Imperial Snowdragon UHP vs Semperit Speed Grip 5
In the 3 independent tests that ran both tyres, the Semperit Speed Grip 5 finished ahead 3 times and the Snowdragon UHP not once. The Snowdragon UHP was stronger in comfort and value, the Speed Grip 5 in dry, wet, snow and ice.
Performance profile
12 measurements from the 3 shared tests, each tyre shown as its share of the better figure in every test.
Where each is furthest ahead
Snowdragon UHP
Speed Grip 5
Point at or tap any spoke for both tyres' figures.
In each test the better of the two figures counts as 100% and the other as its share of it, so a 36 m stop against 34.2 m is 95%; each spoke averages the shared tests that recorded it. The scale stops at 80%: a point further in sits on the hub's edge, hollow.
Where each scores higher
Snowdragon UHP
Speed Grip 5
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.
Every measurement, side by side
Averages of the figures both tyres posted in the same tests. The gap is the average of each test's own gap, so figures from different cars and years are never mixed. Wins count the tests in which each tyre did better.
| Measurement | Snowdragon UHP | Gap | Speed Grip 5 | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Speed Grip 5 ahead | ||||
| Dry Braking m | 44.6 | 0.7% | 44.3 | 0-1 |
| Wet Speed Grip 5 ahead | ||||
| Wet Braking m | 39.1 | 11.1% | 34.77 | 0-3 |
| Wet Braking - Concrete m | 43.6 | 13.8% | 37.6 | 0-1 |
| Wet Circle m/s | 1.8 | 44.4% | 2.6 | 0-1 |
| Straight Aqua km/h | 68.7 | 8% | 74.2 | 0-1 |
| Snow Speed Grip 5 ahead | ||||
| Snow Braking m | 10.3 | 6.8% | 9.6 | 0-1 |
| Snow Traction N | 227 | 3.5% | 235 | 0-1 |
| Ice Speed Grip 5 ahead | ||||
| Ice Braking m | 17.4 | 2.3% | 17 | 0-1 |
| Comfort Snowdragon UHP ahead | ||||
| Noise dB | 72.4 | 1.8 dB | 74.2 | 1-0 |
| Value Snowdragon UHP ahead | ||||
| Wear km | 59,300 | 23.8% | 47,900 | 1-0 |
| Fuel Consumption l/100km | 5.8 | = | 5.8 | 0-0 |
| Abrasion mg/km/t | 57 | 13.6% | 66 | 1-0 |
Braking distances and lap times are better when lower; speeds, wear and grip figures when higher. A test's figures are its own: sizes, cars, surfaces and temperatures differ from one to the next, which is why the averages here are only ever of tests the two tyres shared.
Head to head in 3 tests, 2022 to 2025
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 | Snowdragon UHP | Field | Speed Grip 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! | P42 of 51 | P15 of 51 | |
| 2025 ADAC Winter Tyre Test | P25 of 31 | P15 of 31 | |
| 2022 Winter Tyre Market Overview | P42 of 56 | P10 of 56 |
Snowdragon UHP vs Speed Grip 5: your questions
Is the Imperial Snowdragon UHP or the Semperit Speed Grip 5 the better tyre?
In the 3 independent tests that ran both tyres, the Semperit Speed Grip 5 finished ahead 3 times and the Snowdragon UHP not once. On the Tyre Reviews Score, which weighs every test and review we hold, the Snowdragon UHP scores 4.1 and the Speed Grip 5 8.5 out of 10.
Which is better in the wet, the Snowdragon UHP or the Speed Grip 5?
The Speed Grip 5 led 6 of the 6 wet measurements the shared tests recorded. On average it stopped 11.1% shorter in the wet across 3 tests.
Which is better in the dry?
The Speed Grip 5 led 1 of the 1 dry measurements the shared tests recorded.
Which is better in snow?
The Speed Grip 5 led 2 of the 2 snow measurements the shared tests recorded.
What do owners say?
Owners rate the Speed Grip 5 92% from 3 reviews; the Snowdragon UHP has no owner reviews yet.
Are they available in the same sizes?
The Snowdragon UHP is made in 64 sizes (16 to 21 inch) and the Speed Grip 5 in 90 (14 to 21 inch). 42 sizes are available in both. On the EU label the Snowdragon UHP is graded C for wet grip and C for rolling resistance in most sizes; the Speed Grip 5 C and C.
Which is the newer tyre?
The Speed Grip 5 is the newer design: it reached the market in 2021, the Snowdragon UHP in 2017. The Speed Grip 5 replaced the Semperit Speed Grip 3.
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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.