Winter tire test by Auto Bild Allrad — 2025
In their latest tire test, Auto Bild Allrad compared the characteristics of 12 winter models in the 215/55 R17 size, popular in the compact crossover segment, such as the Volkswagen T-Roc, which was used in the tests.
The snow tests were conducted at the Hankook polygon in Ivalo, Finland, and the wet and dry asphalt tests were conducted at the TRIWO testing center in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The tests mainly covered high-end and mid-range tires, including a new product from Kumho, which recently showed impressive results in another Auto Bild test, and three budget tires were also selected, two of which were released by the Chinese company Linglong.
The following tires were tested:
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
Linglong Sport Master Winter
In the snow, a number of parameters were evaluated, such as traction force, and in this discipline, Goodyear and Michelin became the best, while Leao and Tomket showed not such good, but overall acceptable results.
The shortest braking distance on snow was recorded by Hankook, which was able to bypass premium competitors, but overall, all tires received a "Good" rating.
With handling on a snowy track, everything was not so clear-cut, and the result of the Tomket tires was deemed unsatisfactory. The first places are occupied by Michelin, Bridgestone, and Pirelli.
The same tires, but in a different order, led in the slalom on a snowy surface, and Tomket again demonstrated a significant lack of grip.
Sometimes it happens that a tire that "fails" in tests on one type of surface then rehabilitates in tests on another, but Tomket works poorly not only on snow but also on wet asphalt, which is evident from the very long braking distance. At the same time, the average results of Bridgestone and Pirelli were somewhat surprising, which conceded to Leao tires.
While Leao has overall good longitudinal grip on wet surfaces, the situation is much worse with lateral grip, and Tomket managed to perform even weaker in the handling test. The best in this discipline were Goodyear and the new Kumho.
On the circular track, Leao and Tomket again expectedly lagged behind the others, and Hankook and Vredestein became the leaders.
Hankook and Vredestein also have very good stability and resistance to both longitudinal and lateral aquaplaning, and the last place in the two tests goes to Linglong.
On dry asphalt, Tomket again has the longest braking distance, but here the result is at least acceptable. All other tires have good braking efficiency in similar conditions, and Kumho wins.
In the handling test on a dry track, almost all tires show good results, and only Tomket and Leao lag slightly, and the first place is shared by Hankook and Michelin.
Noise was measured at 60 and 80 km/h, and Goodyear was found to be the quietest, while Linglong tires are the loudest.
Tomket still managed to get into the leaders in at least one discipline, demonstrating low rolling resistance, but this is definitely not enough to compensate for the lack of grip. All other tires are quite economical, and the only exception is Pirelli, which spoiled their final rating.
Verdict
Hankook Winter i*cept RS3 and Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 shared the first place in the overall standings, which have their strengths and weaknesses: the first tire had a short braking distance on wet surfaces and good handling on dry surfaces, as well as excellent resistance to aquaplaning, but increased rolling resistance, and the second had excellent grip on snowy surfaces and low noise, but slowed reactions to driver actions on dry asphalt. The "Exemplary" rating was also received by Vredestein Wintrac Pro+ and Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, which performed very evenly in all disciplines, and their only drawbacks were, respectively, not the best acoustic comfort and a high price.
Kumho WinterCraft WP52+ and Michelin Alpin 7 occupy the fifth and sixth places, which slightly did not reach the leaders, since the Korean brand's tires have reduced stability to lateral aquaplaning, while the model from the French giant showed not the highest result in the handling test on wet asphalt.
Bridgestone Blizzak 6 and Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2 are slightly lower, which were let down by a relatively long braking distance on wet surfaces and high rolling resistance, and the group of participants with a "Good" rating is closed by Falken Eurowinter HS02, which conceded to more efficient competitors in snow and wet asphalt tests.
Next come the tires to which more serious claims have already arisen, and, for example, Linglong Sport Master Winter has clearly weak results on wet surfaces, but they still managed to receive a "Satisfactory" rating, while Leao Winter Defender UHP failed to do so, because in rainy weather they are unable to provide acceptable handling and, therefore, safety. However, there were cheap tires in the test that experts strongly advise against buying, and this is Tomket Snowroad Pro 3, which has openly weak grip on both wet surfaces and snow.