The Barum Polaris 3 is a Central European winter tire with strong snow capability, a low purchase price and generally favorable owner impressions of comfort. Wet handling, aquaplaning resistance and dry braking are more frequent test limitations, while wear and efficiency vary.
The quick answer
Owners say85%from 18 owner reviews94% would buy againRead the reviews
Strengths & weaknessesSnow, ValueDry, ComfortRelative to its rivals across every test we hold
Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tire - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated January 2025.
In 195/65 R15, the Barum Polaris 3 is projected to cost €19.76 per 1,000 miles to buy and run - about €494 over 25,000 miles - based on the price, wear and rolling resistance measured in the 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tire Test.
Tire purchase + fittingExtra fuel vs the most efficient tirecost per 1,000 miles
Assumes a typical car doing 29 mpg (rolling resistance causing 20% of fuel use), fuel at €6.25 per gallon and €70 fitting per set of four. Purchase prices are from the time of the 2018 test; financing costs are excluded.
Across the 2 wet-braking tests it has featured in, the Barum Polaris 3 stops 5.5% longer than premium rivals, 1.1% longer than mid-range rivals and 2.4% longer than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews wet score of 44/100, and owners rate it 8.8/10 in the wet from 18 reviews.
How good is the Barum Polaris 3 in the dry?
Across the 2 dry-braking tests it has featured in, the Barum Polaris 3 stops 2% longer than premium rivals, 2.3% longer than mid-range rivals and 6.6% longer than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews dry score of 36/100, and owners rate it 8.2/10 in the dry from 18 reviews.
How good is the Barum Polaris 3 in the snow?
Across the 2 snow-braking tests it has featured in, the Barum Polaris 3 stops 1.7% shorter than premium rivals, 0.4% shorter than mid-range rivals and 20.2% shorter than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews snow score of 74/100, and owners rate it 9/10 in the snow from 18 reviews.
How fuel efficient is the Barum Polaris 3?
Across the 2 tests measuring rolling resistance, the Barum Polaris 3's rolling resistance is 5.8% lower than premium rivals, 5.3% lower than mid-range rivals and 2.4% lower than budget rivals.
How many miles does the Barum Polaris 3 last?
Based on test and owner data, the Barum Polaris 3 is expected to last around 23,240 miles (37,401 km).
More questions about the Barum Polaris 3(11)
What do owners say about the Barum Polaris 3?
Across 18 owner ratings the Barum Polaris 3 averages 85%. Owners rate Snow Grip highest at 9 out of 10 and Ice Grip lowest at 8. 5 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 94% of owners score it 70% or better.
How much does the Barum Polaris 3 cost to run?
In 195/65 R15, the Barum Polaris 3 is projected to cost €19.76 per 1,000 miles to buy and run - about €494 over 25,000 miles - based on the price, wear and rolling resistance measured in the 2018 Auto Bild Winter Tire Test. The cheapest to run in that test is the Goodyear UltraGrip 9, at €15.68.
What is the Barum Polaris 3's EU tire label rating?
Across its range, the Barum Polaris 3 most commonly carries EU label ratings of E for fuel efficiency, C for wet grip and 71 dB for noise.
How comfortable and quiet are the Barum Polaris 3?
Owners rate the Barum Polaris 3 8.6 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 17 reviews.
How well do the Barum Polaris 3 wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the Barum Polaris 3 8.7 out of 10 for wear across 17 reviews. 5 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 6,750 miles.
Would owners buy the Barum Polaris 3 again?
94% of owners say they would buy the Barum Polaris 3 again, based on the 17 owner reviews that answered the question. 47% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
What do owners say about the Barum Polaris 3's snow traction?
Of the 15 owner reviews analyzed for the Barum Polaris 3, 9 mention snow traction: 9 praise it (strong snow traction) and 0 criticise it (weak snow traction). One owner wrote: "Did not at any point feel out of place in those conditions". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Barum Polaris 3's wet grip?
Of the 15 owner reviews analyzed for the Barum Polaris 3, 8 mention wet grip: 7 praise it (confident wet grip) and 1 criticise it (weak wet grip). One owner wrote: "Best Tire I've used yet on wet roads". Read those reviews
What does the Barum Polaris 3 replace?
The Barum Polaris 3 is the successor to the Barum Polaris 2 in Barum's range.
Has the Barum Polaris 3 been replaced?
The Barum Polaris 3 has been replaced by the Barum Polaris 5.
What sizes does the Barum Polaris 3 come in?
The Barum Polaris 3 is available in 7 sizes, ranging from 165-235/55-80 R13-16.
Snow traction is the clearest owner-reported strength of the Barum Polaris 3, with wet grip and grip on ice also drawing frequent praise. Comfort and low noise are generally liked, though not everyone finds it quiet. The main recurring reservation is fuel consumption, raised by two different drivers, including the owner who reviewed it three times. That returning owner remains strongly positive through nearly 20,000 miles, describing retained wet and dry grip, but this is one person rather than a general ageing pattern. Other later-use accounts range from good wear to early replacement of the driven-axle tire, so tread life is encouraging rather than uniform.
What owners mention most counted across 15 reviews
Tap one to read only the reviews that mention it.
Owner ratings averaged from 18 ratings
Owner score85%
Snow Grip90%
Wet Grip88%
Wear87%
Comfort86%
Road Feedback83%
Dry Grip82%
Handling80%
Ice Grip80%
Featured reviews
Most helpful 56%
“Bought winter 2017. Snow grip was ok and I was able to get up steep hills covered in snow. Dry and wet grip was adequate on the move, but the rear tires would often struggle to grip from standstill in wet or dry. Tire...”
“An update on my previous review. I've done just under 20,000 miles on these Polaris 3 tires now and they've been nothing short of incredible. Rear tires are down to 4mm, the sipes in the tire are just about visible...”
I've bought them in january 2016 for my winter set on steel wheels. Seat Ibiza 1,4 86HP. First two seasons very good,after that they are a bit harder but quite ok. Driving on them here in Vojvodina(Serbia) and Hungary from oktober to march. During january 2019 tested in very hard snow and icy roads,job well done. Satisfied. They are cheaper brand of Continental-made in Slovakia,for my dimensions, but they are Czech brand. Wear is excellent. Not loud tire. Good choice for normal drive. Recommendations. Closest relatives are Viking,Matador,Sportiva and Gislaved tires...mid range,should buy it. Winter is not for sporty drive. I wish u all many happy kilometers and drive carefully.
Member
Mazda
225/45 R17
10,000 miles
A Combination of Roads
Spirited
The basic tire for moderate driving. When I want to push it to the limit, it isn't perfect. But for 90% of journeys it is OK. When you want cheap and good tire, Barum is the right choise.
Check out how the BEST all seasons tires perform against premium summer and winter tires!
Bought winter 2017. Snow grip was ok and I was able to get up steep hills covered in snow.
Dry and wet grip was adequate on the move, but the rear tires would often struggle to grip from standstill in wet or dry.
Tire wear was poor with the rears only having 3mm tread after 6,000 miles. The fronts had 6mm remaining.
I will use the fronts for another Winter, but the rears need replacing.
Which tires do you drive?
Researching the Barum Polaris 3? Rate the tires you actually drive - and help the next buyer choose.
I use these tires on a tuned 400hp BMW 3-series with rear-wheel drive traction. Let me tell you, I am simply amazed by these tires for the price. Snow grip is incredible, effortless in any type of snow, but what's shocking is that the dry and wet grip are almost on the same level too ! The only real con for this tire is the braking distance on both dry and wet, it is below the stellar traction characteristics. Fuel consumption is also not stellar, but it's in line with other tires that I have used. Just make sure you inflate your tires as recommended in order to maintain optimum mileage.
All in all, I would recommend this tire if you need a good winter tire that has great traction in any conditions.
An update on my previous review.
I've done just under 20,000 miles on these Polaris 3 tires now and they've been nothing short of incredible.
Rear tires are down to 4mm, the sipes in the tire are just about visible.
Front tires are down to 3mm and there are no more sipes visible.
The tires are perfectly drive able, still perform well in the wet and dry. I have just ordered a replacement set because the sipes in the tread are pretty much worn and from previous experience this can severely impact the traction and braking on snow and ice. Although the tread depth and the tires could safely go on for a few more thousand miles.
To sum these tires up there a perfect mix from the motorway to the snowy hills.
Last winter I drove from the south of Devon through sheet rain for 7 hours then further on to Inverness through a pretty nasty snow storm. The last 50 minuites of the trip in particular were through 4" of fresh snow up and down hills. Did not at any point feel out of place in those conditions. Really designed well and when your commuting at 50mph+ there quiet and comfortable.
Only bad points is the fuel consumption. It's not really bad, but going from Goodyear efficient grip performance tires with a fuel B rating to these barum Polaris 3 tires that are a fuel E rated tire it's about 3-5 MPG less depending on speeds.
But seriously for cold wet weather safety there great!
Shibby
Got the tires brand new and used for 1 winter. Quite good grip on wet, snow, and around curves. Excellent breaking qualities even on wet, so one could rely on that too. Safely took me home when the highway was closed and most cars could not or barely moved through the snow. I drove with 60km/h and felt the car rather stable through the blizzard. Definitely recommend!
Haven't run them for a long time. The tires seem comfortable and stable on small patches of ice. A little bit noisy, but it doesn't bother me. For now , I would recommend .
Bought them at a sale for 28 GBP each.
Review update.
I've don't 7500 miles on these tires now and have just rotated them. After 7500 miles the front tires tread depth is 6.5mm and the rear tires tread depth is 7mm. Original depth was 8mm. So they are wearing well and evenly. Better than other winter tires I've used in the past.
Wet traction over the last month has been very impressive both handling and braking are sharp and precise. The last few weeks has allowed me to test them on ice. Again very good, offering good steering feedback when accelerating and cornering. Ice braking is quite impressive for a non studded tire (around 25mph). Not yet tried it on snow.
Only down side would be fuel consumption. But it could be due to fitting heavier steel wheels. Fuel consumption has dropped 3.5mpg over summer tires.
Still joint top safest tire for winter I've used. 9/10
I am on my second season in Ontario Canada and at about 20,000km driven on this tire. They have performed well and I feel comfortable driving in all conditions. Especially better in the dry cold than other winter tires I have used in the past.
Exceptional winter Tire. Best Tire I've used yet on wet roads and offers lots of traction and safety on snow and ice. Only covered 3000 miles, but Tire looks like new. Easy and comfy to drive on, but also surprisingly agile and sure footed when pushed. Best winter Tire I've used to date, ideal for cold wet British roads.
