European snow tire test, 17".....@
12-10-2002, 10:26 AM
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Auto Motor und Sport is one of best German sources. Remember results for 17" tires may differ
slightly for 16" tires when tested. May differ also if you factor in the other tire dimensions and cars used for tests (e.g., AWD TT vs RWD 330 vs FWD Volvo).
I've read 7 to 8 German tests on winter tire rankings, but I have probably seen only a fraction of what is available in Europe.
On 205/55 R16 winter tires, perhaps one of most respected tests is by German ADAC (Europe's largest AA) rated the following for winter conditions:
Top Marks (tied):
- Continental WinterCont. TS 790 (tied best wet, tied best comfort, tied second snow))
- Goodyear Eagle UG GW3 (tied best dry, tied best wear, tied second noise)
- Pirelli Winter 210 Snowsport (best snow, tied best dry)
- Nokian NRW all weather (different from WR winter tire...tied best wet)
- Semperit Sports grip (best ice, tied second best snow, tied best dry, best value! a Continental brand)
Bridgestone Blizzak LM22, Dunlop Sport M3, Fulda Kristall Rotego, Pneumtic PN 150 Wintec were in next group, and so on. Michelin Pilot Alpin probably wasn't tested because it had been tested in a previous ADAC test and achieved only an above average result against those older tires.
Most other reviews of 16" snow tires rated either the Pirellis or Continental first choice overall. However, different tires tend to be better at different things - snow, dry, wet, noise, wear, etc. So it depends what you need from the tire.
Thanks for the reputable AMuS info on 17" tire tests. BTW, your order of finish may be incorrect. The AMuS test (see Rangliste) ranked the #1 ranked winter tires as Nokian WR, Pirelli 210 Snowsport and Goodyear UG GW3. The Nokian was not the best in any criteria, but hovered near the top or above average in many criteria. The Michelin Pilot Alpin and Dunlop M3 were the bottom two tires in rank! Pity the AMuS test did not include the Continental TS790 or Semperit Sports Grip tires in the test, as these seem consistently to be good tires. As well, results on ice should have been tested thoroughly.
A more detailed examination of your AMuS tests show that the 17" Pirelli 210 snowsport is clearly the best snow tire and best dry handling tire, but this 17" version did not perform consistently on wet conditions. In another 17" test I read, it rated the Pirelli 240 Snowsports even better than the 210 version for all dry indicators, but it was only above average in many other categories. Regardless, it would seem that Pirellis are best choice if you want excellent dry handling and snow driving performance.
The Germans take their tire testing very seriously and I see more comparo tire tests in Germany than in any other country. The good thing is that they usually use a German car, including Audis sometimes for testing.
The following link is to an Autobild test on 16" winter tires, the latest test just in... remember this is just one of many<ul><li><a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.autobild.de%2Ftest%2F zubehoer%2Fartikel.php%3Fartikel_id%3D3080%26A_SES S%3D5f3c38c684a09a9a8e6f7a821ebaaf42&langpair= de%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2
I've read 7 to 8 German tests on winter tire rankings, but I have probably seen only a fraction of what is available in Europe.
On 205/55 R16 winter tires, perhaps one of most respected tests is by German ADAC (Europe's largest AA) rated the following for winter conditions:
Top Marks (tied):
- Continental WinterCont. TS 790 (tied best wet, tied best comfort, tied second snow))
- Goodyear Eagle UG GW3 (tied best dry, tied best wear, tied second noise)
- Pirelli Winter 210 Snowsport (best snow, tied best dry)
- Nokian NRW all weather (different from WR winter tire...tied best wet)
- Semperit Sports grip (best ice, tied second best snow, tied best dry, best value! a Continental brand)
Bridgestone Blizzak LM22, Dunlop Sport M3, Fulda Kristall Rotego, Pneumtic PN 150 Wintec were in next group, and so on. Michelin Pilot Alpin probably wasn't tested because it had been tested in a previous ADAC test and achieved only an above average result against those older tires.
Most other reviews of 16" snow tires rated either the Pirellis or Continental first choice overall. However, different tires tend to be better at different things - snow, dry, wet, noise, wear, etc. So it depends what you need from the tire.
Thanks for the reputable AMuS info on 17" tire tests. BTW, your order of finish may be incorrect. The AMuS test (see Rangliste) ranked the #1 ranked winter tires as Nokian WR, Pirelli 210 Snowsport and Goodyear UG GW3. The Nokian was not the best in any criteria, but hovered near the top or above average in many criteria. The Michelin Pilot Alpin and Dunlop M3 were the bottom two tires in rank! Pity the AMuS test did not include the Continental TS790 or Semperit Sports Grip tires in the test, as these seem consistently to be good tires. As well, results on ice should have been tested thoroughly.
A more detailed examination of your AMuS tests show that the 17" Pirelli 210 snowsport is clearly the best snow tire and best dry handling tire, but this 17" version did not perform consistently on wet conditions. In another 17" test I read, it rated the Pirelli 240 Snowsports even better than the 210 version for all dry indicators, but it was only above average in many other categories. Regardless, it would seem that Pirellis are best choice if you want excellent dry handling and snow driving performance.
The Germans take their tire testing very seriously and I see more comparo tire tests in Germany than in any other country. The good thing is that they usually use a German car, including Audis sometimes for testing.
The following link is to an Autobild test on 16" winter tires, the latest test just in... remember this is just one of many<ul><li><a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.autobild.de%2Ftest%2F zubehoer%2Fartikel.php%3Fartikel_id%3D3080%26A_SES S%3D5f3c38c684a09a9a8e6f7a821ebaaf42&langpair= de%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2
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