2016 Winter Tire Market Overview

Most magazines look to test around ten different tire patterns each test, with some pushing up to fifteen different tires. Auto Bild like to go a step further and this year, have tested test fifty sets of 205/55 R16 winter tires.

Data analyzed and reviewed byJonathan Benson

October 11, 2016 16 min read Updated January 8, 2025

Update: The final twenty tire shootout can be read here.

First they put all fifty sets through wet braking tests, then take the tires who stopped within 20% of the best through to snow braking breaking, which this year meant testing twenty seven tires on the white stuff. Once those tires have been rated, Auto Bild then take the top twenty through to a full winter tire test to test all aspects of the tires performance, not just wet and snow braking.

Below is the results of part one of the test, the fifty tire shootout. As always, Auto Bild purchased all the tires on the open market to avoid the possibility of any "special" tires being included in the test.

The Results

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	34.2
Snow	25.6

Total: 59.8

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	36.1
Snow	25

Total: 61.1

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	35.6
Snow	25.8

Total: 61.4

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	36.1
Snow	25.5

Total: 61.6

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	35.7
Snow	26.7

Total: 62.4

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	36.2
Snow	26.4

Total: 62.6

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	37.3
Snow	26

Total: 63.3

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	37.2
Snow	26.1

Total: 63.3

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	36.1
Snow	27.3

Total: 63.4

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	38.5
Snow	25.9

Total: 64.4

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	39.1
Snow	25.7

Total: 64.8

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	38.3
Snow	26.9

Total: 65.2

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	38.9
Snow	26.4

Total: 65.3

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	39.1
Snow	26.2

Total: 65.3

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	38.9
Snow	26.4

Total: 65.3

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	39.2
Snow	26.2

Total: 65.4

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	38.9
Snow	26.8

Total: 65.7

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	39.7
Snow	26.1

Total: 65.8

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	38.9
Snow	27

Total: 65.9

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	39.4
Snow	26.8

Total: 66.2

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	39.9
Snow	26.9

Total: 66.8

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	39.7
Snow	27.2

Total: 66.9

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	40.6
Snow	26.4

Total: 67

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	39.8
Snow	27.5

Total: 67.3

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	39.8
Snow	27.5

Total: 67.3

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	38.5
Snow	29.2

Total: 67.7

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	40.7
Snow	29.1

Total: 69.8

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	40.9
Snow	0.1

Total: 41

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	40.9
Snow	0.1

Total: 41

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	41
Snow	0.1

Total: 41.1

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	41.1
Snow	0.1

Total: 41.2

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	41.1
Snow	0.1

Total: 41.2

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	41.4
Snow	0.1

Total: 41.5

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	41.7
Snow	0.1

Total: 41.8

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	42.6
Snow	0.1

Total: 42.7

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	42.8
Snow	0.1

Total: 42.9

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	43.3
Snow	0.1

Total: 43.4

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	43.4
Snow	0.1

Total: 43.5

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	45.2
Snow	0.1

Total: 45.3

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	46.6
Snow	0.1

Total: 46.7

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	46.8
Snow	0.1

Total: 46.9

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	47.2
Snow	0.1

Total: 47.3

All discipline results (2)

Test	Result
Wet	47.3
Snow	0.1

Total: 47.4

Tire	Continental WinterContact TS 860	Goodyear UltraGrip 9	Michelin Alpin 5	Dunlop Winter Sport 5	Semperit Speed Grip 2	Pirelli Cinturato Winter	Nokian WR D4	Barum Polaris 3	Cooper WM SA2	Bridgestone Blizzak LM001	Uniroyal MS Plus 77	Falken Eurowinter HS449	Fulda Kristall Control HP	Hankook Winter i cept RS2	Kleber Krisalp HP2	General Altimax Winter Plus	Mabor Winter Jet 2	Sava eskimo hp	Vredestein Snowtrac 5	BFGoodrich gForce Winter	Yokohama W drive V905	Achilles Winter 101	Matador MP 92 Sibir Snow	Firestone Winterhawk 3	Maxxis Arctictrekker WP05	Goodride SW601	Accelera X Grip	Ovation W 586	Torque TQ022	Kumho Winter Craft WP51	Debica Frigo HP	Viking Snow Tech II	Nankang SV2	Atlas Polarbear 2	Starfire W 200	Nexen Winguard Snow G WH2	Petlas Snow Master W651	Fortuna Winter Max A1	Sunny WinterMax A1	Nordexx Nivius Snow	Imperial Snowdragon 2	Minerva IcePlus S210	Tristar S210 IcePlus
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