Magazine Winter Performance Tests Reach Finals for 19 Tires

German auto magazine AutoBild has set the field of 19 winter season tires to face its full range of testing, the results of which will be revealed later this year.

The magazine started with 49 dedicated winter and two all-season tires – in size 185/60R15 – and ran them through wet and snow braking measurements to pare the field down.

Tyres & Accessories reported that a number of tires fell at the first hurdle because they exceeded the required wet runway minimum stopping distance of 44 meters at full braking from 80km/h. Brands such as Achilles, Hifly, Imperial, Cormorant, Linglong, Maxxis, Minerva, Nordexx, Rotalla, Sailun, Taurus, Tigar, Tracmax, Tristar, and Zeetex joined Avon’s Ice Touring, Aeolus’ SnowAce AW02, Cooper’s WM-SA2, Nankang’s Winter Activa SV-2, Marshal’s I’Zen MW15, Nexen’s Winguard Sport, Toyo’s Snowprox S943, and the Vredestein Snowtrac 5 in being eliminated at the first cut.

While these tires met the braking test standard, these had the longest braking distances and were cut in the second round: BFGoodrich g-Force Winter, Goodyear Vector 4Seasons, Kumho Winter Craft WP51, Ovation W-586, Sava Eskimo S3+, Matador MP92 Sibir Snow, Sportivas SnowWin, Torque TQ022, and Yokohama W.drive V905.

Only the best 19 with the shortest total braking distance on wet and snow-covered roads (measured at 50km/h) made it through to the full test of 16 individual disciplines – including handling, traction, aquaplaning safety, noise, and rolling resistance.

Tires making it to the final were:

• Apollo Alnac Winter

• Barum Polaris 3

• Bridgestone Blizzak LM001

• Continental WinterContact TS 850

• Dunlop WinterResponse 2

• Falken Eurowinter HS449

• Firestone Winterhawk 3

• Fulda Kristall Montero 3

• Gislaved Euro Frost 5

• Goodyear Ultra Grip 9

• Hankook Winter I’Cept RS2