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2021 ADAC 17 Inch Winter Tire Test

Joint test winnersDunlop Winter Sport 5 Michelin Alpin 6

ADAC tire tests are some of the most influential in the world, and for the 2021 winter season ADAC have chosen to test eighteen 225/50 R17 tires and sixteen 195/65 R15 winter tires, across two tests.

Tires tested
18
Tested size
225/50 R17

At a glance

Tire shortlist

18 Tires tested

Published finishing positions, with the strengths and considerations from this test. Owner reviews cover other sizes and driving conditions.

Joint1st

Dunlop Winter Sport 5

+Balanced tire, good performance on dry and wet roads, best on snow, low fuel consumption.

−None mentioned.

Joint1st

Michelin Alpin 6

+Balanced tire, good in the dry, wet, snow and ice, best mileage in wear test.

−None mentioned.

3rd

Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+

+Short braking distances in the dry, good driving behavior on wet roads, good drivability on snow and ice.

−Slight weaknesses in driving behavior on dry roads.

4th

Kleber Krisalp HP3

+Good results in the dry, good snow properties, good properties on ice, low rolling noise.

−Slight weaknesses in drivability on wet roads.

Joint5th

Bridgestone Blizzak LM005

+Good driving behavior on dry roads, best on wet roads.

−Weaknesses in the drivability on snow, devaluation due to high wear.

Joint5th

Continental WinterContact TS 860

+Good in the wet, snow and ice.

−Weakness on dry roads leading to devaluation.

Joint5th

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2

+Good dry braking, good on ice.

−Weakness in drivability in the dry, weakness in the wet, slight weakness in the snow, devaluation due to high wear.

Joint5th

Vredestein Wintrac Pro

+Good dry properties, good properties in the wet and snow.

−Devaluation due to high wear.

Joint9th

ESA Tecar Supergrip Pro

+Best fuel consumption, good performance in snow and ice.

−Weaknesses in driving behavior on dry and wet roads.

Joint9th

Sava Eskimo HP2

+Good on ice and snow, low fuel consumption.

−Weakness in the dry and wet, loudest tire on test.

11th

Fulda Kristall Control HP2

+Good braking and traction on snow, low fuel consumption.

−Weakness in the dry with long braking distances, weakness in the wet.

Joint12th

Firestone Winterhawk 4

+Good in the wet, snow and ice.

−Weak on dry roads.

Joint12th

Nokian Snowproof P

+Good driving characteristics in the dry, shortest dry braking, best lateral force on ice.

−Weakness on wet roads, weakness in the snow.

Joint12th

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

+Good dry braking, best drivability in the snow.

−Low drivability in the dry, weak in the wet.

Joint12th

Toyo Observe S 944

+Good in the dry and on ice.

−Weak in the wet and on snow. Devaluation due to high wear.

16th

Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

+Good results in the dry and wet.

−Very weak on snow and ice, high wear.

Joint17th

Goodride Z507

+Good dry braking.

−Poor drivability in the dry, weak in the wet, very weak on snow, worst wear in the test.

Joint17th

Linglong Green Max Winter UHP

+Good on snow covered roads and ice.

−Weak in the dry, very weak in the wet.

Tire shortlist

Compare selected tires

2021 ADAC 17 Inch Winter Tire Test · 225/50 R17

Explore the complete results →

The full test

The evidence behind the verdict

ADAC tire tests are some of the most influential in the world, and for the 2021 winter season ADAC have chosen to test eighteen 225/50 R17 tires and sixteen 195/65 R15 winter tires, across two tests. This article covers the 17" test, to see the 15" test please click here.

Surprisingly the Dunlop Winter Sport 5 tied for the lead with the Michelin Alpin 6. The Dunlop is now quite an old tire, but he had some of the best grip in the snow, and very low rolling resistance.

The Michelin Alpin 6 was stronger in the dry and wet than the Dunlop, but couldn't match it in the snow and ice, and as usual the Michelin had the lowest wear on test.

The Dunlops sister tire, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+ finished third with a slight weakness in the dry compared to the leading two tires, and Kleber finished an impressive fourth considering its price point, with only a slight weakness in the wet.

Sadly, ADAC don't share any actual data with the public, but their scoring and testing notes can be found below.

Results

The overall results were weighted 15% dry, 30% wet, 20% snow, 10% ice, 5% noise, 10% fuel consumption and 10% rolling resistance.

Joint 1st

Michelin Alpin 6

225/50 R17
Michelin Alpin 6
All discipline results (8)
TestResult
Dry7.8
Wet7.4
Snow7.2
Ice7.6
Rolling Resistance7.6
Noise5.8
Wear9
Overall7.4

Total: 59.8

Joint 1st

Dunlop Winter Sport 5

225/50 R17
Dunlop Winter Sport 5
All discipline results (8)
TestResult
Dry7.2
Wet7
Snow9
Ice7
Rolling Resistance8.6
Noise5.2
Wear7
Overall7.4

Total: 58.4

3rd

Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+

225/50 R17
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+
All discipline results (8)
TestResult
Dry7
Wet7
Snow7.6
Ice7
Rolling Resistance7.4
Noise6
Wear7
Overall7

Total: 56

4th

Kleber Krisalp HP3

225/50 R17
Kleber Krisalp HP3
All discipline results (8)
TestResult
Dry7.2
Wet6.6
Snow8.6
Ice7.6
Rolling Resistance8
Noise6.4
Wear7
Overall6.6

Total: 58

Joint 5th

Bridgestone Blizzak LM005

225/50 R17
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
All discipline results (8)
TestResult
Dry8.2
Wet8.4
Snow6.4
Ice7.2
Rolling Resistance8
Noise5.4
Wear6
Overall6

Total: 55.6

Joint 5th

Continental WinterContact TS 860

225/50 R17
Continental WinterContact TS 860
All discipline results (8)
TestResult
Dry6
Wet8.2
Snow7.8
Ice7.6
Rolling Resistance8.2
Noise6
Wear7
Overall6

Total: 56.8

Joint 5th

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2

225/50 R17
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
All discipline results (8)
TestResult
Dry6.4
Wet6.4
Snow6.8
Ice7.8
Rolling Resistance7.2
Noise6.6
Wear6
Overall6

Total: 53.2

Joint 5th

Vredestein Wintrac Pro

225/50 R17
Vredestein Wintrac Pro
All discipline results (8)
TestResult
Dry7.4
Wet7.4
Snow7.6
Ice7
Rolling Resistance8
Noise5.2
Wear6
Overall6

Total: 54.6

Joint 9th

Sava Eskimo HP2

225/50 R17
Sava Eskimo HP2
All discipline results (8)
TestResult
Dry6
Wet5.8
Snow7.6
Ice7.2
Rolling Resistance8.2
Noise4
Wear7
Overall5.8

Total: 51.6

Joint 9th

ESA Tecar Supergrip Pro

225/50 R17
ESA Tecar Supergrip Pro
All discipline results (8)
TestResult
Dry5.8
Wet6.4
Snow7.8
Ice7.4
Rolling Resistance9.2
Noise5.8
Wear7
Overall5.8

Total: 55.2

11th

Fulda Kristall Control HP2

225/50 R17
Fulda Kristall Control HP2
All discipline results (8)
TestResult
Dry5.6
Wet6
Snow7.2
Ice7
Rolling Resistance8.4
Noise4.6
Wear7
Overall5.6

Total: 51.4

Joint 12th

Firestone Winterhawk 4

225/50 R17
Firestone Winterhawk 4
All discipline results (8)
TestResult
Dry5.4
Wet7.8
Snow8.2
Ice7.8
Rolling Resistance7.6
Noise6.2
Wear7
Overall5.4

Total: 55.4

Joint 12th

Nokian Snowproof P

225/50 R17
Nokian Snowproof P
All discipline results (8)
TestResult
Dry7.6
Wet5.4
Snow6.6
Ice7.8
Rolling Resistance8.2
Noise6.4
Wear7
Overall5.4

Total: 54.4

Joint 12th

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

225/50 R17
Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3
All discipline results (8)
TestResult
Dry5.4
Wet6.2
Snow8.8
Ice6
Rolling Resistance7.4
Noise4.8
Wear7
Overall5.4

Total: 51

Joint 12th

Toyo Observe S 944

225/50 R17
Toyo Observe S 944
All discipline results (8)
TestResult
Dry7
Wet5.4
Snow6.2
Ice7.8
Rolling Resistance7.2
Noise5.2
Wear6
Overall5.4

Total: 50.2

16th

Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6

225/50 R17
Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6
All discipline results (8)
TestResult
Dry7.8
Wet7.4
Snow5.2
Ice6.4
Rolling Resistance7.6
Noise5.2
Wear6
Overall5.2

Total: 50.8

Joint 17th

Goodride Z507

225/50 R17
Goodride Z507
All discipline results (8)
TestResult
Dry4.4
Wet5.4
Snow1
Ice5.8
Rolling Resistance7.8
Noise4.4
Wear5
Overall1

Total: 34.8

Joint 17th

Linglong Green Max Winter UHP

225/50 R17
Linglong Green Max Winter UHP
All discipline results (8)
TestResult
Dry5
Wet1
Snow7.6
Ice7.2
Rolling Resistance7.4
Noise5.4
Wear7
Overall1

Total: 41.6

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