Taking to the Sydney Dragway with Ozzy racing driver Renato Loberto behind the wheel of the Mazda 6 Estate test mule, Wheels magazine assembled eight original equipment replacement tyres, working in the common 17-inch diameter, and put each brand through five stages of the magazine’s annual ‘torture test’.

Among the eight brands represented were Bridgestone, Dunlop, Goodyear and Continental, with Kumho, Laufenn, Momo and Maxxis filling the ranks. Other usual suspects including Pirelli, Michelin and Yokohama declined to participate.

The torture kicked off with the Slalom, designed to test the tyres’ swerve and recover credentials, of which the Premitra HP5 scored a respectable 9.44 out of 10. Next up was dry braking where Maxxis came out top and pulled up an impressive average of 0.6m shorter than the next best stopper. The third stage was the handling circuit, which puts each aspect of tyre ability together as a compact means of measuring a tyre’s general handling and collision-avoidance capability. During this stage, the Premitra HP5 came in third, trailing by just 0.17 seconds, while securing a peak of 0.96G, leading Renato to comment on the ‘good feel’ of the tyre.

When it came to wet braking, the Premitra HP5 dominated testing, ranking in first place with a flawless 10 out of 10 and recording a 1.6-meter shorter stopping distance, compared with the second-placed Continental. The Premitra HP5 also recorded a 2.5m shorter stopping distance compared to the average tyre, and a whopping 4.6m shorter stopping distance compared with the bottom-of-the-table Dunlop. The last stage was tyre noise, where Maxxis came in at a not-too-shabby joint second place, scoring 4.91 out of 5 and recording a mere 58.5 decibels.

When the results from each stage were compiled, there was one clear winner, with Maxxis securing a phenomenal 98.2% overall score. Summarising the findings, Wheels wrote: ‘The Maxxis Premitra HP5 was a standout when it came to breaking, not just out-stopping its rivals, but doing so by a margin that made it clear this tyre has something special under brakes. It was quick enough around the handling circuit to finish third, and it felt good doing it.’

Commenting on coming out top in Wheels’ 2017 tyre torture test, Maxxis managing director, Derek McMartin, said: “The opening to the Wheels 2017 tyre test review looked at motorists’ purchasing behaviours when it comes to cornering their premium and high-performance cars. The magazine pointed out that some drivers are happy to pay through the nose to ensure they get the best out of their motors, whereas others ‘cheap out’ and in doing so inadvertently compromise safety and performance. The results of this stringent testing prove it doesn’t have to be one or the other. Drivers can have the best of both worlds: unrivalled performance and value for money.

“This is a further feather in the Premitra HP5’s cap and proof, if ever it was needed, that this really is an exceptional high-performance tyre that ticks all the right boxes for drivers and dealers alike.”