Winter Ultra High Performance 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. 

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.

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.

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.

In this test, we selected 6 of the best ultra-high-performance winter tires, and compared them against all-season and summer tires to reveal their true capabilities. We evaluated their performance in dry, wet, snow, and ice conditions, along with comfort, noise, and rolling resistance. The results were remarkably close, and the data from the all season and summer tires is really interesting.

The 2023 Tire Reviews UHP winter tire test was an unusual test for Tire Reviews. Due to travel schedules I was unable to drive the snow part of the testing, and as these tires have been tested before this year I wouldn't have usually run such a similar test again, but this one had the possibility of a real world wear test which is hard to say no to. 

The results, well they are very interesting and shine a new light on some of the products tested.

The 2023 Sport Auto winter tire test has tested ten uhp winter tires using and Audi S3.

Why do you only see nine in the results below? The Kumho WinterCraft WP 52 was part of the tire test but was eventually disqualified due to specific issues. While it showed moderate performance on snow and impressive braking capabilities on wet surfaces, it had a tendency to quickly lose grip in curves. The test tires provided by the manufacturer demonstrated strong grip and a neutral, active behavior in wet conditions, along with very short braking distances on dry surfaces. 

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​.

Following on from the massive 54 winter tire shootout in the popular 225/45 R18 size using a BMW 3 Series, Autobild have taken the top 20 tires through to their full testing program to to work out exactly what tire is best overall.

As always, the Autobild tests are amongst the best in the industry, so enjoy all the below data!

The 2023 Auto Bild winter tire test has started by testing fifty-four performance winter tires in wet braking, and then put the best thirty-one tires through to a snow braking test, to find out the best fifteen tires for their full winter testing program!

This is an impressive, and massive undertaking, and we applaud them for it. This test shows exactly which tires perform well in the key safety braking tests, and where the cheap winter tires can lose out.

The 2023/24 Tire Reviews winter tire test has tested eleven of the most popular winter tires on the market in the dry, wet and snow, and also analysed the rolling resistance, noise and comfort levels of the tires to help you decide what the best tire is for your own driving needs!

Every year ADAC perform some of the most in depth tire tests in the world, and this years 17 inch winter tire test is no different.

For 2023 ADAC have taken15 of the most popular winter tires in 225/45 R17 and tested them in all the usual tests, such as dry, wet and snow performance, but also put all 15 sets through ice braking, a real world road wear test, and measured particulate matter to tell you which tire is best for the environment. 

The 2022 Auto Bild Sports Car UHP Winter Tire Test has tested nine popular performance winter tires in the large 245/40 R19 size using a Cupra Formenta.

Following on from the fifty six winter tire braking shootout, these are the top twenty winter tires in the full Auto Bild Full Winter Tire Test! 

As with the Auto Bild All Season tire test, Auto Bild have performed one of the best winter tire tests of the year, and have even tested wear! Overall the results are going to cause a little confusion, as the Michelin Alpin 6 wins this test overall, after performing relatively poorly in the 2022/23 Tire Reviews Winter Tire Test.

While the test sizes are similar, both 17" wheels, it's important to note that the Tire Reviews test was 225/45 R17 and this test 215/55 R17. This result for the Alpin 6 is far more in line with the norm for the French winter tire, which makes us further believe there was a problem with the tires we tested this year. In short, there's no need to avoid the Michelin Alpin 6!

Once again the German publication Auto Bild have tested more winter tires than anyone else in 2022! This years Auto Bild Winter Tire Test starts with 56 winter tires in 215/55 R17 which are all put through a wet braking test, with the top 30 also placed in a snow braking test, then the top 20 will be carried over to the full test.

The 2022 Auto Zeitung performance winter tire test has tested eight popular winter tires in 225/45 R17.

Continental, Bridgestone and Michelin all perform well, with the Continental WinterContact TS870 taking another win in 2022 winter tire tests thanks to a well balanced performance in all conditions, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 performing extremely well in the dry and wet, and the Michelin Alpin 6 offering good grip in all conditions.

The first winter tire test for 2022 is here, and it's the Auto Motor Und Sport UHP winter tire test! This year AMS tested eight patterns in 245/45 R19 using an Audi A6 test vehicle.

There's almost nothing surprising about this test, it's nice when a test makes sense. At the front we have the Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 and Continental WinterContact TS870P (two of Tire Reviews favorite UHP Winter tires), with the wet masters Vredestein and Bridgestone following them up in third and fourth places overall.

The 2021 Auto Bild Sportscars winter tire test has tested twelve of the best winter tires in 245/40 R18 size using a Mercedes C Class, AND have included a summer and all season tire as reference.

This is exceptionally useful for those of us wondering whether to fit winter or all season tires for the bigger while size, and for a change Auto Bild named the all season tire used, it's the Vredestein Quatrac Pro. 

There are however some drawbacks to the single reference tire. The Quatrac Pro is an older patter now, and certainly not the best all season tire on the market anymore. This means while it was good in the dry, it didn't beat all the winter tires as you'd expect (the Michelin CrossClimate 2 certainly would have), it struggled in the wet, and if you'd expected it to come last in a group of winter tires in the snow tests, you're also in for a surprise.

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.