In the 2023 Sports Cars Winter Tire Test conducted by AutoBild Sportscars, several tires were evaluated on a Toyota GR Yaris, size 225/40 R18. The performance was evaluated across a range of parameters including dry braking, dry handling, wet braking, wet handling, straight aquaplaning, curved aquaplaning, snow braking, snow traction, snow handling, snow slalom, noise, and rolling resistance.
The Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 emerged as a strong performer, especially in wet conditions, securing the first position in both wet braking and wet handling. The tire also performed well in snow scenarios, ranking third in snow traction, snow handling, and snow slalom. The rolling resistance of this tire was found to be on the higher side, placing seventh, which might indicate a trade-off for its commendable grip in wet and snowy conditions. The tire's performance in dry conditions was satisfactory but not leading, with a fourth-place finish in both dry braking and dry handling. The noise level was relatively low, scoring the second position, which might contribute to a quieter and more comfortable ride.
On the other hand, the Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 showcased excellence in snow performance. It topped the charts in snow braking and snow traction, indicating a strong grip and control in snowy conditions. Furthermore, the Michelin tire registered the lowest noise level among all tested tires, potentially offering a quieter ride. However, it didn't lead in other categories but still showed competitive results. For instance, in dry and wet conditions, the tire's performance was solid but didn't outshine competitors. The rolling resistance was not mentioned for Michelin, but it's a crucial factor that could impact fuel efficiency and thereby the overall value proposition of the tire.
This comparison reveals that while both tires excel in certain areas, the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 might be a better choice for those prioritizing wet condition performance, whereas the Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 could be the go-to option for snow performance and a quieter ride. Considering the nuanced performance across different conditions, the selection between these two would come down to the individual's driving conditions and priorities.
In the Dry Braking test, Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro emerged as the best tire, stopping the car at 43.9 meters, while Goodride SW608 was the worst, 2.6 meters behind.
Dry Braking
Spread: 7.70 M (19.5%)|Avg: 44.63 M
Dry braking in meters (100 - 0 km/h) (Lower is better)
Reference Summer Ref
39.50 M
Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro
43.90 M
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
44.00 M
Kumho Winter Craft WP52
44.00 M
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
44.30 M
Vredestein Wintrac Pro
44.40 M
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
44.60 M
Hankook Winter i cept evo3
44.80 M
Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2
45.30 M
Goodride SW608
46.50 M
Austone SP 901
47.00 M
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
47.20 M
For Dry Handling, Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 took the lead with a speed of 103.4 Km/H, while Austone SP 901 was the worst, 3.2 Km/H behind the leader.
Dry Handling
Spread: 3.90 Km/H (3.7%)|Avg: 102.22 Km/H
Dry Handling Average Speed (Higher is better)
Reference Summer Ref
104.10 Km/H
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
103.40 Km/H
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
103.10 Km/H
Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro
102.60 Km/H
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
102.50 Km/H
Kumho Winter Craft WP52
102.50 Km/H
Hankook Winter i cept evo3
102.40 Km/H
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
102.20 Km/H
Vredestein Wintrac Pro
101.40 Km/H
Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2
101.20 Km/H
Goodride SW608
101.00 Km/H
Austone SP 901
100.20 Km/H
Wet
In Wet Braking, Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 excelled by stopping the car at 46.7 meters, whereas Austone SP 901 struggled, falling behind by a significant 13.8 meters.
Wet Braking
Spread: 13.90 M (29.8%)|Avg: 49.32 M
Wet braking in meters (100 - 0 km/h) (Lower is better)
Reference Summer Ref
46.60 M
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
46.70 M
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
47.10 M
Vredestein Wintrac Pro
47.40 M
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
47.40 M
Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro
47.50 M
Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2
47.50 M
Hankook Winter i cept evo3
47.80 M
Kumho Winter Craft WP52
49.70 M
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
49.90 M
Goodride SW608
53.70 M
Austone SP 901
60.50 M
Wet Handling saw Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 at the forefront again with a speed of 83.2 Km/H, while Austone SP 901 lagged, 10.3 Km/H slower than the top performer.
Wet Handling
Spread: 10.30 Km/H (12.4%)|Avg: 80.39 Km/H
Wet Handling Average Speed (Higher is better)
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
83.20 Km/H
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
82.70 Km/H
Reference Summer Ref
82.10 Km/H
Vredestein Wintrac Pro
81.90 Km/H
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
81.40 Km/H
Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2
81.40 Km/H
Hankook Winter i cept evo3
81.20 Km/H
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
81.10 Km/H
Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro
80.30 Km/H
Kumho Winter Craft WP52
79.10 Km/H
Goodride SW608
77.40 Km/H
Austone SP 901
72.90 Km/H
Straight Aquaplaning had Hankook Winter i cept evo3 leading the pack with a speed of 102.2 Km/H, and Austone SP 901 at the tail, 10.3 Km/H behind the leader.
Straight Aqua
Spread: 10.30 Km/H (10.1%)|Avg: 97.95 Km/H
Float Speed in Km/H (Higher is better)
Hankook Winter i cept evo3
102.20 Km/H
Reference Summer Ref
100.40 Km/H
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
100.10 Km/H
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
99.00 Km/H
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
98.60 Km/H
Vredestein Wintrac Pro
98.50 Km/H
Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2
98.50 Km/H
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
97.20 Km/H
Goodride SW608
97.10 Km/H
Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro
96.80 Km/H
Kumho Winter Craft WP52
95.10 Km/H
Austone SP 901
91.90 Km/H
Curved Aquaplaning also saw Hankook Winter i cept evo3 excelling with a speed of 3.21 m/sec², while Austone SP 901 found itself at the bottom, lagging by a significant 1.47 m/sec².
Curved Aquaplaning
Spread: 1.47 m/sec2 (45.8%)|Avg: 2.64 m/sec2
Remaining lateral acceleration (Higher is better)
Hankook Winter i cept evo3
3.21 m/sec2
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
2.90 m/sec2
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
2.86 m/sec2
Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2
2.76 m/sec2
Reference Summer Ref
2.75 m/sec2
Kumho Winter Craft WP52
2.73 m/sec2
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
2.67 m/sec2
Goodride SW608
2.55 m/sec2
Vredestein Wintrac Pro
2.54 m/sec2
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
2.50 m/sec2
Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro
2.45 m/sec2
Austone SP 901
1.74 m/sec2
Snow
Snow Braking had Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 as the top performer, halting the car at 28.6 meters, and Goodride SW608 at the end, 2.9 meters behind.
Snow Braking
Spread: 31.30 M (109.4%)|Avg: 33.44 M
Snow braking in meters (50 - 0 km/h) (Lower is better)
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
28.60 M
Austone SP 901
29.60 M
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
29.70 M
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
29.80 M
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
30.10 M
Hankook Winter i cept evo3
30.80 M
Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2
30.90 M
Kumho Winter Craft WP52
31.00 M
Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro
31.40 M
Vredestein Wintrac Pro
31.50 M
Goodride SW608
38.00 M
Reference Summer Ref
59.90 M
In Snow Traction, Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 led again with a force of 2218 N, while the Goodride was back at the back.
Snow Traction
Spread: 1458.00 N (65.7%)|Avg: 2010.17 N
Pulling Force in Newtons (Higher is better)
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
2218.00 N
Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2
2198.00 N
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
2174.00 N
Hankook Winter i cept evo3
2164.00 N
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
2153.00 N
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
2151.00 N
Austone SP 901
2148.00 N
Vredestein Wintrac Pro
2098.00 N
Kumho Winter Craft WP52
2096.00 N
Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro
2026.00 N
Goodride SW608
1936.00 N
Reference Summer Ref
760.00 N
Snow Handling surprisingly saw Austone SP 901 stealing the spotlight with a speed of 58.4 Km/H.
Snow Handling
Spread: 10.10 Km/H (17.3%)|Avg: 54.47 Km/H
Snow handling average speed (Higher is better)
Austone SP 901
58.40 Km/H
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
55.80 Km/H
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
55.70 Km/H
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
55.60 Km/H
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
55.50 Km/H
Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2
55.30 Km/H
Hankook Winter i cept evo3
54.80 Km/H
Kumho Winter Craft WP52
54.20 Km/H
Vredestein Wintrac Pro
53.40 Km/H
Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro
52.20 Km/H
Goodride SW608
48.30 Km/H
In the Snow Slalom test, Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 led with a speed of 4.33 m/sec².
Snow Slalom
Spread: 3.09 m/sec2 (71.4%)|Avg: 3.32 m/sec2
Lateral acceleration (Higher is better)
Austone SP 901
4.33 m/sec2
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
3.73 m/sec2
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
3.68 m/sec2
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
3.66 m/sec2
Kumho Winter Craft WP52
3.54 m/sec2
Hankook Winter i cept evo3
3.53 m/sec2
Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2
3.51 m/sec2
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
3.47 m/sec2
Vredestein Wintrac Pro
3.39 m/sec2
Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro
2.95 m/sec2
Goodride SW608
2.77 m/sec2
Reference Summer Ref
1.24 m/sec2
Comfort
Internal noise level testing saw the Michelin back at the top with 69.5 dB, while Hankook Winter i cept evo3 was the loudest, 4.1 dB noisier than the quietest tire.
Noise
Spread: 4.10 dB (5.9%)|Avg: 71.06 dB
External noise in dB (Lower is better)
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5
69.50 dB
Reference Summer Ref
69.70 dB
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
69.80 dB
Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
69.90 dB
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
70.00 dB
Austone SP 901
70.60 dB
Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2
71.10 dB
Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro
71.50 dB
Vredestein Wintrac Pro
71.90 dB
Kumho Winter Craft WP52
72.30 dB
Goodride SW608
72.80 dB
Hankook Winter i cept evo3
73.60 dB
Value
Lastly, Rolling Resistance was dominated by Continental WinterContact TS 870 P with 8.29 kg/t, whereas Vredestein Wintrac Pro was the least efficient, 1.65 kg/t behind the leader.
New winter profile with convincing driving characteristics in all weather, very good aquaplaning safety reserves, dynamic wet handling, moderate price.
Winter professional with convincing performance on ice and snow, dynamic wet and dry handling, direct steering response, short dry braking distances, quiet rolling noise.
Balanced high performance level, stable driving behavior in all weather conditions, short wet braking distances, quiet pass-by noise, fuel-saving rolling resistance.
Premium winter tires with best safety reserves in aquaplaning, stable driving behavior in all weather, short wet and dry braking distances, favorable price level.
Dangerous budget tire with significantly limited adhesion and little lateral guidance on snow and ice, unbalanced driving behavior, extended wet/dry braking distances.