Autobild Tested the Braking Distance of 55 Winter Tires and Selected Candidates for the Final Test

Autobild, as every year, sifted through all major and lesser-known winter tire models with its braking distance test. From these, it selected the best ones for a thorough testing.

The initial qualification focused on braking tests—braking from a speed of 50 km/h on snow and from 80 km/h on a wet road. Only 20 tires with the best results were chosen for the upcoming finals. Tires whose braking distance on a wet surface exceeded 40 meters were automatically disqualified from further testing.

However, the braking distance test revealed a lot of interesting data. For us, the biggest surprise was the 27th place for the Nokian Snowproof 2, which plummeted mainly due to its braking distance on wet surfaces, where it took a full 40 meters to stop from 80 km/h. This is more than 5 meters longer than the winners of the test. The reason may be the rapid relocation of production from Russia, which was mentioned in this year’s STRAßENVERKEHR test and has fundamentally harmed the consistency and quality of production.

Nokian Snowproof 2

Nokian Snowproof 2

★★★½☆ 3.6/5

Dimensions: 185/45R15 - 235/65R19

Number of sizes: 16

Number of tests: 3

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Another interesting placement is the first place for this year’s newcomer—the Bridgestone Blizzak 6. It also looks very promising in other tests conducted this year, especially excelling on wet surfaces, as demonstrated in this test where it, along with the second-place Kumho tire, stopped first among all tested. Of course, it does not fall behind on snow either, where Kumho was surpassed by less than a meter.

Test winner

Bridgestone Blizzak 6

Bridgestone Blizzak 6

★★★★☆ 4.4/5

Dimensions: 175/30R16 - 315/65R22

Number of sizes: 78

Number of tests: 4

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The second and third places are generally interesting—behind Kumho is the GT Radial Winter Pro 2 Evo, which is explicitly a low-cost variant. However, there is a good chance that in the final detailed test, neither will reach such a high position, but it is still a great achievement. We also have data for Kumho from other tests; however, GT Radial is a newcomer, and we are curious about the final testing—especially since it costs practically half compared to premium variants.

Kumho WinterCraft WP52

Kumho WinterCraft WP52

★★½☆☆ 2.8/5

Dimensions: 155/35R13 - 255/80R21

Number of sizes: 73

Number of tests: 5

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In fourth place is the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2, whose qualities we already know from other tests. The fifth place for the Michelin Alpin 6 does not please us much because we are more interested in the results of the new Michelin Alpin 7, which has replaced the sixth generation. However, it was probably not yet available at the time of testing, but we hope we will see it tested this year. We would also like to see the new Barum Polaris 6 in the test, but in this test, we have to settle for the fifth generation.

Michelin ALPIN 6

Michelin ALPIN 6

★★★☆☆ 3.5/5

Dimensions: 155/40R15 - 225/70R20

Number of sizes: 59

Number of tests: 5

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A relative disappointment is also the 8th and 9th places for the Continental WinterContact TS870 and Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3. However, we believe that in the final test, these two tires will still compete for the top positions.

GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

GoodYear UltraGrip Performance 3

★★★★½ 4.9/5

Dimensions: 175/30R14 - 325/65R22

Number of sizes: 124

Number of tests: 5

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From the 30th place onwards, there is a display of low-cost tires that should not be recommended under any circumstances—we advise avoiding them. Even within the first fifteen, there are plenty of cheap tires that perform much better and we mention some more in our big winter tyre market overview.