Tyre Tests

The ACE Auto Club Europa has published the first summer tyre test of 2026, kicking off this year's test season. Ten tyres in the 225/40 R18 size were tested across wet and dry braking, aquaplaning resistance, handling on both surfaces, rolling resistance, and exterior noise.

The 2025 evo tyre test evaluated nine ultra-high performance tyres in the 235/35 R19 size. The field comprised eight premium brand offerings alongside one budget and used an AWD BMW 135i X-Drive.

German publication Sportauto has published its winter tyre test for 2025, evaluating six winter tyres in the 275/35 R19 size designed for high-performance BMW M vehicles. The test also included one all-season tyre, the Vredestein Quatrac Pro+, which was assessed outside the main competition as a reference point. 

Auto Bild SportsCars published their second all-season tyre test in October, evaluating ten tyres in the 215/50 R 18 size. The test included products ranging from established premium manufacturers such as Continental, Pirelli, and Goodyear through to budget offerings from Linglong and Fortuna. All testing was conducted using a VW T-Roc R equipped with a 300 PS turbocharged engine and 4Motion all-wheel drive. 

Polish automotive publication Motor tested seven all-season tyres in size 215/55 R17 for issue 48/2025. The lineup included two premium tyres from Michelin and Continental, three mid-segment options from Nokian Tyres, Vredestein, and Yokohama, and two budget choices from Polish brand Dębica and Chinese manufacturer Sunny. 

The most interesting result is Nokian Tyres' new Seasonproof 2 taking overall victory despite being a mid-segment tyre competing against premium products. It scored maximum points in wet conditions, winning every wet test category. The testers noted this as evidence that mid-segment tyres are now a real threat to premium products in the rankings.

This test was conducted by TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH between January and February 2025 (report number 713351940-PM), testing five premium all-season tyres in size 205/55 R16 94V XL. The test was commissioned by Nokian Tyres as part of their Premium Tyre Mark certification for the Seasonproof 2, with the Nokian tyre compared against the Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6, Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3, Michelin CrossClimate 2, and Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF 3. While TÜV SÜD is a fully independent testing organization with a strong reputation for objectivity, it is important to note that this test was requested and paid for by Nokian Tyres.

For this test I have taken five of the most popular snow-rated all-terrain tyres in LT 265/70 R17 and tested them in snow and ice to find out which one is best for the upcoming winter!

In order to give you the complete picture, each tyre has been tested and rated in snow handling, snow circle, snow traction and braking, and ice traction and braking!

AUTO BILD Sportscars conducted a comprehensive all-season tyre test in their December 2025 issue, testing 10 all season tyres in 225/45 R18. This dimension is commonly fitted to performance-oriented volume models such as the BMW M240i, Mercedes CLA 45 S AMG, and Alfa Romeo Giulia. The test covered products across a wide price range, from budget offerings at €340 per set to premium options at €740 per set. 

For 2025 Tire Rack have tested a bunch of extreme performance summer tyres, eg 200 treadwear track tyres on their new M2 in 275/35 R18.

Tire Rack split this test into multiple parts, doing some testing at their smaller test facility and also going to a big track to do a fastest lap and average lap time test.

Tire Rack published their latest all-terrain tyre test in October 2025, testing nine different tyres from three types of all-terrain categories. The test looked at one On-Road All-Terrain tyre, four Off-Road All-Terrain tyres, and four Rugged All-Terrain tyres, checking how each performs on normal roads where most people drive.

As this is currently the only public test data available for the new Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3, I thought it would be useful to share it. But please understand the following:

This test was conducted by TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH between February and March 2025, testing five premium winter tyres in size 225/45 R17 94V XL. The test was commissioned by Pirelli as part of their final product benchmarking for the Cinturato Winter 3, with the Pirelli tyre compared against the Bridgestone Blizzak 6, Continental WinterContact TS 870, Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3, and Michelin Alpin 7. While TÜV SÜD is a fully independent testing organization with a strong reputation for objectivity, it is important to note that this test was requested and paid for by Pirelli.

Swedish automotive magazine Vi Bilägare has conducted a test of eight Nordic friction tyres (studless winter tyres) in dimension 235/60 R18, a popular size for vehicles like the Volvo XC60 which served as the test vehicle. The test comprised 13 separate testing rounds across four different surfaces: ice, snow, wet asphalt, and dry asphalt. 

Wybór Kierowców has published a test of 6 all-season tyres in size 215/55 R17. The test included two budget segment tyres, three mid-range tyres, and one premium tyre. 

Teknikens Värld tested 20 winter tyres in size 235/45 R18, comprising nine studded, eight Nordic friction (studless), and three Central European friction tyres. One studded tyre was disqualified for regulatory violations, leaving 19 in the final rankings. Testing used a Volvo V60 T6 plug-in hybrid across multiple locations in Sweden, covering braking, handling, aquaplaning, emergency maneuvers, comfort, and fuel efficiency.

For the 2025/26 Tyre Reviews Nordic Studless Winter Tyre Test, I have tested five friction winter tyres plus two reference sets (a studded tyre and a Central European winter tyre) across 21 tests in 6 categories: snow, ice, wet, dry, comfort/noise, and rolling resistance. If you drive in regions with frequent snow and ice, this is the group test you need. All these tyres are available to buy in North America and Europe!

Auto Zeitung has conducted a comprehensive winter tyre test in size 245/45 R19, evaluating ten current winter tyres across snow, wet, and dry conditions, with additional laboratory analysis for durability and environmental impact. The test field includes five premium tyres (Bridgestone Blizzak 6 Enliten, Continental WinterContact TS 870P, Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3, Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, and Pirelli P Zero Winter 2), two mid range segment tyres (Vredestein Wintrac Pro+ and Yokohama BluEarth Winter V906), and three budget options from Chinese manufacturers (Linglong Sport Master Winter, Maxxis Premitra Snow WP6, and Triangle EffeXWinter TW421). Testing was conducted at Goodyear's facilities for winter conditions and Continental's proving grounds for wet and dry tests, with laboratory durability analysis performed at both Pirelli and Continental facilities. The test vehicle was a BMW 520d Touring.

For its 2025 winter tyre test, German publication Auto Bild Sportscars evaluated twelve winter tyres in the popular SUV size of 235/50 R 19. The test also included a reference summer tyre and an all-season tyre to provide broader context. All tyres were fitted to an Audi Q3 Sportback 45 TFSI quattro with 245 PS. The cold weather tests on snow and ice were conducted in Vidsel, Sweden , while the wet and dry performance evaluations took place at Bridgestone's test facility in Aprilia, Italy.

Moving on from the 51 set braking test, the full Auto Bild winter tyre test is once again, excellent. Testing 225/40 R18 using an AWD BMW M135i (but also fitted to the Audi S3, VW Golf GTI and R, Mercedes-AMG A35, and Hyundai i30 N and more) Auto Bild have once again put all the tyres through snow, wet and dry testing, and tested wear, noise, comfort and rolling resistance.

We look forward to the big Autobild braking tests in every season, and this year Autobild have tested 51 winter tyres in wet braking (plus a summer tyre), with the best 31 moving onto a snow braking test.

The top 20 combined distances from the wet and snow braking tests will feature in the full AutoBild winter tyre test, on the site next week.

Auto Motor und Sport has published their winter tyre test for 2025, testing ten tyres in the popular 215/55 R17 size. The test field included nine new winter tyres spanning from premium to budget segments, plus one retreaded tyre. Testing was conducted on an Audi Q2 and SQ2, with comprehensive assessments across snow, wet, and dry conditions.