Last month Auto Express completed their annual winter tyre test.

Despite the rise in popularity of all season tyres in recent years, the winter tyre segment is still a large market – with a wide range of models available for motorists to choose from.

To help motorists make an informed choice, Auto Express took some of the most popular winter tyres on the market today and put them through a number of tests – aiming to highlight their strengths and weaknesses in winter conditions.

Winter Tyres Test – Size & Models

Each tyre tested came in size 225/45 R17, and below is the full list of models:

• Bridgestone Blizzak LM001
• Continental WinterContact TS 860
• Dunlop Winter Sport 5
• Goodyear UltraGrip Performance Gen-1
• Hankook i*cept RS2
• Michelin Alpin 5
• Nokian WR D4
• Pirelli Sottozero 3

Winter Tyres Test Criteria

Each year Auto Express thoroughly test each tyre in the following key areas:

• Snow braking
• Snow circle
• Snow traction
• Snow handling
• Wet braking
• Wet handling
• Wet circle
• Straight aquaplaning
• Curved aquaplaning
• Dry braking
• Dry handling
• Noise
• Rolling resistance
• Price

To test the snow and ice sections of the test Auto Express took the tyres to, the Nokian owned, White Hell proving ground in Ivalo, Finland.

For the wet and dry segments, the tyres were tested at Continental’s much acclaimed Hanover test facility.

Winter Tyre Test Results

The final results made for an interesting read – with some of the older models now showing their age, as far as the testers are concerned.

Commenting on the bottom two tyres, the Auto Express team said:

“Older designs propped up the bottom of the table; while Bridgestone’s Blizzak LM001 is by no means a bad choice, other designs have moved the game on. The Michelin Alpin 5 also needs the latest technology to bring it closer to the front.”

With little to pick between the middle section of the table, the top 3 tyres were made up of the Dunlop, Hankook and Continental – with Continental taking the top spot for 2017.

However, Hankook should understandably be happy with their impressive runner up position – as they recorded their best performance in an Auto Express Winter Tyre test to date.

Writing about the winning Continental WinterContact TS 860, the Auto Express’ team said:

Continental is usually near the front in our assessments, and 2017 was no exception as it takes yet another win with good results across all tests.

Final Standings

For a full breakdown of the results, visit the test write up on the Auto Express website.

To find out more about the benefits of winter tyres, visit the Blackcircles.com page about winter tyres.

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