Continental or Michelin: an absolute favorite
Content
Each car owner can determine which summer tires - Continental or Michelin - are better, taking into account those parameters that seem more indicative. Your own experience will also help you compare, it is important to consider your preferred driving style.
When it comes time to change tires, many car owners wonder which summer tires - Continental or Michelin - are better. First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to such characteristics as handling and traction.
Comparison of Michelin and Continental summer tires
Domestic roads are a difficult task for tire manufacturers. Broken coating, untimely cleaning, other problems when buying a kit for the next season have to be taken into account by car owners. European manufacturers strive to make products that are adapted to poor road conditions and are constantly working on improving rubber.
Continental summer tires
In order to compare Continental and Michelin summer tires, you need to know certain rubber parameters:
- controllability;
- road grip;
- noisiness;
- economy;
- wear resistance.
Professional tests also consider such characteristics as the removal of water from the contact patch and the speed of overcoming obstacles. After collecting the information, you can make an analysis and decide on a purchase. Careful attention to the selection of a set of tires will become a guarantor of safety on the road. It is unreasonable to rely solely on cost, since we are talking about life and health. The issue of price should be considered last.
Briefly about rubber manufacturers
The German concern Continental owns more than 25% of the car market, in Russia it became known back in the 90s. When producing tires for passenger cars and SUVs, the company uses modern technologies and unique developments, repeatedly testing them at its own test sites. A team of engineers creates a tire that enhances safety, provides reliable traction with the road surface and features a short braking distance. The tread design also works for this. Guaranteeing a sharp start, the tires allow you to avoid skidding when turning and keep your course on wet roads with confidence.
Michelin summer tires
Michelin is a manufacturer from France, often noted in auto racing. For over 125 years, the company has been striving to produce high-quality and environmentally friendly tires with excellent characteristics. To achieve high performance, a whole research institute is working on the creation of new models. As a result, tires go on sale, thanks to which the car does not leave the track if the asphalt surface warms up in the heat or becomes wet due to rain. The wheel pattern shows good grip on other types of road surface, which makes the braking distance noticeably shorter.
The main parameters of the summer tires "Michelin" and "Continental"
Concerns strive to produce products that will not damage their reputation, so they subject tires to numerous tests. Performance testing also helps car owners decide for themselves which summer tires - Continental or Michelin - are better. The table shows the main parameters:
| Continental | Michelin | |
Braking distance, m | ||
| Dry track | 33,2 | 32,1 |
| Wet asphalt | 47,2 | 46,5 |
Controllability, km/h | ||
| dry road | 116,8 | 116,4 |
| Wet coating | 73 | 71,9 |
Lateral stability, m/s2 | ||
| 6,9 | 6,1 | |
Aquaplaning | ||
| Transverse, m/s2 | 3,77 | 3,87 |
| Longitudinal, km/h | 93,6 | 99,1 |
Noise, dB | ||
| 60 km / h | 69,2 | 68,3 |
| 80 km / h | 73,5 | 72,5 |
Profitability, kg/t | ||
| 7,63 | 8,09 | |
Strength, km | ||
| 44 900 | 33 226 | |
According to the results of many tests, buying concern tires from France will be a reasonable decision. These are comfortable and quiet tires that provide reliable traction. The only thing in which they are significantly inferior to the opponent is damage resistance and service life.
Handling on the road
In the warm season, it is important for traffic safety how well the car drives on dry or wet road surfaces, how braking works and whether the wheels can resist hydroplaning. Let's note a few signs that will help determine which summer tires are better - Michelin or Continental:
- the products of the French manufacturer at a speed of a hundred kilometers per hour left behind the tires of the German automaker, albeit not by much. The braking distance on a dry track was only 32,1 m, and on a wet track - 46,5 m;
- in terms of handling on a wet road, the brand from Germany was ahead of its rival - 73 versus 71,9 km / h;
- lateral stability of tires "Continental" is higher - 6,9 to 6,1 m / s2.
For other parameters, the Michelin tire showed the best results.
Continental tires 205/55/16 summer
Continental uses ESC and EHC technologies to help increase machine stability on various types of surfaces and increase dynamic performance while maintaining a high degree of safety. They also allow you to reduce the braking distance.
Tread design
The engineers of the German concern paid a lot of attention to the pattern of tires. They are compiled in such a way that the car maintains traction on any surface. Climatic conditions are also taken into account. Continental tires have wide channels designed to drain water to reduce hydroplaning.
The safe rubber compound, from which the products of the French company are created, ensures maximum stability of the car on the track. The design of the tread is created with the expectation that each zone of the contact patch will be responsible for specific functions while driving. Widened center grooves help wick away moisture, while side treads ensure acceleration and shorten stopping distances. Technology helps to calculate the pressure and evenly distribute it to extend the life of a set of tires.
Noise
An important parameter on the basis of which motorists determine which summer tires are better (Michelin or Continental) is the noise level. The French manufacturer offers quiet tires, the sound of which does not exceed 68,3 dB at a speed of 60 km / h. Such rubber prevents vibration load on the structural elements of the car. Tires smooth out uneven surfaces, so it is much more comfortable in the cabin during the trip. German tires sound stronger (69,2 dB) and are not as soft in motion, but the differences between the two brands are not significant.
Economical fuel consumption
How much fuel is consumed depends on rolling resistance. Tests of tires of two brands in the summer showed that products from Germany are superior to French ones, therefore, by installing such a kit on a car, it will be possible to save on gasoline or diesel.
Strength
To compare summer tires "Continental" and "Michelin" in terms of wear resistance, experts conducted special testing. The results showed that the former can last almost 45 thousand kilometers, while the latter - only a little over 33 thousand. Statistics show that among Russian motorists "French" are more popular than "Germans". They often appear at the top of consumer ratings.
Advantages and disadvantages of Michelin and Continental summer tires
In addition to the characteristics, an analysis of the positive and negative aspects of the products of eminent concerns also allows you to decide on a purchase.
Michelin Energy Tires Reviews
Michelin tires have a number of positive qualities:
- allow to reduce fuel consumption;
- are made of environmentally friendly material;
- differ in reliable adhesion to the roadway;
- comply with European quality standards;
- provide comfort to passengers and the driver;
- provide ample opportunities for maneuvering when driving at high speed.
Among the shortcomings, it is necessary to highlight not such significant wear resistance as that of the German competitor.
Rubber from Continental has the following advantages:
- excellent grip properties;
- high maneuverability;
- uniform distribution of pressure while driving;
- economy;
- short braking distance on both wet and dry roads.
Softness, which provides comfort to passengers and the driver, plays against handling. Preferring sporty driving with a lot of maneuvers, French tires should be considered second. German ones feel more rigid, but guarantee the accuracy of cornering.
Each car owner can determine which summer tires - Continental or Michelin - are better, taking into account those parameters that seem more indicative. Your own experience will also help you compare, it is important to consider your preferred driving style. Experts note that Michelins are more suitable for city roads and a quiet ride, Continentals are unpretentious and indispensable for frequent country trips. Both German and French tires belong to the Premium class, are close in parameters and will last a long time.
