The ÖAMTC winter tire test 2022

The ÖAMTC winter tire test 2022

Of a total of 33 current models that the ÖAMTC and its partners have tested, only two are “not recommended” and four are “conditionally recommended”. Steffan Kerbl, tire expert at the mobility club, explains: "This gives consumers a large selection of good products that differ primarily in details. This makes it all the more important for the purchasing decision to assess which tire properties are most relevant for personal use." If you want to be on the safe side, you will recommend to your customer those tire models that have been rated “highly recommended”.

Of the 16 tires tested in the popular small car size, four achieved a "highly recommended" rating: Continental WinterContact TS870, Goodyear UltraGrip 9+, Semperit Speed-Grip 5 and Michelin Alpin 6. "You can't go wrong with any of these models, they are real all-rounders that only differ in nuances. For example, Semperit and Continental are slightly ahead in terms of fuel consumption, but that's what the Goodyear is for “A touch better on wet roads, while the Michelin is superior when it comes to wear,” Kerbl summarizes.

Incidentally, two other models of the 185 series, BFGoodrich G-Force Winter 2 and Vredestein Wintrac, are rated “highly recommended”, but are a bit too weak in the wet or on snow and therefore had to be downgraded to “recommended”. A total of seven models in this dimension achieved this grade. The same applies to the three products rated “conditionally recommendable” (Dunlop Winter Response 2, Fulda Kristall Montero 3 and Barum Polaris 5), although the Dunlop tire occupies a special position here because it is one of the best in all criteria – just not on dry roads, which earns it a downgrade from “highly recommended” to “conditionally recommended”.

The two “not recommended”: Imperial Snowdragon HP and Wanli SW611 fail with blatant weaknesses in wet conditions. “These defects are so serious that even unusually good values ​​on ice and in fuel consumption (Wanli) or in wear (Imperial) cannot justify a recommendation,” Kerbl makes clear.

Among the 17 215s tested, there are four models that are “highly recommended”: Continental WinterContact TS870, Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+ and Michelin Alpin 6, so these manufacturers are at the top in both dimensions. Fourth in the group is the Dunlop Winter Sport 5 - interesting because the manufacturer has to accept a downgrade to “conditionally recommended” with the Winter Response 2 in the smaller size. With these tires, which are mainly used for SUVs, Dunlop has the weaknesses on dry roads well under control, so that this model rolls through the finish in first place with the same points as the Continental.

In this dimension, the midfield is even more balanced than with the 185s: Twelve of the 17 test candidates achieve a “recommended” rating - and here too, the following applies: compare the individual test criteria and the results with the customer's driving profile. This time, there were no SUV tires rated “not recommended” and only one model was rated “conditionally recommended”. Kerbl: "The Coopertires WM-SA2+ - like other tires of this size - has its weaknesses on dry roads. In this case, however, they are a bit too big to be able to give a 'recommended' rating. Without this oversight, this model would also have received a better grade."