Continental pips Bridgestone to Auto Express 2023 winter tyre crown

The Continental WinterContact TS 870’s strength in wet and dry conditions proved just enough for Auto Express to make it the winner of its Winter Tyre Test 2023. Competing against six other global manufacturers’ products, the Conti tyre beat the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005 – the reigning champion of many European tyre tests and Tyrepress’ sister consumer tyre advice website, WhatTyre’s Winter Tyre of the Year – by a narrow 0.3-point margin overall. None of the seven tyres tested disgraced itself, with the last-placed Vredestein Wintrac Pro only 3.2 points out of 100 behind the Conti tyre: the differences between seven of the top-performing winter tyres proved largely down to different interpretations of what performance characteristics a winter tyre should target; both by the manufacturers and Auto Express test lead Kim Adams. The tyres were tested in size 225/45R17 at Pirelli’s Sottozero winter testing facility in Flurheden in northern Sweden and at Continental’s Pferdsfeld proving ground. In its report, Auto Express detailed the shipping challenges associated with sourcing tyres to conduct tests have not yet fully relented; while manufacturers supplied their own tyres for the winter tyre test, the top three were checked against tyres bought on the open market.

Continental retains UK winter test crown

The WinterContact TS 870 – for small to medium cars (Image: Continental)

The Continental WinterContact TS 870 remains Auto Express’ first-choice winter tyre, retaining its title for the second consecutive test. The five-star rating comes despite the tyre’s relatively less good performance on snow during the Swedish leg of the test. Auto Express noted that despite finishing seventh out of seven in snow braking, the tyre’s 97.8/100 score was “on pace” with its rivals, while its fifth-place snow traction result was also within three-hundredths of the leading Bridgestone tyre. In the wet and dry tests, the Conti product demonstrated strong consistency, beating every other tyre in the wet handling test and landing in a close second place in every other discipline. The tyre also demonstrated the lowest rolling resistance and cabin noise in the test, contributing to the tester’s verdict that the tyre represents the best all-round solution in cold driving conditions. More subjectively, Auto Express also called the TS 870 “the best to drive” citing “a liveliness to the steering that rivals couldn’t match, combined with a very planted rear.”

The Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005 remained a worthy competitor – indeed Auto Express called the tyre “a revelation” and “a snow star”. Overall the tyre was marked on 0.3/100 points behind the winning tyre, finishing top in both snow driving tests (braking and traction). Based on this and other European independent tests, the Blizzak LM-005 is a tyre to consider if you are spending more time on snow than typically experienced in UK conditions. Of course, a UK test will naturally be more concerned with winter tyres’ performance in wet and even dry weather, since the majority of drivers will see far more of these conditions in the October to March half of the year. There were no truly notable weaknesses in the tyre’s tests, though a fifth place finish in curved aquaplaning with a score of 88.6 exposes a slight disadvantage. Despite this, the tyre is the only tyre in the test with A-grade wet grip on the EU tyre label.

Completing the podium is the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 in an “impressive debut” Auto Express winter tyre test. Overall, the tyre showed particular strength in aquaplaning, finishing first in both straight and curved tests, and wet handling, in which it was second by 0.8 points to the Conti tyre. While not particularly weak in any discipline – the tyre was largely within 2.2/100 marks of the leading products, finishing with an overall score of 99.4 – the UltraGrip Performance 3 was fifth in rolling resistance, with 92.7/100. Subjectively, the tyre “inspired confidence” without being quite as “sharp” in steering as the winning Conti tyre, though Auto Express called it “a great tyre in the wet”. Overall, the newest Goodyear winter tyre is also a compelling all-round product that offers plenty to drivers tackling the UK winter.

While only in fourth place, the Hankook Winter i*cept RS3 produced results that also suggest it deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the higher-rated products – especially interesting since it is obtainable at a considerably lower price. The tyre offers “well balanced” winter performance that achieved a score of 99.3 overall. It was particularly strong in the dry, where it “came alive… with deft direction changes and high grip levels,” Auto Express said. It was first in the dry handling test, though testers noted that it “didn’t feel the sharpest”. It was no slouch in the wet too, winning the wet braking discipline and only 0.9 points off first in wet handling. The tyre’s only weakness was its relatively high rolling resistance, scoring 88.2 in seventh place.

Three tyres slightly behind the leaders

Pirelli developed the Cinturato Winter 2 to provide “market-leading performance in all sorts of winter weather” (Photo: Pirelli)

The Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2 was also a high overall scorer overall, with 99.1, though the tyre was firmly positioned in the bottom half of the rankings in most disciplines, an anomalous win in dry braking aside. That said, this indicates more a set of seven very good and better winter tyres more than anything else. The Pirelli tyre was strongest in the snow, coming in second overall, though an overall fifth in the wet tests hurt its chances of a better placement. Auto Express noted weaknesses in dry handling, though the tyre’s objective score was still relatively high (98.6), and rolling resistance, in which the tyre was sixth with 91.4.

The Michelin Alpin 6 managed 98.7 overall, with decent all-round performance. Auto Express notes that at five years old, the tyre has been in the market longer than other products in the test, suggesting that this discrepancy was beginning to show on track. The tyre dropped back in the wet, finishing sixth overall, while its dry performance was balanced. Auto Express praised the Alpin 6’s “improved” fuel economy too. The tyre was the noisiest in the test, but only 1.1 points down on the top rated tyre in this discipline. While the tyre never truly challenged for top spot in any discipline, Auto Express surmised that it offers “good all-round performance from a five-year-old design, up against newer competitors that benefit from the latest technology.”

In last spot was the Vredestein Wintrac Pro, another tyre that Auto Express suggests is “starting to show its age”. The tyre was regularly in seventh position, especially in snow and wet conditions, with its wet braking result particularly off the pace (90.8 points). Auto Express said it “lacked the balance of rivals” in the wet, but was “better in the dry, where it was close to the pace and had a decent handling balance.

Other UK tyre options

Acknowledging the UK’s famed aversion to fitting specialist winter tyres, Auto Express also measured the overall performance of an all-season tyre (the Hankook Kinergy 4S2) and a summer tyre (the Bridgestone Potenza Sport). While the latter, a very good tyre for summer driving according to many tests, was clearly unsuitable on snow, as you would expect, Auto Express demonstrated via nearly 20 per cent better dry braking than the best winter tyre shows the need to change back to summer tyres when the weather is warmer.

The all-season comparison is more relevant, since the latest generation are viewed as a much more viable alternative to winter tyres given their convenience. While the figures were generated in the magazine’s all-season tyre test, and so need to be taken with a grain of salt, Auto Express noted that there remained a performance advantage for some full winter tyres, with the Kinergy 4S2 finishing below all but the Wintrac Pro. However, the all-season tyre did possess an advantage in dry performance. In the snow, Auto Express said that the tyre was, unsurprisingly, “eight per cent off the pace on snow, but it did feel safe – and significantly better than the summer tyre.”