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Barum Polaris 6 View Gallery (2)
155-255/35-70 R14-20 101 sizes Winter rated

Barum Polaris 6

The Barum Polaris 6 is a Touring Winter tyre designed to be fitted to Passenger Cars.

9.6
Tyre Reviews Score Based on Professional Tests & User Reviews
High Confidence View Breakdown
Dry Grip
88%
Wet Grip
85%
Road Feedback
85%
Handling
85%
Wear
90%
Comfort
90%
Buy again
85%
Snow Grip
87%
Ice Grip
80%
5 Reviews
86% Average
19,100 miles driven
3 Tests (avg: 7th)
Barum Polaris 6

Barum Polaris 6

Winter Mid-Range
BETA
9.6 / 10
Based on Professional Tests & User Reviews · High Confidence · Updated 23 Feb 2026

The Tyre Reviews Score is the most comprehensive tyre scoring system available. It aggregates professional test data from multiple independent publications, user reviews, and consistency analysis using Bayesian statistical methods, weighted normalisation, and recency-adjusted scoring to produce a single, reliable performance rating.

Learn more about our methodology
Value
91.4
0.42x / 4 tests
Comfort
87.7
0.32x / 3 tests
Snow
86.1
1.5x / 8 tests
Dry
68.3
1.13x / 4 tests
Wet
67.4
1.93x / 11 tests

Cross-category scores are derived metrics that combine data from multiple test disciplines to evaluate real-world performance characteristics.

Traction
85.4
2 tests
Braking
80.6
8 tests
Handling
74.7
6 tests
Score Components
Professional Tests
Weight: 80%
Tests: 3
Publications: 2
Period: 2025
User Reviews
Weight: 15%
Reviews: 5
Avg Rating: 86%
Min Required: 5
Consistency
Weight: 5%
Score Std Dev: 0.38
History Points: 10
Methodology & Configuration
Scoring Process
  1. Collect Test Data: Gather results from professional tyre tests across multiple publications. Minimum 1 test(s) required.
  2. Normalize Positions: Convert test positions to percentile scores using exponential weighting (factor: 1.2).
  3. Apply Recency Weighting: More recent tests are weighted higher with a decay rate of 0.95.
  4. Incorporate User Reviews: Factor in user review data (minimum 5 reviews). Weight: 15%.
  5. Bayesian Smoothing: Apply Bayesian prior (score: 7, weight: 1.5) to prevent extreme scores with limited data.
  6. Calculate Final Score: Combine all components using normalization factor of 1.1. Max score with limited data: 9.5.
Component Weights
Test Data
80%
User Reviews
15%
Consistency
5%
All Configuration Parameters
ParameterValueDescription
safety_weight 0.7 Weight multiplier for safety-related metrics
performance_weight 0.55 Weight multiplier for performance metrics
comfort_weight 0.4 Weight multiplier for comfort metrics
value_weight 0.45 Weight multiplier for value-for-money metrics
user_reviews_weight 0.15 How much user reviews contribute to the final score
test_data_weight 0.8 How much professional test data contributes to the final score
consistency_weight 0.05 How much score consistency contributes to the final score
recency_decay_rate 0.95 Rate at which older test results lose influence (higher = slower decay)
min_test_count 1 Minimum number of professional tests required
min_review_count 5 Minimum number of user reviews required
score_version 1.9 Current version of the scoring algorithm
score_normalization_factor 1.1 Factor used to normalize raw scores to the 0-10 scale
confidence_factor_weight 0.2 How much data confidence affects the final score
position_penalty_weight 0.2 Penalty applied for poor test positions
gap_penalty_threshold 12 Score gap (%) that triggers additional penalties
min_metrics_count 2 Minimum number of test metrics needed per test
limited_data_threshold 2 Number of tests below which data is considered limited
single_test_penalty 0.75 Score multiplier when only one test is available
critical_metric_penalty 0.7 Penalty for poor performance on critical safety metrics
critical_metric_threshold 70 Score below which a critical metric penalty applies
position_exponential_factor 1.2 Exponent used to amplify position-based scoring
position_exponential_threshold 0.9 Position percentile below which exponential scoring applies
gap_multiplier_critical 3 Multiplier for critical gap penalties
max_category_weight 2 Maximum weight any single category can have
max_score_limited_data 9.5 Score cap when data is limited
bayesian_prior_weight 1.5 Weight of the Bayesian prior in smoothing
bayesian_prior_score 7 Prior score used for Bayesian smoothing
evidence_test_multiplier 1.9 Multiplier for test evidence in confidence calculation
evidence_metric_divisor 3 Divisor for metric count in evidence calculation
evidence_review_divisor 10 Divisor for review count in evidence calculation
combined_penalty_floor 0.2
Data Sources
TestPublicationDateSizePositionMetrics
2025 Autobild Winter Tyre Test Auto Bild 2025 225/40 R18 8/22 16 metrics
2025 Winter Tyre Braking Test - 52 Sets! Auto Bild 2025 225/40 R18 10/52 2 metrics
2025 Autozurnal Winter Tyre Test Autozurnal 2025 215/65 R17 2/7 12 metrics
In Depth Tyre Comparisons
3
Tests
7th
Average
2nd
Best
10th
Worst
Latest Tyre Test Results
2nd/7
The Barum Polaris 6 was an exceptional performer, finishing second in the final overall standings. Its biggest strength was on snow, where it ranked first overall by winning the braking, acceleration, and traction tests and placing second in handling. On dry surfaces, it was rated second-best, largely due to having the lowest rolling resistance and being the quietest tyre at both tested speeds. Its performance in wet conditions was also solid, placing fourth in that category with strong results in handling and aquaplaning resistance, showcasing its excellent all-around capabilities for winter driving.
10th/52
8th/22
The Barum Polaris 6, as Continental's budget brand, delivers impressive value as a genuine bargain option with the highest fuel-saving potential in the test. Its exceptionally low rolling resistance translates directly to lower fuel consumption, making it economical to run over its lifetime. The tyre proves itself safe and reliable on both snow and dry roads, providing confidence-inspiring performance in typical winter conditions without breaking the bank. However, it shows its budget positioning more clearly on wet roads, where overall performance lags slightly behind premium competitors. Despite this, it never falls into the dangerous category, maintaining acceptable safety standards. At approximately €380 per set—the lowest price among quality brand tyres in the test—it represents outstanding value for budget-conscious drivers who need a reliable winter tyre but can't justify premium pricing. The tyre proves that low cost doesn't necessarily mean compromised safety.
Size Fuel Wet Noise
14 inch
165/70R14 81 T D D 71
175/65R14 82 T D D 71
185/70R14 88 T D D 71
175/65R14 86 T XL D D 71
185/60R14 82 T D D 71
15 inch
185/65 R 15 88 T B C 71
185/65 R 15 92 T XL B C 71
195/65 R 15 91 T C C 72
195/65 R 15 91 H C C 72
195/65 R 15 95 H XL C C 72
195/55R15 85 H D C 72
185/65R15 88 T C C 71
16 inch
205/60 R 16 92 H B C 72
205/60 R 16 96 H XL B C 72
215/60 R 16 99 H XL C C 72
205/55 R 16 91 T B C 72
205/55 R 16 91 H B C 72
205/55 R 16 94 H XL B C 72
205/55 R 16 94 V XL B C 72
215/70R16 100 H D C 72
17 inch
215/55 R 17 98 V XL C C 72
205/50 R 17 93 V XL D C 72
235/65R17 108 V XL C C 72
225/50R17 98 V XL B C 72
225/50R17 98 H XL B C 72
225/45R17 91 H C C 72
225/45R17 94 V XL C C 72
225/60R17 103 V XL C C 72
215/45R17 91 V XL D C 72
18 inch
235/60 R 18 107 V XL C C 72
225/40 R 18 92 V XL C C 72
245/40 R 18 97 V XL C C 72
245/45R18 100 V XL B C 72
19 inch
235/35 R 19 91 W XL C C 72
20 inch
255/45 R 20 105 V XL D C 73
View All Sizes and EU Label Scores for the Barum Polaris 6 >>

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Top 3 Barum Polaris 6 Reviews

Given 98% while driving a Volkswagen Golf Mk4 1,6 16V (185/65 R15) on mostly country roads for 7,000 spirited miles
Really good tire amazed with it honestly
June 3, 2025
Given 90% while driving a Volkswagen Golf R estate (205/55 R16) on a combination of roads for 12,000 average miles
Very Good Tyre ive been driving for 3 months now no problem at all
December 24, 2024
Given 100% while driving a Mazda 3 2014 (205/60 R16) on a combination of roads for 0 easy going miles
Just purchased a new set in Europe, Serbia, DOT 2025, and was driving on them for about 50 km through the city, on the highway and the local road. Temperature was around 9 degrees C and the road was dry. Wanted to give you my first impressions right away, but I will update the review after I am able to use them on the snow and more severe weather with lower temperatures.

First, first impression, after coming from 10 year old Michelin Alpine A4 is, these tyres are wobbly. Like, a lot.

That is pretty much the only issue, everything else seems pretty much fenomenal. Price, fenomenal. Noise is virtually non existent, I didn't know this was even possible. Feeling on the strait road or a highway is posh, they transformed my rough Mazda 3 suspension into a smooth sale. Rolling resistance is by my subjective feeling, really low. Although extremely soft tyre by the touch, sharp cornering was surprisingly precise and there were no issues there.

If there was no that annoying bounciness, I would looove my new tyre, but there is this constant feeling that I might be missing a level of sportiness that Michelin offered, with their firmer ride. I just don't have the same degree of confidence with this balloony feeling under my legs. I just hope that some of this awkward feeling will go away on lower temperatures , where it might be possible that this compound becomes a little bit stiffer. Also, of you have slimmer sidewalls on your wheel size, you might not have this issue at all.
November 5, 2025

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Latest Barum Polaris 6 Reviews

Given 68% while driving a Mazda MX5 2.0 SE (ND 2015 onwards) (205/45 R17) on a combination of roads for 100 spirited miles
This year I decided to replace my original Michelin CrossClimates in the front axel, since the CCs started to crack at the edges, as many have reported. I also wanted a more winter biased tyre, since I live in a Nordic country. I chose BP 6 after reading many reviews and because they seemed to have a good price/performance ratio. I haven't had a chance to drive a lot, so I can't give a very detailed analyses. My first impressions are pretty good. There is more grip on snow and ice compared to CC. However the tyre is softer than CC, but also wierdly bouncier. Since I drive a rear driven car, I don't feel comfortable inflating fronts more, than rears, but this is something I am considering in order to make the tyre more drivable.
December 4, 2025
Given 85% while driving a Mercedes Benz C180K Avantgarde (225/45 R17) on mostly town for 0 average miles
I chose the Barum Polaris 6 for its affordability. My car is a Mercedes W204 C180 Kompressor. I haven't had a chance to test it on snow and ice yet, but it's an incredibly quiet and comfortable tire. I wasn't disappointed. I recommend it.
October 18, 2025
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