed first in five of the nine tire categories the magazine tested and placed in three of the others, the magazine announced Feb. 21 at a luncheon of the Washington Automotive Press Association.
Michelin also placed first in three of the four categories CR listed for “Best Gas-Saving Tires.”
CR tested 181 tire models this year for wet grip, fuel efficiency, treadwear, hydroplaning resistance, ride comfort, noise and other factors on a 0-100 scale, the magazine said, adding that it racked up 5.3 million miles driven to test tread wear.
The listings are as follows, with the type of tire followed by the brand and the tire’s score:
* Performance all-season, H-speed rated: Michelin Primacy MXV4, 70; Continental PureContact, 68; Nexen CP672, 66.
* Performance all-season, V-speed rated: Continental PureContact, 70; Pirelli P7 Cinturato All-Season, 68; Michelin Primacy MXV4, 66.
* All-season, T-speed rated: Michelin Defender, 70; Continental ProContact EcoPlus, 68; Goodyear Assurance TripleTred All-Season, 66; Pirelli P4 Four Seasons, 64; Michelin Energy Saver A/S, 64; Yokohama Avid Ascend, 64.
* Winter tires: Michelin X-Ice Xi3, 62; Michelin X-Ice Xi2, 62; Hankook Winter I*Cept Evo, 60; Pirelli Winter 210 Sottozero Serie II, 58; Uniroyal Tiger Paw Ice & Snow II, 58; Bridgestone Blizzak W570, 58.
* All-season light truck tires: Michelin LTX M/S2, 72; Michelin X Radial LT2, 72; Continental CrossContact LX20 EcoPlus, 72; Michelin Latitude Tour HP, 72; Michelin Latitude Tour, 72.
* All-terrain tires: Cooper Discoverer A/T3, 66; Michelin LTX A/T2, 64; Hankook Dynapro ATM, 64; Kumho Road Venture AT KL78, 64; Kumho Road Venture SAT KL61, 64.
* Winter tires for SUVs and trucks: Continental ExtremeWinterContact, 68; General Altimax Arctic, 66; Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2, 66; Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072, 66.
* Ultra-high-performance all-season tires: Pirelli P-Zero Nero All-Season, 82; Cooper Zeon RS3-A, 82; Sumitomo HTR A/S P01, 82.
* Ultra-high-performance summer tires: Michelin Pilot Super Sport, 90; Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric, 82; Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT, 82; Michelin Pilot Sport PS2, 82.
* Best gas-saving all-season, T-speed rated: Michelin Energy Saver A/S, 64; Cooper GFE, 58.
* Best gas-saving performance all-season, H-speed rated: Michelin Primacy MXV4, 70; Dunlop SP Sport 7000 A/S, 60; Bridgestone Ecopia EP422, 52.
* Best gas-saving performance all-season, V-speed rated: Bridgestone Ecopia EP422, 52.
* Best gas-saving winter tire: Michelin X-Ice Xi3, 62.
As in past years, CR chose its favorite car brands for 2013, as well as its top model picks in various categories, including mid-sized sedan, sports car, budget car, green car, compact car, mid-sized SUV, small SUV, minivan, luxury car and sports sedan. The magazine dropped its “Best Pickup Truck” category in 2013 because of too few models in that category.
Lexus was CR‘s top-ranked car brand for the year, with a score of 79 out of 100. Subaru and Mazda were close behind with 76 each. Audi was the top-ranked European model, at 70, and Cadillac placed first among U.S. models at 61.
Source: tirebusiness.com
