8 tires, lots of lovely writing describing each tire in the snow, wet and dry means there's very little point in summarising the excellent 2013 AZ Winter Tire Test. Performed using a 105-hp VW Golf 1.6 TDI with BlueMotion, Auto Zeitung put the tires through the usual wide array of tests.
The Results
Continental WinterContact TS 850
195/65 R15
The Conti TS850 wins with a very good performance in the snow, and best marks on wet and dry roads
All discipline results (3)
| Test | Result |
|---|---|
| Dry | 127 |
| Wet | 144 |
| Snow | 120 |
Total: 391
Nokian WR D3
195/65 R15
A very balance result ensures the Finnish winter pro Nokian WR D3 second place in this test
All discipline results (3)
| Test | Result |
|---|---|
| Dry | 124 |
| Wet | 136 |
| Snow | 124 |
Total: 384
Michelin Alpin A4
195/65 R15
Michelin Alpin A4 works perfectly with the VW Golf and affords no real weakness: third place overall
All discipline results (3)
| Test | Result |
|---|---|
| Dry | 116 |
| Wet | 125 |
| Snow | 119 |
Total: 360
Goodyear UltraGrip 8
195/65 R15
The veteran Goodyear UG8 earned our recommendation this year
All discipline results (3)
| Test | Result |
|---|---|
| Dry | 116 |
| Wet | 126 |
| Snow | 117 |
Total: 359
Pirelli Winter Snow Control Series 3
195/65 R15
The Pirelli shines with very good results in the wet and slush, but falters in the snow
All discipline results (3)
| Test | Result |
|---|---|
| Dry | 121 |
| Wet | 135 |
| Snow | 100 |
Total: 356
Bridgestone Blizzak LM32
195/65 R15
Thanks to improved mixture, we can now recommended the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32 as a balance winter tire
All discipline results (3)
| Test | Result |
|---|---|
| Dry | 123 |
| Wet | 114 |
| Snow | 115 |
Total: 352
Dunlop Winter Response 2
195/65 R15
Not a bad tire, but disappointing for a new Dunlop. The Winter Response 2 is too much focsed on rolling resistance
All discipline results (3)
| Test | Result |
|---|---|
| Dry | 118 |
| Wet | 108 |
| Snow | 124 |
Total: 350
Falken Eurowinter HS449
195/65 R15
The budget Falken slips up on snow and has trouble in the wet , so it can not compete with the premium tires on test
All discipline results (3)
| Test | Result |
|---|---|
| Dry | 116 |
| Wet | 109 |
| Snow | 89 |
Total: 314
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