Test Charts / Auto Zeitung

2020 Auto Zeitung Winter 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: 205/55 R16
Tires tested: 14
Disciplines: 10

Dry

Dry Braking
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best	Residual speed
1Hankook Winter i cept RS2	150 ft	Best	0 mph
2Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	153 ft	+3 ft	10 mph
3Nexen Winguard Snow G3	153 ft	+3 ft	11 mph
4Falken Eurowinter HS01	155 ft	+5 ft	14 mph
5Michelin Alpin 6	156 ft	+6 ft	15 mph
6Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6	156 ft	+6 ft	16 mph
7Goodride SW608	157 ft	+7 ft	16 mph
7Toyo Snowprox S954	157 ft	+7 ft	16 mph
9Pirelli Cinturato Winter	158 ft	+8 ft	18 mph
10Goodyear UltraGrip 9+	159 ft	+9 ft	19 mph
11Continental WinterContact TS 860	160 ft	+10 ft	20 mph
12Dunlop Winter Sport 5	160 ft	+10 ft	20 mph
13Fulda Kristall Control HP2	164 ft	+14 ft	23 mph
13King Meiler Winter Tact WT81	164 ft	+14 ft	23 mph

The difference between best and worst was 9.4% (14 ft ≈ 1 Car Lengths). From 80 mph, the King Meiler Winter Tact WT81 would still be travelling at 23 mph when the Hankook Winter i cept RS2 had stopped.

Residual speed is calculated from the measured braking distances, assuming constant deceleration; it is not a separate measurement.

Subj. Dry Handling
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Toyo Snowprox S954	10 Points	Best
2Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	9 Points	-1.00 Points
3Hankook Winter i cept RS2	8 Points	-2.00 Points
3Falken Eurowinter HS01	8 Points	-2.00 Points
3Goodyear UltraGrip 9+	8 Points	-2.00 Points
6Dunlop Winter Sport 5	7 Points	-3.00 Points
7Continental WinterContact TS 860	6 Points	-4.00 Points
7Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6	6 Points	-4.00 Points
9Michelin Alpin 6	5 Points	-5.00 Points
9King Meiler Winter Tact WT81	5 Points	-5.00 Points
9Nexen Winguard Snow G3	5 Points	-5.00 Points
12Fulda Kristall Control HP2	4 Points	-6.00 Points
12Pirelli Cinturato Winter	4 Points	-6.00 Points
14Goodride SW608	3 Points	-7.00 Points

The difference between best and worst was 70% (7 Points).

Wet

Wet Braking
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best	Residual speed
1Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	167 ft	Best	0 mph
2Continental WinterContact TS 860	178 ft	+11 ft	20 mph
3Michelin Alpin 6	178 ft	+11 ft	20 mph
4Hankook Winter i cept RS2	181 ft	+14 ft	22 mph
5Goodyear UltraGrip 9+	182 ft	+15 ft	23 mph
5Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6	182 ft	+15 ft	23 mph
7Dunlop Winter Sport 5	182 ft	+15 ft	23 mph
8Pirelli Cinturato Winter	187 ft	+20 ft	26 mph
9Falken Eurowinter HS01	187 ft	+20 ft	26 mph
10Fulda Kristall Control HP2	191 ft	+24 ft	28 mph
11Goodride SW608	192 ft	+25 ft	29 mph
12Nexen Winguard Snow G3	194 ft	+27 ft	30 mph
13Toyo Snowprox S954	202 ft	+35 ft	33 mph
14King Meiler Winter Tact WT81	221 ft	+54 ft	39 mph

The difference between best and worst was 32.2% (54 ft ≈ 3.6 Car Lengths). From 80 mph, the King Meiler Winter Tact WT81 would still be travelling at 39 mph when the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 had stopped.

Residual speed is calculated from the measured braking distances, assuming constant deceleration; it is not a separate measurement.

Subj. Wet Handling
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Continental WinterContact TS 860	10 Points	Best
2Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	9 Points	-1.00 Points
3Michelin Alpin 6	8 Points	-2.00 Points
4Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6	6 Points	-4.00 Points
5Dunlop Winter Sport 5	5 Points	-5.00 Points
5Hankook Winter i cept RS2	5 Points	-5.00 Points
5Goodyear UltraGrip 9+	5 Points	-5.00 Points
8Pirelli Cinturato Winter	4 Points	-6.00 Points
9Falken Eurowinter HS01	3 Points	-7.00 Points
10Goodride SW608	2 Points	-8.00 Points
10Nexen Winguard Snow G3	2 Points	-8.00 Points
12Fulda Kristall Control HP2	1 Points	-9.00 Points
12Toyo Snowprox S954	1 Points	-9.00 Points
12King Meiler Winter Tact WT81	1 Points	-9.00 Points

The difference between best and worst was 90% (9 Points).

Straight Aqua
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Hankook Winter i cept RS2	52.9 mph	Best
2Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	51.4 mph	-1.5 mph
3Goodyear UltraGrip 9+	51.1 mph	-1.8 mph
4Pirelli Cinturato Winter	51.0 mph	-1.9 mph
5Continental WinterContact TS 860	49.8 mph	-3.1 mph
6Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6	49.6 mph	-3.3 mph
7Falken Eurowinter HS01	49.3 mph	-3.6 mph
8Toyo Snowprox S954	48.0 mph	-4.9 mph
9Dunlop Winter Sport 5	47.7 mph	-5.2 mph
10Michelin Alpin 6	47.5 mph	-5.4 mph
11Fulda Kristall Control HP2	46.6 mph	-6.3 mph
12Nexen Winguard Snow G3	44.6 mph	-8.3 mph
13Goodride SW608	44.2 mph	-8.7 mph
14King Meiler Winter Tact WT81	41.7 mph	-11.2 mph

The difference between best and worst was 21.2% (11.2 mph).

Snow

Snow Braking
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best	Residual speed
1Dunlop Winter Sport 5	84 ft	Best	0 mph
1Fulda Kristall Control HP2	84 ft	Best	0 mph
3Continental WinterContact TS 860	85 ft	+1 ft	7 mph
4Hankook Winter i cept RS2	85 ft	+1 ft	9 mph
4Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	85 ft	+1 ft	9 mph
6Goodride SW608	86 ft	+2 ft	10 mph
6Goodyear UltraGrip 9+	86 ft	+2 ft	10 mph
8Michelin Alpin 6	86 ft	+2 ft	11 mph
9Pirelli Cinturato Winter	86 ft	+2 ft	12 mph
10Falken Eurowinter HS01	87 ft	+3 ft	14 mph
10Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6	87 ft	+3 ft	14 mph
10Nexen Winguard Snow G3	87 ft	+3 ft	14 mph
13King Meiler Winter Tact WT81	89 ft	+5 ft	18 mph
14Toyo Snowprox S954	90 ft	+6 ft	19 mph

The difference between best and worst was 6.2% (6 ft ≈ 0.4 Car Lengths). From 80 mph, the Toyo Snowprox S954 would still be travelling at 19 mph when the Dunlop Winter Sport 5 had stopped.

Residual speed is calculated from the measured braking distances, assuming constant deceleration; it is not a separate measurement.

Snow Traction
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Goodyear UltraGrip 9+	493 lbf	Best
2Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	489 lbf	-4 lbf
3Hankook Winter i cept RS2	488 lbf	-5 lbf
4Pirelli Cinturato Winter	488 lbf	-5 lbf
5Michelin Alpin 6	484 lbf	-9 lbf
6Continental WinterContact TS 860	482 lbf	-11 lbf
7Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6	482 lbf	-11 lbf
8Nexen Winguard Snow G3	481 lbf	-12 lbf
9Dunlop Winter Sport 5	479 lbf	-14 lbf
10Fulda Kristall Control HP2	477 lbf	-16 lbf
11King Meiler Winter Tact WT81	469 lbf	-24 lbf
12Falken Eurowinter HS01	467 lbf	-26 lbf
13Toyo Snowprox S954	465 lbf	-28 lbf
14Goodride SW608	458 lbf	-35 lbf

The difference between best and worst was 7% (35 lbf).

Subj. Snow Handling
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	10 Points	Best
2Continental WinterContact TS 860	9 Points	-1.00 Points
2Goodyear UltraGrip 9+	9 Points	-1.00 Points
4Dunlop Winter Sport 5	8 Points	-2.00 Points
4Pirelli Cinturato Winter	8 Points	-2.00 Points
6Michelin Alpin 6	7 Points	-3.00 Points
7Hankook Winter i cept RS2	6 Points	-4.00 Points
8Fulda Kristall Control HP2	5 Points	-5.00 Points
9Falken Eurowinter HS01	4 Points	-6.00 Points
10Nexen Winguard Snow G3	3 Points	-7.00 Points
11Goodride SW608	2 Points	-8.00 Points
11Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6	2 Points	-8.00 Points
13Toyo Snowprox S954	1 Points	-9.00 Points
13King Meiler Winter Tact WT81	1 Points	-9.00 Points

The difference between best and worst was 90% (9 Points).

Comfort

Subj. Comfort
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Michelin Alpin 6	10 Points	Best
1Goodyear UltraGrip 9+	10 Points	Best
3Dunlop Winter Sport 5	9 Points	-1.00 Points
3Hankook Winter i cept RS2	9 Points	-1.00 Points
3Continental WinterContact TS 860	9 Points	-1.00 Points
3Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	9 Points	-1.00 Points
7Nexen Winguard Snow G3	8 Points	-2.00 Points
8Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6	7 Points	-3.00 Points
9Fulda Kristall Control HP2	6 Points	-4.00 Points
9Falken Eurowinter HS01	6 Points	-4.00 Points
11Goodride SW608	5 Points	-5.00 Points
11Pirelli Cinturato Winter	5 Points	-5.00 Points
13Toyo Snowprox S954	4 Points	-6.00 Points
14King Meiler Winter Tact WT81	1 Points	-9.00 Points

The difference between best and worst was 90% (9 Points).

Value

Rolling Resistance
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best	Extra fuel / year
1Fulda Kristall Control HP2	8.06 kg/t	Best	$0
2Dunlop Winter Sport 5	8.17 kg/t	+0.11 kg/t	$4
3Goodyear UltraGrip 9+	8.26 kg/t	+0.20 kg/t	$7
4Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	8.4 kg/t	+0.34 kg/t	$12
5Continental WinterContact TS 860	8.47 kg/t	+0.41 kg/t	$15
6Michelin Alpin 6	8.48 kg/t	+0.42 kg/t	$15
7Goodride SW608	8.74 kg/t	+0.68 kg/t	$25
8Nexen Winguard Snow G3	8.81 kg/t	+0.75 kg/t	$27
9Pirelli Cinturato Winter	8.88 kg/t	+0.82 kg/t	$30
10Hankook Winter i cept RS2	9.12 kg/t	+1.06 kg/t	$39
11Falken Eurowinter HS01	9.21 kg/t	+1.15 kg/t	$42
12King Meiler Winter Tact WT81	9.22 kg/t	+1.16 kg/t	$42
13Toyo Snowprox S954	9.41 kg/t	+1.35 kg/t	$49
14Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6	9.42 kg/t	+1.36 kg/t	$50

The difference between best and worst was 16.9% (1.36 kg / t). Over 12,000 miles a year at $3.60/gal, the Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6 uses about 14 gal ($50) more fuel than the Fulda Kristall Control HP2.

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.

Gas/Diesel Electric

Annual Mileage

12,000 mi

km (L)

miles (US gal)

Fuel Price

$3.60/gal

GBP (£)

EUR (€)

USD ($)

Set my vehicle consumption

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.