ADAC Winter Tire Test 225/50 R17 2026

The German automobile club ADAC has published the 2026 winter tire test in the 225/50 R17 size, which is typical for mid-size cars such as the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, or Mercedes C-Class. Out of 16 tires, as many as six received a "poor" rating, and among them are not only cheap unknown brands. Which winter tires are worth buying and which should you avoid?

How ADAC tested

The winter disciplines took place in Finland and on an ice track. These were followed by tests on wet and dry roads and measurements of wear, noise, and fuel consumption.

The overall grade consists of 70% safety and 30% environmental impact. Within safety, the greatest weight is given to wet performance (40%), since winters in Central Europe tend to be wet more often than snowy. Snow with ice and dry conditions each account for 30%.

Importantly, ADAC treats the weakest discipline as decisive. A tire that completely fails in one area cannot receive a good rating, even if it excels elsewhere.

The test was won by the Pirelli Cinturato Winter 3. It was most convincing on wet roads: the best wet braking and large margins against aquaplaning. Overall, it is very well balanced. Testers had only a minor reservation regarding steering precision on dry roads.

Close behind the winner came the Continental WinterContact TS 870. It brakes over short distances on both dry and wet surfaces and offers a high level of safety. It lost points only for slightly less precise handling on snow.

• Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 (3rd place) has a very high mileage and balanced performance, with minor weaknesses on snow and ice.
• Michelin Alpin 7 (4th place) excels on winter roads, with less precise steering on dry surfaces.
• Bridgestone Blizzak 6 is a balanced tire with no significant weaknesses.
• Dunlop Winter achieved the best rating in terms of environmental impact. It has the lowest wear and the highest estimated mileage, but lags behind the top performers in other disciplines.

The mid-size class also includes the Hankook Winter i*cept RS3, ESA+TECAR Supergrip Pro2, Yokohama BluEarth Winter V906, and Vredestein Wintrac Pro+.

Six tires failed: beware even of well-known brands

Six tires received a "poor" rating:

• Falken Eurowinter HS02 Pro
• Toyo Observe EWS1
• Tracmax Ice-Plus S210
• Aptany RW211
• Royal Black Royalwinter UHP
• Sunwide Snowide

The biggest surprises are Falken and Toyo, established brands. According to ADAC, they are nearly on par with premium models on dry and wet surfaces, but completely failed on snow and ice. For a tire sold as a winter tire, this is a fundamental problem.

Sunwide Snowide has one of the best ratings on snow. However, on wet roads, when braking from 80 km/h, it needed almost 47 meters, while Pirelli and Continental stopped after approximately 35 meters. The difference corresponds to roughly three car lengths. ADAC also criticized its very soft behavior on dry roads and unpredictable reactions during simultaneous braking and cornering.

The lesson: a good winter tire must be safe on every surface, not just on snow.