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Test source Auto Bild Sportscars

2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test

Overall test winnerGoodyear UltraGrip Performance+

For their third winter tyre test of 2019, Auto Bild have stepped up the fun and fitted an Audi S5 with eleven sets of 255/35 R19 ultra high performance winter tyres, and included the usual set of reference summer tyres!

Tyres tested
11
Tested size
255/35 R19
Disciplines
9

At a glance

Tyre shortlist

11 Tyres tested

Published finishing positions, with the strengths and considerations from this test. Owner reviews cover other sizes and driving conditions.

1st

Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+

+Exemplary driving characteristics in all weather conditions, sporty wet handling, very good grip in the snow, low rolling resistance.

−Expensive.

2nd

Vredestein Wintrac Pro

+Excellent performance in the snow, and on wet roads, good aquaplaning resistance, sporty steering feel, short wet braking, stable dry handling.

−High rolling resistance.

Read full verdict
3rd

Uniroyal MS Plus 77

+Excellent in the snow, high aquaplaning resistance, safe dry handling balance.

−Long wet and dry braking, average comfort.

Read full verdict
4th

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

+Sporty dry handling, precise steering, good feedback, low rolling resistance.

−Slightly long wet braking, average comfort, expensive.

Read full verdict
5th

Hankook Winter i cept evo2

+A well balanced winter tyre with safe wet and dry handling, short wet braking distances.

−Slightly long dry braking, high rolling resistance, average comfort.

Read full verdict
6th

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4

+Stable safe handling on wet and dry roads, precise steering, good feedback, short snow braking.

−Understeer in the snow, average comfort, expensive.

Read full verdict
7th

Kumho WinterCraft WP71

+Sporty driving qualities in the snow, short dry braking distances, low noise.

−Understeer in the dry and wet, long wet braking.

Read full verdict
8th

Toyo Snowprox S954

+High aquaplaning resistance, stable wet handling, good steering in the dry.

−Average grip on snow, long wet braking distances.

Read full verdict
9th

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2

+Short snow braking, stable dry handling, good comfort, low price.

−Average grip with understeer on snow, very long wet braking, high rolling resistance.

Read full verdict
10th

Nokian WR A4

+Balance snow performance.

−Low wet grip, low aquaplaning resistance, long wet braking, understeer in the dry and wet.

Read full verdict
11th

Nankang SV2

+Low rolling resistance, low price.

−Very low wet grip, long wet braking, slow steering response with understeer in the dry and wet.

Read full verdict

Tyre shortlist

Compare selected tyres

2019 19 Inch Performance Winter Tyre Test · 255/35 R19

TyreGoodyear UltraGrip Performance+Vredestein Wintrac ProUniroyal MS Plus 77Continental WinterContact TS 860 SHankook Winter i cept evo2Michelin Pilot Alpin 4Kumho WinterCraft WP71Toyo Snowprox S954Nexen WinGuard Sport 2Nokian WR A4Nankang SV2
Position1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th11th
Category scores (% of best)
Dry99%97.4%95.1%98.3%94.7%97.2%98%98.8%96.6%96.9%95.5%
Wet100%97.5%94%93.8%96.5%96.7%92.3%94.6%91.1%88.1%90.4%
Snow99.5%97.3%98.9%96.8%97.6%95.9%99.3%92.5%95.2%97.8%90.4%
Comfort95.4%95.9%97.9%97.5%93.4%94.4%98.2%96.2%99.4%94.3%100%
Rolling Resistance93.1%78.1%89.4%100%77.9%85.8%86.2%87.1%80.7%94.8%94.8%
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Explore the complete results →

The full test

The evidence behind the verdict

For their third winter tyre test of 2019, Auto Bild have stepped up the fun and fitted an Audi S5 with eleven sets of 255/35 R19 ultra high performance winter tyres, and included the usual set of reference summer tyres!

Following on from a win in Auto Express, the new Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+ takes its second win of 2019, once again proving to have a near flawless blend of qualities. Vredestein have also continued their run of good results with a very strong second place for the Wintrac Pro. This tyre is significantly cheaper than the premium winter tyres in the UK, so is probably the best choice if you need to save a few pounds.

Rounding out the top three is the Uniroyal MSPlus 77. This tyre was extremely strong in the snow, but relatively weak in the dry and wet. This means while the Uniroyal placed higher overall than tyres like the Continental WinterContact TS860S, the tyres with a better dry and wet performance are far more suitable for the UK climate.

As always, check out all the data below to see which blend of qualities works for your intended driving patterns and budget.

Dry

The new Goodyear tyre won the dry braking test, but was significantly behind the summer tyre. The midrange tyres from Kumho and Toyo also performed excellently.

Dry Braking

Dry braking in meters

Lower is better ↓
Dry Braking
Position / TyreResultGap to best
RefReference Summer
36.8 m -3.40 m
40.2 m Best
40.7 m +0.50 m
41.2 m +1.00 m
41.2 m +1.00 m
41.8 m +1.60 m
41.9 m +1.70 m
42.1 m +1.90 m
42.3 m +2.10 m
43 m +2.80 m
43.7 m +3.50 m
44 m +3.80 m

The difference between best and worst was 19.6% (7.2 m ≈ 1.6 Car Lengths).

As with dry braking, the summer tyre had a big advantage, this time with Toyo the best of the winter tyres.

Dry Handling

Dry Handling Average Speed

Higher is better ↑
Dry Handling
Position / TyreResultGap to best
RefReference Summer
124.5 km/h +2.60 km/h
121.9 km/h Best
120.7 km/h -1.20 km/h
120.5 km/h -1.40 km/h
120.2 km/h -1.70 km/h
119.7 km/h -2.20 km/h
119.6 km/h -2.30 km/h
119.5 km/h -2.40 km/h
119.4 km/h -2.50 km/h
119.3 km/h -2.60 km/h
118.8 km/h -3.10 km/h
118.5 km/h -3.40 km/h

The difference between best and worst was 4.8% (6 Km/H).

Wet

The Goodyear continued its excellent braking run in the wet, being the only winter tyre to stop better than the summer tyre.

Wet Braking

Wet braking in meters

Lower is better ↓
Wet Braking
Position / TyreResultGap to best
45.7 m Best
RefReference Summer
46.9 m +1.20 m
47.1 m +1.40 m
47.6 m +1.90 m
48.1 m +2.40 m
49.6 m +3.90 m
50 m +4.30 m
50.4 m +4.70 m
51.8 m +6.10 m
53.4 m +7.70 m
53.8 m +8.10 m
54.8 m +9.10 m

The difference between best and worst was 19.9% (9.1 m ≈ 2 Car Lengths).

As with wet braking, the Goodyear was the only tyre to best the summer tyre over a fast lap, with Vredestein just able to match it.

Wet Handling

Wet Handling Average Speed

Higher is better ↑
Wet Handling
Position / TyreResultGap to best
95.3 km/h Best
RefReference Summer
94.9 km/h -0.40 km/h
94.9 km/h -0.40 km/h
93.2 km/h -2.10 km/h
92.8 km/h -2.50 km/h
92.8 km/h -2.50 km/h
92 km/h -3.30 km/h
91.6 km/h -3.70 km/h
91.6 km/h -3.70 km/h
90.6 km/h -4.70 km/h
90.2 km/h -5.10 km/h
89.9 km/h -5.40 km/h

The difference between best and worst was 5.7% (5.4 Km/H).

Impressively, Goodyear also won the straight aquaplaning testing.

Straight Aqua

Float Speed in Km/H

Higher is better ↑
Straight Aqua
Position / TyreResultGap to best
73.7 km/h Best
RefReference Summer
73.4 km/h -0.30 km/h
73.2 km/h -0.50 km/h
72.6 km/h -1.10 km/h
72.2 km/h -1.50 km/h
71.8 km/h -1.90 km/h
71.3 km/h -2.40 km/h
69.1 km/h -4.60 km/h
68.5 km/h -5.20 km/h
68.5 km/h -5.20 km/h
66.1 km/h -7.60 km/h
59.9 km/h -13.80 km/h

The difference between best and worst was 18.7% (13.8 Km/H).

Snow

Snow braking gave Goodyear a clean sweep of braking results, with all the winter tyres vastly out performing the summer tyre.

Snow Braking

Snow braking in meters

Lower is better ↓
Snow Braking
Position / TyreResultGap to best
27.6 m Best
28 m +0.40 m
28 m +0.40 m
28.5 m +0.90 m
28.6 m +1.00 m
28.8 m +1.20 m
28.9 m +1.30 m
29.1 m +1.50 m
29.4 m +1.80 m
30.5 m +2.90 m
30.8 m +3.20 m
RefReference Summer
77.9 m +50.30 m

The difference between best and worst was 182.2% (50.3 m ≈ 11.2 Car Lengths).

Snow handling was very close between the top seven tyres, with Kumho coming out on top.

Snow Handling

Snow handling average speed

Higher is better ↑
Snow Handling
Position / TyreResultGap to best
49.4 km/h Best
49.1 km/h -0.30 km/h
49 km/h -0.40 km/h
48.9 km/h -0.50 km/h
48.7 km/h -0.70 km/h
48.7 km/h -0.70 km/h
48.4 km/h -1.00 km/h
47.6 km/h -1.80 km/h
47.4 km/h -2.00 km/h
46.5 km/h -2.90 km/h
45 km/h -4.40 km/h

The difference between best and worst was 8.9% (4.4 Km/H).

Environment

Continental had a big advantage in fuel use.

Rolling Resistance

Rolling resistance in kg t

Lower is better ↓
Rolling Resistance
Position / TyreResultGap to bestExtra fuel / year
8.06 kg/t Best £0
8.5 kg/t +0.44 kg/t £24
8.5 kg/t +0.44 kg/t £24
8.66 kg/t +0.60 kg/t £33
RefReference Summer
8.8 kg/t +0.74 kg/t £40
9.02 kg/t +0.96 kg/t £53
9.25 kg/t +1.19 kg/t £65
9.35 kg/t +1.29 kg/t £71
9.39 kg/t +1.33 kg/t £73
9.99 kg/t +1.93 kg/t £106
10.32 kg/t +2.26 kg/t £124
10.35 kg/t +2.29 kg/t £125

The difference between best and worst was 28.4% (2.29 kg / t). Over 19,000 km a year at £1.45/L, the Hankook Winter i cept evo2 uses about 86 L (£125) more fuel than the Continental WinterContact TS 860 S.

Adjust the assumptions

Calculated estimates, not additional measurements. Use the controls to explore the assumptions.

19,000 km
£1.45/L
Estimates based on typical driving conditions. Rolling resistance accounts for approximately 20% of IC vehicle fuel consumption and 25% of EV energy consumption. Actual savings vary based on driving style, vehicle weight, road conditions, and tyre age. For comparative purposes only. Lifetime savings based on a 40,000km / 25,000 mile tread life.

Nankang had the lowest external drive by noise.

Noise

External noise in dB

Lower is better ↓
Noise
Position / TyreResultGap to best
70.7 dB Best
71.1 dB +0.40 dB
72 dB +1.30 dB
72.2 dB +1.50 dB
72.5 dB +1.80 dB
RefReference Summer
72.6 dB +1.90 dB
73.5 dB +2.80 dB
73.7 dB +3.00 dB
74.1 dB +3.40 dB
74.9 dB +4.20 dB
75 dB +4.30 dB
75.7 dB +5.00 dB

The difference between best and worst was 7.1% (5 dB).

The most expensive set of tyres on test was almost double the price of the cheapest set.

Results

1st

Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+

255/35 R19
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance+
Dry99%
Wet100%
Snow99.5%
Comfort95.4%
Rolling Resistance93.1%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tyres in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestPosition in disciplineResultGap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better1st / 1140.2 mBest in this discipline
Dry HandlingHigher is better8th / 11119.4 km/h-2.50 km/h
Wet BrakingLower is better1st / 1145.7 mBest in this discipline
Wet HandlingHigher is better1st / 1195.3 km/hBest in this discipline
Straight AquaHigher is better1st / 1173.7 km/hBest in this discipline
Snow BrakingLower is better1st / 1127.6 mBest in this discipline
Snow HandlingHigher is better4th / 1148.9 km/h-0.50 km/h
NoiseLower is better8th / 1174.1 dB+3.40 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better4th / 118.66 kg/t+0.60 kg/t
Price
880.00
2nd

Vredestein Wintrac Pro

255/35 R19
Vredestein Wintrac Pro
Dry97.4%
Wet97.5%
Snow97.3%
Comfort95.9%
Rolling Resistance78.1%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tyres in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestPosition in disciplineResultGap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better5th / 1141.8 m+1.60 m
Dry HandlingHigher is better4th / 11120.2 km/h-1.70 km/h
Wet BrakingLower is better4th / 1148.1 m+2.40 m
Wet HandlingHigher is better2nd / 1194.9 km/h-0.40 km/h
Straight AquaHigher is better2nd / 1173.2 km/h-0.50 km/h
Snow BrakingLower is better8th / 1129.1 m+1.50 m
Snow HandlingHigher is better2nd / 1149.1 km/h-0.30 km/h
NoiseLower is better7th / 1173.7 dB+3.00 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better10th / 1110.32 kg/t+2.26 kg/t
Price
760.00
3rd

Uniroyal MS+ 77

255/35 R19
Uniroyal MS Plus 77
Dry95.1%
Wet94%
Snow98.9%
Comfort97.9%
Rolling Resistance89.4%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tyres in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestPosition in disciplineResultGap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better10th / 1143.7 m+3.50 m
Dry HandlingHigher is better5th / 11119.7 km/h-2.20 km/h
Wet BrakingLower is better7th / 1150.4 m+4.70 m
Wet HandlingHigher is better6th / 1192 km/h-3.30 km/h
Straight AquaHigher is better5th / 1171.8 km/h-1.90 km/h
Snow BrakingLower is better2nd / 1128 m+0.40 m
Snow HandlingHigher is better3rd / 1149 km/h-0.40 km/h
NoiseLower is better4th / 1172.2 dB+1.50 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better5th / 119.02 kg/t+0.96 kg/t
Price
700.00
4th

Continental WinterContact TS 860 S

255/35 R19
Continental WinterContact TS 860 S
Dry98.3%
Wet93.8%
Snow96.8%
Comfort97.5%
Rolling Resistance100%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tyres in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestPosition in disciplineResultGap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better3rd / 1141.2 m+1.00 m
Dry HandlingHigher is better2nd / 11120.7 km/h-1.20 km/h
Wet BrakingLower is better6th / 1150 m+4.30 m
Wet HandlingHigher is better4th / 1192.8 km/h-2.50 km/h
Straight AquaHigher is better10th / 1166.1 km/h-7.60 km/h
Snow BrakingLower is better7th / 1128.9 m+1.30 m
Snow HandlingHigher is better7th / 1148.4 km/h-1.00 km/h
NoiseLower is better5th / 1172.5 dB+1.80 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better1st / 118.06 kg/tBest in this discipline
Price
935.00
5th

Hankook Winter i cept evo2

255/35 R19
Hankook Winter i cept evo2
Dry94.7%
Wet96.5%
Snow97.6%
Comfort93.4%
Rolling Resistance77.9%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tyres in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestPosition in disciplineResultGap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better11th / 1144 m+3.80 m
Dry HandlingHigher is better7th / 11119.5 km/h-2.40 km/h
Wet BrakingLower is better3rd / 1147.6 m+1.90 m
Wet HandlingHigher is better3rd / 1193.2 km/h-2.10 km/h
Straight AquaHigher is better8th / 1168.5 km/h-5.20 km/h
Snow BrakingLower is better5th / 1128.6 m+1.00 m
Snow HandlingHigher is better5th / 1148.7 km/h-0.70 km/h
NoiseLower is better11th / 1175.7 dB+5.00 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better11th / 1110.35 kg/t+2.29 kg/t
Price
685.00
6th

Michelin Pilot Alpin 4

255/35 R19
Michelin Pilot Alpin 4
Dry97.2%
Wet96.7%
Snow95.9%
Comfort94.4%
Rolling Resistance85.8%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tyres in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestPosition in disciplineResultGap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better7th / 1142.1 m+1.90 m
Dry HandlingHigher is better3rd / 11120.5 km/h-1.40 km/h
Wet BrakingLower is better2nd / 1147.1 m+1.40 m
Wet HandlingHigher is better4th / 1192.8 km/h-2.50 km/h
Straight AquaHigher is better8th / 1168.5 km/h-5.20 km/h
Snow BrakingLower is better6th / 1128.8 m+1.20 m
Snow HandlingHigher is better9th / 1147.4 km/h-2.00 km/h
NoiseLower is better9th / 1174.9 dB+4.20 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better8th / 119.39 kg/t+1.33 kg/t
Price
960.00
7th

Kumho WinterCraft WP71

255/35 R19
Kumho WinterCraft WP71
Dry98%
Wet92.3%
Snow99.3%
Comfort98.2%
Rolling Resistance86.2%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tyres in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestPosition in disciplineResultGap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better2nd / 1140.7 m+0.50 m
Dry HandlingHigher is better11th / 11118.5 km/h-3.40 km/h
Wet BrakingLower is better8th / 1151.8 m+6.10 m
Wet HandlingHigher is better9th / 1190.6 km/h-4.70 km/h
Straight AquaHigher is better4th / 1172.2 km/h-1.50 km/h
Snow BrakingLower is better2nd / 1128 m+0.40 m
Snow HandlingHigher is better1st / 1149.4 km/hBest in this discipline
NoiseLower is better3rd / 1172 dB+1.30 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better7th / 119.35 kg/t+1.29 kg/t
Price
605.00
8th

Toyo Snowprox S954

255/35 R19
Toyo Snowprox S954
Dry98.8%
Wet94.6%
Snow92.5%
Comfort96.2%
Rolling Resistance87.1%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tyres in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestPosition in disciplineResultGap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better3rd / 1141.2 m+1.00 m
Dry HandlingHigher is better1st / 11121.9 km/hBest in this discipline
Wet BrakingLower is better5th / 1149.6 m+3.90 m
Wet HandlingHigher is better7th / 1191.6 km/h-3.70 km/h
Straight AquaHigher is better3rd / 1172.6 km/h-1.10 km/h
Snow BrakingLower is better10th / 1130.5 m+2.90 m
Snow HandlingHigher is better10th / 1146.5 km/h-2.90 km/h
NoiseLower is better6th / 1173.5 dB+2.80 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better6th / 119.25 kg/t+1.19 kg/t
Price
650.00
9th

Nexen WinGuard Sport 2

255/35 R19
Nexen WinGuard Sport 2
Dry96.6%
Wet91.1%
Snow95.2%
Comfort99.4%
Rolling Resistance80.7%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tyres in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestPosition in disciplineResultGap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better8th / 1142.3 m+2.10 m
Dry HandlingHigher is better6th / 11119.6 km/h-2.30 km/h
Wet BrakingLower is better9th / 1153.4 m+7.70 m
Wet HandlingHigher is better7th / 1191.6 km/h-3.70 km/h
Straight AquaHigher is better7th / 1169.1 km/h-4.60 km/h
Snow BrakingLower is better9th / 1129.4 m+1.80 m
Snow HandlingHigher is better8th / 1147.6 km/h-1.80 km/h
NoiseLower is better2nd / 1171.1 dB+0.40 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better9th / 119.99 kg/t+1.93 kg/t
Price
535.00
10th

Nokian WR A4

255/35 R19
Nokian WR A4
Dry96.9%
Wet88.1%
Snow97.8%
Comfort94.3%
Rolling Resistance94.8%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tyres in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestPosition in disciplineResultGap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better6th / 1141.9 m+1.70 m
Dry HandlingHigher is better9th / 11119.3 km/h-2.60 km/h
Wet BrakingLower is better11th / 1154.8 m+9.10 m
Wet HandlingHigher is better10th / 1190.2 km/h-5.10 km/h
Straight AquaHigher is better11th / 1159.9 km/h-13.80 km/h
Snow BrakingLower is better4th / 1128.5 m+0.90 m
Snow HandlingHigher is better5th / 1148.7 km/h-0.70 km/h
NoiseLower is better10th / 1175 dB+4.30 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better2nd / 118.5 kg/t+0.44 kg/t
Price
780.00
11th

Nankang SV2

255/35 R19
Nankang SV2
Dry95.5%
Wet90.4%
Snow90.4%
Comfort100%
Rolling Resistance94.8%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tyres in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

TestPosition in disciplineResultGap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better9th / 1143 m+2.80 m
Dry HandlingHigher is better10th / 11118.8 km/h-3.10 km/h
Wet BrakingLower is better10th / 1153.8 m+8.10 m
Wet HandlingHigher is better11th / 1189.9 km/h-5.40 km/h
Straight AquaHigher is better6th / 1171.3 km/h-2.40 km/h
Snow BrakingLower is better11th / 1130.8 m+3.20 m
Snow HandlingHigher is better11th / 1145 km/h-4.40 km/h
NoiseLower is better1st / 1170.7 dBBest in this discipline
Rolling ResistanceLower is better2nd / 118.5 kg/t+0.44 kg/t
Price
515.00

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