Winter Passenger Car Tire Tests

German publication Sportauto has published its winter tire test for 2025, evaluating six winter tires in the 275/35 R19 size designed for high-performance BMW M vehicles. The test also included one all-season tire, the Vredestein Quatrac Pro+, which was assessed outside the main competition as a reference point. 

As this is currently the only public test data available for the new Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3, I thought it would be useful to share it. But please understand the following:

This test was conducted by TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH between February and March 2025, testing five premium winter tires in size 225/45 R17 94V XL. The test was commissioned by Pirelli as part of their final product benchmarking for the Cinturato Winter 3, with the Pirelli tire compared against the Bridgestone Blizzak 6, Continental WinterContact TS 870, Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3, and Michelin Alpin 7. While TÜV SÜD is a fully independent testing organization with a strong reputation for objectivity, it is important to note that this test was requested and paid for by Pirelli.

Teknikens Värld tested 20 winter tires in size 235/45 R18, comprising nine studded, eight Nordic friction (studless), and three Central European friction tires. One studded tire was disqualified for regulatory violations, leaving 19 in the final rankings. Testing used a Volvo V60 T6 plug-in hybrid across multiple locations in Sweden, covering braking, handling, aquaplaning, emergency maneuvers, comfort, and fuel efficiency.

For the 2025/26 Tire Reviews Nordic Studless Winter Tire Test, I have tested five friction winter tires plus two reference sets (a studded tire and a Central European winter tire) across 21 tests in 6 categories: snow, ice, wet, dry, comfort/noise, and rolling resistance. If you drive in regions with frequent snow and ice, this is the group test you need. All these tires are available to buy in North America and Europe!

Auto Zeitung has conducted a comprehensive winter tire test in size 245/45 R19, evaluating ten current winter tires across snow, wet, and dry conditions, with additional laboratory analysis for durability and environmental impact. The test field includes five premium tires (Bridgestone Blizzak 6 Enliten, Continental WinterContact TS 870P, Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3, Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, and Pirelli P Zero Winter 2), two mid range segment tires (Vredestein Wintrac Pro+ and Yokohama BluEarth Winter V906), and three budget options from Chinese manufacturers (Linglong Sport Master Winter, Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6, and Triangle EffeXWinter TW421). Testing was conducted at Goodyear's facilities for winter conditions and Continental's proving grounds for wet and dry tests, with laboratory durability analysis performed at both Pirelli and Continental facilities. The test vehicle was a BMW 520d Touring.

Moving on from the 51 set braking test, the full Auto Bild winter tire test is once again, excellent. Testing 225/40 R18 using an AWD BMW M135i (but also fitted to the Audi S3, VW Golf GTI and R, Mercedes-AMG A35, and Hyundai i30 N and more) Auto Bild have once again put all the tires through snow, wet and dry testing, and tested wear, noise, comfort and rolling resistance.

We look forward to the big Autobild braking tests in every season, and this year Autobild have tested 51 winter tires in wet braking (plus a summer tire), with the best 31 moving onto a snow braking test.

The top 20 combined distances from the wet and snow braking tests will feature in the full AutoBild winter tire test, on the site next week.

The Finnish publication Tekniikan Maailma has published its 2025 winter tire test, evaluating a total of fourteen tires, tested in conjunction with UTAC. The test was split into two categories, with seven studded winter tires and seven Nordic non-studded (friction) winter tires being compared. All tires were tested in the popular 205/55 R16 size, using a Volkswagen Golf as the test vehicle. The tests covered a wide range of conditions, including performance on ice, snow, wet asphalt, and dry asphalt, as well as subjective handling characteristics and economy.

Vi Bilägare evaluated eight different tire models in the popular SUV size of 235/60 R18. The test, featured in issue number 12, utilized a Volvo XC60 AWD as the primary vehicle to assess performance on ice, snow, and both wet and dry asphalt. The lineup included five premium brands—Continental, Goodyear, Michelin, Nokian, and Pirelli—alongside three more budget-focused offerings from Nexen, Goodride, and Triangle.

For the 2025/2026 winter season, Autožurnál TV has conducted a comparative test of seven winter tires in the 215/65 R17 size, using a Volkswagen Tiguan as the test vehicle.

The test included two new models for the season: the Michelin Alpin 7 and the Barum Polaris 6. These were tested against the Tomket Snowroad SUV 3, Lassa Competus Winter 2+, and Ceat WinterDrive SUV. The lineup also featured the Kormoran SUV Snow and Riken SUV Snow, two tires from the Michelin group with identical tread patterns, both produced in Serbia.

ADAC are one of the most respected sources of tires tests for a good reason, they are fully independent, and do things most others cannot do such as wear tests, real world fuel usage tests instead of a machine measurement of rolling resistance, and even ice testing for their all season and winter tests.

For their 2025 winter tire test, ADAC have tested a huge 32 patterns in 225/40 R18. 

In their 2025 winter tire comparison, the team from Die Reifentester evaluated seven leading winter tires, plus an all‑season control tire, in the popular 215/55 R17 dimension. 

For their 2025 winter tire test, Auto Express have tested eight popular winter tires in 225/45 R17.

As always we suggest you visit the Auto Express website on the link below for the full details, but here is our summary.

Vi Bilägare has completed their latest winter tire test, evaluating seven dedicated Nordic friction tires and one all-season tire in size 225/45 R17. The reigning champion, Continental VikingContact 7, has been replaced by the VikingContact 8, which is tested against competitors from Goodyear, Michelin, Nokian, and Hankook. The test also included two budget tires, Radar and Greenmax.

The excellent magazine Vi Bilagare tested seven studded tires and one friction (non-studded) winter tire - the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5. Testing was conducted in various locations across Finland and Sweden, using a Volkswagen Golf for most tests.

These are the result from 2024 Auto Express Winter Tire Test

As with this years Tire Reviews winter tire test, Auto Bild Sportscars conducted a winter tire test in the 235/35 R19 size. 

While we had a slightly different test field, the good tires were still good, which is always nice. The cheap tires in this test, a Radar and Auto Green, again prove that you get what you pay for, with both tires doing well in one category (snow) but then being complete disasters in the dry and wet.

Below is all the glorious data from the Auto Bild full winter test, in 205/55 R16. These are the top 20 tires that made it through the 53 tire shootout, so they're all essentially good tires, they're just different shades of good.

Auto Zeitung, a German automotive publication, has conducted a tire test comparing the performance of all-season and winter tires. The test features 10 premium touring tires in size 215/55 R17, including three all-season and seven winter options, across various driving conditions.

The test results highlight the difference differences between all-season and winter tires. In dry conditions, all-season tires consistently outperformed their winter counterparts, demonstrating shorter braking distances and faster handling times. This showcases their versatility in warmer weather.

The gap between all-season and winter tires narrowed in wet conditions. While some all-season tires still excelled, certain winter tires, notably the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005, showed impressive wet performance, sometimes surpassing their all-season rivals.

As expected, winter tires generally dominated in snowy conditions. However, the test revealed that some high-quality all-season tires could compete effectively with winter tires in light to moderate snow, particularly in traction and lateral grip tests.

Here is the 17" version of the excellent ADAC 2024 winter tire test! As with the 16" ADAC test, there's no huge surprises from the data, it's an impressive showing from Goodyear Dunlop to take the top two places, and Vredestein continues to impress in winter tire tests with the Wintrac Pro (not the new Plus version.)

Continental will be surprised that its second tier brand Semperit out performed the TS 870 P, and the Davanti Wintoura + manages to offer the worst wet grip and snow grip, which is impressive in its own right. Unusually, there was no Michelin in this test.