Continental a double winner in associations’ winter tyre testing

The winter tyre tests conducted by German, Austrian and Swiss motoring associations this year include several recommendable, solidly performing products, as well as a few poor results. The ADAC, ÖAMTC and TCS looked at 33 tyres in two dimensions, the small car size 185/65 R15 and SUV fitment 215/60 R16. Reporting the results, the ADAC particularly encourages buyers to “take a close look at braking distances and wear” before choosing a tyre.

185/65 R15

Looking first at the dimension 185/65 R15, a tyre suitable for cars such as the VW Polo, Audi A1 and Vauxhall Corsa. The associations found the Continental WinterContact TS 870 to be the best tyre, and along with products from Goodyear, Semperit and Michelin it delivered a well-balanced performance on dry, wet and snowy roads. ADAC gave these four tyres a ‘good’ rating while ÖAMTC and TCS deemed them ‘very recommendable’. They were followed by a broad midfield which the associations recommend with certain reservations. ADAC comments that a “close look at the results table saves cash” here as the top-rated tyres aren’t much more expensive in this dimension than those finishing the test behind them.

Moving further down the table, ADAC only rated the Dunlop, Fulda and Barum tyres ‘adequate’ as they tended to oversteer during the early stages of evasive manoeuvres and provided inharmonious steering response on dry roads. The Austrian and Swiss associations consider all three conditionally recommendable’.

The tyres from Imperial and Wanli gained the ADAC’s lowest ‘inadequate’ rating and were ‘not recommendable’ according to the ÖAMTC and TCS. The ADAC states that its testers “advise against these tyres” as they “perform extremely poorly in the wet.” The association reports that their braking distance from 80 kilometres per hour is about 10 metres longer than the 36.2 metres achieved by the first-placed (in the wet braking test) Bridgestone tyre.

215/60 R16

Continental stands on the top step of the podium again in the test of 215/60 R16 tyres, a size suitable for SUVs such as the Skoda Karoq, Audi Q3 and VW T-Roc. ADAC recommends the WinterContact TS 870, along with tyres from Dunlop, Goodyear and Michelin, as ‘good’ tyres that show no weaknesses in the main test disciplines. ÖAMTC and TCS give the tyres their ‘very recommendable’ rating.

Once again, these were followed by a broad midfield of tyres that offer “good alternatives to the frontrunners,” scoring fewer points overall due to just one shortcoming. ADAC recommends potential buyers once more to take a look at the details, because depending on individual driving style a ‘satisfactory’ or ‘recommendable’ rated – and usually cheaper – tyre may turn out to be the best for you personally.

The associations awarded the wooden spoon to Cooper, but unlike in the smaller size this last-placed product gains a rating of ‘adequate’ from the ADAC and ‘conditionally recommendable’ from ÖAMTC and TCS. ADAC comments that the Cooper tyre was let down by its performance on dry roads, and it also scored “by far” the worst result in the wear test with its mileage of just under 24,000 kilometres (15,000 miles) around 19,000 kilometres less than the top-performing Sava tyre.

WinterContact TS 870 on top twice

Commenting on Continental’s first place result in both tests, tyre developer Andreas Schlenke says the brand “stands for safety in summer and winter.” He adds that these test victories with major motoring associations “proves our premium claim and honours the efforts of our development team.”

Schlenke and his colleagues redesigned Continental’s winter tyre “from the ground up,” developing a new tread design, construction and compound. As a result, Continental reports that the WinterContact TS 870 offers three per cent shorter braking distances on ice and five per cent better handling on snow compared to its predecessor. At the same time, mileage has been increased by ten per cent and grip on snow has been improved.