Continental TS830P wins 2011 Auto Express winter tyre test

Continental has won the 2011 Auto Express winter tyre test, published this week (12 October). A parallel test in Auto Express’s high performance sister publication Evo awarded Continental top marks. In both titles, Continental's ContiWinterContact TS830P 91 H took the top spot in this year’s winter tyre awards.

Including a Continental summer tyre, which was used as a reference point, and a Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D that was curiously described as a “pre-production” product and was not rated, Auto Express tested 10 tyres. For reasons described above 8 were given ratings. Six were winter tyres, three all season and one summer. All were H – V rated 225/45 R17 sized products.

Just 0.7 per cent behind Continental’s winning score (100), second place was taken by Goodyear’s UltraGrip Performance 94 V. While no official mark was given, Auto Express explained that the Dunlop SP Winter Sport 4D would have come third if it was not a “pre-production” model. As it happens Pirelli’s Sottozero Winter 240 Serie II took third place with a score of 98.9. Michelin’s Alpin 4 94V came fourth and scored 98.7.

Hankook came fifth overall, but when you consider the fact that the Optimo 4S is an all season tyre its score of 96.4 is not bad at all. It is also some way ahead of sixth placed and next best all-season tyre Vredestein Quatrac 3 94 V (95.7). The last remaining all-season tyre (the Kumho Solus Vier 94 V) was two places lower than this in eighth with a score of 90. Kumho will likely be disappointed with the fact that its tyre came last behind cheaper tyres.

Finishing seventh overall, Nankang’s Snow SV-2 94V was the cheapest tyre on-test. At £94 each it costs £12 per tyre less than the nearest (Kumho) and a whopping £128 cheaper than the most expensive (Michelin). It was also some way ahead of last placed Kumho with a score of 93.5, some 6.5 per cent behind the winner in the rankings. However, Auto Express warned of being to cautious when it comes to cost: “Don’t let price sway you – [Nankang’s] snow performance doesn’t make up for big deficits elsewhere.”
For its second year, the Auto Express winter tyre guide celebrated top performing products in the winter tyre market. The awards sought to test performance, quality, safety, desirability and value alongside the magazine’s annual tyre tests. They are seen within the motoring industry as a stamp of approval offering motoring enthusiasts confidence when looking for their next winter tyre purchase.

Auto Express commented, “Consistently good performances earn Continental our winter tyre crown. Great all round performance with no weaknesses, sees off winter rivals and takes the win.”

In what was the first evo winter tyre test (in the December issue) the magazine furthered this praise. Tested against five competitor winter tyres in size 225/45R17, the awards recognised the ContiWinterContact TS830P across a broad spectrum, ranging from snow tests to road feel and refinement.

evo testers wrote: “Continental is the best performer overall, with solid results seeing it take first place. What our test shows is that not only are winter tyres vastly superior in the snow but that the best outperform a quality summer tyre when the roads are wet and near freezing.”

Related news:

• Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 is Auto Express Best Buy

• Auto Express Tyre Tests: Goodyear “Wet Weather Specialists”

• Continental Tops Evo Tyre Test for Second Time in 2010