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Winter tyre reviews 2020: results by category

Which winter tyre performed well in which area? Our tables reveal all

Verdict

There's little to choose between the Nokian and Dunlop at the bottom of the table. The performance balance is still not what we expect of Nokian, while the Winter Sport 5 is beginning to show its age.

If it was tight between the bottom two, the next four were also close - covered by less than half a per cent. Your choice depends on your priorities: Falken is the one for dry grip, and Michelin for wet. Goodyear and Pirelli combine wet and snow performance well, with the former having the edge on the white stuff, and the latter in the wet.

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Hankook best combines wet and snow grip, while Bridgestone takes its first win with the Blizzak LM005 rain master.

Winner

Bridgestone Blizzak LM005

Placed first in four of our 11 test categories – and second in three others – the Bridgestone is a worthy overall winner in this year’s competition.

Results

Wet braking

1Bridgestone100%
2Hankook97.7%
3Michelin97.4%
4Goodyear90.2%
5Pirelli89%
6Nokian87.2%
7Dunlop86.9%
8Falken85.2%
N/RContinental98.4%

 

Wet handling

1Bridgestone100%
2Hankook99.9%
3Michelin99.2%
4Pirelli97.9%
5Goodyear96.7%
6Dunlop96.2%
7Falken95.9%
8Nokian95.6%
N/RContinental101%

Wet Circle

1Hankook100%
2Bridgestone99.8%
3Michelin98.8%
4Falken98.6%
5Nokian98.1%
6Dunlop97.2%
7Goodyear96.8%
8Pirelli95.5%
N/RContinental100.5%

Straight Aqua

1Bridgestone100%
2Hankook98.3%
3Pirelli98%
4Falken95.9%
5Goodyear95.8%
6Michelin92.9%
7Dunlop92.7%
8Nokian88.2%
N/RContinental97.8%

Curved Aqua

1Goodyear100%
2Bridgestone99.6%
3Hankook99.1%
4Falken96.1%
5Pirelli93.2%
6Dunlop92.9%
7Michelin83.9%
8Nokian81.1%
N/RContinental92.3%

Dry braking

1Bridgestone100%
2Falken98.9%
3Nokian96.4%
=4Hankook96.2%
=4Michelin96.2%
6Pirelli94.9%
7Goodyear93.7%
8Dunlop92.6%
N/RContinental93.8%

Snow braking

1Dunlop100%
2Goodyear99.6%
3Pirelli99.2%
4Hankook96.4%
5Falken95.6%
6Michelin95.2%
7Nokian94.3%
8Bridgestone93.3%
N/RContinental98.7%

Snow traction

1Goodyear100%
2Pirelli99.9%
3Nokian99.1%
4Hankook98.4%
5Michelin98.1%
6Dunlop97.5%
7Bridgestone96.6%
8Falken94.7%
N/RContinental98.9%

Snow handling

1Pirelli100%
2Dunlop99.7%
3Hankook99.6%
4Goodyear98.9%
5Michelin98.6%
6Nokian97.4%
7Falken96.1%
8Bridgestone95.9%
N/RContinental102.3%

Rolling resistance

1Nokian100%
2Dunlop88%
=3Bridgestone87.6%
=3Michelin87.6%
5Goodyear87.5%
6Falken82.6%
7Hankook79.6%
8Pirelli78%
N/RContinental101.1%

Cabin noise

1Dunlop100%
2Bridgestone99.8%
=3Falken99.7%
=3Goodyear99.7%
=3Pirelli99.7%
6Michelin98.9%
7Hankook98.1%
8Nokian97.6%
N/RContinental100.7%

Prices

1Bridgestone£80.74
2Hankook£74.70
3Michelin£97.76
4Pirelli£79.95
5Goodyear£118.22
6Falken£77.34
7Dunlop£115.20
8Nokian£80.50
N/RContinentalN/A

Overall

1Bridgestone100%
2Hankook99.3%
3Michelin98.4%
4Pirelli98.2%
5Goodyear98.1%
6Falken98%
7Dunlop97.4%
8Nokian97.2%
N/RContinental100.5%
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Products editor

Kim has worked for Auto Express for more than three decades and all but a year of that time in the Products section. His current role as products editor involves managing the section’s content and team of testers plus doing some of the tests himself. 

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