Barum Polaris 3 vs Ovation W 586
In the 4 independent tests that ran both tyres, the Barum Polaris 3 finished ahead 4 times and the W 586 not once.
Performance profile
Their shared tests recorded too few of the same measurements to chart, so the chart shows what owners rate each tyre on every question.
Where owners rate each higher
Polaris 3
W 586
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 W 586 62% from 6. Each spoke is one question owners answer out of 10; reviews are vetted by hand before publication.
Head to head in 4 tests, 2014 to 2017
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 | W 586 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 50 Winter Tyre Shoot Out | P13 of 50 | P34 of 50 | |
| 2016 Winter Tyre Market Overview | P8 of 49 | P28 of 49 | |
| 2015 Winter Tyre Market Overview | P9 of 51 | P27 of 51 | |
| 2014 50 Winter Tyre Braking Overview | P16 of 49 | P27 of 49 |
Polaris 3 vs W 586: your questions
Is the Barum Polaris 3 or the Ovation W 586 the better tyre?
In the 4 independent tests that ran both tyres, the Barum Polaris 3 finished ahead 4 times and the W 586 not once. On the Tyre Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Polaris 3 scores 7.2 and the W 586 6.4 out of 10.
Which is quieter and more comfortable?
Owners rate comfort 8.6/10 for the Polaris 3 and 6.5/10 for the W 586.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Polaris 3 86% from 18 reviews and the W 586 62% from 6. 94% of Polaris 3 owners would buy it again, against 60% for the W 586.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The Polaris 3 is made in 6 sizes (13 to 16 inch) and the W 586 in 71 (12 to 20 inch). 0 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 W 586 C and D.
Which is the newer tyre?
The W 586 is the newer design: it reached the market in 2021, 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.

