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2017 Sport Auto Winter Tyre Test

Jonathan Benson
Data analyzed and reviewed by Jonathan Benson
6 min read Updated

Adjust Result Weighting

The overall scores below are calculated using our weighting system. Since the original publication may use a different scoring methodology that wasn't shared, these results may differ from their published rankings. You can adjust the weightings below to explore how different priorities affect the results.
Dry 24%
Wet 41%
Snow 35%
Dry 24% · Wet 41% · Snow 35%
Fine-tune sub-categories
Dry
Wet
Snow

Test Results Data

BEST Good Average Below Average
# Tyre Total Score Dry Wet Snow
Braking M Handling Km/H % Braking M Handling Km/H % Braking M Handling Km/H %
1 Continental WinterContact TS 850 P 98.8% 46 119 97.4% 35.9 3 73.8 99.7% 30.3 3 56 2 98.6%
2 ▼1 Goodyear UltraGrip Performance Gen 1 98.7% 45.4 3 118.6 97.9% 35.8 2 73.7 3 99.8% 30.6 55.7 97.9%
3 Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 98.6% 46.6 118.9 96.7% 35.7 73.8 100% 30.8 56.5 98.4%
4 ▲1 Yokohama W drive V905 98.1% 45.9 117.6 96.9% 36.7 73.1 98.2% 30.1 2 55.8 3 98.7%
5 ▲1 Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 97.1% 46 118.1 97% 36.7 73.5 98.4% 32 55.4 95.6%
6 ▲2 Cooper Weather Master SA2 Plus 96.2% 45.9 116.2 96.3% 36.4 73.3 98.7% 31.5 52 93.1%
7 ▼3 Hankook Winter i cept evo2 96.1% 47.1 119.5 96.5% 39.5 70.8 93.2% 29.7 55.6 99.1%
8 ▼1 Nokian WR A4 95.4% 44.5 2 119.1 2 99.1% 38.6 70.3 93.9% 30.5 52.2 94.7%
9 Nankang SV2 93% 43.8 117.4 99.1% 39.6 70.1 92.6% 33.9 51.2 89.2%
10 ▼1 Toyo Snowprox S954 92.7% 45.4 3 119.1 2 98.1% 40.7 68.9 90.5% 33.8 53.5 91.6%
Scroll for more
Dry 97% Wet 100% Snow 99%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 46 M
Dry Handling 119 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 35.9 M 3
Wet Handling 73.8 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 30.3 M 3
Snow Handling 56 Km/H 2
Dry 98% Wet 100% Snow 98%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 45.4 M 3
Dry Handling 118.6 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 35.8 M 2
Wet Handling 73.7 Km/H 3
Snow
Snow Braking 30.6 M
Snow Handling 55.7 Km/H
Dry 97% Wet 100% Snow 98%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 46.6 M
Dry Handling 118.9 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 35.7 M
Wet Handling 73.8 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 30.8 M
Snow Handling 56.5 Km/H
4
98.1%
Dry 97% Wet 98% Snow 99%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 45.9 M
Dry Handling 117.6 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 36.7 M
Wet Handling 73.1 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 30.1 M 2
Snow Handling 55.8 Km/H 3
Dry 97% Wet 98% Snow 96%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 46 M
Dry Handling 118.1 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 36.7 M
Wet Handling 73.5 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 32 M
Snow Handling 55.4 Km/H
Dry 96% Wet 99% Snow 93%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 45.9 M
Dry Handling 116.2 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 36.4 M
Wet Handling 73.3 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 31.5 M
Snow Handling 52 Km/H
Dry 97% Wet 93% Snow 99%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 47.1 M
Dry Handling 119.5 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 39.5 M
Wet Handling 70.8 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 29.7 M
Snow Handling 55.6 Km/H
8
95.4%
Dry 99% Wet 94% Snow 95%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 44.5 M 2
Dry Handling 119.1 Km/H 2
Wet
Wet Braking 38.6 M
Wet Handling 70.3 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 30.5 M
Snow Handling 52.2 Km/H
9
93%
Dry 99% Wet 93% Snow 89%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 43.8 M
Dry Handling 117.4 Km/H
Wet
Wet Braking 39.6 M
Wet Handling 70.1 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 33.9 M
Snow Handling 51.2 Km/H
10
92.7%
Dry 98% Wet 91% Snow 92%
View detailed scores
Dry
Dry Braking 45.4 M 3
Dry Handling 119.1 Km/H 2
Wet
Wet Braking 40.7 M
Wet Handling 68.9 Km/H
Snow
Snow Braking 33.8 M
Snow Handling 53.5 Km/H
Not every driver has the same priorities. Adjust the category weightings above to re-rank the tyres based on what matters most to your driving style.
Scores are colour-coded from red (weakest) through yellow to green (strongest) to help you quickly spot each tyre's strengths and weaknesses.
The original test ranking is shown in the # column. Arrows indicate how each tyre moves when your custom weighting is applied.

Discussion

6 comments
  1. Pipa Cacao archived

    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.

    #3573
  2. 930 Engineering archived

    There's a mistake. This is the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4, not the Alpin 4. These are two entirely different tyres.

    #3381
    1. TyreReviews 930 Engineering archived

      Thanks for letting me know, I'll get that updated now.

      Edit - we had the PA4 listed all along!

      #3396
  3. J archived

    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)

    #3222
    1. TyreReviews J archived

      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.

      #3223
      1. J TyreReviews archived

        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..

        #3226