The German automobile club has tested winter tires for city cars and compact SUVs. Especially in the latter group, they showed in black and white that when we expect really high quality, we must opt for premium brands. However, they also had mishaps.
Information labels present on new tires can tell us a bit about the noise generated by a given tire model, as well as about rolling resistance and grip on wet surfaces. For many people who choose summer tires, it is a sufficient resource. What about snow and ice grip? We will not find out about this from the labels, so independent tire tests in the case of winter tires still make a lot of sense.
The German automobile club ADAC published the results of the winter tire test at the turn of 2022 and 2023 for two sizes: 185/65 R15 (for city cars and older compact cars) and 215/60 R16 (for small SUVs and crossovers).
Germany gives the tested tires an overall rating and detailed notes. As for the former, apart from the numerical value (the lower the better), general verbal notes are also used: “very good” (the equivalent of a school five), “good” (four), “satisfactory” (three), “sufficient” (two) and “insufficient” (one). In detailed categories, ADAC awards numerical notes for tire properties. The lower it is, the better. Here are the scores from best to worst rated.
Continental WinterContact TS 870 – total score: 2.2 (good)
- Dry asphalt: 2.3
- Wet asphalt: 2.1
- Snow: 2.2
- Ice: 2.5
- Noise: 3.0
- Fuel consumption: 1.8
- Durability: 2.0
Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ – total score: 2.2 (good)
- Dry asphalt: 2.3
- Wet asphalt: 1.7
- Snow: 2.5
- Ice: 2.3
- Noise: 2.7
- Fuel consumption: 2.0
- Durability: 2.5
Semperit Speed-Grip 5 – total score: 2.2 (good)
- Dry asphalt: 2.5
- Wet asphalt: 2.3
- Snow: 2.0
- Ice: 2.3
- Noise: 2.6
- Fuel consumption: 1.7
- Durability: 2.0
Michelin Alpin 6 – total score: 2.3 (good)
- Dry asphalt: 2.5
- Wet asphalt: 2.3
- Snow: 2.4
- Ice: 2.3
- Noise: 2.5
- Fuel consumption: 2.1
- Durability: 1.5
BF Goodrich G-Force Winter 2 – total score: 2.7 (satisfactory)
- Dry asphalt: 2.6
- Wet asphalt: 2.7
- Snow: 2.0
- Ice: 2.5
- Noise: 2.7
- Fuel consumption: 2.4
- Durability: 2.0
Vredestein Wintrac – total score: 2.7 (satisfactory)
- Dry asphalt: 2.4
- Wet asphalt: 2.1
- Snow: 2.7
- Ice: 2.4
- Noise: 2.8
- Fuel consumption: 2.4
- Durability: 2.5
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 – total score: 3.0 (satisfactory)
- Dry asphalt: 2.1
- Wet asphalt: 1.7
- Snow: 2.4
- Ice: 2.8
- Noise: 2.9
- Fuel consumption: 1.9
- Durability: 3.0
Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 – total score: 3.0 (satisfactory)
- Dry asphalt: 1.9
- Wet asphalt: 2.2
- Snow: 2.9
- Ice: 2.7
- Noise: 2.6
- Fuel consumption: 2.6
- Durability: 3.0
Firestone Winterhawk 4 – total note: 3.2 (satisfactory)
- Dry asphalt: 3.2
- Wet asphalt: 2.0
- Snow: 2.2
- Ice: 2.1
- Noise: 2.8
- Fuel consumption: 1.7
- Durability: 2.5
Nexen Wingard Snow G3 – total note: 3.3 (satisfactory)
- Dry asphalt: 3.3
- Wet asphalt: 2.5
- Snow: 3.3
- Ice: 2.1
- Noise: 2.5
- Fuel consumption: 2.2
- Durability: 2.5
Avon Tue 7 Snow – total note: 3.5 (satisfactory)
- Dry asphalt: 2.9
- Wet asphalt: 2.5
- Snow: 3.5
- Ice: 2.4
- Noise: 3.0
- Fuel consumption: 2.3
- Durability: 3.5
Dunlop Winter Response 2 – total note: 3.6 (sufficient)
- Dry asphalt: 3.6
- Wet asphalt: 1.8
- Snow: 1.8
- Ice: 2.5
- Noise: 2.7
- Fuel consumption: 1.9
- Durability: 2.5
Fulda Kristall Montero 3 – total note: 3.7 (sufficient)
- Dry asphalt: 3.6
- Wet asphalt: 3.7
- Snow: 1.9
- Ice: 2.3
- Noise: 2.9
- Fuel consumption: 2.0
- Durability: 1.5
Barum Polaris 5 – total note: 3.9 (sufficient)
- Dry asphalt: 3.9
- Wet asphalt: 3.2
- Snow: 2.4
- Ice: 2.8
- Noise: 3.0
- Fuel consumption: 2.0
- Durability: 2.0
Imperial Snowdragon HP- Total Note: 5.3 (insufficient)
- Dry asphalt: 2.1
- Wet asphalt: 5.3
- Snow: 4.0
- Ice: 2.3
- Noise: 2.9
- Fuel consumption: 2.3
- Durability: 1.5
The test of smaller tires brought a few surprises. One of them was the low position of Dunlop tires. The tires lost in the Adac test with definitely below positioned rivals. The high position of the Semperit tires, which in Poland, does not enjoys great esteem in Poland.
Continental WinterContact TS870 – total note: 2.1 (good)
- Dry asphalt: 2.4
- Wet asphalt: 2.1
- Snow: 1.6
- Ice: 1.9
- Noise: 2.8
- Fuel consumption: 2.1
- Durability: 2.5
Dunlop Winter Sport 5 – total note: 2.1 (good)
- Dry asphalt: 2.3
- Wet asphalt: 2.2
- Snow: 1.6
- Ice: 2.0
- Noise: 3.1
- Fuel consumption: 1.7
- Durability: 2.0
Goodyear Ultragrip Performance + – total note: 2.3 (good)
- Dry asphalt: 2.5
- Wet asphalt: 2.5
- Snow: 1.4
- Ice: 2.2
- Noise: 2.8
- Fuel consumption: 2.0
- Durability: 2.5
Michelin Alpin 6 – total note: 2.3 (good)
- Dry asphalt: 2.0
- Wet asphalt: 2.4
- Snow: 2.4
- Ice: 1.9
- Noise: 2.8
- Fuel consumption: 2.3
- Durability: 2.0
Yokohama BlueEarth*Winter V906 – total note: 2.6 (satisfactory)
- Dry asphalt: 2.3
- Wet asphalt: 2.6
- Snow: 2.6
- Ice: 2.4
- Noise: 2.9
- Fuel consumption: 1.9
- Durability: 2.5
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 – total note: 2.7 (satisfactory)
- Dry asphalt: 1.8
- Wet asphalt: 2.0
- Snow: 2.7
- Ice: 2.4
- Noise: 3.4
- Fuel consumption: 2.1
- Durability: 2.5
Kleber Krisalp HP3 – total note: 2.9 (satisfactory)
- Dry asphalt: 2.9
- Wet asphalt: 2.8
- Snow: 1.8
- Ice: 2.2
- Noise: 2.8
- Fuel consumption: 1.8
- Durability: 2.5
GT Radial Winterpro2 – total note: 3.0 (satisfactory)
- Dry asphalt: 2.7
- Wet asphalt: 3.0
- Snow: 2.8
- Ice: 2.1
- Noise: 2.8
- Fuel consumption: 2.4
- Durability: 2.5
Sava Eskimo HP2 – total note: 3.0 (satisfactory)
- Dry asphalt: 25
- Wet asphalt: 3.0
- Snow: 2.3
- Ice: 2.0
- Noise: 3.5
- Fuel consumption: 1.7
- Durability: 1.5
Vredestein Wintrac – total note: 3.0 (satisfactory)
- Dry asphalt: 2.9
- Wet asphalt: 2.3
- Snow: 2.5
- Ice: 1.8
- Noise: 2.7
- Fuel consumption: 1.6
- Durability: 3.0
ESA+Tecar Supergrip Pro – total note: 3.1 (satisfactory)
- Dry asphalt: 3.1
- Wet asphalt: 3.0
- Snow: 1.9
- Ice: 2.0
- Noise: 3.0
- Fuel consumption: 1.5
- Durability: 2.0
Toyotires Observe S944 – total note: 3.1 (satisfactory)
- Dry asphalt: 2.1
- Wet asphalt: 3.1
- Snow: 2.8
- Ice: 2.0
- Noise: 3.0
- Fuel consumption: 2.8
- Durability: 2.0
Nokian Tyres WR Snowproof – total note: 3.2 (satisfactory)
- Dry asphalt: 2.7
- Wet asphalt: 3.2
- Snow: 2.4
- Ice: 2.3
- Noise: 2.7
- Fuel consumption: 2.0
- Durability: 2.0
Uniroyal Winterexpert – total note: 3.3 (satisfactory)
- Dry asphalt: 3.3
- Wet asphalt: 2.8
- Snow: 1.7
- Ice: 1.8
- Noise: 2.9
- Fuel consumption: 1.5
- Durability: 2.5
Matador MP93 Nordicca – total note: 3.4 (satisfactory)
- Dry asphalt: 3.4
- Wet asphalt: 3.1
- Snow: 2.3
- Ice: 2.0
- Noise: 2.9
- Fuel consumption: 2.3
- Durability: 2.0
There are fewer in this list of surprises. The leaders are unanimously occupied by producers positioned in the premium class. Only the low Nokian tires can be surprised. The Finnish producer is often perceived in Poland as even specialized in the production of “winter tires”.
When choosing a tire, it is worth being guided not only by adhesion but also durability. Practice shows that in the case of some tires, their properties remain only a memory quite quickly, while in the case of other good performance we can enjoy longer.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
