2021 AMS Winter Tire Test

Dry BrakingMichelin Alpin 6: 42.8 MGoodyear UltraGrip 9 Plus: 46.6 M
Dry HandlingToyo Observe S 944: 114.6 Km/HPirelli Cinturato Winter: 111.2 Km/H
Wet BrakingBridgestone Blizzak LM005: 29.3 MPirelli Cinturato Winter: 34.8 M
Wet HandlingVredestein Wintrac: 72 Km/HBFGoodrich gForce Winter 2: 69.3 Km/H
Straight AquaPirelli Cinturato Winter: 87.7 Km/HGT-Radial WinterPro2: 77.2 Km/H
Curved AquaplaningContinental WinterContact TS 870: 3.29 m/sec2Vredestein Wintrac: 2.67 m/sec2
Snow BrakingVredestein Wintrac: 32.6 MToyo Observe S 944: 33.8 M
Snow TractionPirelli Cinturato Winter: 1.89 NToyo Observe S 944: 1.74 N
Snow HandlingBFGoodrich gForce Winter 2: 54.4 Km/HToyo Observe S 944: 49.4 Km/H
NoiseFalken Eurowinter HS01: 70.6 dBGoodyear UltraGrip 9 Plus: 73 dB
PriceFalken Eurowinter HS01: 75 Pirelli Cinturato Winter: 127
Rolling ResistanceContinental WinterContact TS 870: 8 kg / tFalken Eurowinter HS01: 10.5 kg / t
The 2021 Auto Motor und Sport winter tire test tested ten popular central European winter tires in 195/55 R16. This size is used for vehicles such as the Audi A1, Dacia Sandero, Ford Fiesta, Mazda 2, Peugeot 208 and many more.

The Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 took another convincing test win, proving to be excellent in the wet and dry while still having reasonable snow performance. 

The new Continental WinterContact TS870 also performed well with the lowest rolling resistance on test, excellent snow handling and low noise, it was however a little weaker in dry braking than the best on test.

The new Vredestein Wintrac rounded out the top three places, and like the new Vredestein Quatrac this tire excelled in wet handling, it was excellent in all braking tests and regarded as one of the sportiest feeling tires on test.

The other interesting result was BFGoodrich beating Michelin with a very strong snow performance, which is unusual for a second brand to beat the primary brand. The magazine recommended the BFGoodrich for climates which see a lot of snow.

Dry

The Michelin Alpin 6 had the shortest dry braking distances, narrowly beating the Vredestein Wintrac. Both these tires had a significant lead to the third place GT Radial. The Goodyear UltraGrip 9+ unusually struggled in the dry braking test.

Dry handling mixed up the order with the Toyo Observe S944 leading the pack and the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 placing second. GT Radial retained its third position.

Wet

The Bridgestone LM005 is known as a wet braking specialist, and once again it dominated the test stopping the test Seat Ibiza nearly 2 meters shorter than the second placed Falken Eurowinter HS01 with the Wintrac in third.

Vredestein and Bridgestone also performed well during wet handling.

Pirelli had a significant advantage during straight aquaplaning. Curved aquaplaning results can be found at the bottom of the page.

Snow

The important snow braking test was led by Vredestein, with BFGoodrich and Bridgestone close behind.

BFGoodrich again performed well in snow traction.

Confirming the BFGoodrich is the best overall in snow, it was also fastest around the snow handling lap.

Environment

The Falken and Continental tires had the lowest external noise.

Continental also had the lowest fuel use on test.

The magazine provided pricing had Pirelli even more expensive than the Michelin, with the Vredestein looking great value considering its overall result.

Results

1st: Bridgestone Blizzak LM005

Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
  • 195/55 R16 87H
  • EU Label: C/A/71
  • Weight: 7.97kgs
  • Tread: 8.2mm
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking4th44.7 M42.8 M+1.9 M95.75%
Dry Handling2nd114.1 Km/H114.6 Km/H-0.5 Km/H99.56%
Wet Braking1st29.3 M100%
Wet Handling2nd71.9 Km/H72 Km/H-0.1 Km/H99.86%
Straight Aqua4th83.4 Km/H87.7 Km/H-4.3 Km/H95.1%
Curved Aquaplaning3rd3.2 m/sec23.29 m/sec2-0.09 m/sec297.26%
Snow Braking2nd32.7 M32.6 M+0.1 M99.69%
Snow Traction4th1.87 N1.89 N-0.02 N98.94%
Snow Handling6th52.1 Km/H54.4 Km/H-2.3 Km/H95.77%
Noise9th71.7 dB70.6 dB+1.1 dB98.47%
Price7th103 75 +28 72.82%
Rolling Resistance3rd8.5 kg / t8 kg / t+0.5 kg / t94.12%
Safe braking and good handling on snow, outstanding wet grip with very short braking distances and safe cornering.
Slightly longer braking distances in the dry.

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2nd: Continental WinterContact TS 870

Continental WinterContact TS 870
  • 195/55 R16 87H
  • EU Label: C/B/70
  • Weight: 7.58kgs
  • Tread: 8.6mm
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking8th45.1 M42.8 M+2.3 M94.9%
Dry Handling4th114 Km/H114.6 Km/H-0.6 Km/H99.48%
Wet Braking4th32.1 M29.3 M+2.8 M91.28%
Wet Handling7th70.2 Km/H72 Km/H-1.8 Km/H97.5%
Straight Aqua2nd83.9 Km/H87.7 Km/H-3.8 Km/H95.67%
Curved Aquaplaning1st3.29 m/sec2100%
Snow Braking6th33.1 M32.6 M+0.5 M98.49%
Snow Traction4th1.87 N1.89 N-0.02 N98.94%
Snow Handling2nd53.4 Km/H54.4 Km/H-1 Km/H98.16%
Noise2nd70.8 dB70.6 dB+0.2 dB99.72%
Price7th103 75 +28 72.82%
Rolling Resistance1st8 kg / t100%
Excellent winter performance with high cornering safety in the snow and safe, good handling in the dry and wet, fuel efficient.
Small weakness in dry braking.

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3rd: Vredestein Wintrac

Vredestein Wintrac
  • 195/55 R16 87H
  • EU Label: C/B/70
  • Weight: 7.61kgs
  • Tread: 8.15mm
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking2nd43 M42.8 M+0.2 M99.53%
Dry Handling7th112.8 Km/H114.6 Km/H-1.8 Km/H98.43%
Wet Braking3rd31.7 M29.3 M+2.4 M92.43%
Wet Handling1st72 Km/H100%
Straight Aqua9th79.2 Km/H87.7 Km/H-8.5 Km/H90.31%
Curved Aquaplaning10th2.67 m/sec23.29 m/sec2-0.62 m/sec281.16%
Snow Braking1st32.6 M100%
Snow Traction6th1.85 N1.89 N-0.04 N97.88%
Snow Handling8th50.9 Km/H54.4 Km/H-3.5 Km/H93.57%
Noise3rd70.9 dB70.6 dB+0.3 dB99.58%
Price3rd92 75 +17 81.52%
Rolling Resistance4th8.8 kg / t8 kg / t+0.8 kg / t90.91%
Good snow braking, dynamic wet handling, short dry braking with precise cornering.
High noise when cornering.

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4th: BFGoodrich gForce Winter 2

BFGoodrich gForce Winter 2
  • 195/55 R16 91H
  • EU Label: D/B/69
  • Weight: 8.36kgs
  • Tread: 7.9mm
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking7th45 M42.8 M+2.2 M95.11%
Dry Handling5th113.8 Km/H114.6 Km/H-0.8 Km/H99.3%
Wet Braking7th32.6 M29.3 M+3.3 M89.88%
Wet Handling8th69.3 Km/H72 Km/H-2.7 Km/H96.25%
Straight Aqua5th83.1 Km/H87.7 Km/H-4.6 Km/H94.75%
Curved Aquaplaning6th2.84 m/sec23.29 m/sec2-0.45 m/sec286.32%
Snow Braking2nd32.7 M32.6 M+0.1 M99.69%
Snow Traction1st1.89 N100%
Snow Handling1st54.4 Km/H100%
Noise5th71 dB70.6 dB+0.4 dB99.44%
Price5th98 75 +23 76.53%
Rolling Resistance9th9.7 kg / t8 kg / t+1.7 kg / t82.47%
Outstanding snow properties.
Weak results in the wet.

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5th: Michelin Alpin 6

Michelin Alpin 6
  • 195/55 R16 87H
  • EU Label: D/B/69
  • Weight: 8.31kgs
  • Tread: 7.45mm
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking1st42.8 M100%
Dry Handling6th113.7 Km/H114.6 Km/H-0.9 Km/H99.21%
Wet Braking6th32.2 M29.3 M+2.9 M90.99%
Wet Handling5th70.8 Km/H72 Km/H-1.2 Km/H98.33%
Straight Aqua7th82 Km/H87.7 Km/H-5.7 Km/H93.5%
Curved Aquaplaning6th2.84 m/sec23.29 m/sec2-0.45 m/sec286.32%
Snow Braking9th33.2 M32.6 M+0.6 M98.19%
Snow Traction7th1.83 N1.89 N-0.06 N96.83%
Snow Handling7th51.6 Km/H54.4 Km/H-2.8 Km/H94.85%
Noise3rd70.9 dB70.6 dB+0.3 dB99.58%
Price9th123 75 +48 60.98%
Rolling Resistance8th9.1 kg / t8 kg / t+1.1 kg / t87.91%
Best in the dry with good dry handling and good cornering grip in the wet.
Average snow performance.

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6th: Pirelli Cinturato Winter

Pirelli Cinturato Winter
  • 195/55 R16 91H
  • EU Label: C/B/67
  • Weight: 7.39kgs
  • Tread: 8.9mm
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking6th44.8 M42.8 M+2 M95.54%
Dry Handling10th111.2 Km/H114.6 Km/H-3.4 Km/H97.03%
Wet Braking10th34.8 M29.3 M+5.5 M84.2%
Wet Handling8th69.3 Km/H72 Km/H-2.7 Km/H96.25%
Straight Aqua1st87.7 Km/H100%
Curved Aquaplaning2nd3.25 m/sec23.29 m/sec2-0.04 m/sec298.78%
Snow Braking4th32.8 M32.6 M+0.2 M99.39%
Snow Traction1st1.89 N100%
Snow Handling5th52.4 Km/H54.4 Km/H-2 Km/H96.32%
Noise5th71 dB70.6 dB+0.4 dB99.44%
Price10th127 75 +52 59.06%
Rolling Resistance6th8.9 kg / t8 kg / t+0.9 kg / t89.89%
Short braking distances and good traction on snow.
Long wet braking, poor dry handling.

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6th: Goodyear UltraGrip 9+

Goodyear UltraGrip 9 Plus
  • 195/55 R16 87H
  • EU Label: C/B/72
  • Weight: 8.2kgs
  • Tread: 8.6mm
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking10th46.6 M42.8 M+3.8 M91.85%
Dry Handling9th112.7 Km/H114.6 Km/H-1.9 Km/H98.34%
Wet Braking9th33.7 M29.3 M+4.4 M86.94%
Wet Handling3rd71.5 Km/H72 Km/H-0.5 Km/H99.31%
Straight Aqua6th82.7 Km/H87.7 Km/H-5 Km/H94.3%
Curved Aquaplaning4th3.15 m/sec23.29 m/sec2-0.14 m/sec295.74%
Snow Braking6th33.1 M32.6 M+0.5 M98.49%
Snow Traction1st1.89 N100%
Snow Handling4th52.6 Km/H54.4 Km/H-1.8 Km/H96.69%
Noise10th73 dB70.6 dB+2.4 dB96.71%
Price4th97 75 +22 77.32%
Rolling Resistance2nd8.3 kg / t8 kg / t+0.3 kg / t96.39%
Good cornering grip and handling in snow. Good wet cornering.
Average braking in all conditions, relatively loud external noise.

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8th: Falken Eurowinter HS01

Falken Eurowinter HS01
  • 195/55 R16 87H
  • EU Label: D/B/70
  • Weight: 8.91kgs
  • Tread: 8.7mm
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking9th45.5 M42.8 M+2.7 M94.07%
Dry Handling7th112.8 Km/H114.6 Km/H-1.8 Km/H98.43%
Wet Braking2nd31.1 M29.3 M+1.8 M94.21%
Wet Handling6th70.7 Km/H72 Km/H-1.3 Km/H98.19%
Straight Aqua2nd83.9 Km/H87.7 Km/H-3.8 Km/H95.67%
Curved Aquaplaning5th2.85 m/sec23.29 m/sec2-0.44 m/sec286.63%
Snow Braking5th32.9 M32.6 M+0.3 M99.09%
Snow Traction9th1.78 N1.89 N-0.11 N94.18%
Snow Handling3rd52.8 Km/H54.4 Km/H-1.6 Km/H97.06%
Noise1st70.6 dB100%
Price1st75 100%
Rolling Resistance10th10.5 kg / t8 kg / t+2.5 kg / t76.19%
Acceptable snow and wet performance, good ride comfort.
Not very precise steering, average dry grip.

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9th: GT Radial WinterPro2

GT-Radial WinterPro2
  • 195/55 R16 91H
  • EU Label: D/B/70
  • Weight: 7.98kgs
  • Tread: 8.4mm
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking3rd44.4 M42.8 M+1.6 M96.4%
Dry Handling2nd114.1 Km/H114.6 Km/H-0.5 Km/H99.56%
Wet Braking4th32.1 M29.3 M+2.8 M91.28%
Wet Handling8th69.3 Km/H72 Km/H-2.7 Km/H96.25%
Straight Aqua10th77.2 Km/H87.7 Km/H-10.5 Km/H88.03%
Curved Aquaplaning8th2.8 m/sec23.29 m/sec2-0.49 m/sec285.11%
Snow Braking6th33.1 M32.6 M+0.5 M98.49%
Snow Traction8th1.8 N1.89 N-0.09 N95.24%
Snow Handling9th50.5 Km/H54.4 Km/H-3.9 Km/H92.83%
Noise8th71.1 dB70.6 dB+0.5 dB99.3%
Price2nd91 75 +16 82.42%
Rolling Resistance4th8.8 kg / t8 kg / t+0.8 kg / t90.91%
Very good dry performance, good wet grip, comfortable.
Poor performance on snow.

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10th: Toyo Observe S 944

Toyo Observe S 944
  • 195/55 R16 91H
  • EU Label: D/B/71
  • Weight: 8.2kgs
  • Tread: 8.8mm
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking4th44.7 M42.8 M+1.9 M95.75%
Dry Handling1st114.6 Km/H100%
Wet Braking8th32.8 M29.3 M+3.5 M89.33%
Wet Handling4th71.3 Km/H72 Km/H-0.7 Km/H99.03%
Straight Aqua8th81 Km/H87.7 Km/H-6.7 Km/H92.36%
Curved Aquaplaning8th2.8 m/sec23.29 m/sec2-0.49 m/sec285.11%
Snow Braking10th33.8 M32.6 M+1.2 M96.45%
Snow Traction10th1.74 N1.89 N-0.15 N92.06%
Snow Handling10th49.4 Km/H54.4 Km/H-5 Km/H90.81%
Noise5th71 dB70.6 dB+0.4 dB99.44%
Price5th98 75 +23 76.53%
Rolling Resistance7th9 kg / t8 kg / t+1 kg / t88.89%
Very good dry handling with safe understeer.
Long wet braking, very low snow performance.

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