2016 Winter Tyre Market Overview

Data analyzed and reviewed by Jonathan Benson

October 11, 2016 16 min read Updated January 8, 2025

Contents

Update: The final twenty tyre shootout can be read here.

Most magazines look to test around ten different tyre patterns each test, with some pushing up to fifteen different tyres. Auto Bild like to go a step further and this year, have tested test fifty sets of 205/55 R16 winter tyres.

First they put all fifty sets through wet braking tests, then take the tyres who stopped within 20% of the best through to snow braking breaking, which this year meant testing twenty seven tyres on the white stuff. Once those tyres have been rated, Auto Bild then take the top twenty through to a full winter tyre test to test all aspects of the tyres performance, not just wet and snow braking.

Below is the results of part one of the test, the fifty tyre shootout. As always, Auto Bild purchased all the tyres on the open market to avoid the possibility of any "special" tyres being included in the test.

The Results

Total: 59.8

Wet 34.2

Snow 25.6

Total: 61.1

Wet 36.1

Snow 25

Total: 61.4

Wet 35.6

Snow 25.8

Total: 61.6

Wet 36.1

Snow 25.5

Total: 62.4

Wet 35.7

Snow 26.7

Total: 62.6

Wet 36.2

Snow 26.4

Total: 63.3

Wet 37.3

Snow 26

Total: 63.3

Wet 37.2

Snow 26.1

Total: 63.4

Wet 36.1

Snow 27.3

Total: 64.4

Wet 38.5

Snow 25.9

Total: 64.8

Wet 39.1

Snow 25.7

Total: 65.2

Wet 38.3

Snow 26.9

Total: 65.3

Wet 38.9

Snow 26.4

Total: 65.3

Wet 39.1

Snow 26.2

Total: 65.3

Wet 38.9

Snow 26.4

Total: 65.4

Wet 39.2

Snow 26.2

Total: 65.7

Wet 38.9

Snow 26.8

Total: 65.8

Wet 39.7

Snow 26.1

Total: 65.9

Wet 38.9

Snow 27

Total: 66.2

Wet 39.4

Snow 26.8

Total: 66.8

Wet 39.9

Snow 26.9

Total: 66.9

Wet 39.7

Snow 27.2

Total: 67

Wet 40.6

Snow 26.4

Total: 67.3

Wet 39.8

Snow 27.5

Total: 67.3

Wet 39.8

Snow 27.5

Total: 67.7

Wet 38.5

Snow 29.2

Total: 69.8

Wet 40.7

Snow 29.1

Total: 41

Wet 40.9

Snow 0.1

Total: 41

Wet 40.9

Snow 0.1

Total: 41.1

Wet 41

Snow 0.1

Total: 41.2

Wet 41.1

Snow 0.1

Total: 41.2

Wet 41.1

Snow 0.1

Total: 41.5

Wet 41.4

Snow 0.1

Total: 41.8

Wet 41.7

Snow 0.1

Total: 42.7

Wet 42.6

Snow 0.1

Total: 42.9

Wet 42.8

Snow 0.1

Total: 43.4

Wet 43.3

Snow 0.1

Total: 43.5

Wet 43.4

Snow 0.1

Total: 45.3

Wet 45.2

Snow 0.1

Total: 46.7

Wet 46.6

Snow 0.1

Total: 46.9

Wet 46.8

Snow 0.1

Total: 47.3

Wet 47.2

Snow 0.1

Total: 47.4

Wet 47.3

Snow 0.1

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