How quickly a car comes to a standstill when you brake hard can make the difference between life and death. A current ADAC test shows which winter tires are best for small cars and smaller SUVs.
Expensive winter tires for small cars such as the VW Polo or Opel Corsa cost around 100 euros each, and dealers sometimes only charge a good half for cheaper models. But if you need new rubber for the wheels for the approaching cold season, you shouldn't just look at the price. As the ADAC determined in a recent test, the difference in braking distance alone is immense.
The test small car with the "Bridgestone Blizzak LM005" (overall rating 3.0; average about 96 euros) with the best braking distance came to a standstill after 36.2 meters on a wet road from 80 kilometers per hour. When the two last-placed tires, each rated "poor", were fitted, the braking distance was around ten meters longer each.
As a further shortcoming, the testers found among the candidates partly inharmonious response to steering commands and the tendency to oversteer early. This led to the devaluation and only sufficient grades in the four-point range for the respective tires.
On the other hand, the three models with the best rating of 2.2 in the overall ranking, "Continental Wintercontact TS 870" (100 euros), "Goodyear Ultragrip 9" (96 euros) and " Semperit Speed Grip 5" (80 euros). Close behind is the "Michelin Alpin 6" with a grade of 2.3 (99 euros).
The ADAC examined a total of 33 tires for the cold season - including not only the size 185/65 R15 for small cars, but also suitable for SUVs in the lower middle class such as the Skoda Karoq or Audi Q3 (215/60 R16).
In the case of the larger dimension, there were above all large differences in wear. The ADAC determined a mileage of just under 24,000 kilometers for the winter tire that placed worst in this category - the leader in this individual discipline, the "Sava Eskimo HP2" (overall rating 3.0; 121 euros), achieved around 43,000 kilometers. The tail light in the overall standings also showed poor cornering behavior on dry roads.
Taking all the test criteria into account, the two models “Continental Wintercontact TS 870” (159 euros) and “Dunlop Winter Sport 5” (154 euros) came out on top with the overall rating of 2.1 in the size 215/60 R16, followed by the “Goodyear Ultragrip Performance" (158 euros) and the "Michelin Alpin 6" (167 euros), each rated 2.3. The ADAC makes a special recommendation for all four because they did not have any weaknesses in the main criteria.
