Do the test results and reviews ratings stay the same for all performance category's.

 

No, not really.

If you check closely, the reviews are done by customers and when the numbers are bigger represent a good response over time. There can be some variability for the actual numbers but within class they are OK to generally compare. There is some bias and error but the tires in the upper third are very good compared to the mid third and bottom third. Notice that price does not always suggest a good product and some less expensive tires are quite good.

I would be wary about comparing the numbers from Ultra High Perf All Season tires with Extreme Summer tires. You have different types of tires with different performance and street handling characteristics.

Also test ratings are being done over time, newer tests are sometimes more valid than older ones- check the test date and vehicles being used. The tirerack does the tests in house at their facility/track with experienced drivers that are fairly consistent with their scoring. It's also not perfect but will give you some indication of how well the tire did that day vs the other tires in the test. Clearly some tires test better than others. There can be some bias but I think the results are objective enough to consider the results when making a decision.

So, within a test or review chart you can compare a tire within it's respective class. The exact numbers can vary between classes and tests so look at the trends and relative strengths. Sometimes you can do a mild comparison like stopping distances or cornering g force levels. Road/weather conditions vary some and are not generally mentioned in the test results.

For more info talk to or email Alex@tirerack.com

 

Thanks
Can I look at the MAX-ULTRA-EXTREME summer as same tests, or keep them apart to.
Looking at 215/45/17 on 09 JCW
Aggressive, no snow

this car is driven for fun.

 

Will drive in rain

 

For wet weather you will find some tires from any class that will be good performers.

Summer tires are for no snow and temperatures above about 35 degrees.

All Season tires are for any weather including cold temps and light snow.

For heavy snow use winter tires for best traction and safety.

Many owners will use summer tires for wet but it is your choice.

Each class has different levels of handling and performance-

Extreme Summer tires wear fastest but have better traction and handling. Some are really good for dry or wet and some are harsh riding while others offer decent comfort. More will come in lower series sidewalls and in larger tire sizes.

Max Summer tires are a little longer wearing and offer a blend of good handling and good comfort but still not as good wearing as some of the Ultra HP summer tires. Expect more aggressive tread patterns. As tires get worn and older they tend to ride harsher and get noisy.

Ultra High Performance Summer tires are the mainstay of tires for street use and many are more reasonably priced and come in sizes that offer more comfort such as 50 or 55 series sidewalls.

High Performance summer tires are usable for daily driving but don't expect as good handling. If you push these tires they will wear faster. A good choice for base Coopers that are used for daily driving.

Grand Touring All Season tires are quite good. Longest wearing and some reasonably priced with moderately good handling for daily use and All Season suitable. Don't come in aggressive sizes for performance driving but this class offers a few tires that are great for the MINI.

As for wet can you compare Max vs Extreme vs UHP in Summer classes?
Yeah a little but better to compare within class for the whole picture.
It's not absolute so one test result or rating is just a general guide.

Basically you check within a class then as you move towards Extreme summer tires you get faster wear and better traction. Variable noise, comfort and wet traction. Most are decent in the dry. Most have aggressive tread.

 

You might take a look at Dunlop Z1 Star Spec in 215/45-17 about $133 each
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....t+Z1+Star+Spec

200 treadwear.
Good for street use and good in dry or wet.
A decent overall tire and very good on performance for a JCW MINI.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=107

Talk to Alex@tirerack.com for more info.

 

I'm having the Dunlop Z1's installed on my MCS tommorrow. I selected them based on the review on Tire Rack. I can't wait!

 

You've got 2 different beasts here, tests and reviews. Reveiws are what people think of the tires they have, that might have some validity for large sample sizes, but still would reflect how a tire works relative to the buyer's expectation. I'd be very suspicious of comparing that across categories, different types of tires have different types of buyers with different expectations. There may be other bias in the survey, like buyers of cheaper tires might have lower expectations, so rate a cheaper tire higher. (I don't know if that's true, but its the sort of bias which might exist.)

The tests are pretty objective, especially if you look at the raw figures, and should be the same across all categories. Those might be difficult to compare across time as they've used different cars at different times.

 

I'm looking at them to, and with the fifty dollar off good price.
Please report back!!