Three winter tires failed

Three winter tires failed

Together with its partner organizations, the ÖAMTC is testing a total of 32 current tire models, 16 each from the common dimensions 205/60 R16 92H and 225/45 R17 91H. The result: Many models are real all-rounders that cut a fine figure under a wide range of conditions. When choosing a tire, however, consumers should take their personal driving profile into account, advises Steffan Kerbl, tire expert at the mobility club. Because the tires master the classic conflict of objectives between performance on dry and winter roads very differently, as Kerbl explains: "For example, the Austone Athena SP-901 is the best of the 205s on winter roads. In return, it only receives a 'sufficient' in dry conditions and is particularly weak in wet conditions, which leads to a 'not sufficient' in the overall ranking." The Kormoran Snow fares similarly with the 225s: top in deep winter conditions, strong in terms of environmental performance - but weak in the dry and “not enough” in the wet. Conversely, the Lassa Snoways 4 (205/60 R16 92H): Hardly any problems on wet and dry roads, but very poor handling on snow - here too, the result is “not enough”.

Aside from the outliers mentioned, the result in the dimension for mid-range SUVs is quite positive. ÖAMTC technician Steffan Kerbl summarizes: “Seven of the 16 candidates achieved the overall grade of ‘good’, four of them convinced in both main criteria, i.e. both in driving safety and in the environmental balance.” The differences lie in the details: Anyone who places great value on driving comfort and good performance on dry roads is particularly well served in this dimension with the models from Dunlop and Michelin. However, if you live in an area where there is often snow on the road, you should choose Hankook tires. Seven models achieved a “satisfactory” rating for the 205s. All products have weaknesses in at least one safety criterion. "If you're interested in one of these models, you should think carefully about the conditions in which you'll mainly be driving. However, the conditions in our latitudes generally suggest a tire that works particularly well on wet roads," explains Kerbl. Conclusion: You can't go wrong with winter tires that were rated “good” in the ÖAMTC test. But even “satisfactory” is not an exclusion criterion – but here you should pay a little more attention to the details.

In the dimension for compact cars in the lower mid-range, the picture is similar to that of the 205s: In addition to four products rated as 'good', there is a broad midfield - and here too, the test provides details that can be relevant to the purchase decision. "Among the four best models, for example, the Continental WinterContact TS870 is at a high level both in terms of environmental balance and safety, while the Alpin 6 from Michelin is somewhat weaker in terms of driving safety and somewhat stronger in terms of environmental balance. With the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance +, however, the mileage is a small Achilles heel, but it is convincing in terms of fuel consumption. The Dunlop Winter Sport 5 ultimately has slight weaknesses in terms of driving safety, but is one of the best in terms of mileage," summarizes the ÖAMTC technicians together. In this dimension, the midfield consists of eleven tires, which potential buyers should take a closer look at before deciding on a model. Kerbl: "The rule of thumb is: Weaknesses in one category are usually offset by strengths in another, although the differences are usually not too big. For example, the models from Semperit and Hankook have slight weaknesses on wintry or dry roads, but do well in terms of environmental performance." The situation is similar with all other tires rated “satisfactory”, although there are also some that are similarly good (or weak) in two criteria and do not particularly stand out anywhere. You can find the results in detail at www.oeamtc.at/tests/reifentest/winterreifentest-2023/