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2009 Sport Auto Performance Winter Tyre Test

Jonathan Benson
Data analyzed and reviewed by Jonathan Benson
4 min read Updated
Contents
  1. Introduction
  2. Continental WinterContact TS 830 P
  3. Pirelli Sottozero Serie II
  4. Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D
  5. Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2
  6. Nokian WRG2
  7. Firestone Winterhawk 2
  8. Kumho IZen KW27
  9. Michelin Pilot Alpin

2009 Sport Auto Performance Winter Tyre Test

It might still be August, but after an unusually snowy start to 2010 talk has already turned to winter tyres in the UK.

While we're waiting for the magazines to put together their 2010 winter tyre tests, here's one of the more interesting articles from 2009. This test is particularly good as it uses a powerful RWD car (Mercedes SLK350) which wears relatively wide 225/45 r17 performance tyres.

Each of the 8 tyres were tested in the snow, on wet roads and in the dry with the scoring emphasis bias towards wet weather and snow performance (these are winter tyres after all!)

While there's little difference between the tyres in the dry, the differences become more obvious in the wet and on snow. Sport Auto give four of the tyres the their ??highly recommended?? award - Continental Winter Contact TS 830, P Pirelli Sottozero Series 2, Dunlop SP Wintersport 3D and the Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2.

Here are the full results:

Continental WinterContact TS 830 P
Total: 248
Dry 66
Wet 87
Snow 95
Pirelli Sottozero Serie II
Total: 242
Dry 65
Wet 89
Snow 88
3rd

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D

225/45 r17
Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D
Total: 240
Dry 62
Wet 96
Snow 82
Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2
Total: 235
Dry 57
Wet 81
Snow 97
5th

Nokian WRG2

225/45 r17
Nokian WRG2
Total: 206
Dry 64
Wet 68
Snow 74
6th

Firestone Winterhawk 2

225/45 r17
Firestone Winterhawk 2
Total: 197
Dry 65
Wet 52
Snow 80
7th

Kumho IZen KW27

225/45 r17
Kumho IZen KW27
Total: 191
Dry 53
Wet 71
Snow 67
8th

Michelin Pilot Alpin

225/45 r17
Michelin Pilot Alpin
Total: 189
Dry 61
Wet 71
Snow 57
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