What to pay attention to when choosing winter tyres

Oponeo 08-10-2014 Tyres/automotive
What to pay attention to when choosing winter tyres

Choosing winter tyres is not as easy as it may seem. There are several factors to which you should pay attention to when buying tyres for driving through snow. A significant facilitation are tests conducted by appropriate institutes and media from the branch.

Drivers start choosing tyres by selecting the appropriate size. However, even after this selection, the choice is still enormous. Among main factors to which drivers pay attention to there are, first of all, the price and driving characteristics of a given tyre. But where to get such information? Here professional tests can help.

Manufacturers’ tests

All concerns and brands manufacturing tyres check already at the stage of production how the particular tyres cope in the road conditions. To make the tests as reliable as possible, they are conducted in natural conditions, which are present on the road or in controlled conditions, which are as close to those in which the tyres will be used. The manufacturers check, among others, the grip on wet and dry surface, the level of noise, the comfort of driving with given tyres, the level of the tread wear and the tyre’s rolling resistance, which has the biggest influence on fuel consumption. – In case of tyres for winter season, only those which successfully pass the test of stability on an icy road and whose mixture and construction is efficient during driving through snow or in rain, may be sold– stresses Ernest Pujszo Project Manager of Oponeo.co.uk.

Press tests

Apart from manufacturers tests, customers may read periodical publications in the media from the branch. Specialised journalists check tyres of the most popular sizes, that means those which interest readers the most. Periodical tests are also published by, among others, “Auto Bild”, “Auto Express”, “Motor”, “Auto Zeitung”, „Auto Motor i Sport” and “Gute Fahrt”. – Journalists check if the models chosen by them comply with the specifications given by the manufacturers – says an expert of Oponeo.pl. – The evaluated tyres receive appropriate recommendations.

It is worth paying attention to what is taken into consideration during each test. Different media take into consideration different parameters of tyres and have various evaluation systems as well as the system of establishing an average grade.

Tests conducted by organisations

Appropriate tests are also conducted by specialised organisations, e.g. German ADAC club (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club) – the most popular European organisation testing tyres and the ACE (Auto Club Europe) automobile club together with the GTÜ Technical Inspectorate. Summer tyres are checked in regard to five parameters: behaviour on wet and dry surface, noise, tread wear and fuel consumption. Winter tyres are additionally tested on snow and ice and in case of tyres for SUV vehicles, on grass. In each test, a tyre can receive a grade from 1.5 to 5.5 and then an average grade is estimated.

How tyres are tested

 

ADAC

Auto Bild

Auto Express

Tests on a dry surface

X

X

X

Tests on a wet surface

X

X

X

Tests on ice and snow*

X

X

X

Noise

X

X

X**

Fuel consumption/rolling resistance

X

X

X

Tread wear

X

X

 

Aquaplaning

 

 

X

Slushplaning

 

 

X*

Price

 

 

X

*only winter tyres
** noise inside the car

Ranking scores and customers’ choices

Tests are not only a clue for customers, but also valuable information for manufacturers, which may decide what to improve in specific models of tyres on their basis. – Tyres’ tests take into consideration all the most important parameters concerning a given model and size of a tyre – notices Ernest Pujszo. – It is worth remembering that a result concerning one product of a given manufacturer should not be generalised to his whole offer. In addition, the tyres compared should be of a comparable class, which will allow for their better evaluation.

When buying tyres for your car, you should also take into consideration the feedback of other customers, who were able to drive hundreds or even thousands of miles on given tyres.

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