The ADAC tested 33 winter tires in two sizes for small cars and SUVs. Two models received the grade "poor", others did not go beyond "sufficient".
A total of 16 tires in size 185/65 R15 for the VW Polo or the Opel Corsa, for example, were tested with regard to dry and wet handling, snow and ice properties and noise development and examine the fuel consumption. Wear also played a role in the tire test. All test results can be found in the slideshow.
China tires fail
Four models from Continental, Goodyear, Semperit and Michelin received the grade "good". There follow, with reservations, seven tires with the grade "satisfactory", some of which had deficits on snow, dry handling or wear. Three tires from Dunlop, Fulda and Barum received the rating "sufficient" "because they not only respond inharmoniously to the driver's steering commands on dry roads, but also - far more critically - tend to oversteer early on in evasive manoeuvres," according to the auto club.
The two Chinese tires Imperial Snowdragon HP and the Wanil SW611 fail with " insufficient ". The ADAC advises against buying these tires because they perform extremely poorly in the wet: their braking distance from 80 km/h is around ten meters longer than that of first-placed Bridgestone (36.2 meters).
SUV tires with only one rear light
For the Audi Q3 or the VW T-Roc, the tested tires of size 215/60 R16 come into question, of which the ADAC tested 17 models. Tires from Continental, Dunlop, Goodyear and Michelin were rated as "particularly recommended". They showed no weaknesses in the main criteria.
In the opinion of the car club, the other tire types in the middle also offer good alternatives to the front runners, as they were mostly only devalued because of a shortcoming. Drivers should pay attention to their personal driving profile. For example, the Yokohama has slight potential for improvement in the wet and on snow, the Bridgestone can perform even better here, and the adhesive has deficits on dry and wet roads, they said.
The worst model in the test is the Coopertires with the grade "sufficient". According to the ADAC, the tire shows the worst dry performance "because the radius changes in the curve and the driver has problems stabilizing the car and steering in the original direction". In addition, it performs "by far the worst" in the wear test: With a mileage of almost 24,000 kilometers, the Coopertires is around 19,000 kilometers behind the Sava, the leader in terms of wear.
Conclusion
In the current winter tire test, Chinese-made tires for small cars perform extremely poorly. The ADAC advises against buying them. There is also a tail light among SUV tires that still receives the grade "sufficient". However, this causes problems with dry handling and has a very high level of wear. The ADAC recommends buying the test winners, but also with reservations the tires from the middle field, which could also fit depending on your personal driving profile.
