Winter tire test by Auto Bild (2024)
According to the results of the qualifying round, 20 tires in the 205/55 R16 size made it to the main part of the big test by Auto Bild, demonstrating good braking performance on wet and snowy surfaces. Overall, there were no surprises at this stage, although it's worth noting the third place of GT Radial tires from the Singaporean company Giti.
On snow, three tires immediately shared first place in the braking efficiency test: Continental, Hankook, and Semperit. Meanwhile, Hankook also had the best performance in the slalom, meaning they also had excellent lateral grip. At the same time, in the handling tests, Giti tires unexpectedly became the leaders, while Dunlop had the highest traction force recorded. Overall, all participants showed good results, and only Yokohama received a "Satisfactory" rating.
On wet asphalt, Continental and Hankook again stood out, effectively resisting aquaplaning both on straight roads and in turns. Meanwhile, Bridgestone won in three other disciplines: "braking," "lateral stability," and "handling." The list of underperformers included Fulda and Kleber, while Kumho had difficulties preventing aquaplaning.
In tests on dry pavement, Kumho stopped the car the fastest, and Fulda was again in last place. The best handling was provided by Continental and Bridgestone, and the quietest tires were Giti and GT Radial.
Auto Bild also evaluates the cost-effectiveness of purchasing tires, taking into account their lifespan, price, and rolling resistance. The most durable among the tested tires were Michelin, but they also had the highest price. The best in terms of cost-effectiveness were Semperit and Hankook. The latter also had very low rolling resistance, which is why they received the Eco-Meister award after the tests.
The first place in the overall standings was taken by Continental WinterContact TS 870, closely followed by Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3. Both tires have a good balance of characteristics, and their only drawback was the high price. The third place unexpectedly went to Semperit Speed-Grip 5 tires, which performed well in all disciplines and are offered at an attractive price. Two more tires, Bridgestone Blizzak 6 and Michelin Alpin 6, also received an "Exemplary" rating due to their excellent driving qualities on all types of surfaces.
Seven more tires completed the test with a "Good" rating: Hankook Winter i*cept RS3, Dunlop Winter Sport 5, Kleber Krisalp HP3, Uniroyal Winter Expert, BFGoodrich g-Force Winter 2, Vredestein Wintrac, and Apollo Alnac 4G Winter. Most often, tires from this group had problems in the wet braking test, and Uniroyal and Apollo relatively weakly performed on snow.
The remaining eight tires received a "Satisfactory" rating, and Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2 surprisingly took 13th place, including due to high wear. They were followed by Giti GitiWinter W2, which work well on snow but are less effective in other conditions. The Kumho WinterCraft WP52, Barum Polaris 5, and GT Radial WinterPro 2 Evo tires also have good performance on snowy surfaces but have poor traction on wet asphalt. Finally, Firestone Winterhawk 4, Fulda Kristall Control HP 2, and Yokohama BluEarth*Winter V906+ were at the bottom of the list, with Yokohama tires surprisingly showing very weak results on snow, combined with low cost-effectiveness.
Source: Auto Bild.