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 The reigning champion, Continental VikingContact 7, has been replaced by the VikingContact 8, which is tested against competitors from Goodyear, Michelin, Nokian, and Hankook.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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

For 2022, the excellent German test organisation ADAC have tested 15 winter tyres in 185/65 R15 and 15 crossover SUV winter tyres in 215/60 R16.

The results below are for the 185/65 R15 test, where we have no real surprises in the overall results. 

For 2022, the excellent German test organisation ADAC have tested 15 crossover SUV winter tyres in 215/60 R16 and 15 winter tyres in 185/65 R15.

The results below are for the 215/60 R16 test, where we have a few interesting quirks in the overall results. 

For this year's Tyre Reviews winter tyre test, we've got nine sets of the most popular winter tyres, half of which are brand new tyres for this year!

As always I'll be testing in the snow, wet and dry, and looking at rolling resistance, noise and comfort, to ensure you get the best overview of all the new winter tyres!

We're a little late posting this so there won't be much commentary, but hopefully someone will find it useful in 2022! In 2021, Moottori performed an excellent studded tyre test, and included 8 of the best studded winter tyres, including the new Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 which goes on to win the test, with the Michelin X-Ice North 4 also performing really well. 

For the 2021 Auto Express winter tyre test, Auto Express tested eight 225/45 R17 winter tyres using a VW Golf.

As usual we'll keep commentary to a minimum, instead encouraging you to head over to the Auto Express website to check out the full test.

The tyres included were very similar to the 2020 Auto Express winter tyre test, with Bridgestone winning the test again, with the new Continental second.

If you live in a part of the world that sees an extreme winter such as the Northern USA, Canada, and the Northern parts of Europe, you'll know that regular central European winter tyres just don't cut it. 

Winters which see snow on the roads for many months and lots of ice need extreme winter tyres, and there are two types to choose from. The original is the studded winter tyre, a tyre which has studs (pieces of metal) inserted into the soft winter compound allowing the tyre to really bite into the snow and ice below. 

Sadly, as great as studs are, they're damaging to the roads which is why tyre companies invented a category of winter tyre called studless friction winter tyres. While these don't have studs, they do have a vastly improved ability on snow and ice when compared to a "normal" winter tyre, and with advances in compounding technology they are quickly becoming an excellent alternative for all but the most extreme climates.

The 2021 Auto Bild winter tyre test started its life as a fifty tyre wet and snow braking test, with the best performing twenty tyres proceeding to this test. This means the twenty tyres in this test are some of the best winter tyres for 2021 on the market!

Additionally Auto Bild have included the usual reference summer tyre, but also a budget winter tyre. It wasn't clear from the article how this tyre was chosen, but I imagine it was one of the worst tyres from the fifty tyre braking test intended to highlight just how bad cheap tyres can be. The results confirm the theory, with the cheap winter tyre performing well below average in nearly all tests.

The results, as always, were close at the top, with the new Continental WinterContact TS870 narrowly beating the Michelin Alpin 6. The new German tyre had a very consistent test, performing well in nearly all categories, and having the best wear on test!

The 2021 Auto Motor und Sport winter tyre test tested ten popular central European winter tyres in 195/55 R16. This size is used for vehicles such as the Audi A1, Dacia Sandero, Ford Fiesta, Mazda 2, Peugeot 208 and many more.

The Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 took another convincing test win, proving to be excellent in the wet and dry while still having reasonable snow performance.