2009 ADAC Winter Tyre Test

ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club e.V.), Europes largest motoring club have published their 2009 winter tyre test.

As always, ADAC have been extremely thorough testing 34 different tyres across two tire sizes. All the tyres were purchased anonymously from independent retailers to avoid any "special" test samples being delivered by the manufacturers.

The winter tyres were tested on dry and wet roads, a specially created snow surface and the local ice ring to emulate icy conditions! The characteristics taken into account were

• Subjective dry handling during every day driving
• Subjective handling during emergency situations
• Wet braking
• Wet handling
• Straight line aquaplaning resistance
• Cornering aquaplaning resistance
• Snow acceleration
• Snow braking
• Snow traction and stability
• Ice braking
• Ice traction
• Comfort
• Internal noise
• External noise
• Fuel consumption
• Tyre wear

The results are broken down into 5 groups from highly rated to not recommended.

Highly Recommended
205/55 r16 H	185/60 r14 T
Continental WinterContact TS830 Goodyear UltraGrip 7+ ESA-TECAR Super Grip 7 Dunlop SP Wintersport 3D Hankook Icebear W440	Vredestein Snowtrac 3 Fulda Kristall Montero 3 Continental ContiWinterContact TS800 Bridgestone Blizzak LM30 Goodyear UltraGrip 7+ Dunlop SP Winter Response
Recommended
205/55 r16 H	185/60 r14 T
Michelin Primacy Alpin PA3 Maloya Davos Vredestein Snowtrac 3 Yokohama W.drive Semperit Speed-Grip Uniroyal MS plus 66 Nokian WRg2 Kumho IZen KW23 Pirelli Winter 210 Sottozero 2	Kleber Krisalp HP2 Semperit Master-Grip Uniroyal MS plus 6
Conditionally Recommended
205/55 r16 H	185/60 r14 T
Avon Ice Touring ST	Kumho IZen KW23 Lassa Snoways Era
Not Recommended
205/55 r16 H	185/60 r14 T
Firestone Winterhawk 2 Goodride SW602 Kenda Polar Trax (KR19)	Firestone Winterhawk 2</li> Pneumant PN 150 Wintec Marangoni 4 Winter Sava Eskimo S3 Federal Himalaya WS1

Full details of the test can be read on the ADAC Website (translated to English)