Strong middle peasants: summer tyres of the medium segment R16

The Slovak brand Matador has gained the widest popularity among the many subsidiaries of the German tyre concern Continental AG. The secret of popularity lies in the balance of price and driving characteristics of the brand's products.

The mid-range tyre Matador MP 47 Hectorra 3 is available in fifty different sizes — from R13 to R21. Accordingly, it will not be difficult to choose the required tyre size for your needs. Particular attention in the design of the model is paid to safety on wet roads: water is drained from the contact patch through four deep longitudinal channels penetrating the asymmetric tread pattern along. Almost instantaneous hydroevacuation significantly reduces the risk of experiencing the effect of hydroplaning on your own skin when overcoming water obstacles.

The central ribs of the tread feature increased stiffness, which provides improved transmission of traction and braking forces, as well as minimizing rolling resistance. And complicity in more confident cornering is provided by wide shoulder areas dotted with numerous blocks. The pressure on the contact patch is distributed evenly, which prevents premature wear of individual tread elements.

In all copies of the tyre, regardless of the size, there is an indication of tread wear, which is located in the drainage circumferential channels at a height of 3 mm. When this mark is reached, the tyre must be replaced. Claims to the model are presented in relation to thinned sidewalls, which increases the risk of side cuts and tyre noise. However, given the affordable cost of the Matador MP 47 Hectorra 3, you can safely turn a blind eye to the aforementioned disadvantages.

The South Korean medium-class tyre for the warm season loves dry asphalt. Not without reason, after all, according to the results of testing eight eminent tyres by experts from the Swedish publication Vi Bilägare, conducted in 2017, the model in question stepped on top of the podium in the discipline of handling on a dry roadway.

In the overall medal standings, the tyre took fifth place. It received high marks for fuel efficiency and ride comfort, and not the best marks for lateral stability on wet roads and extended stopping distances. In general, the performance of the tyre on dry surfaces is significantly higher than when driving in the rain. However, here it is necessary to make allowances for the extreme conditions of tyre testing — in everyday use, there are no significant complaints about the deterioration of driving performance on wet roads in reviews of the model.

The tyre is designed for medium class cars and large family cars. Its asymmetric tread pattern is pierced by 4 longitudinal water evacuation channels, the depth of which varies depending on the position on the tyre. This achieves an optimal balance between wet and dry performance.

The manufacturer promises improved resistance of the model to mechanical damage, including side cuts. And the addition of silica and polymers to the “cocktail” of the rubber mixture of the tyre contributes to its long mileage. To determine the level of the residual tread height “by eye”, the tyre design provides for an indication of the degree of wear. In the bottom line, Hankook Ventus Prime 3 K125 is destined to take a leading position in the middle segment, which is really hard to argue with.

At the time of its announcement in 2013, Goodyear Eagle Sport was focused exclusively on the Brazilian market. But the pace of sales of the model forced the eminent American manufacturer to adapt the tyre to other regions, thanks to which in 2016 the tyre set foot on east european lands.

The tyre belongs to the category of summer solutions for adherents of an active driving style. It reacts sensitively to all driver inputs, exhibits obedient behavior on dry and wet roads, and also boasts reliable grip and effective braking. The improvement of the last two qualities is achieved due to the increased contact patch of the tyre with the roadway.

Happy owners of the Goodyear Eagle Sport note the tyre's long mileage, economy and ride comfort. However a tyre still cannot be called a full-fledged sports model — it is too soft in comparison with its closest analogues. Therefore, the Sport prefix in the name of the tyre should not confuse the average consumer, who is eager to “shod” the car in comfortable rubber with an extended service life.

Among the advantages of the tyre, it is appropriate to list the resistance to hydroplaning — deep radial grooves that cut through the asymmetric tread pattern perfectly cope with the obligations shouldered on the shoulders to quickly remove excess water from the tyre contact patch with the road. As a result, according to the sum of the parameters, the Goodyear Eagle Sport becomes an excellent choice for cars with wheels from R14 to R16 for the warm season.

The first generation of the Nokian Hakka Green summer tyre appealed to many motorists. However, for the sake of low noise and fuel efficiency, wear resistance was sacrificed in it. The specified defect was corrected in the second version of the model, in parallel providing the tyre with an updated tread pattern.

The result of the tyre modernization was an increase in mileage by about 15% (the indicator was calculated based on the results of testing the model in taxi companies) and, importantly, a reduction in stopping distance. In terms of braking distance on wet pavement from a speed of 80 km/h, the Nokian Hakka Green 2 is more than 1 metre ahead of its closest rivals in independent tests. The grip properties of the tyre on various types of road surfaces also deserve respect.

In the name of the model, it’s not in vain that the “green” prefix (Green) appears — it unambiguously hints at the use of environmentally friendly components in the rubber mixture. The main role in the composition of the compound is assigned to silica, and additional inclusions of pine and rapeseed oil correct the properties of rubber under changing temperature conditions. Also, soot particles are added to the “tyre cocktail”, which form strong bonds at the molecular level. In fact, their presence in the composition gives the tyre more strength.

The characteristic asymmetric tread pattern is pierced by 4 threads of hydroevacuation channels. In addition, the curved shape of the inner part of the tread blocks contributes to a better removal of water from the contact patch. For visual control of tyre wear, its design provides for 3 independent indication systems : a droplet symbol in the central rib (signals the preservation of hydroplaning resistance), a digital sequence of residual tread height in millimetres (erasable numbers from 3 to 8) and crosses in the side blocks (serve to determine uneven wear). The excellent qualities of the model are confirmed by the first places in independent tyre tests, which the Nokian Hakka Green 2 has repeatedly won.

The 2018 summer season debut from French tyre giant Michelin features enhanced ride comfort and enhanced wet and dry grip.

The main emphasis in the fourth generation of the Primacy series is on the fact that the tyre does not lose its properties as it wears out, maintaining the driving qualities of new rubber until the minimum allowable residual tread depth(about 2 mm) is reached. Even in this case, the tyre continues to effectively remove water masses from the contact spot, for which two types of drainage grooves are used in the design of the model: with a profile tapering towards the base and with a square section.

On the test track , the Michelin Primacy 4 shows shorter braking distances on both dry and wet pavement. Moreover, very strong “players” in the tyre field were chosen as rivals for the tyre: Bridgestone Turanza T001 Evo, Continental ContiPremiumContact 5, Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance and Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue. Against their background, the brainchild of Michelin also stands out for its long mileage (you will need to think about buying a new set after almost 50K kilometers).

The high class of the tyre is once again emphasized by its responsiveness to the driver's actions, stability at speed and confident cornering. A trio of visual indicators will inform you about the degree of wear of the model, complemented by an erasable Michelin marking at the bottom of the drainage channels. Overall, the Michelin Primacy 4 fully justifies every penny spent on a tyre, ensuring the comfort and safety of car trips in any weather.