The Hungarian motoring magazine tested winter and all-season tires, including a few newcomers of the season.
List of models tested:
- Barum Polaris 5
- Barum Quartaris 5
- Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
- Continental WinterContact TS 870
- Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 W452
- Kleber Krisalp HP3
- Michelin Alpin 6
- Michelin CrossClimate 2
- Pirelli SnowControl Serie 3
- Triangle SeasonX TA01
- Triangle WinterX TW401
The Hungarian magazine Autonavigator has already been conducting its own tire tests for 10 years, and this time around the Hungaroring motorsport racetrack hosted a test of 13 tire sets from various price brackets. Earlier, the experts would test tires in size 195/65 R15, which was the most popular size on the market at the time, but since 2018 they began to compare tires in a more popular size of 205/55 R16 — quite possibly, tires with a 17-inch fitting diameter will be tested for the new summer season.
There was a certain shortage of tires on the Hungarian tire market in 2021, so only eight winter tires and three all-season tires were included in the list of competitors; in addition, sets of worn-out summer and winter tires aged nine and five years, respectively, were tested.
Unlike bigger magazines, Autonavigator does not conduct any tests of winter tires beyond the Arctic Circle, preferring to test them in their home country. This time, the tests were conducted using two Skoda Octavias within one night, and the braking test yielded very interesting results — wet braking distances turned out to be shorter than the dry ones. The fact was that at first the tires were tested on a dry surface, and the temperature of the air and asphalt was 4 and 2–2.5 °C, respectively. When the experts moved on to the wet tests, it became warmer, and the braking distances grew shorter. Both tests were won by the new Michelin CrossClimate 2 model, which is positioned as an all-season one in Europe.
Dry Braking
- Michelin A/S
- Michelin
- Kleber
- Barum A/S
- Triangle A/S
- Bridgestone
- Hankook
- Barum
- Pirelli
- Continental
- Triangle
Info! Dry braking in the range of 60–0 km/h, m.
The tests were also performed on a wet surface of synthetic resin, meant to simulate ice. In such conditions, the grip drops dramatically, and, fitted with summer tires, the test car, braking from mere 40 km/h, would often slide beyond the 80-meter section.
Wet Braking
- Michelin A/S
- Triangle A/S
- Michelin
- Continental
- Kleber
- Bridgestone
- Barum A/S
- Hankook
- Pirelli
- Barum
- Triangle
Info! Wet braking in the range of 60–0 km/h, m.
The best results in this «ice braking» test were shown by the premium Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 and Continental WinterContact TS 870 (a new model of the season 2021/2022), while the third place was unexpectedly scored by the inexpensive Triangle WinterX TW401. The experts also evaluated traction, and here the Triangle tire surprised everyone by coming second, being next only to Bridgestone.
A few other parameters of the tires were tested, and the quietest tires (the cabin noise was measured) turned out to be the Continental and Michelin winter models, while the best environmental performance was demonstrated by the all-season Triangle tire. The experts also measured the treadwear after the tests, and in this performance area all the tires received high scores.
Ice Braking
- Bridgestone
- Continental
- Triangle
- Hankook
- Kleber
- Barum
- Michelin
- Barum A/S
- Pirelli
- Triangle A/S
- Michelin A/S
Info! Ice braking in the range of 40–0 km/h, m.
In the final standings, the victory was scored by the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 and Continental WinterContact TS 870 models, which turned out to be the best on a slippery surface, and which the experts recommend using in the regions with frequent snowfalls. At the same time, if you chiefly get to drive on tarmac in the wintertime, a good option will be the Michelin CrossClimate 2, which in such conditions surpasses the competitors in terms of braking performance.
The weight of the scores was distributed in the following way: all the disciplines on dry and wet pavement, as well as on «ice» (represented in the table as «slippery surface») weighed 20% each, noise and the environment — 5% each, treadwear — 10%.
Test Results
1st place: Bridgestone / Blizzak LM005
Quick Take
Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
- Short braking distance and excellent traction on a slippery surface
- Increased noise emission
- Very good
2nd place: Continental / WinterContact TS 870
Quick Take
Continental WinterContact TS 870
- Short braking distance on a slippery surface
- Low noise emission
- Very good
3rd place: Kleber / Krisalp HP3
Quick Take
Kleber Krisalp HP3
- Short braking distance on dry pavement and on a slippery surface
- Good
4th place: Hankook / Winter i*cept RS2 W452
Quick Take
Hankook Winter i*cept RS2 W452
- Short braking distance on a slippery surface
- Good
5th place: Triangle / WinterX TW401
Quick Take
Triangle WinterX TW401
- Excellent traction on a slippery surface
- Long braking distance on dry pavement and on a slippery surface
- Good
6th place: Barum / Polaris 5
Quick Take
Barum Polaris 5
- Well-balanced performance in most of the disciplines
- Relatively long braking distance on wet pavement
- Good
7th place: Michelin / Alpin 6
Quick Take
Michelin Alpin 6
- Short braking distance on wet and dry pavement
- Low noise emission
- High rolling resistance
- Good
8th place: Triangle / SeasonX TA01
Quick Take
Triangle SeasonX TA01
- Short braking distance on wet and dry pavement
- Low rolling resistance
- Satisfactory
9th place: Barum / Quartaris 5
Quick Take
Barum Quartaris 5
- Short braking distance on dry pavement
- Low rolling resistance
- Relatively high wear
- Satisfactory
11th place: Pirelli / Winter Snowcontrol Serie 3
Quick Take
Pirelli Winter Snowcontrol Serie 3
- Increased noise emission
- High rolling resistance
- Relatively high wear
- Satisfactory
12th place: Michelin / CrossClimate 2
Quick Take
Michelin CrossClimate 2
- Very short braking distance on wet and dry pavement
- Weak traction on a slippery surface
- Satisfactory
