Auto Express – August 07, 2019

58 7August2019 http://www.autoexpress.co.uk

SKATING AWAY

Michelin put up

by farthe worst

resultsinall of

our wet tests

IN ASPIN

Cooper lacked

sharpness on

track and spun

wheels easily

MICHELINisleadingthecampaign
togettyresusedsafelyrightdown
totheir1.6mmlegalminimum.Thereare
strongenvironmentalreasonsforthis,
andthelateststageinthedriveistoget
EUwet-griptestingdonewhenthetyreis
worn–areal-worldassessment–rather
thanbrand-new,asisthecasecurrently.
Atthelaunch ofthePrimacy4in2017
Michelinclaimeditdeliveredahighlevel
ofperformancefromnewtothelimit.We

canonlythinkthatithadtogiveupsome

performancewhennewtogetthatworn-

tyreabilitybecauseithadbyfartheworst

resultsacrossallourwettests.It’salmost

likeMichelinhasturnedtheclockback

towhenitwasatthetopoftherolling-

resistancetestbutstruggledinthewet.

ThePrimacy4hadmuchlessgripthan

thebest,seemingtoskateoverthewet

surface,needinglowercorner-entryspeeds

andmoresteeringlockinturns.Itdid

betterindeep-wateraquaplaningtests,

buttheoverallresultwasnotgood.

Therewasasimilarlackofgripinthe

dry, particularlythroughlongturns,where

wehadtoliftoffearlierthanwiththebest

rivalstomaintainthecar’sline.Italsofelt

quitesoft,butothershadsimilarproblems

andjoineditatthebottomofthetable.

ThehighpointforMichelinwasfuel

economy,whereitwasclosetothewinning

Continentalandclearofthechasingpack.

COOPER-ownedAvonappearedin
ourtestsforthefirsttimeformany
yearsin2018andnowitistheturnofthe
USparentbrandtofollowsuit.TheZeon
4XSSportisthefirstofthedesignsmade
specificallyforSUVsand4x4s,ratherthan
anadaptedcartyre,thatwecometo.
Itisgoodtoseehowthecompany
measuresuptoitsEuropeanandFarEast
rivals,butsadlytheZeon4XSSportisnot
inthefirstflushofyouthbecauseitwent

onsalein2016.Alotoftyretech has

beendevelopedsincethen,yetitstillhas

anAwet-griplabelrating.Itwasableto

takesecondinthecloselymatchedwet

circle,althoughitstruggledinhandling

andbraking,finishinglastinthelatter.

Ittookmorethanthreemetresfurther

tostopthanthepace-settingNokian,

andwasstilldoing18mphwhenthe

Powerproofhadstopped.Itstruggledin

theaquaplaningtests,lackedsharpness

onthehandlingtrackandspunitswheels

moreeasilythantherest,too.

Brakingwasalsoaprobleminthedry,

althoughitwasonlyaroundametreoff

thebest.Thesamelackofsharpnesswas

thereanditcouldbefeltinthesteering

response.Evenso,ithungonwelland

wasmid-packinthedrytests,butits

resultsunravelledatthepumps.Itwas

wayoffthebestandwouldusefiveper

centmorefuelthanthetopContinental.

Wesay...

Wesay...

Blackcircles.comsays...

Blackcircles.comsays...

AsurpriseresultforMichelin,whichhadshrugged

offitsgood-on-fuel,poor-in-wetreputation.

TheZeon4XSSportisshowingitsage

whenitcomestofuelconsumption.

Thishasbeenapopulartyreamongstcustomers

sinceitslaunchin2017.Ithasgainedanaverage

customerratingof4.7/5fromover1,000reviews.

Atthetimeofwriting,Blackcircles.comdoesnot

stockthistyre,sowecan’tprovideanyinsightinto

itspopularityorperformancewithourcustomers.

OverallOverall 98.3%

OverallOverall 98.3%

Price £161.99

Wethandling97% 8th

Wetbraking 95.5% =6th

Wetcornering94.9% 8th

Straightaquaplaning 98.7% 4th

Curvedaquaplaning 88.8% 5th

Dryhandling 98.9% =6th

Drybraking97.5% 6th

Rollingresistance94.3% 2nd

Cabinnoise98.8% 6th

Price £115.50

Wethandling 97.7% 7th

Wetbraking 91.7% 8th

Wetcornering99.1% 2nd

Straightaquaplaning 93.3% 8th

Curvedaquaplaning 79.8% 8th

Dryhandling 99.3% 4th

Drybraking 97.4% 7th

Rollingresistance75.4% 8th

Cabinnoise98.2% 7th

=7 Michelin Primacy4

=7 Cooper Zeon4XSSport

TYRE TEST 2019