Test Charts / Auto Bild Sportscars

2023 Sports Cars 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: 225/40 R18
Tires tested: 11
Disciplines: 12

Dry

Dry Braking
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best	Residual speed
RefReference Summer	130 ft	-14 ft	0 mph
1Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	144 ft	Best	0 mph
2Michelin Pilot Alpin 5	144 ft	0 ft	4 mph
2Kumho Winter Craft WP52	144 ft	0 ft	4 mph
4Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	145 ft	+1 ft	8 mph
5Vredestein Wintrac Pro	146 ft	+2 ft	8 mph
6Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	146 ft	+2 ft	10 mph
7Hankook Winter i cept evo3	147 ft	+3 ft	11 mph
8Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2	149 ft	+5 ft	14 mph
9Goodride SW608	153 ft	+9 ft	19 mph
10Austone SP 901	154 ft	+10 ft	21 mph
11Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	155 ft	+11 ft	21 mph

The difference between best and worst was 19.5% (25 ft ≈ 1.7 Car Lengths). From 80 mph, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 would still be travelling at 21 mph when the Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro had stopped.

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

Dry Handling
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
RefReference Summer	64.7 mph	+0.5 mph
1Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	64.2 mph	Best
2Michelin Pilot Alpin 5	64.1 mph	-0.1 mph
3Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	63.8 mph	-0.4 mph
4Kumho Winter Craft WP52	63.7 mph	-0.5 mph
4Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	63.7 mph	-0.5 mph
6Hankook Winter i cept evo3	63.6 mph	-0.6 mph
7Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	63.5 mph	-0.7 mph
8Vredestein Wintrac Pro	63.0 mph	-1.2 mph
9Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2	62.9 mph	-1.3 mph
10Goodride SW608	62.8 mph	-1.4 mph
11Austone SP 901	62.3 mph	-1.9 mph

The difference between best and worst was 3.7% (2.4 mph).

Wet

Wet Braking
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best	Residual speed
RefReference Summer	153 ft	0 ft	0 mph
1Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	153 ft	Best	0 mph
2Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	155 ft	+2 ft	7 mph
3Vredestein Wintrac Pro	156 ft	+3 ft	10 mph
3Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	156 ft	+3 ft	10 mph
5Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2	156 ft	+3 ft	10 mph
5Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	156 ft	+3 ft	10 mph
7Hankook Winter i cept evo3	157 ft	+4 ft	12 mph
8Kumho Winter Craft WP52	163 ft	+10 ft	20 mph
9Michelin Pilot Alpin 5	164 ft	+11 ft	20 mph
10Goodride SW608	176 ft	+23 ft	29 mph
11Austone SP 901	198 ft	+45 ft	38 mph

The difference between best and worst was 29.8% (45 ft ≈ 3.1 Car Lengths). From 80 mph, the Austone SP 901 would still be travelling at 38 mph when the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 had stopped.

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

Wet Handling
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	51.7 mph	Best
2Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	51.4 mph	-0.3 mph
RefReference Summer	51.0 mph	-0.7 mph
3Vredestein Wintrac Pro	50.9 mph	-0.8 mph
4Michelin Pilot Alpin 5	50.6 mph	-1.1 mph
4Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2	50.6 mph	-1.1 mph
6Hankook Winter i cept evo3	50.5 mph	-1.2 mph
7Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	50.4 mph	-1.3 mph
8Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	49.9 mph	-1.8 mph
9Kumho Winter Craft WP52	49.2 mph	-2.5 mph
10Goodride SW608	48.1 mph	-3.6 mph
11Austone SP 901	45.3 mph	-6.4 mph

The difference between best and worst was 12.4% (6.4 mph).

Straight Aqua
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Hankook Winter i cept evo3	63.5 mph	Best
RefReference Summer	62.4 mph	-1.1 mph
2Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	62.2 mph	-1.3 mph
3Michelin Pilot Alpin 5	61.5 mph	-2.0 mph
4Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	61.3 mph	-2.2 mph
5Vredestein Wintrac Pro	61.2 mph	-2.3 mph
5Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2	61.2 mph	-2.3 mph
7Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	60.4 mph	-3.1 mph
8Goodride SW608	60.3 mph	-3.2 mph
9Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	60.1 mph	-3.4 mph
10Kumho Winter Craft WP52	59.1 mph	-4.4 mph
11Austone SP 901	57.1 mph	-6.4 mph

The difference between best and worst was 10.1% (6.4 mph).

Curved Aquaplaning
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Hankook Winter i cept evo3	10.5 ft/s²	Best
2Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	9.5 ft/s²	-1.0 ft/s²
3Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	9.4 ft/s²	-1.1 ft/s²
4Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2	9.1 ft/s²	-1.4 ft/s²
RefReference Summer	9.0 ft/s²	-1.5 ft/s²
5Kumho Winter Craft WP52	9.0 ft/s²	-1.5 ft/s²
6Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	8.8 ft/s²	-1.7 ft/s²
7Goodride SW608	8.4 ft/s²	-2.1 ft/s²
8Vredestein Wintrac Pro	8.3 ft/s²	-2.2 ft/s²
9Michelin Pilot Alpin 5	8.2 ft/s²	-2.3 ft/s²
10Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	8.0 ft/s²	-2.5 ft/s²
11Austone SP 901	5.7 ft/s²	-4.8 ft/s²

The difference between best and worst was 45.8% (4.8 ft/s²).

Snow

Snow Braking
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best	Residual speed
1Michelin Pilot Alpin 5	94 ft	Best	0 mph
2Austone SP 901	97 ft	+3 ft	15 mph
3Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	97 ft	+3 ft	15 mph
4Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	98 ft	+4 ft	16 mph
5Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	99 ft	+5 ft	18 mph
6Hankook Winter i cept evo3	101 ft	+7 ft	21 mph
7Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2	101 ft	+7 ft	22 mph
8Kumho Winter Craft WP52	102 ft	+8 ft	22 mph
9Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	103 ft	+9 ft	24 mph
10Vredestein Wintrac Pro	103 ft	+9 ft	24 mph
11Goodride SW608	125 ft	+31 ft	40 mph
RefReference Summer	197 ft	+103 ft	58 mph

The difference between best and worst was 109.4% (103 ft ≈ 7 Car Lengths). From 80 mph, the Goodride SW608 would still be travelling at 40 mph when the Michelin Pilot Alpin 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
1Michelin Pilot Alpin 5	499 lbf	Best
2Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2	494 lbf	-5 lbf
3Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	489 lbf	-10 lbf
4Hankook Winter i cept evo3	486 lbf	-13 lbf
5Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	484 lbf	-15 lbf
6Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	484 lbf	-15 lbf
7Austone SP 901	483 lbf	-16 lbf
8Vredestein Wintrac Pro	472 lbf	-27 lbf
9Kumho Winter Craft WP52	471 lbf	-28 lbf
10Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	455 lbf	-44 lbf
11Goodride SW608	435 lbf	-64 lbf
RefReference Summer	171 lbf	-328 lbf

The difference between best and worst was 65.7% (328 lbf).

Snow Handling
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Austone SP 901	36.3 mph	Best
2Michelin Pilot Alpin 5	34.7 mph	-1.6 mph
3Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	34.6 mph	-1.7 mph
4Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	34.5 mph	-1.8 mph
5Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	34.5 mph	-1.8 mph
6Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2	34.4 mph	-1.9 mph
7Hankook Winter i cept evo3	34.1 mph	-2.2 mph
8Kumho Winter Craft WP52	33.7 mph	-2.6 mph
9Vredestein Wintrac Pro	33.2 mph	-3.1 mph
10Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	32.4 mph	-3.9 mph
11Goodride SW608	30.0 mph	-6.3 mph

The difference between best and worst was 17.3% (6.3 mph).

Snow Slalom
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Austone SP 901	14.2 ft/s²	Best
2Michelin Pilot Alpin 5	12.2 ft/s²	-2.0 ft/s²
3Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	12.1 ft/s²	-2.1 ft/s²
4Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	12.0 ft/s²	-2.2 ft/s²
5Kumho Winter Craft WP52	11.6 ft/s²	-2.6 ft/s²
6Hankook Winter i cept evo3	11.6 ft/s²	-2.6 ft/s²
7Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2	11.5 ft/s²	-2.7 ft/s²
8Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	11.4 ft/s²	-2.8 ft/s²
9Vredestein Wintrac Pro	11.1 ft/s²	-3.1 ft/s²
10Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	9.7 ft/s²	-4.5 ft/s²
11Goodride SW608	9.1 ft/s²	-5.1 ft/s²
RefReference Summer	4.1 ft/s²	-10.1 ft/s²

The difference between best and worst was 71.4% (10.1 ft/s²).

Comfort

Noise
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Michelin Pilot Alpin 5	69.5 dB	Best
RefReference Summer	69.7 dB	+0.20 dB
2Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	69.8 dB	+0.30 dB
3Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	69.9 dB	+0.40 dB
4Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	70 dB	+0.50 dB
5Austone SP 901	70.6 dB	+1.10 dB
6Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2	71.1 dB	+1.60 dB
7Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	71.5 dB	+2.00 dB
8Vredestein Wintrac Pro	71.9 dB	+2.40 dB
9Kumho Winter Craft WP52	72.3 dB	+2.80 dB
10Goodride SW608	72.8 dB	+3.30 dB
11Hankook Winter i cept evo3	73.6 dB	+4.10 dB

The difference between best and worst was 5.9% (4.1 dB).

Value

Rolling Resistance
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best	Extra fuel / year
RefReference Summer	8.18 kg/t	-0.11 kg/t	$0
1Continental WinterContact TS 870 P	8.29 kg/t	Best	$0
2Bridgestone Blizzak LM005	8.72 kg/t	+0.43 kg/t	$15
3Michelin Pilot Alpin 5	8.89 kg/t	+0.60 kg/t	$21
4Austone SP 901	8.92 kg/t	+0.63 kg/t	$22
5Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2	9.1 kg/t	+0.81 kg/t	$29
6Goodride SW608	9.19 kg/t	+0.90 kg/t	$32
7Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3	9.2 kg/t	+0.91 kg/t	$32
8Kumho Winter Craft WP52	9.22 kg/t	+0.93 kg/t	$33
9Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro	9.3 kg/t	+1.01 kg/t	$36
10Hankook Winter i cept evo3	9.36 kg/t	+1.07 kg/t	$38
11Vredestein Wintrac Pro	9.94 kg/t	+1.65 kg/t	$58

The difference between best and worst was 21.5% (1.76 kg / t). Over 12,000 miles a year at $3.60/gal, the Vredestein Wintrac Pro uses about 16 gal ($58) more fuel than the Continental WinterContact TS 870 P.

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.