When winter approaches, with snow or not, drivers decide to fit winter tyres when temperatures drop. And to choose the right tyre, there is nothing better than reading the results of tyre comparison tests! L’Argus has published its test of leading winter tyres available on the market, in the size 205/55 R16 91H, fitted on the Golf VII. So, what is the best tyre for winter?
Winter tyre test: the test conditions
The French magazine, L’Argus conducted its winter tyre test on the Goodyear test tracks in two stages: at Saint-Moritz in Switzerland for tests on snow, and at Mireval in the South of France, where temperatures are milder for the rest of the tests. L’Argus chose to equip the Volkswagen Golf VII test model with 205/55 R16 91H tyres, the most popular after-sales size. Inflated to 2.2 bar when unladen, as recommended by the car manufacturer, the 6 premium brand winter tyres were put through a series of tests: braking, track handling, aquaplaning and traction.
What is the best winter tyre for L’Argus?
Opinion on the Continental WinterContact TS860 winter tyre
The results of the comparison test of the winter tyres tested were extremely close. This was a good surprise for the L’Argus team who found no tyres with eliminating performances.
However, there is a winner. The Continental Winter Contact TS 860 tyre came first with a score of 17.5/20.
It delivered the most uniform performances on the different types of surfaces (snow, wet, dry) along with the Goodyear UltraGrip 9. The best winter tyre designated by L’Argus has very good properties on wet roads and on snow: short braking distances, high traction and optimum handling on snow. This last criterion included the feeling of safety and grip.
L’Argus recommends the Goodyear Ultragrip 9 and Michelin Alpin 6 winter tyres mainly for driving on dry roads. As for the Continental WinterContact TS 860 and Goodyear Ultragrip 9 winter tyres, they are at ease in wet conditions. Finally, on mainly snow covered roads, the Continental WinterContact TS 860 and Nokian WR D4 winter tyres are efficient.
Find the best price for the Continental WinterContact TS 860 tyre
The 6 winter tyres tested by L’Argus
| L’argus ranking | |
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| 1 – Continental WinterContact TS860 | |
| Excellent performance on all types of surfaceShort brakingVery good handling on snowStrong feeling of safety | Weak in terms of wearSlow steering response |
| 2 – Goodyear UltraGrip 9 | |
| Excellent performance on all types of surfaceVery good gripShort braking distances in wet conditions.Strong feeling of safety | |
| 3 – Dunlop Winter Sport 5 | |
| Handles well on wet roads | Weak braking on snow |
| 4 – Pirelli Cinturato Winter | |
| Very good performance in aquaplaning conditions | Low feeling of grip on snowLack of wet grip |
| 5 – Michelin Alpin 6 | |
| Good performance on dry surfacesVery good wet handling | Insufficient grip on front axle in snow |
| 6 – Nokian WR D4 | |
| Very good performances on snowGood feedback on snow | Weak wet brakingLow grip on front axle |
