The 2012 winter tire test season is upon us, and the usually excellent Auto Zeitung have just realised their latest winter tire test.
Focusing on the popular 205/55 R16 tire size, Auto Zeitung have tested 8 tires - one from each of the six premium manufacturers, and a tire 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 tire label.The best performance on snow came from the Finnish experts, Nokian, while Pirelli took the top honours in the slush test.
The Results
1st: Continental WinterContact TS 850 | |
| Dry:Safe, fast and effecient. Overall the most balance and best tire 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 tire with excellent resuilts in all tests, bar aquaplaning Read Reviews Buy from £109.48 |
5th: Michelin Alpin A4 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 |
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