2022 Sports Car UHP Winter Tire Test

The 2022 Auto Bild Sports Car UHP Winter Tire Test has tested nine popular performance winter tires in the large 245/40 R19 size using a Cupra Formenta.

Dry BrakingMinerva IcePlus S210: 42.4 MMaxxis Premitra Snow WP6: 44.5 M
Dry HandlingMichelin Pilot Alpin 5: 107.1 Km/HMaxxis Premitra Snow WP6: 105.1 Km/H
Wet BrakingBridgestone Blizzak LM005: 44.4 MMinerva IcePlus S210: 57.1 M
Wet HandlingVredestein Wintrac Pro: 86.9 Km/HMinerva IcePlus S210: 79.1 Km/H
Wet CircleVredestein Wintrac Pro: 15.45 sMinerva IcePlus S210: 16.84 s
Straight AquaFalken Eurowinter HS01: 84.9 Km/HMinerva IcePlus S210: 75.4 Km/H
Curved AquaplaningHankook Winter i cept evo3: 3.36 m/sec2Minerva IcePlus S210: 2.51 m/sec2
Snow BrakingMichelin Pilot Alpin 5: 24.4 MMinerva IcePlus S210: 32.4 M
Snow TractionMichelin Pilot Alpin 5: 2915 NMinerva IcePlus S210: 2118 N
Snow HandlingMichelin Pilot Alpin 5: 48.9 Km/HMinerva IcePlus S210: 42.2 Km/H
Snow SlalomMichelin Pilot Alpin 5: 4.23 m/sec2Minerva IcePlus S210: 3.21 m/sec2
NoiseCooper Discoverer Winter: 72 dBVredestein Wintrac Pro: 74.5 dB
PriceMinerva IcePlus S210: 400 Michelin Pilot Alpin 5: 1090
Rolling ResistanceContinental WinterContact TS 870 P: 7.31 kg / tFalken Eurowinter HS01: 9.33 kg / t

Dry

As usual, the reference summer tire was the best in the dry, however it seems that in these larger tire sizes the summer tire has a bigger than usual lead, stopping the car nearly 5 meters shorter than the best winter tire, which was budget Minerva IcePlus S210. There was a 2.1 meter spread between the best and the worst winter tire.

The summer tire kept the advantage during the dry handling test, with the Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 being the best of the winter tires.

Wet

The summer tires advantage remained during the wet braking test, leading the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 by 3.1 meters.

Wet handing was led by the Vredestein Wintrac Pro, which is a tire which usually does well during the wet handling tests.

Aquaplaning was again led by the summer tire.

Snow

Naturally the summer tire had no ability in any of the snow tests. The Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 led the way in snow braking, closely followed by the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005.

The snow traction testing was also led by Michelin.

Rounding out the "best in snow" performance, the Pilot Alpin 5 was also the fastest around snow handling.

Environment

The Cooper Discoverer Winter had the lowest external noise on test.

The Continental WinterContact TS870P had the lowest rolling resistance.

As we've come to expect, the Michelin and Continental were the most expensive tires on test.

Results

1st: Bridgestone Blizzak LM005

Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
  • 245/40 R19
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking7th44 M42.4 M+1.6 M96.36%
Dry Handling2nd106.8 Km/H107.1 Km/H-0.3 Km/H99.72%
Wet Braking1st44.4 M100%
Wet Handling2nd86.7 Km/H86.9 Km/H-0.2 Km/H99.77%
Wet Circle2nd15.6 s15.45 s+0.15 s99.04%
Straight Aqua6th80.3 Km/H84.9 Km/H-4.6 Km/H94.58%
Curved Aquaplaning4th3.12 m/sec23.36 m/sec2-0.24 m/sec292.86%
Snow Braking2nd24.6 M24.4 M+0.2 M99.19%
Snow Traction3rd2850 N2915 N-65 N97.77%
Snow Handling4th47.5 Km/H48.9 Km/H-1.4 Km/H97.14%
Snow Slalom4th3.96 m/sec24.23 m/sec2-0.27 m/sec293.62%
Noise7th74 dB72 dB+2 dB97.3%
Price7th950 400 +550 42.11%
Rolling Resistance2nd7.61 kg / t7.31 kg / t+0.3 kg / t96.06%
Exemplary premium tires with very good snow qualities, high steering precision, dynamic wet and dry handling, short snow and wet braking distances, good levels of comfort, fuel-saving rolling resistance.
Expensive.
Exemplary / Test Winner.

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1st: Hankook Winter i cept evo3

Hankook Winter i cept evo3
  • 245/40 R19
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking5th43.7 M42.4 M+1.3 M97.03%
Dry Handling2nd106.8 Km/H107.1 Km/H-0.3 Km/H99.72%
Wet Braking3rd45.2 M44.4 M+0.8 M98.23%
Wet Handling3rd86.5 Km/H86.9 Km/H-0.4 Km/H99.54%
Wet Circle3rd15.62 s15.45 s+0.17 s98.91%
Straight Aqua3rd81.8 Km/H84.9 Km/H-3.1 Km/H96.35%
Curved Aquaplaning1st3.36 m/sec2100%
Snow Braking3rd24.7 M24.4 M+0.3 M98.79%
Snow Traction7th2800 N2915 N-115 N96.05%
Snow Handling3rd47.7 Km/H48.9 Km/H-1.2 Km/H97.55%
Snow Slalom3rd3.97 m/sec24.23 m/sec2-0.26 m/sec293.85%
Noise8th74.2 dB72 dB+2.2 dB97.04%
Price4th820 400 +420 48.78%
Rolling Resistance3rd8.19 kg / t7.31 kg / t+0.88 kg / t89.26%
Convincing all-round talent with balanced performance potential, precise steering behavior, short snow and wet braking distances, dynamic handling properties in all weather conditions, fair price.
Average comfort.
Exemplary / Test Winner.

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3rd: Continental WinterContact TS 870 P

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
  • 245/40 R19
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking5th43.7 M42.4 M+1.3 M97.03%
Dry Handling7th105.4 Km/H107.1 Km/H-1.7 Km/H98.41%
Wet Braking5th46.4 M44.4 M+2 M95.69%
Wet Handling5th85.7 Km/H86.9 Km/H-1.2 Km/H98.62%
Wet Circle4th15.72 s15.45 s+0.27 s98.28%
Straight Aqua7th79.7 Km/H84.9 Km/H-5.2 Km/H93.88%
Curved Aquaplaning2nd3.34 m/sec23.36 m/sec2-0.02 m/sec299.4%
Snow Braking4th24.9 M24.4 M+0.5 M97.99%
Snow Traction2nd2857 N2915 N-58 N98.01%
Snow Handling2nd48 Km/H48.9 Km/H-0.9 Km/H98.16%
Snow Slalom2nd4.09 m/sec24.23 m/sec2-0.14 m/sec296.69%
Noise6th73.5 dB72 dB+1.5 dB97.96%
Price8th1075 400 +675 37.21%
Rolling Resistance1st7.31 kg / t100%
Premium tires with stable driving quality in all weather conditions, very good winter properties with short braking distances and sporty, dynamic handling, quiet road noise, fuel-saving rolling resistance.
Expensive.
Exemplary.

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4th: Michelin Pilot Alpin 5

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
  • 245/40 R19
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking2nd42.6 M42.4 M+0.2 M99.53%
Dry Handling1st107.1 Km/H100%
Wet Braking6th48.3 M44.4 M+3.9 M91.93%
Wet Handling4th85.8 Km/H86.9 Km/H-1.1 Km/H98.73%
Wet Circle6th16 s15.45 s+0.55 s96.56%
Straight Aqua4th80.7 Km/H84.9 Km/H-4.2 Km/H95.05%
Curved Aquaplaning5th3.02 m/sec23.36 m/sec2-0.34 m/sec289.88%
Snow Braking1st24.4 M100%
Snow Traction1st2915 N100%
Snow Handling1st48.9 Km/H100%
Snow Slalom1st4.23 m/sec2100%
Noise2nd72.2 dB72 dB+0.2 dB99.72%
Price9th1090 400 +690 36.7%
Rolling Resistance4th8.23 kg / t7.31 kg / t+0.92 kg / t88.82%
The snow king with the best driving performance on ice and snow, precise steering behavior and dynamic driving characteristics on dry slopes, low noise.
Expensive, slightly longer wet braking distance.
Good.

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5th: Falken Eurowinter HS01

Falken Eurowinter HS01
  • 245/40 R19
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking3rd42.9 M42.4 M+0.5 M98.83%
Dry Handling6th105.8 Km/H107.1 Km/H-1.3 Km/H98.79%
Wet Braking2nd44.8 M44.4 M+0.4 M99.11%
Wet Handling6th85 Km/H86.9 Km/H-1.9 Km/H97.81%
Wet Circle8th16.1 s15.45 s+0.65 s95.96%
Straight Aqua1st84.9 Km/H100%
Curved Aquaplaning8th2.86 m/sec23.36 m/sec2-0.5 m/sec285.12%
Snow Braking6th25.5 M24.4 M+1.1 M95.69%
Snow Traction8th2710 N2915 N-205 N92.97%
Snow Handling5th47 Km/H48.9 Km/H-1.9 Km/H96.11%
Snow Slalom7th3.89 m/sec24.23 m/sec2-0.34 m/sec291.96%
Noise4th72.6 dB72 dB+0.6 dB99.17%
Price3rd815 400 +415 49.08%
Rolling Resistance9th9.33 kg / t7.31 kg / t+2.02 kg / t78.35%
Convincingly good winter qualities, short braking distances in any weather, safe aquaplaning properties, stable dry handling, low noise, low price.
Slight understeer on wet roads, very high rolling resistance.
Good.

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6th: Vredestein Wintrac Pro

Vredestein Wintrac Pro
  • 245/40 R19
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking4th43.5 M42.4 M+1.1 M97.47%
Dry Handling5th106.1 Km/H107.1 Km/H-1 Km/H99.07%
Wet Braking4th45.9 M44.4 M+1.5 M96.73%
Wet Handling1st86.9 Km/H100%
Wet Circle1st15.45 s100%
Straight Aqua8th79.5 Km/H84.9 Km/H-5.4 Km/H93.64%
Curved Aquaplaning7th2.89 m/sec23.36 m/sec2-0.47 m/sec286.01%
Snow Braking7th25.6 M24.4 M+1.2 M95.31%
Snow Traction5th2838 N2915 N-77 N97.36%
Snow Handling7th46.6 Km/H48.9 Km/H-2.3 Km/H95.3%
Snow Slalom8th3.77 m/sec24.23 m/sec2-0.46 m/sec289.13%
Noise9th74.5 dB72 dB+2.5 dB96.64%
Price5th865 400 +465 46.24%
Rolling Resistance8th9.21 kg / t7.31 kg / t+1.9 kg / t79.37%
High traction and short braking distances on ice and snow, sporty, dynamic handling and precise steering behavior on wet roads, safe dry handling, fair price.
Understeering handling on snow, high rolling resistance.
Fair.

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7th: Cooper Discoverer Winter

Cooper Discoverer Winter
  • 245/40 R19
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking8th44.4 M42.4 M+2 M95.5%
Dry Handling8th105.3 Km/H107.1 Km/H-1.8 Km/H98.32%
Wet Braking8th48.9 M44.4 M+4.5 M90.8%
Wet Handling7th84.8 Km/H86.9 Km/H-2.1 Km/H97.58%
Wet Circle5th15.81 s15.45 s+0.36 s97.72%
Straight Aqua5th80.5 Km/H84.9 Km/H-4.4 Km/H94.82%
Curved Aquaplaning3rd3.15 m/sec23.36 m/sec2-0.21 m/sec293.75%
Snow Braking5th25.1 M24.4 M+0.7 M97.21%
Snow Traction4th2845 N2915 N-70 N97.6%
Snow Handling6th46.8 Km/H48.9 Km/H-2.1 Km/H95.71%
Snow Slalom5th3.94 m/sec24.23 m/sec2-0.29 m/sec293.14%
Noise1st72 dB100%
Price6th930 400 +530 43.01%
Rolling Resistance6th8.9 kg / t7.31 kg / t+1.59 kg / t82.13%
Winter tire with good driving characteristics on firm snow cover, low pass-by noise, good comfort.
Longer wet and dry braking distances, moderate grip and understeering handling on dry roads, increased rolling resistance.
Fair.

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8th: Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6
  • 245/40 R19
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking9th44.5 M42.4 M+2.1 M95.28%
Dry Handling9th105.1 Km/H107.1 Km/H-2 Km/H98.13%
Wet Braking7th48.5 M44.4 M+4.1 M91.55%
Wet Handling8th84.6 Km/H86.9 Km/H-2.3 Km/H97.35%
Wet Circle7th16.02 s15.45 s+0.57 s96.44%
Straight Aqua2nd84.8 Km/H84.9 Km/H-0.1 Km/H99.88%
Curved Aquaplaning6th2.94 m/sec23.36 m/sec2-0.42 m/sec287.5%
Snow Braking7th25.6 M24.4 M+1.2 M95.31%
Snow Traction6th2811 N2915 N-104 N96.43%
Snow Handling8th46.5 Km/H48.9 Km/H-2.4 Km/H95.09%
Snow Slalom6th3.91 m/sec24.23 m/sec2-0.32 m/sec292.43%
Noise5th72.7 dB72 dB+0.7 dB99.04%
Price2nd620 400 +220 64.52%
Rolling Resistance7th9.13 kg / t7.31 kg / t+1.82 kg / t80.07%
Short snow braking distances, good aquaplaning properties, low price.
Only satisfactory handling qualities on snowy and dry roads, slightly longer wet and dry braking distances, high rolling resistance.
Fair.

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9th: Minerva IcePlus S210

Minerva IcePlus S210
  • 245/40 R19
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking1st42.4 M100%
Dry Handling4th106.3 Km/H107.1 Km/H-0.8 Km/H99.25%
Wet Braking9th57.1 M44.4 M+12.7 M77.76%
Wet Handling9th79.1 Km/H86.9 Km/H-7.8 Km/H91.02%
Wet Circle9th16.84 s15.45 s+1.39 s91.75%
Straight Aqua9th75.4 Km/H84.9 Km/H-9.5 Km/H88.81%
Curved Aquaplaning9th2.51 m/sec23.36 m/sec2-0.85 m/sec274.7%
Snow Braking9th32.4 M24.4 M+8 M75.31%
Snow Traction9th2118 N2915 N-797 N72.66%
Snow Handling9th42.2 Km/H48.9 Km/H-6.7 Km/H86.3%
Snow Slalom9th3.21 m/sec24.23 m/sec2-1.02 m/sec275.89%
Noise3rd72.3 dB72 dB+0.3 dB99.59%
Price1st400 100%
Rolling Resistance5th8.8 kg / t7.31 kg / t+1.49 kg / t83.07%
Cheap tire with stable handling on dry roads and low noise.
Significantly limited driving characteristics on snow and wet slopes, dangerously extended snow and wet braking distances, poor steering response, low aquaplaning reserves.
Not Recommended.

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