2012 Auto Zeitung Winter Tyre Test

The 2012 winter tyre test season is upon us, and the usually excellent Auto Zeitung have just realised their latest winter tyre test.

Focusing on the popular 205/55 R16 tyre size, Auto Zeitung have tested 8 tyres - one from each of the six premium manufacturers, and a tyre each from the two brands known best for their excellent winter offerings, Nokian and Vredestein.

A Past Champion Reborn

This year Continental have replaced the dominant Continental ContiWinterContact TS 830 with their latest offering, the Winter Contact TS 850, and it once again finds itself in the top spot. No matter what the surface, the TS850 offers a remarkable level of grip, precision and safety, while still managing to score strongly on the new EU tyre label.

The best performance on snow came from the Finnish experts, Nokian, while Pirelli took the top honours in the slush test.

The Results

Click here to view Results as a single table and adjust the score weighting based on your own driving needs!

1st: Continental WinterContact TS 850
205/55 R16 3PMSF: no	Total: 388 Dry: 125 Wet: 129 Snow: 134 Dry:Safe, fast and effecient. Overall the most balance and best tyre on dry roads Wet:Precise handling and excellent results in both aquaplaning tests Snow:Best traction, short stopping distances. Average in the slush The new TS 850 from Continental is balance and extremely safe to drive on Read Reviews
2nd: Nokian WR D3
205/55 R16 3PMSF: no	Total: 370 Dry: 115 Wet: 114 Snow: 141 Dry:Strong slalom result but not as strong in high speed bends. Very quiet Wet:Prononced understeer in the wet, but excellent braking performance Snow:The Nokian WR D3 is the snow expert. Enormous amounts of grip in braking, traction and turning With the top snow performance, the Nokian secures second overall Read Reviews
3rd: Goodyear UltraGrip 8
205/55 R16 3PMSF: no	Total: 361 Dry: 110 Wet: 123 Snow: 128 Dry:Excellent braking in the dry, but fairly noisy Wet:The UG8 shines in the wet with good steering response Snow:Strong traction, good handling, strong braking With a strong result in all 3 tests, the Goodyears excellent balance results in 3rd place Read Reviews
4th: Dunlop SP WinterSport 4D
205/55 R16 3PMSF: no	Total: 360 Dry: 114 Wet: 117 Snow: 129 Dry:Average rolling resistance, but sporty handling and good braking make up for that Wet:Mid pack aquaplaning results, but a strong wet handling with good steering precision Snow:The Dunlop is agile and safe, quck turning, predictable on the brakes and good traction in the snow A sporty agile tyre with excellent resuilts in all tests, bar aquaplaning Read Reviews Buy from £109.48
5th: Michelin Alpin A4
205/55 R16 3PMSF: no	Total: 352 Dry: 115 Wet: 115 Snow: 122 Dry:The Michelin has a quick dry time, but is slow to steer and average in the slalom Wet:Good aquaplaning resistance, but average handling and braking in the wet Snow:Good traction and braking, but slightly imbalanced on quick load changes The Michelin Alpin A4 is a good all rounder with predictable handling Read Reviews
6th: Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3
205/55 R16 3PMSF: no	Total: 348 Dry: 108 Wet: 122 Snow: 118 Dry:Longest stopping distance in the dry, but quick in the slalom and a high level of dry grip when turning Wet:Weak aquaplaning result, but safe and precise steering to the limit of wet grip. Short wet braking Snow:Moderate snow traction, poor understeer when turning but good underbraking and on slush The Pirelli Snow Control Series 3 is strong in the wet and good on slush Read Reviews
7th: Vredestein Snowtrac 3
205/55 R16 3PMSF: no	Total: 342 Dry: 109 Wet: 113 Snow: 120 Dry:Another quick time in the dry, but a lack of precision and balance meant you worked very hard to achieve it Wet:Good aquaplaning result but poor wet braking Snow:Average snow braking, and while the lap times are reasonable on the clock, you need an increased use of driving skills The Vredestein Snow Trac 3 is stronger in the snow than it is in the dry or wet Read Reviews
8th: Bridgestone Blizzak LM32
205/55 R16 3PMSF: no	Total: 323 Dry: 107 Wet: 111 Snow: 105 Dry:Poor rolling resistance but strong dry braking and very quiet. Sluggish in the handling tests Wet:Long braking distances and sluggish handling characterise the Bridgestone in the wet. Tends to understeer. Excellent aquaplaning result Snow:The Blizzak doesn't offer much grip on the snow, but is much better in the slush Excellent in standing water and slush, the Bridgestone is comparatively poor in the dry and the wet Read Reviews