Eleven not recommended

Big test: The best winter tires for your car

(Bild: ÖAMTC)

Four winter tires failed the test, seven others are not recommended - keep your eyes open when buying winter tires, you could say. The ÖAMTC and its partners tested 28 models in two dimensions - and of course found some good examples. Here are the results.

Two main criteria were tested: On the one hand, driving safety was assessed on dry, wet and winter roads (70 percent of the overall rating), and on the other hand, all test candidates were examined with regard to their environmental balance (30 percent).

A very good result is practically impossible to achieve, says ÖAMTC tire expert Steffan Kerbl, so "good" is the top result, and "satisfactory" is also recommended with restrictions. The club strongly advises against tires rated "sufficient", and "insufficient" anyway.

205/55 R16: The lower mid-range dimension
The results in the 205/55 R16 91H dimension in quick succession: Three times "good", four times each "satisfactory" and "sufficient" as well as one "not sufficient". Kerbl sees the models from Continental, Goodyear and Michelin as balanced: there are no serious weaknesses on the various road conditions, and they all score well with good mileage.

(Bild: ÖAMTC)

The differences lie in the details: While the Continental takes the top spot in terms of safety and is particularly impressive on wet and winter roads, the Michelin plays its trump card in terms of environmental performance and scores highly in terms of mileage, abrasion and efficiency. The Goodyear tire lies between these two main criteria, making it the all-rounder in the top 3.

The tires from Hankook, Dunlop, Nokian Tyres and Falken, which were rated "satisfactory", have slight weaknesses in various criteria - but they can still be an alternative, depending on the driving profile, according to the expert.

The candidates from Zeetex, GT Radial, Vredestein and Pirelli are different: their clear weaknesses on at least one surface lead to an overall rating of "sufficient".

The Winrun Winter-max A1 WR22 is absolutely unsuitable: The winter tire from China failed the test on wet roads - a road condition that is very common in winter.

(Bild: ÖAMTC)

215/55 R17: The dimension for lower mid-range SUVs
Out of 16 candidates in the SUV dimension, three are particularly well-balanced: "Goodyear, Dunlop and Vredestein can succeed in both the safety and environmental ratings and receive a clear recommendation to buy with the grade 'good'," states Kerbl. For the broad midfield rated "satisfactory", which includes the models from Semperit, Hankook, Continental, Pirelli, Yokohama, Giti and Firestone, the following applies: "Acceptable as an alternative if you are aware of the respective strengths and weaknesses of the tires.

At the lower end of the table, there are three candidates in the 215 category that only achieve an "adequate" rating: Viking, Kumho and Maxxis deliver products that have good mileage but are clearly inadequate on dry roads.

All test results at a glance - click to enlarge!

(Bild: ÖAMTC)

Three tires are "not sufficient": The Triangle WinterX TW401 and the Davanti Wintoura + have a very poor performance on wet roads - they are far behind. The Kenda tire, on the other hand, performs well in the wet, but shows considerable weaknesses on dry roads. Apart from that, a Kenda Wintergen 2 KR501 weighs around 12.4 kilos, which is 3.6 kilos more than the Goodyear of the same size. This results in considerable deductions in the environmental rating.

Why again no "very good"?
The club technician explains the difficulty of achieving an "A" in the tire test as follows: "There are indeed some tires that achieve the values required for 'very good' in individual areas. However, it is hardly possible to achieve this in all tested criteria, because top values in one category usually mean compromises in another area. So tire production is always a compromise."

Why are unsafe tires allowed to be sold?
The tests carried out by the ÖAMTC and its partner organizations are much stricter than the standards that must be met for a product to be approved - which is why products that receive a "not sufficient" are also available on the market. However, you should not buy them.