Tyre Reviews Tyre Tests

Vi Bilägare has completed their latest winter tyre test, evaluating seven dedicated Nordic friction tyres and one all-season tyre in size 225/45 R17. The reigning champion, Continental VikingContact 7, has been replaced by the VikingContact 8, which is tested against competitors from Goodyear, Michelin, Nokian, and Hankook. The test also included two budget tyres, Radar and Greenmax.

The excellent magazine Vi Bilagare tested seven studded tyres and one friction (non-studded) winter tyre - the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5. Testing was conducted in various locations across Finland and Sweden, using a Volkswagen Golf for most tests.

These are the result from 2024 Auto Express Winter Tyre Test

As with this years Tyre Reviews winter tyre test, Auto Bild Sportscars conducted a winter tyre test in the 235/35 R19 size. 

While we had a slightly different test field, the good tyres were still good, which is always nice. The cheap tyres in this test, a Radar and Auto Green, again prove that you get what you pay for, with both tyres doing well in one category (snow) but then being complete disasters in the dry and wet.

Below is all the glorious data from the Auto Bild full winter test, in 205/55 R16. These are the top 20 tyres that made it through the 53 tyre shootout, so they're all essentially good tyres, they're just different shades of good.

Auto Zeitung, a German automotive publication, has conducted a tyre test comparing the performance of all-season and winter tyres. The test features 10 premium touring tyres in size 215/55 R17, including three all-season and seven winter options, across various driving conditions.

The test results highlight the difference differences between all-season and winter tyres. In dry conditions, all-season tyres consistently outperformed their winter counterparts, demonstrating shorter braking distances and faster handling times. This showcases their versatility in warmer weather.

The gap between all-season and winter tyres narrowed in wet conditions. While some all-season tyres still excelled, certain winter tyres, notably the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005, showed impressive wet performance, sometimes surpassing their all-season rivals.

As expected, winter tyres generally dominated in snowy conditions. However, the test revealed that some high-quality all-season tyres could compete effectively with winter tyres in light to moderate snow, particularly in traction and lateral grip tests.

Here is the 17" version of the excellent ADAC 2024 winter tyre test! As with the 16" ADAC test, there's no huge surprises from the data, it's an impressive showing from Goodyear Dunlop to take the top two places, and Vredestein continues to impress in winter tyre tests with the Wintrac Pro (not the new Plus version.)

Continental will be surprised that its second tier brand Semperit out performed the TS 870 P, and the Davanti Wintoura + manages to offer the worst wet grip and snow grip, which is impressive in its own right. Unusually, there was no Michelin in this test.

The 2024 winter tyre test conducted by Teknikens Värld, a Swedish automotive magazine, evaluated 18 different tyres across various categories, including studded, Nordic non-studded, and Central European winter tyres. The test also included two used tyres to demonstrate how performance changes over time. 

The magazine crowned an overall winner, which we feel is a bit of an odd choice given the differing target requirements. The overall winner of the test was the Continental ContiVikingContact 8, a Nordic non-studded tyre that demonstrated excellent all-round performance. It maintained the strong winter capabilities of its predecessor while significantly improving wet performance and rolling resistance. This proved manufacturers are working to address the traditional weaknesses of Nordic non-studded tyres, particularly in wet conditions.

In this test, we selected 6 of the best ultra-high-performance winter tyres, and compared them against all-season and summer tyres to reveal their true capabilities. We evaluated their performance in dry, wet, snow, and ice conditions, along with comfort, noise, and rolling resistance. The results were remarkably close, and the data from the all season and summer tyres is really interesting.

For 2024 ADAC have tested two sizes of winter tyres. The below test covers the 16" version. There's nothing particularly shocking in the overall results, so enjoy the data, which includes wear, below!

Autobild are back at it again, this year testing a massive 55 winter tyres in wet braking, then taking the top 33 to a snow braking test, all to find out the safest 20 winter tyres in the wet and snow to put through to their full test!

The extreme winter specialists at Vi Bilagare are back at it testing the latest and greatest studless friction winter tyres. This year they not only tested seven of the most popular studless friction nordic compounds in the popular 225/45 R17 tyre size, they also included an older tyre to see the effects of aging. The older tyre is am 8 year old, lightly used (6mm remaining) Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2, which has its work cut out as its "two-generation-newer" brother, the Hakkapeliitta R5 is also included in this test!

The 2023 Tyre Reviews UHP winter tyre test was an unusual test for Tyre Reviews. Due to travel schedules I was unable to drive the snow part of the testing, and as these tyres have been tested before this year I wouldn't have usually run such a similar test again, but this one had the possibility of a real world wear test which is hard to say no to. 

The results, well they are very interesting and shine a new light on some of the products tested.

The 2023 Sport Auto winter tyre test has tested ten uhp winter tyres using and Audi S3.

Why do you only see nine in the results below? The Kumho WinterCraft WP 52 was part of the tyre test but was eventually disqualified due to specific issues. While it showed moderate performance on snow and impressive braking capabilities on wet surfaces, it had a tendency to quickly lose grip in curves. The test tyres provided by the manufacturer demonstrated strong grip and a neutral, active behavior in wet conditions, along with very short braking distances on dry surfaces. 

Sadly Tyre Reviews won't be conducting a studded tyre test this year, but thankfully the excellent testers at the Swedish magazine Vi Bilagare have, and as they're some of the best Nordic drivers in the world, you can be assured this is the best studded tyre test you'll see this year.

As always for a studded tyre test, the tyres were all tested in the dry, wet, snow and importantly ice, which is where studs really make a difference. To add another element to the testing this year Vi Bilagare bought a "joker" tyre, a lightly used Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 (the current version is the Hakkapeliitta 10) which was manufactured in 2015, making the tyre both old technology AND 8 years old. The testers noted that the tyre still had around 7mm of tread depth (compared to 9.1mm of the new Hakka 10) and that some studs had fallen out, and those which hadn't were somewhat blunted compared to new.

The 2023 TESTIRENKAAT Snow Tyre Test tested eight tyres designed for extreme winters in the popular 205/55 R16 size.

Interestingly the four premium tyres are studless friction tyres, and the four budget tyres are studded, so it gives us an interesting data point to compare the best of the new studless friction soft compound tyres against the cheaper end of the studded market.

In the 2023 Sports Cars Winter Tyre Test conducted by AutoBild Sportscars, several tyres were evaluated on a Toyota GR Yaris, size 225/40 R18. The performance was evaluated across a range of parameters including dry braking, dry handling, wet braking, wet handling, straight aquaplaning, curved aquaplaning, snow braking, snow traction, snow handling, snow slalom, noise, and rolling resistance.

The Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 emerged as a strong performer, especially in wet conditions, securing the first position in both wet braking and wet handling. The tyre also performed well in snow scenarios, ranking third in snow traction, snow handling, and snow slalom. The rolling resistance of this tyre was found to be on the higher side, placing seventh, which might indicate a trade-off for its commendable grip in wet and snowy conditions. The tyre's performance in dry conditions was satisfactory but not leading, with a fourth-place finish in both dry braking and dry handling. The noise level was relatively low, scoring the second position, which might contribute to a quieter and more comfortable ride​.

Following on from the massive 54 winter tyre shootout in the popular 225/45 R18 size using a BMW 3 Series, Autobild have taken the top 20 tyres through to their full testing program to to work out exactly what tyre is best overall.

As always, the Autobild tests are amongst the best in the industry, so enjoy all the below data!

Noteworthy performers from the 2023 16" ADAC winter tyre test included the Falken EUROWINTER HS02 with good dry braking, Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 showcasing remarkable wet braking, and the Goodyear UltraGrip 9 Plus excelling in snow and ice braking. On the flip side, the Austone SP 901 displayed weaknesses in wet conditions and aquaplaning scenarios. The Fulda Kristall Control HP2 emerged as a durable option with the longest wear, while the Barum Polaris 5 stood out for fuel efficiency. 

The biggest surprise is probably the winner. The  now aging Dunlop Winter Sport 5 emerged as the overall victor in the 2023 ADAC 16 Inch Tyre Test, exhibiting a balanced performance across various testing categories. Its well-rounded performance underscores its reliability and suitability for diverse road conditions, making it a commendable choice for motorists seeking a harmonized blend of safety, comfort, and efficiency

The 2023 Auto Bild winter tyre test has started by testing fifty-four performance winter tyres in wet braking, and then put the best thirty-one tyres through to a snow braking test, to find out the best fifteen tyres for their full winter testing program!

This is an impressive, and massive undertaking, and we applaud them for it. This test shows exactly which tyres perform well in the key safety braking tests, and where the cheap winter tyres can lose out.