Performance Overview
This radar chart shows relative performance across all test categories, with 100% representing the best performance in each category. Reference tires may have gaps where data is not available.
Dry Performance Overview
Dry Braking (M)
Dry braking in meters (Lower is better)
Dry Handling (Km/H)
Dry Handling Average Speed (Higher is better)
Wet Performance Overview
Wet Braking (M)
Wet braking in meters (Lower is better)
Wet Handling (Km/H)
Wet Handling Average Speed (Higher is better)
Snow Performance Overview
Snow Braking (M)
Snow braking in meters (Lower is better)
Snow Handling (Km/H)
Snow handling average speed (Higher is better)
Overall Findings
Based on the weighted scoring from all tests, here are the overall results:
| Position | Tyre | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Continental WinterContact TS 850 P | 0% | |
| 2 | Goodyear UltraGrip Performance Gen 1 | 0% |
| 3 | Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 | 0% |
| 4 | Hankook Winter i cept evo2 | 0% |
| 5 | Yokohama W drive V905 | 0% |
| 6 | Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 | 0% |
| 7 | Nokian WR A4 | 0% |
| 8 | Cooper Weather Master SA2 Plus | 0% |
| 9 | Nankang SV2 | 0% |
| 10 | Toyo Snowprox S954 | 0% |
I feel an utter disappointment with Nokian WR4!!
Both the "2017 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test" & "AMS Performance 18 inch Winter Tyre Test" were right on the spot with the scores.
The WR4 are horrible on the wet surfaces!! I have a TT Mk3 and driving it on a highway at any levels of rain is utter horror show. I constantly get the feeling that the car is "floating" (aquaplaning). Overtaking anyone on a wet road is like driving on ice. Even on the dry surfaces, the tyres seem to force the car to "wander". You have to constantly make small steering wheel adjustments in order to have the car go straight. At first I thought that this was due to possible road imperfections" but now I know better.
VERDICT: "Not recommended"
Since people rarely drive fast & crazy during the winter, I recommend any other tyre. They might be good on dry, however in most places winter is mostly wet and icy than just being outright cold and dry. Get a tyre with good wet & snow stats.
There's a mistake. This is the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4, not the Alpin 4. These are two entirely different tyres.
Thanks for letting me know, I'll get that updated now.
Edit - we had the PA4 listed all along!
I have the Toyo in its second (winter)year now (done approx 25k km), and can't really say they're -that- bad in the wet, but they aren't great either. Dry is pretty good.
In snow I think they lose grip too quickly. A couple of weeks ago we finally had some deep snow and these certainly can't beat Goodyear and Vredestein. The little snow I had when I placed the review was nothing compared to a couple of weeks ago. In deep snow and sludge these tyres are simply disappointing.
The abysmal result in the wet here, should be for snow (in my opinion). Since I have never felt like I lacked grip in the wet, while I have had that feeling in snow, that I simply couldn't follow others because of understeer.
(Fwd 205 wide)
Worth keeping in mind snow performance drops off quite a lot with wear, and after 25k on a set of winters the driven wheel tyres must be getting rather tired! But you are right, they're no match for the best premium tyres available.
I have swapped them from front to rear. Those which were at the front in 2016-2017 winter, are at the back in this 2017-2018 winter. So the wear should become pretty even now.
But I see I in my logs ll mad a mistake with the amount of kms.. I thought I had swapped at 202k, but that was a service interval..
Winter 2016-2017 started at 27-10-2016 at 183k and ended at 193k at 28-2-2017.
Winter 2017-2018 started at 29-11-2017 at 211.500 and I'm at 218k now.. so 16,500km.
Also just checked the wear. Wear is 6.4mm left at the front, 6.1 at the rear. Which isn't too bad..