And again it is cheap Chinese tires that fail the ÖAMTC’s big winter tire test. Failure rate this time: 100 percent. Two were tested, both scrap. But it is not difficult to find good tires that will get you through the winter safely. Out of 34 specimens, seven were rated “very recommendable”, and 24 were rated “recommendable”.
The club and its partners selected the dimensions 195/65 R15 91T and 225/50 R17 94V in order to test them with regard to their driving and safety properties as well as comfort and economy.
195/65 R15 91T: Four winners among the little ones
In one of the best-selling winter tire sizes, four models are “highly recommended”: Dunlop Winter Response 2, Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, Michelin Alpin 6 and Vredestein Wintrac. ÖAMTC technician Steffan Kerbl: “In the end, these products only differ in details. An example: Dunlop and Vredestein are characterized by particularly low fuel consumption, but in return they have to let Goodyear go first when it comes to performance on wet roads. ”These differences should not be ignored, but ultimately you get one with each of these winter tires Very balanced product in all categories.
The middle field for this tire size is made up of eleven models that were rated “recommended”. “The weak points of the individual tires are not too great, but they differ depending on the model,” says Kerbl. “Most of the time, the performance on wet roads is not entirely satisfactory, some tires also have minor problems in the dry and on snow, or they are not entirely convincing in terms of fuel consumption.”
Conditionally recommendable = almost failed
The weakest 195 in the current winter tire test is the Kumho Wintercraft WP51, which was the only one to be rated “conditionally recommendable”. “A close result – if the tire had been a bit better on a dry road, it would have been enough for a ‘recommended’, despite slight weaknesses in the wet. Annoying for Kumho, because in all other criteria the Wintercraft WP51 can easily keep up with the midfield, ”says Kerbl.
225/50 R17 94V: Three top, two fail completely
Essentially, the picture is similar to that of the 195s in the larger dimensions: The models from Dunlop (Winter Sport 5), Michelin (Alpin 6) and Goodyear (UltraGrip Performance +) can also be recommended to every consumer here. Goodyear offers the most balanced product, Michelin designed the model with the lowest wear and Dunlop the best for snow, summarizes the ÖAMTC.
Behind the top 3 there is a broad midfield with products from various manufacturers. If you are looking for a winter tire that has a particularly favorable effect on fuel consumption, you can use the ESA + TECAR Supergrip Pro, which achieves the best values in this criterion.
Kerbl wrote a mark on the testimony of the only two Chinese candidates in the test: “The mobility club clearly advises against buying the Z-507 Super Snow and the Linglong Green-Max Winter UHP.” With Goodride, the explanation for the poor result lies in the properties on snow, especially when starting and handling. The Linglong, on the other hand, would even be in the front midfield in snow – but it falls through on wet roads. “There is nothing to gloss over here – after all, snow and moisture are the road conditions that occur very often in winter,” Kerbl clarifies.
Goodride has nothing to do with Goodyear, but belongs to Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber, the largest tire manufacturer in China. Linglong, on the other hand, is the third largest tire manufacturer from the Middle Kingdom.
By the way: Laufenn belongs to Hankook, Sava to Goodyear. Giti Tires (GT-Radial Winterpro 2) comes from Singapore, Maxxis from Taiwan. Esa + Tecar tires are sold in Switzerland. It is a Swiss purchasing association that works with several brand manufacturers.