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.

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

1 Bridgestone 100%
2 Hankook 97.7%
3 Michelin 97.4%
4 Goodyear 90.2%
5 Pirelli 89%
6 Nokian 87.2%
7 Dunlop 86.9%
8 Falken 85.2%
N/R Continental 98.4%

 

Wet handling

1 Bridgestone 100%
2 Hankook 99.9%
3 Michelin 99.2%
4 Pirelli 97.9%
5 Goodyear 96.7%
6 Dunlop 96.2%
7 Falken 95.9%
8 Nokian 95.6%
N/R Continental 101%

Wet Circle

1 Hankook 100%
2 Bridgestone 99.8%
3 Michelin 98.8%
4 Falken 98.6%
5 Nokian 98.1%
6 Dunlop 97.2%
7 Goodyear 96.8%
8 Pirelli 95.5%
N/R Continental 100.5%

Straight Aqua

1 Bridgestone 100%
2 Hankook 98.3%
3 Pirelli 98%
4 Falken 95.9%
5 Goodyear 95.8%
6 Michelin 92.9%
7 Dunlop 92.7%
8 Nokian 88.2%
N/R Continental 97.8%

Curved Aqua

1 Goodyear 100%
2 Bridgestone 99.6%
3 Hankook 99.1%
4 Falken 96.1%
5 Pirelli 93.2%
6 Dunlop 92.9%
7 Michelin 83.9%
8 Nokian 81.1%
N/R Continental 92.3%

Dry braking

1 Bridgestone 100%
2 Falken 98.9%
3 Nokian 96.4%
=4 Hankook 96.2%
=4 Michelin 96.2%
6 Pirelli 94.9%
7 Goodyear 93.7%
8 Dunlop 92.6%
N/R Continental 93.8%

Snow braking

1 Dunlop 100%
2 Goodyear 99.6%
3 Pirelli 99.2%
4 Hankook 96.4%
5 Falken 95.6%
6 Michelin 95.2%
7 Nokian 94.3%
8 Bridgestone 93.3%
N/R Continental 98.7%

Snow traction

1 Goodyear 100%
2 Pirelli 99.9%
3 Nokian 99.1%
4 Hankook 98.4%
5 Michelin 98.1%
6 Dunlop 97.5%
7 Bridgestone 96.6%
8 Falken 94.7%
N/R Continental 98.9%

Snow handling

1 Pirelli 100%
2 Dunlop 99.7%
3 Hankook 99.6%
4 Goodyear 98.9%
5 Michelin 98.6%
6 Nokian 97.4%
7 Falken 96.1%
8 Bridgestone 95.9%
N/R Continental 102.3%

Rolling resistance

1 Nokian 100%
2 Dunlop 88%
=3 Bridgestone 87.6%
=3 Michelin 87.6%
5 Goodyear 87.5%
6 Falken 82.6%
7 Hankook 79.6%
8 Pirelli 78%
N/R Continental 101.1%

Cabin noise

1 Dunlop 100%
2 Bridgestone 99.8%
=3 Falken 99.7%
=3 Goodyear 99.7%
=3 Pirelli 99.7%
6 Michelin 98.9%
7 Hankook 98.1%
8 Nokian 97.6%
N/R Continental 100.7%

Prices

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

Overall

1 Bridgestone 100%
2 Hankook 99.3%
3 Michelin 98.4%
4 Pirelli 98.2%
5 Goodyear 98.1%
6 Falken 98%
7 Dunlop 97.4%
8 Nokian 97.2%
N/R Continental 100.5%
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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