Test source Auto Motor Und Sport

2023 AMS SUV Winter Tire Test

Overall test winnerBridgestone Blizzak LM005

The 2023 AMS SUV winter tire test not only aims to answer what the best winter tire in 255/45 R20 is, but also to find out if swapping from a regular diesel Kia Sorento to a fully electric Kia EV6 will make a difference to the results.

Data analyzed and reviewed byJonathan Benson

September 17, 2023 6 min read Updated January 8, 2025

Tire shortlist Read the test

Tires tested: 7
Tested size: 255/45 R20

At a glance

Tire shortlist

7 Tires tested

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

1^st

Bridgestone Blizzak LM005

+Tires that are easy to control in the wet with neutral to slightly understeering driving characteristics, with outstanding grip and the best aquaplaning protection. Strong dry braking, best cornering stability, understeer tendency with strong reserves. Best rolling resistance.

−Small weaknesses in the snow performance.

119 owner reviews Test Results

2^nd

Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3

+Short braking distances and very safe driving behavior on snow. Good cornering grip with large reserves and very reliable and stable in the wet. High level of cornering, especially on dry roads.

−Slight weakness in curved aquaplaning and steering precision, as well as being somewhat sensitive to load changes in fast, dry corners. Slightly audible rolling noise when turning.

18 owner reviews Test Results

3^rd

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV

+Very good traction, cornering and braking performance on snow. Good wet grip and aquaplaning resistance. Stable, precise, safe to drive and comfortable on dry roads.

−Despite the best possible balance, acceptable weaknesses on wet and dry asphalt.

14 owner reviews Test Results

4^th

Continental WinterContact TS 870 P

+Strong cornering grip and decent traction on snow, balanced snow handling. Very good aquaplaning protection. Active driving behavior and good cornering stability on dry roads. The very low rolling resistance makes up for any shortcomings.

−Slightly reduced braking performance on snow. Weak braking, reduced driving stability and low reserves in the wet. Slight instability when changing lanes quickly on dry roads.

35 owner reviews Test Results

5^th

Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2

+Quite safe, balanced and largely reliable on snow. Decent braking performance and good cornering grip in the wet. Very good dry braking, spontaneous steering and very safe understeering with a wide range of reserves in dry corners.

−Slightly reduced performance on snow, not very precise with shallow reserves in the wet, limited comfort.

3 owner reviews Test Results

6^th

Vredestein Wintrac Pro

+Good traction and decent braking performance on snow. Consistently good, impeccable wet properties, here quite neutral and active. Balanced dry dynamics.

−In relation to the good longitudinal dynamics (acceleration/braking), surprisingly low cornering grip on snow. Slight deficits in corner aquaplaning. Deficits in comfort due to rolling noise in curves.

31 owner reviews Test Results

7^th

Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro

+Good grip and largely safe, support-neutral driving dynamics in the wet. Very active and fast in dry corners. Very good comfort.

−Too sensitive to load changes on snow and weak reserves: not enough for a winter tire. Narrow limit range for wet conditions, low protection against aquaplaning. Slow steering, less stable rear in fast corners. Downgraded by one grade.

4 owner reviews Test Results

Tire shortlist

Compare selected tires

2023 AMS SUV Winter Tire Test · 255/45 R20

Tire	Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV	Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2	Vredestein Wintrac Pro	Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro
Position	1^st	2^nd	3^rd	4^th	5^th	6^th	7^th
Category scores (% of best)
Dry	99.9%	99.2%	98.3%	98.6%	98.9%	98.5%	97.8%
Wet	100%	96%	95.1%	96.2%	95.3%	96.1%	95%
Snow	95.9%	98.5%	99.8%	97.1%	98.2%	95.7%	92.2%
Comfort	98.6%	98.8%	100%	99.2%	97.9%	96.6%	97.7%
Rolling Resistance	100%	93.4%	88.8%	98.6%	88.8%	82.6%	82.6%
Keep researching	Read owner reviews Test Results	Read owner reviews Test Results	Read owner reviews Test Results	Read owner reviews Test Results	Read owner reviews Test Results	Read owner reviews Test Results	Read owner reviews Test Results

The full test

The evidence behind the verdict

The answer to the question about the tires is below, and the answer to the question about the IC vs EV is that it made no difference to the traction, braking or handling order of the results, but the tester did prefer the IC Kia Sorento on snow as they felt the traditional differentials were more predictable when the front and the rear was locked mechanically. The tested noted that the separate front and rear axle power units of the electric vehicle each had "individual motivation" when sliding around on snow.

255/45 R20 is quite frankly bonkers for a winter tire, so the results should be interesting, especially as they have new tires from Goodyear, Pirelli and Falken!

Dry

During dry braking, the Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2 and Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 are closely matched, with braking distances of 43M and 43.1M respectively. Bridgestone slightly edges out Goodyear, but both are strong contenders in dry conditions.

Dry Braking
Position / Tire	Result
1Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2	100 %
2Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	100 %
3Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	99 %
4Vredestein Wintrac Pro	98 %
4Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV	98 %
6Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	97 %
7Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	97 %

All the tires in the Dry Braking test finished less than 3% apart.

Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 and Continental WinterContact TS 870 P share the top spot with an average lap speed of 73.0 mph. Bridgestone shows its versatility here, excelling in both dry braking and handling.

Dry Handling
Position / Tire	Result
1Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	100 %
1Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	100 %
3Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	100 %
4Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	99 %
5Vredestein Wintrac Pro	99 %
6Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV	98 %
7Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2	98 %

All the tires in the Dry Handling test finished less than 3% apart.

Wet

Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 leads in wet braking with a 32.6M distance, reinforcing its strong all-around performance.

Wet Braking
Position / Tire	Result
1Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	100 %
2Vredestein Wintrac Pro	96 %
3Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2	96 %
4Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	95 %
5Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	93 %
6Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV	93 %
7Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	91 %

The difference between best and worst was 9%.

Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 slightly outperforms the rest during wet handling, with an average lap speed of 49.3 mph, closely followed by Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 at 49.2 mph.

Wet Handling
Position / Tire	Result
1Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	100 %
2Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	100 %
3Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	99 %
4Vredestein Wintrac Pro	99 %
5Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV	98 %
5Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2	98 %
7Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	98 %

All the tires in the Wet Handling test finished less than 3% apart.

The best performer in the Wet Circle category is Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 with an average lateral acceleration of 7.31m/s. This tire also leads in wet braking, making it a strong choice for wet conditions.

Wet Circle
Position / Tire	Result
1Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	100 %
2Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	99 %
3Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	99 %
4Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2	99 %
5Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	98 %
6Vredestein Wintrac Pro	98 %
7Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV	96 %

The difference between best and worst was 4%.

Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 leads again with the highest float speed of 48.2 mph in straight aquaplaning, reinforcing its all-around strong performance in both dry and wet conditions.

Straight Aqua
Position / Tire	Result
1Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	100 %
2Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV	99 %
3Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	98 %
4Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	97 %
5Vredestein Wintrac Pro	96 %
6Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2	95 %
7Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	93 %

The difference between best and worst was 7%.

The top performer in Curved Aquaplaning is again the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005. This adds to its strong performance in wet conditions, particularly in wet braking and wet circle.

Curved Aquaplaning
Position / Tire	Result
1Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	100 %
2Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	98 %
3Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV	82 %
4Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	79 %
5Vredestein Wintrac Pro	78 %
6Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2	67 %
7Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	64 %

The difference between best and worst was 36%.

Snow

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV leads in snow braking with an average stopping distance of 29.8M, and it also excels in snow handling, making it a strong performer in snowy conditions.

Snow Braking
Position / Tire	Result
1Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV	100 %
2Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	98 %
3Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	97 %
4Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2	96 %
5Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	96 %
6Vredestein Wintrac Pro	95 %
7Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	94 %

The difference between best and worst was 6%.

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV leads with in snow traction, reinforcing its strong performance in snowy conditions.

Snow Traction
Position / Tire	Result
1Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV	100 %
2Vredestein Wintrac Pro	99 %
3Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2	99 %
4Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	98 %
5Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	97 %
6Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	96 %
7Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	92 %

The difference between best and worst was 8%.

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV takes again the lead in snow handling with an average speed of 30.0 mph. It's a tire that performs well across various conditions, from dry to snowy.

Snow Handling
Position / Tire	Result
1Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV	100 %
2Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	99 %
2Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	99 %
4Vredestein Wintrac Pro	98 %
5Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2	98 %
6Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	96 %
7Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	94 %

The difference between best and worst was 6%.

The Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2 leads snow circle.

Snow Circle
Position / Tire	Result
1Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2	100 %
2Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	100 %
3Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV	99 %
4Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	99 %
5Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	91 %
6Vredestein Wintrac Pro	89 %
6Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	89 %

The difference between best and worst was 11%.

Comfort

Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV is the quietest in the drive by external noise test of 71.2 dB, adding to its list of strong performances across multiple categories.

Noise
Position / Tire	Result
1Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV	100 %
2Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	99 %
3Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	99 %
4Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	99 %
5Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2	98 %
6Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	98 %
7Vredestein Wintrac Pro	97 %

All the tires in the Noise test finished less than 3% apart.

Value

Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 has a rolling resistance of 7.1 kg/t, making it the most eco-friendly option of the tires on test.

Rolling Resistance
Position / Tire	Result
1Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	100 %
2Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	99 %
3Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	93 %
4Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV	89 %
4Pirelli Scorpion Winter 2	89 %
6Vredestein Wintrac Pro	83 %
6Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	83 %

The difference between best and worst was 17%.

Results

Okay on snow, outstanding on wet and dry roads – the test winner!

"Outstanding"

Dry99.9%

Wet100%

Snow95.9%

Comfort98.6%

Rolling Resistance100%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (13)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	%
Dry Braking	2^nd / 7	99.77%
Dry Handling	1^st / 7	100%
Wet Braking	1^st / 7	100%
Wet Handling	2^nd / 7	99.87%
Wet Circle	1^st / 7	100%
Straight Aqua	1^st / 7	100%
Curved Aquaplaning	1^st / 7	100%
Snow Braking	3^rd / 7	96.75%
Snow Traction	6^th / 7	95.86%
Snow Handling	2^nd / 7	99.17%
Snow Circle	5^th / 7	91.44%
Noise	4^th / 7	98.61%
Rolling Resistance	1^st / 7	100%

EU Label: C/A/73
3PMSF: Yes
Weight: 12.1 kgs
Tread: 8.23 mm

Very versatile. The new Goodyear excels in all weather conditions.

"Very Good"

Dry99.2%

Wet96%

Snow98.5%

Comfort98.8%

Rolling Resistance93.4%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (13)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	%
Dry Braking	3^rd / 7	98.85%
Dry Handling	3^rd / 7	99.57%
Wet Braking	5^th / 7	92.88%
Wet Handling	1^st / 7	100%
Wet Circle	2^nd / 7	99.04%
Straight Aqua	4^th / 7	97.29%
Curved Aquaplaning	4^th / 7	79.44%
Snow Braking	2^nd / 7	97.7%
Snow Traction	4^th / 7	97.93%
Snow Handling	2^nd / 7	99.17%
Snow Circle	4^th / 7	99.07%
Noise	3^rd / 7	98.75%
Rolling Resistance	3^rd / 7	93.42%

EU Label: B/B/72
3PMSF: Yes
Weight: 12.1 kgs
Tread: 7.84 mm

For alpine regions: the snow specialist among the winter tires.

"Very Good"

Dry98.3%

Wet95.1%

Snow99.8%

Comfort100%

Rolling Resistance88.8%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (13)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	%
Dry Braking	4^th / 7	98.4%
Dry Handling	6^th / 7	98.21%
Wet Braking	6^th / 7	92.61%
Wet Handling	5^th / 7	98.36%
Wet Circle	7^th / 7	96.44%
Straight Aqua	2^nd / 7	98.84%
Curved Aquaplaning	3^rd / 7	82.23%
Snow Braking	1^st / 7	100%
Snow Traction	1^st / 7	100%
Snow Handling	1^st / 7	100%
Snow Circle	3^rd / 7	99.31%
Noise	1^st / 7	100%
Rolling Resistance	4^th / 7	88.75%

EU Label: C/C/71
3PMSF: Yes
Weight: 13.6 kgs
Tread: 7.8 mm

Conti buys low rolling resistance through restrictions on wet braking.

"Very Good"

Dry98.6%

Wet96.2%

Snow97.1%

Comfort99.2%

Rolling Resistance98.6%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (13)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	%
Dry Braking	6^th / 7	97.29%
Dry Handling	1^st / 7	100%
Wet Braking	7^th / 7	91.32%
Wet Handling	7^th / 7	98.11%
Wet Circle	5^th / 7	98.22%
Straight Aqua	3^rd / 7	98.06%
Curved Aquaplaning	2^nd / 7	98.26%
Snow Braking	5^th / 7	95.51%
Snow Traction	5^th / 7	97.04%
Snow Handling	6^th / 7	96.27%
Snow Circle	2^nd / 7	99.54%
Noise	2^nd / 7	99.16%
Rolling Resistance	2^nd / 7	98.61%

EU Label: C/B/71
3PMSF: Yes
Weight: 12 kgs
Tread: 8.35 mm

Not balanced enough: The new Scorpion is lacking a little in the wet.

"Very Good"

Dry98.9%

Wet95.3%

Snow98.2%

Comfort97.9%

Rolling Resistance88.8%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (13)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	%
Dry Braking	1^st / 7	100%
Dry Handling	7^th / 7	97.7%
Wet Braking	3^rd / 7	95.88%
Wet Handling	5^th / 7	98.36%
Wet Circle	4^th / 7	98.77%
Straight Aqua	6^th / 7	95.35%
Curved Aquaplaning	6^th / 7	66.55%
Snow Braking	4^th / 7	96.44%
Snow Traction	3^rd / 7	98.52%
Snow Handling	5^th / 7	97.72%
Snow Circle	1^st / 7	100%
Noise	5^th / 7	97.94%
Rolling Resistance	4^th / 7	88.75%

EU Label: C/A/71
3PMSF: Yes
Weight: 13.6 kgs
Tread: 8.26 mm

The inexpensive Vredestein masters the basics.

"Good"

Dry98.5%

Wet96.1%

Snow95.7%

Comfort96.6%

Rolling Resistance82.6%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (13)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	%
Dry Braking	4^th / 7	98.4%
Dry Handling	5^th / 7	98.55%
Wet Braking	2^nd / 7	96.17%
Wet Handling	4^th / 7	98.74%
Wet Circle	6^th / 7	97.81%
Straight Aqua	5^th / 7	96.13%
Curved Aquaplaning	5^th / 7	78.05%
Snow Braking	6^th / 7	95.21%
Snow Traction	2^nd / 7	99.41%
Snow Handling	4^th / 7	98.13%
Snow Circle	6^th / 7	89.12%
Noise	7^th / 7	96.61%
Rolling Resistance	6^th / 7	82.56%

EU Label: C/B/73
3PMSF: Yes
Weight: 14 kgs
Tread: 8.07 mm

Too weak on snow. The otherwise passable Falken has to be downgraded.

"Satisfactory"

Dry97.8%

Wet95%

Snow92.2%

Comfort97.7%

Rolling Resistance82.6%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (13)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	%
Dry Braking	7^th / 7	96.85%
Dry Handling	4^th / 7	98.72%
Wet Braking	4^th / 7	95.32%
Wet Handling	3^rd / 7	98.87%
Wet Circle	3^rd / 7	98.91%
Straight Aqua	7^th / 7	92.9%
Curved Aquaplaning	7^th / 7	64.46%
Snow Braking	7^th / 7	94.01%
Snow Traction	7^th / 7	91.72%
Snow Handling	7^th / 7	93.78%
Snow Circle	6^th / 7	89.12%
Noise	6^th / 7	97.67%
Rolling Resistance	6^th / 7	82.56%

EU Label: D/B/72
3PMSF: Yes
Weight: 13.7 kgs
Tread: 7.62 mm

Menu

Tire shortlist

The evidence behind the verdict

Dry

Wet

Snow

Comfort

Value

Results