Overview
- The ADAC tested 32 winter tyres in two common sizes on Tuesday and published full results showing wide performance differences across dry, wet, snow and ice tests.
- In the 185/65 R15 group for small cars only two of 16 tyres earned a “good” rating while nine were not recommended and three—Sunny Winter‑max NW611, Atlas Polarbear HP and Rockblade Rock 868S—were judged especially dangerous because they left the test car still doing 38–47 km/h after an emergency stop from 80 km/h on wet pavement.
- In the 225/50 R17 group for mid‑size cars the field fared better with four “good” tyres and the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3 named best, but six models still received a “mangelhaft” rating for critical weaknesses on at least one surface.
- The ADAC notes a likely industry pattern that smaller tyre sizes receive less development focus, citing that Bridgestone supplied an older model in 185/65 R15 instead of its current generation as an example.
- The club advises replacing winter tyres by eight years of age or below 4 mm tread and highlights big lifecycle differences—about 31,000 km expected for 185/65 R15 versus more than 45,000 km for 225/50 R17—which can make cheap tyres more costly and less safe over time.