Barum Polaris 3 vs Petlas Snow Master W651
The Barum Polaris 3 and the Petlas Snow Master W651 have met in one independent test so far, and the Polaris 3 finished ahead.
Performance profile
Their shared test recorded too few of the same measurements to chart, so the chart starts from each tyre's Tyre Reviews Score categories: its whole record, not the shared test.
Where each scores higher
Polaris 3
Snow Master W651
Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.
Category scores are percentiles among tyres of the same season and class: 90 means this tyre out-performs 90% of them, measured across every test we hold, not only the ones it appeared in.
Where owners rate each higher
Polaris 3
Snow Master W651
Not ahead in any category
Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.
Owners rate the Polaris 3 86% from 18 reviews and the Snow Master W651 71% from 29. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Head to head in 1 test in 2016
Each row is one published test in which both tyres ran on the same car, in the same size, on the same day. The line is the whole field, winner on the left.
| Test | Polaris 3 | Field | Snow Master W651 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Winter Tyre Market Overview | P8 of 49 | P39 of 49 |
Polaris 3 vs Snow Master W651: your questions
Is the Barum Polaris 3 or the Petlas Snow Master W651 the better tyre?
The Barum Polaris 3 and the Petlas Snow Master W651 have met in one independent test so far, and the Polaris 3 finished ahead. On the Tyre Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Polaris 3 scores 7.2 and the Snow Master W651 3.5 out of 10.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 8.6/10 for the Polaris 3 and 7.2/10 for the Snow Master W651.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Polaris 3 86% from 18 reviews and the Snow Master W651 71% from 29. 94% of Polaris 3 owners would buy it again, against 57% for the Snow Master W651.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The Polaris 3 is made in 6 sizes (13 to 16 inch) and the Snow Master W651 in 58 (14 to 19 inch). 2 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the Polaris 3 is graded C for wet grip and E for rolling resistance in most sizes; the Snow Master W651 C and B.
Which is the newer tyre?
The Snow Master W651 is the newer design: it reached the market in 2014, the Polaris 3 in 2011. The Polaris 3 replaced the Barum Polaris 2.
More comparisons with these tyres
Run either of these?
Your review is the part of this page no test can supply: how the tyre wore, how it aged, what it was like in the rain in year three. It takes about five minutes.
Where this data comes from
Finishing positions and measurements are transcribed from each published test. A test only counts here when both tyres ran in it, so every figure was recorded on the same car, size and day as the one it is compared to.
About the TR Score
The Tyre Reviews Score rates each tyre out of 10 from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold, so two tyres can be compared even before a test has run them together.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tyre Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tyres independently since 2007.