Choosing which tires to put on your car can be more complicated than you think. In this case, comparative tests performed by various independent automobile associations around the world, such as the German ADAC and the Slovenian AMZS, are of great help. We will take a look at one of the most current comparison tests and advise you on choosing the right winter tire.
This autumn is warm and nothing reminds us that snow and sub-freezing temperatures are just around the corner. It is impossible to predict what kind of winter awaits us, but we can prepare our steel horses for it. The tires were tested on dry, wet, icy and snowy surfaces. Tire wear and fuel consumption for a specific model were also checked. In this comparison test, we will look at tire dimensions 185/65 R15 in the speed class T found on smaller cars such as the Volkswagen Polo and tires of dimensions 215/60 R16 in speed class H, found on medium-sized SUVs such as the Škoda Karoq.
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In the category of tires with dimensions 185/65 R15 the results were more diverse than in previous years. Four tires with the most balanced characteristics earned a highly recommended rating, seven tires received a recommended rating, three tires were recommended with limitations and two tires were rated not recommended. Winters in our part of Europe are relatively wet and rainy, and because of this criterion, the rating was not recommended. You can see the results in the attached table, which also shows that the tires performed best Continental Wintercontact 870, Goodyear Ultragrip 9+, Semperit Speed-grip 5 and Michelin Alpin 6. Each of them leads in a certain segment of measurements, and the best balanced of them was the new generation Continental Wintercontact 870 tire, which became the winner of the comparison test precisely because of this.
Since off-road SUVs, or rather SUVs, are increasingly popular, it makes sense to also compare the tires that are most often found on them. In the category of tires with dimensions 215/60 R16 they got 4 highly recommended, 12 tires recommended and only one tire recommended with restrictions. In this case, there was no tire that was rated not recommended.
When comparing tires, the biggest differences this time were in handling on a dry road, and the second criterion with the biggest differences was tire wear. The winners of the comparison test are the tires Continental Wintercontact TS870, Dunlop Winter Sport 5, Goodyear Ultragrip Performance+ and Michelin Alpin 6. None of the mentioned tires showed weaknesses in the main evaluation criteria.
