5 Winter Tyres That’ll Handle Virtually Anything
With the winter season well and truly under way, it is time to ask the question that pops up around this time every year: what is the best winter tyre currently on the market?
We turn to German motoring organization ADAC for the answer. Like they do every year, ADAC have released their ratings and rankings for winter tyres of dimensions 185/65R15.
Last year’s winner, the Continental Winter Contact TS860 have dropped to fourth place, while this year’s number comes to us from Dunlop, in the form of the Winter Response 2. As the name suggests, this is the successor to the successful Winter Response. The tyre features 45 degree shoulder blades that improve grip on snow and ice in corners. ADAC found no negatives with this tyre, while the positives include great performance in the snow and the wet, as well as good fuel economy.
In number 2 we find a surprise entry, the Kleber Krisalp HP3. Like was the case with the Dunlops, ADAC found no weaknesses with these tyres. Kleber is a daughter company of Michelin, and in this test they manage to push aside mother Michelin, whose Michelin Pilot Alpin A4 only managed to secure 6th place. The Pirelli Cinturato Winter comes in tied at second place with the Kleber, again with excellent performance and no weak points.
Tied for 4th and 5th with last year’s winner (the Continental TS860) we find the Hankook Winter icept RS2, whose only weak point is relatively weak grip on ice. A thumbs up to Hankook for managing to find the sweet spot between quality and value for money once again.
Remember that while running winter tyres is not mandatory in the UK, it is highly recommended for driver safety. A common misconception is that winter tyres are only useful on snow and ice, but this is not the case. When the temperature drops below 7 degrees Celsius the performance of summer tyres declines dramatically due to the type of rubber used in their construction. This translates in the car losing traction on wet surfaces and being slower to brake.
If you are considering winter tyres drop us a line at sales@alloywheelsdirect.com. We offer every winter tyre currently on the market and will be happy to give you some no-obligation recommendations.
