2013 Auto Zeitung Winter Tire Test

Test Summary
Wet Braking	Continental WinterContact TS 850
Dry Braking	Continental WinterContact TS 850
Wet Handling	Nokian WR D3 Dunlop Winter Response 2

8 tires, lots of lovely writing describing each tire in the snow, wet and dry means there's very little point in summarising the excellent 2013 AZ Winter Tire Test. Performed using a 105-hp VW Golf 1.6 TDI with BlueMotion, Auto Zeitung put the tires through the usual wide array of tests.

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
195/65 R15 3PMSF: no	Total: 391 Dry: 127 Wet: 144 Snow: 120 Dry:Low rolling resistance. Good dry performance though ESP cuts in quite early Wet:Spotless performance in the wet. Shortest braking distance, good aquaplaning resistance and precise stable handling Snow:Precise reactions, high cornering grip and good stability The Conti TS850 wins with a very good performance in the snow, and best marks on wet and dry roads Read Reviews
2nd: Nokian WR D3
195/65 R15 3PMSF: no	Total: 384 Dry: 124 Wet: 136 Snow: 124 Dry:The Nokian is lacking a bit of feedback in the dry, but still managed to provide very quick dry times and good stability Wet:Only a slightly extended stopping distance tarnishes the Nokian in the wet. Very stable and high grip cornering, inspires confidence Snow:The highest traction on test and very high cornering grip, making the Nokian WE D3 and sporty agile tire in the snow A very balance result ensures the Finnish winter pro Nokian WR D3 second place in this test Read Reviews
3rd: Michelin Alpin A4
195/65 R15 3PMSF: no	Total: 360 Dry: 116 Wet: 125 Snow: 119 Dry: Its soft, elastic mixture leaves the Michelin feeling less confident in the dry than other top tires in the test Wet:When wet, Michelin delivers a thoroughly convincing performance. The greatest strength lies in the balance Snow:The Michelin Alpin convinces with precise steering and a high level of grip on snow. Gentle load change reaction Michelin Alpin A4 works perfectly with the VW Golf and affords no real weakness: third place overall Read Reviews
4th: Goodyear UltraGrip 8
195/65 R15 3PMSF: no	Total: 359 Dry: 116 Wet: 126 Snow: 117 Dry:Again in the dry the Goodyear proves to be good-natured. But changes in direction require more steering effort than the other tires. A little slow Wet:In the rain, the Goodyear tire proves to have a mixed performance. High levels of understeer, but also the highest reserves in aquaplaning Snow:Good directional stability for the Goodyear on the snowy test track, however while significant understeer tendency makes it a safe tire, it also makes it a slow tire The veteran Goodyear UG8 earned our recommendation this year Read Reviews
5th: Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3
195/65 R15 3PMSF: no	Total: 356 Dry: 121 Wet: 135 Snow: 100 Dry:At the limit of grip the Pirelli has slight understeer, but otherwise precise responses to steering commands.Fairly average in the braking tests, but a low rolling resistance Wet:On the wet test track the Pirelli shines with excellent cornering and very agile handling. This tire offers the highest grip Snow:The Pirelli copes with slush best thanks to its open tread design, however it has the longest braking distances on snow The Pirelli shines with very good results in the wet and slush, but falters in the snow Read Reviews
6th: Bridgestone Blizzak LM32
195/65 R15 3PMSF: no	Total: 352 Dry: 123 Wet: 114 Snow: 115 Dry:The advantages of the Bridgestone in the dry is its predictable and easy handling as well as the good noise levels Wet:Sets no records with an average but safe all round performance. Somewhat sensitive to changes in load Snow:Thanks to new mix is the Bridgestone now noticeably better in the snow: best score in the brake test. Builds little slip even at high acceleration Thanks to improved mixture, we can now recommended the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 as a balance winter tire Read Reviews
7th: Dunlop Winter Response 2
195/65 R15 3PMSF: no	Total: 350 Dry: 118 Wet: 108 Snow: 124 Dry:Lowest rolling resistance on the one hand, but slowest in handling and slalom test on the other hand Wet:The new Dunlop can only manage an acceptable result in wet braking. The ESP of the VW Golf conceals the sometimes lively load change reactions Snow:The Dunlop brakes just as good as the Bridgestone. In addition, the Dunlop offers more traction and greater safety reserves in the slush Not a bad tire, but disappointing for a new Dunlop. The Winter Response 2 is too much focsed on rolling resistance Read Reviews Buy from £70.48
8th: Falken Eurowinter HS449
195/65 R15 3PMSF: no	Total: 314 Dry: 116 Wet: 109 Snow: 89 Dry:On a dry track the Falken is great: it allows high cornering speeds and almost never triggers the ESP. But: highest rolling resistance Wet:The Falken is largely troubled by understeer in the wet Snow:The Falkens disappoint on snow: It has the least traction, travels slowest through curves and requires more course corrections The budget Falken slips up on snow and has trouble in the wet , so it can not compete with the premium tires on test Read Reviews