CR top picks: Conti, Michelin, Pirelli

WASHINGTON (March 1, 2017) — Continental-, Michelin- and Pirelli-brand tires rated highest in Consumer Reports' annual tire rankings, according to the magazine's 2017 Annual Auto Issue.

The Auto Issue, bearing a date of April 2017, was unveiled at a Feb. 28 meeting of the Washington Automotive Press Association (WAPA) at the National Press Club in Washington.

Consumer Reports puts more than 50 tire models through up to 14 tests every year, according to the Auto Issue's tire article, “Where the Rubber Meets the Road.”

This year the publication concentrated on all-season and summer tires. Its recommended tires are as follows:

• All-Season: Michelin Defender, Continental TrueContact, General Altimax RT43, Pirelli P4 Four Seasons Plus.

• Performance All-Season/H-Rated: Continental PureContact, Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Seasons Plus, Michelin Premier A/S.

• Performance All-Season, V-Rated: Continental PureContact, Michelin Premier A/S, Pirelli Cinturato All Seasons Plus.

• Ultra-High-Performance All-Season: Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+, Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus, Continental ExtremeContact DWS06, BFGoodrich g-Force Comp-2 A/S.

• UHP Summer: Michelin Pilot Super Sport, Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3, Nokian zLine, Yokohama Advan Sport V105.

The article quotes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as saying that 9 percent of vehicle crashes as tire-related.It recommends replacing tires when the tread depth is below 4/32nds inch — i.e., not the 2/32nds inch legal limit in most states — and suggests the Washington quarter test in lieu of the Lincoln penny test.

Among vehicle makers, Consumer Reports rated Audi highest for overall quality, followed by Porsche, BMW, Lexus and Subaru. Fiat rated lowest, followed in ascending order by Jeep, Mitsubishi, Land Rover and Dodge.

This year, Consumer Reports added a new criterion — electronic shifter safety — in its vehicle rankings, according to Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports auto test manager, at the WAPA meeting.

“Electronic shifts operate differently from vehicle to vehicle,” Mr. Fisher said. “There are buttons, knobs and stalks, and some of them can be difficult to see.”

Some require drivers to look down and away from the road, according to Mr. Fisher. Others are too close to lookalike controls, such as radio volume knobs, or don't consistently engage the chosen gears, he said.