As in every year, ADAC is carefully testing a large number of winter tires in two sizes this year—205/55 R16 and 215/55 R17. ADAC’s methodology slightly differs from other organizations, leading to a somewhat different final ranking.
What makes ADAC’s methodology unique? It uses the so-called knockout effect, which prevents tires with significant shortcomings from achieving a high overall score simply because they perform well in other areas. For example, if a tire performs poorly (a score of 3.6 or worse) in key safety categories, such as wet handling, its rating is automatically lowered regardless of its performance in other categories.
Additionally, there is a greater emphasis on low wear and low rolling resistance, which we appreciate because ignoring these criteria can lead to purchasing cheaper tires that, when you calculate the cost per kilometer, end up being much less economical. Of course, ADAC’s tests also focus on driving characteristics—unlike most, they measure things like braking distance on ice, which we consider an important criterion.
So how did the tests turn out? First, let’s talk about the tested models. It’s a bit disappointing that no new releases were included in the test—Michelin was tested with the sixth-generation Alpin, instead of the latest Alpin 7, and the Bridgestone Blizzak 6, which seems promising based on preliminary tests, wasn’t included at all. We would have also liked to see the Barum Polaris 6, a new tire from the Continental group. However, it’s somewhat reassuring to see the current generation of Goodyear Ultragrip Performance 3 and new tires from Nokian included.
GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3
Dimensions: 175/30R14 - 305/65R22
Number of sizes: 110
Number of tests: 5
Show more details ...The results themselves aren’t too surprising, especially in the 205/55 R16 size. Continental took the win with its TS870 model, thanks to its perfect balance, efficiency, and low wear. In second place is the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3, a new model available in a wide range of sizes and doing very well across the board. Third place went to the now-replaced Michelin Alpin 6.
Further down, we find tires from Hankook, Dunlop, Nokian, and Falken, all rated as satisfactory. Falken offers the best price, but it also has the worst wear rating. Hankook’s Winter i*cept RS3 also offers a good price-to-performance ratio over the long term.
Hankook W462 Winter i*cept RS3
Dimensions: 165/45R14 - 225/70R17
Number of sizes: 49
Number of tests: 5
Show more details ...One disappointment is certainly the second-to-last position of the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2, which failed in dry conditions, particularly in terms of comfort and behavior at the limit.
Now let’s look at the 215/55 R17 test. In this size, we don’t find the standard Continental TS870, so the top spot goes to the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3. In second place is a tire that will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year—the Dunlop Winter Sport 5. It seems to have gone through some updates over time, as its mileage is outstanding for a tire of its age. It nearly overtook Goodyear for first place, falling short only in efficiency and mileage.
Dunlop Winter Sport 5
Dimensions: 195/35R15 - 295/65R21
Number of sizes: 51
Number of tests: 5
Show more details ...In terms of budget tires, Semperit Speed-Grip 5’s fourth place is a big success. Despite its low price, it doesn’t sacrifice mileage, which is rare. It also offers above-average driving characteristics, as expected from the Continental group. Paradoxically, it finished two places ahead of Continental’s own WinterContact TS870 P model, even though ADAC doesn’t factor in price when giving overall ratings. Thus, we can highly recommend the Semperit.
Semperit Speed-Grip 5
Dimensions: 165/40R14 - 275/70R21
Number of sizes: 80
Number of tests: 5
Show more details ...What we’re less pleased with is the “sufficient” rating for the Kumho WinterCraft WP52, primarily due to its poor performance on dry roads.