The Barum Polaris 5 is a mid-range winter touring tire that leans heavily into value and low running costs, while still delivering reassuring traction in snow and typical cold-weather conditions. Drivers often describe it as predictable and comfortable for everyday winter use, and independent testing supports its strong efficiency and respectable wear. The main caveat is wet-weather safety: professional tests repeatedly show weaker wet grip and aquaplaning resistance, with some drivers echoing concerns in heavy rain or cold wet conditions.
The quick answer
Owners say62%from 16 owner reviews33% would buy againRead the reviews
Strengths & weaknessesValue, WetComfort, IceRelative 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 October 2026.
The Barum Polaris 5 performs well in winter conditions and on dry roads, offering safe driving behavior. Its low rolling resistance is a plus for fuel efficiency. However, its poor performance in wet conditions and low resistance to aquaplaning are significant concerns. This tire might be suitable for areas with predominantly dry, cold winters but is less ideal for regions with wet winter conditions.
Strong: Snow Traction, Rolling Resistance ·Winner: Continental WinterContact TS 870
Every independent test of the Barum Polaris 5, newest first
In 205/55 R16, the Barum Polaris 5 is projected to cost €15.89 per 1,000 miles to buy and run - about €397 over 25,000 miles - based on the price, wear and rolling resistance measured in the 2024 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 2024 test; financing costs are excluded.
Across the 12 wet-braking tests it has featured in, the Barum Polaris 5 stops 5.6% longer than premium rivals, 0.9% longer than mid-range rivals and 5.3% shorter than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews wet score of 61/100, and owners rate it 6.5/10 in the wet from 16 reviews.
How good is the Barum Polaris 5 in the dry?
Across the 6 dry-braking tests it has featured in, the Barum Polaris 5 stops 2.5% longer than premium rivals, 1.6% longer than mid-range rivals and 4.1% longer than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews dry score of 50/100, and owners rate it 6.8/10 in the dry from 16 reviews.
How good is the Barum Polaris 5 in the snow?
Across the 12 snow-braking tests it has featured in, the Barum Polaris 5 stops 1.6% longer than premium rivals, 0.5% shorter than mid-range rivals and 9.1% shorter than budget rivals. Across the 6 snow-traction tests, it is 2.4% worse than premium rivals, 1.1% worse than mid-range rivals and 19.2% better than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews snow score of 54/100, and owners rate it 6.8/10 in the snow from 16 reviews.
How good is the Barum Polaris 5 on ice?
Across the 2 ice-braking tests it has featured in, the Barum Polaris 5 stops 4.3% longer than premium rivals, 0.3% longer than mid-range rivals and 1.6% longer than budget rivals. Across the 1 ice-traction test, it is 0.8% better than premium rivals, 0.1% worse than mid-range rivals and 5.5% worse than budget rivals. It has a Tire Reviews ice score of 23/100, and owners rate it 5.5/10 on ice from 16 reviews.
How fuel efficient is the Barum Polaris 5?
Across the 5 tests measuring rolling resistance, the Barum Polaris 5's rolling resistance is 7.2% lower than premium rivals, 10.2% lower than mid-range rivals and 9.3% lower than budget rivals.
More questions about the Barum Polaris 5(10)
How many miles does the Barum Polaris 5 last?
Based on test and owner data, the Barum Polaris 5 is expected to last around 24,987 miles (40,213 km).
What do owners say about the Barum Polaris 5?
Across 16 owner ratings the Barum Polaris 5 averages 62%. Owners rate Comfort highest at 6.8 out of 10 and Ice Grip lowest at 5.5. 2 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 54% of owners score it 70% or better.
How much does the Barum Polaris 5 cost to run?
In 205/55 R16, the Barum Polaris 5 is projected to cost €15.89 per 1,000 miles to buy and run - about €397 over 25,000 miles - based on the price, wear and rolling resistance measured in the 2024 Auto Bild Winter Tire Test. Of the tires compared in that test, that makes it the cheapest to run.
What is the Barum Polaris 5's EU tire label rating?
Across its range, the Barum Polaris 5 most commonly carries EU label ratings of D for fuel efficiency, C for wet grip and 72 dB for noise.
How comfortable and quiet are the Barum Polaris 5?
Owners rate the Barum Polaris 5 6.8 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 13 reviews.
How well do the Barum Polaris 5 wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the Barum Polaris 5 6.6 out of 10 for wear across 13 reviews. 2 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 3,000 miles.
Would owners buy the Barum Polaris 5 again?
33% of owners say they would buy the Barum Polaris 5 again, based on the 15 owner reviews that answered the question. 13% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
What do owners say about the Barum Polaris 5's snow traction?
Of the 13 owner reviews analyzed for the Barum Polaris 5, 8 mention snow traction: 6 praise it (strong snow traction) and 2 criticise it (weak snow traction). One owner wrote: "I feel safe with them on snowy or icy roads". Read those reviews
What does the Barum Polaris 5 replace?
The Barum Polaris 5 is the successor to the Barum Polaris 3 in Barum's range.
What sizes does the Barum Polaris 5 come in?
The Barum Polaris 5 is available in 96 sizes, ranging from 135-255/35-80 R13-19.
Most drivers report that the Barum Polaris 5 delivers strong snow and ice traction with solid wet and acceptable dry grip for typical winter use, offering good comfort and low noise for many at a value price. High-scoring reviews highlight safety, predictability, and good wear in cold conditions. However, a minority cite poor wet traction, high noise at certain speeds, and faster wear or higher fuel consumption in some cases. Overall sentiment is mixed-to-positive, with winter performance as the standout strength.
What owners mention most counted across 13 reviews
Tap one to read only the reviews that mention it.
Owner ratings averaged from 16 ratings
Owner score62%
Comfort68%
Dry Grip68%
Snow Grip68%
Wear66%
Wet Grip65%
Road Feedback63%
Handling63%
Ice Grip55%
Featured reviews
Most helpful 76%
“Bought these tires last year for my 2015 520d, id never buy them but my tire shop was selling them for really cheap with little bit older dot (2023), seemed good for ice and snow, rain is ok but during heavy rain i...”
“worst tires ever i have. changed 7 year old michelin alpin to new barum polaris, and in all conditions it worse than old tires was. this tires are actually dangerous, should not allowed to sell. what they doing in wet...”
throwed them after few months, i dont think thise condoms are safe to drive, because of low grip.
10 years old, used michelin alpin still better than this piece of sht
Bought these tires last year for my 2015 520d, id never buy them but my tire shop was selling them for really cheap with little bit older dot (2023), seemed good for ice and snow, rain is ok but during heavy rain i didnt feel much what the tires were doing, on autobahn when you first hit some snow on the road going over 80kmh the car would wiggle a bit but then it was stable, comfort and noise are ok but there is a really annoying noise from the tires above 130-140kmh.
Overall i would not recommend them as they cost as much as hankook or falken, but the polaris 6 seems to have a lot better reviews than polaris 5 so it might be a much better tire.
They are still above 8mm tread after around 5000-6000km so wear is good.
Check out how the BEST all seasons tires perform against premium summer and winter tires!
Ideal tires for my car. I have them for fourth winter now and i think they will last me for at least two more. I drive a lot on highways. I feel safe with them on snowy or icy roads.
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worst tires ever i have. changed 7 year old michelin alpin to new barum polaris, and in all conditions it worse than old tires was.
this tires are actually dangerous, should not allowed to sell. what they doing in wet roads is totally dangerous! in +2-5 celsius wet roads absolutely no traction.
I'm not going to buy them again cuz they're very loud inside the car, even at 10 kmh. They make a very low, base level thud and rumble as if the town fanfare beat 3 big drums... I've only driven them once, it was in the wet. They were brand new.
I've driven them on my Dacia Lodgy (2013 model). I had just replaced my Semperit SpeedGrip2 with them. I had driven on Semperit SpeedGrip2 for 3 winters, those were very quiet.
60%
Member
BMW
205/60 R15
2,000 miles
A Combination of Roads
Spirited
Surprisingly quiet, good snow traction, but quite a lot of wear and higgh fuel consumption, thats dissapointing because these two parameters were important for me and i guess for everybody who buys budget tires..
As an update to my initial impressions review from just over 12 months ago I can only say am more impressed with these tires as time goes on. When pushing on in dry and wet conditions at freezing to well above that they grip excellently and as a result my driving style hasn't needed to be adjusted (which is why I choose to use the right tires in the right season). Snow performance is excellent, but I never push on in those conditions so have been nowhere near the limit.
In summary, they're safe, predictable and you've got to push very hard to get them to break away in UK winter conditions. Let's me just focus on enjoying the driving. Glad I broke clear of the more expensive brands given my experience with them, and these - every bit as good.
Brilliant Winter tire, truly suited to frequent snow and ice.
They have so much grip in fact the only limiting factor is the ground clearance of the vehicle.
Dry grip is good and wet grip is impressive. Braking on wet roads, snow and ice is incredible. Better than the previous Polaris 3 tires. These tires are certainly for below 7 degrees, when the temperature gets above this the turn in handling and braking reduces quite quickly. The tires are reasonably quiet and offer decent fuel economy. Only 5-6 mpg less that the summer tires @ 25c deg .
Value wise there excellent, i got a set of 5x from my tires .com for £58 fitted and balanced each at a local tire shop.
If you live in the countryside or have a family or commuter car then these would be ideal, there designed really for proper winter conditions. If you have a sportier car like a jaguar or Maserati then I would advise you look at something like Pirelli sottozero winter or Goodyear Ultragrip Performance as these will perform better at higher speeds. But for the money you will not be disappointed at the winter grip and safety.
In this size very good.
Solid dry and wet grip, at temperatures below 5 degrees Celsius better than summer tires.
As the temperature goes down the tires work better even on snow and ice.
Excellent snow and ice grip, except wet ice of course (there is no grip without spikes on wet ice).
This is not a tire to drive at the limit, but is excellent for the price.
After 6000km (at temperatures under 10 degrees Celsius) on front wheel drive car, front tires wear is under 1mm, rear tires as new.
Very comfortable, and very silent but Accords have good noise insulation so can't say for other cars.
Fitted Barum Polaris 5 after owning Sava. The car even being an awd is almost unusable during the snow, even cars with rwd on michelin alpin are doing better. Certainly not reccomended as winter tire.
I've had them on an AWD small SUV for almost 3000 km so far. They are very comfortable compared to the 19inch Continental Sport Contact 5 that I have for summer, but that might be due to the size difference as well. Traction in the snow is very good, as well as handling.
I even pushed them on a winding mountain road, in the wet, and the grip was very good, though I wouldn't say they were made for this type of driving.
Considering the very low price, they're a great buy is your a normal, everyday driver and won't push them to the limits all the time.
