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Test Charts / Auto Bild

2019 Auto Bild Winter 17 inch Tire Test

Compare each discipline in the tested size. See the measured result, position and gap to the best tire, then read the verdict for the trade-offs behind the finishing order.

Tested size
225/45 R17
Tires tested
20
Disciplines
11

Read the measurements, not just the rank

Lower is better for braking distances and lap times; higher is better for subjective scores and aquaplaning speed. Bars start at zero. Read the gap alongside the position: adjacent tires can be separated by very different margins.

Positions and gaps always refer to the full test field within each group. Selecting tires does not recalculate rankings or change the best-in-test benchmark.

Dry

2

Dry Braking

Dry braking in feet

Lower is better ↓
Dry Braking
Position / TireResultGap to best
RefReference Summer
126 ft -19 ft
145 ft Best
146 ft +1 ft
146 ft +1 ft
146 ft +1 ft
146 ft +1 ft
147 ft +2 ft
147 ft +2 ft
147 ft +2 ft
148 ft +3 ft
148 ft +3 ft
149 ft +4 ft
150 ft +5 ft
151 ft +6 ft
151 ft +6 ft
152 ft +7 ft
152 ft +7 ft
153 ft +8 ft
153 ft +8 ft
153 ft +8 ft
155 ft +10 ft

The difference between best and worst was 23.2% (29 ft ≈ 2 Car Lengths).

Dry Handling

Dry Handling Average Speed

Higher is better ↑
Dry Handling
Position / TireResultGap to best
RefReference Summer
52.6 mph +1.1 mph
51.5 mph Best
51.3 mph -0.2 mph
51.3 mph -0.2 mph
51.1 mph -0.4 mph
50.9 mph -0.6 mph
50.9 mph -0.6 mph
50.8 mph -0.7 mph
50.8 mph -0.7 mph
50.8 mph -0.7 mph
50.8 mph -0.7 mph
50.8 mph -0.7 mph
50.8 mph -0.7 mph
50.7 mph -0.8 mph
50.7 mph -0.8 mph
50.6 mph -0.9 mph
50.5 mph -1.0 mph
50.5 mph -1.0 mph
50.1 mph -1.4 mph
50.0 mph -1.5 mph
49.8 mph -1.7 mph

The difference between best and worst was 5.3% (2.8 mph).

Wet

3

Wet Braking

Wet braking in feet

Lower is better ↓
Wet Braking
Position / TireResultGap to best
96 ft Best
RefReference Summer
100 ft +4 ft
100 ft +4 ft
100 ft +4 ft
101 ft +5 ft
102 ft +6 ft
103 ft +7 ft
103 ft +7 ft
103 ft +7 ft
104 ft +8 ft
105 ft +9 ft
105 ft +9 ft
106 ft +10 ft
106 ft +10 ft
107 ft +11 ft
108 ft +12 ft
108 ft +12 ft
108 ft +12 ft
110 ft +14 ft
110 ft +14 ft
112 ft +16 ft

The difference between best and worst was 17.1% (16 ft ≈ 1.1 Car Lengths).

Wet Handling

Wet Handling Average Speed

Higher is better ↑
Wet Handling
Position / TireResultGap to best
RefReference Summer
47.0 mph +0.6 mph
46.4 mph Best
46.2 mph -0.2 mph
46.0 mph -0.4 mph
45.8 mph -0.6 mph
45.4 mph -1.0 mph
45.2 mph -1.2 mph
45.1 mph -1.3 mph
45.0 mph -1.4 mph
45.0 mph -1.4 mph
45.0 mph -1.4 mph
44.9 mph -1.5 mph
44.8 mph -1.6 mph
44.7 mph -1.7 mph
44.6 mph -1.8 mph
44.6 mph -1.8 mph
44.3 mph -2.1 mph
44.2 mph -2.2 mph
43.6 mph -2.8 mph
43.2 mph -3.2 mph
43.2 mph -3.2 mph

The difference between best and worst was 8.2% (3.8 mph).

Straight Aqua

Float Speed in mph

Higher is better ↑
Straight Aqua
Position / TireResultGap to best
48.5 mph Best
47.7 mph -0.8 mph
47.1 mph -1.4 mph
46.4 mph -2.1 mph
46.1 mph -2.4 mph
45.6 mph -2.9 mph
45.5 mph -3.0 mph
44.9 mph -3.6 mph
44.6 mph -3.9 mph
44.6 mph -3.9 mph
43.7 mph -4.8 mph
43.6 mph -4.9 mph
43.1 mph -5.4 mph
42.5 mph -6.0 mph
42.5 mph -6.0 mph
42.3 mph -6.2 mph
41.5 mph -7.0 mph
41.4 mph -7.1 mph
40.7 mph -7.8 mph
39.0 mph -9.5 mph

The difference between best and worst was 19.5% (9.5 mph).

Snow

2

Snow Braking

Snow braking in feet

Lower is better ↓
Snow Braking
Position / TireResultGap to best
79 ft Best
79 ft 0 ft
79 ft 0 ft
79 ft 0 ft
80 ft +1 ft
80 ft +1 ft
80 ft +1 ft
80 ft +1 ft
80 ft +1 ft
81 ft +2 ft
81 ft +2 ft
81 ft +2 ft
81 ft +2 ft
81 ft +2 ft
81 ft +2 ft
82 ft +3 ft
82 ft +3 ft
83 ft +4 ft
85 ft +6 ft
87 ft +8 ft
RefReference Summer
292 ft +213 ft

The difference between best and worst was 271.3% (213 ft ≈ 14.5 Car Lengths).

Snow Handling

Snow handling average speed

Higher is better ↑
Snow Handling
Position / TireResultGap to best
48.7 mph Best
48.7 mph Best
48.7 mph 0.0 mph
48.3 mph -0.4 mph
48.2 mph -0.5 mph
48.1 mph -0.6 mph
48.0 mph -0.7 mph
48.0 mph -0.7 mph
48.0 mph -0.7 mph
47.8 mph -0.9 mph
47.8 mph -0.9 mph
47.8 mph -0.9 mph
47.8 mph -0.9 mph
47.6 mph -1.1 mph
47.5 mph -1.2 mph
47.5 mph -1.2 mph
47.4 mph -1.3 mph
47.0 mph -1.7 mph
46.8 mph -1.9 mph
46.8 mph -1.9 mph

The difference between best and worst was 4% (1.9 mph).

Comfort

1

Noise

External noise in dB

Lower is better ↓
Noise
Position / TireResultGap to best
68.7 dB Best
68.9 dB +0.20 dB
69.3 dB +0.60 dB
69.6 dB +0.90 dB
RefReference Summer
69.7 dB +1.00 dB
69.8 dB +1.10 dB
70 dB +1.30 dB
70.2 dB +1.50 dB
70.3 dB +1.60 dB
70.6 dB +1.90 dB
71 dB +2.30 dB
71.1 dB +2.40 dB
71.2 dB +2.50 dB
71.6 dB +2.90 dB
71.7 dB +3.00 dB
72.4 dB +3.70 dB
73.3 dB +4.60 dB
73.9 dB +5.20 dB
74.1 dB +5.40 dB
74.5 dB +5.80 dB
76.1 dB +7.40 dB

The difference between best and worst was 10.8% (7.4 dB).

Value

3

Wear

Predicted tread life in KM

Higher is better ↑
Wear
Position / TireResultGap to best
31,845 miles Best
28,533 miles -3,312 miles
28,024 miles -3,821 miles
26,638 miles -5,207 miles
26,241 miles -5,604 miles
25,986 miles -5,859 miles
25,731 miles -6,114 miles
25,731 miles -6,114 miles
25,731 miles -6,114 miles
25,221 miles -6,624 miles
24,967 miles -6,878 miles
24,836 miles -7,009 miles
24,836 miles -7,009 miles
24,712 miles -7,133 miles
24,457 miles -7,388 miles
24,202 miles -7,643 miles
23,836 miles -8,009 miles
23,183 miles -8,662 miles
22,419 miles -9,426 miles
21,910 miles -9,935 miles

The difference between best and worst was 31.2% (9,935 miles).

Value

Euros/1000km based on cost/wear

Lower is better ↓
Value
Position / TireResultGap to bestcost per 1,000 miles
7.62 Price/1000 Best €17.13
7.67 Price/1000 +0.05 Price/1000 €17.58
7.88 Price/1000 +0.26 Price/1000 €27.81
8.31 Price/1000 +0.69 Price/1000 €23.71
9.25 Price/1000 +1.63 Price/1000 €24.36
9.33 Price/1000 +1.71 Price/1000 €28.34
9.5 Price/1000 +1.88 Price/1000 €20.30
9.66 Price/1000 +2.04 Price/1000 €20.44
9.66 Price/1000 +2.04 Price/1000 €25.93
9.93 Price/1000 +2.31 Price/1000 €22.61
10.15 Price/1000 +2.53 Price/1000 €25.05
10.25 Price/1000 +2.63 Price/1000 €24.37
10.35 Price/1000 +2.73 Price/1000 €34.49
10.71 Price/1000 +3.09 Price/1000 €26.05
10.87 Price/1000 +3.25 Price/1000 €29.02
10.89 Price/1000 +3.27 Price/1000 €23.86
11.25 Price/1000 +3.63 Price/1000 €23.74
11.57 Price/1000 +3.95 Price/1000 €23.37
11.64 Price/1000 +4.02 Price/1000 €25.34
11.69 Price/1000 +4.07 Price/1000 €21.54

The difference between best and worst was 53.4% (4.07 Price/1000). Over 25,000 miles the cheapest tire to own (Sava Eskimo HP2) works out €434 cheaper than the most expensive (Kumho WinterCraft WP71).

How this is calculated

Assumes a typical car doing 29 mpg (rolling resistance causing 20% of fuel use), fuel at €6.25 per gallon and €70 fitting per set of four. Purchase prices are from the time of the 2019 test; financing costs are excluded.

Rolling Resistance

Rolling resistance in kg t

Lower is better ↓
Rolling Resistance
Position / TireResultGap to bestExtra fuel / year
7.43 kg/t Best $0
7.77 kg/t +0.34 kg/t $13
7.78 kg/t +0.35 kg/t $14
7.8 kg/t +0.37 kg/t $15
7.81 kg/t +0.38 kg/t $15
7.85 kg/t +0.42 kg/t $17
7.95 kg/t +0.52 kg/t $21
8.04 kg/t +0.61 kg/t $24
8.11 kg/t +0.68 kg/t $27
8.11 kg/t +0.68 kg/t $27
8.28 kg/t +0.85 kg/t $34
8.44 kg/t +1.01 kg/t $40
8.56 kg/t +1.13 kg/t $45
8.57 kg/t +1.14 kg/t $45
8.77 kg/t +1.34 kg/t $53
8.8 kg/t +1.37 kg/t $54
8.97 kg/t +1.54 kg/t $61
9.29 kg/t +1.86 kg/t $74
RefReference Summer
9.3 kg/t +1.87 kg/t $74
9.59 kg/t +2.16 kg/t $85
9.99 kg/t +2.56 kg/t $101

The difference between best and worst was 34.5% (2.56 kg / t). Over 12,000 miles a year at $3.60/gal, the Kumho WinterCraft WP71 uses about 28 gal ($101) more fuel than the Nokian WR Snowproof.

Adjust the assumptions

Calculated estimates, not additional measurements. Use the controls to explore the assumptions. These calculators use the full test field, independently of your tire selection above.

12,000 mi
$3.60/gal
Estimates based on typical driving conditions. Rolling resistance accounts for approximately 20% of IC vehicle fuel consumption and 25% of EV energy consumption. Actual savings vary based on driving style, vehicle weight, road conditions, and tire age. For comparative purposes only. Lifetime savings based on a 40,000km / 25,000 mile tread life.

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