Why is this allowed?

Winter tire test: Eleven candidates are dangerous

Unusual result in the winter tire test: The best on snow brings up the rear overall.(Bild: ÖAMTC)

The test field has never been so large in one dimension: The ÖAMTC and its partners tested 31 winter tires in the 225/40 R18 format - more than a third of them scored "not sufficient". One of the low-cost tires that failed even achieved the top mark on snow.

The test field consisted of six premium, eleven so-called quality and 14 budget tires. The tested dimension is an increasingly popular size for lower mid-range vehicles.

The premium tires were generally convincing in this test round, although not across the board. All six models in this class achieved an overall result of "good", although the Kleber Krisalp HP3 and the Nokian Tyres WR Snowproof P had slight problems on wintry roads and just missed out on a good result in this category. 

However, the convincing performance in the "environmental balance" category, where mileage, abrasion and efficiency are heavily weighted, ultimately ensured that all six candidates achieved a good result. The Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 performed best, and can confidently be described as the best all-rounder of the test round - ahead of the Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 and the Bridgestone Blizzak 6 in third place.

The results at a glance - click to enlarge!(Bild: ÖAMTC)

14 models without a purchase recommendation
 The models in the "Quality Tires" segment had somewhat greater problems in the test: "Three of the eleven products in this category only achieved a 'sufficient' rating and were therefore not recommended for purchase. The remaining eight quality tires were at least rated 'satisfactory', which at least qualifies them for a limited purchase recommendation," says ÖAMTC expert Steffan Kerbl.

All eleven tire models that only received a "not sufficient" rating had major problems, especially in the "driving safety" category, which is weighted most heavily in the test. "These tires are absolutely not recommended and represent a real safety risk. What was striking this time was that all of these eleven tire models came from the budget segment. However, for the sake of completeness, it should also be mentioned that two budget tires at least achieved a 'satisfactory' result - in other words, they had slight weaknesses but could still be an acceptable alternative for less experienced drivers," Kerbl sums up.

Bringing up the rear is the best in the snow
The Syron Everest 2 stood out particularly negatively, which, according to Kerbl, falls victim to the classic conflict of objectives of winter tires: "On the one hand, it achieves the best result on winter roads, but on the other hand it is almost unusable on dry and wet roads and therefore severely compromises driving safety. Ultimately, this is also the reason why it achieved the worst result of the entire field."

Big differences on wet roads
The performance gap is particularly wide in the braking test on wet roads: while the Goodyear tire came to a stop after 31.7 meters, the Syron Everest needed 47.1 meters - and thus still around five meters more than the second worst test candidate. The residual speeds can also be considered for better clarification. While the Goodyear is already stationary, the Evergreen still has 40 km/h on the speedometer and the Syron even just under 46 km/h. 

Kerbl nevertheless takes up the cudgels for inexpensive tires: "Despite the results of this test round, it must be said that you shouldn't draw general conclusions about the quality of the tires based on the price class. Even supposedly cheaper models can always come up with satisfactory performance and thus secure a place among the recommended tires." So you have to take a close look. Anyone who takes a low price as the main criterion is saving money in a dangerously wrong place.

Why are unsafe tires allowed to be sold?
The tests carried out by the ÖAMTC and its partner organizations are much stricter than the standards that have to be met for a product to be approved - which is why products that receive a "not sufficient" are also available on the market. However, you should not buy them.