Should you fit winter tyres to your car? - The tyres
We test four tyre categories in dry, wet and snowy conditions to find out which is best suited to the UK
The tyres
All tyres tested were 205/55 R16 94V XL, aside from the Continental, which was only available in 91H. Prices from lovetyres.com.
Winter - Continental’s ContiWinterContact TS 850
We expect this proven tyre to excel on the slipperiest surfaces, but it could struggle in the warm.
Max speed rating 149mph
Wet grip Grade C
Size range 155/65/ R14 – 225/50 R17
Price as tested £65.99
All-season – Goodyear Vector 4Season Gen-2
A great performer in its own class, but we want to see how it fares against the the summer-biased CrossClimate.
Max speed rating 149mph
Wet grip Grade B-C
Size range 155/70 R13 – 235/55 R17
Price as tested £75.91
Summer with winter certification – Michelin CrossClimate
The first of its kind on the mass market, can this summer-focused tyre really hack it on snow?
Max speed rating 168mph
Wet grip Grade A
Size range 185/60 R15 – 225/50 R17
Price as tested £60.36
Summer – Michelin Primacy 3
This test’s mild ambient temperatures should favour the Primacy 3. Conversely, snow and ice tests should represent a major challenge.
Max speed rating 186mph
Wet grip Grade A
Size range 195/55 R16 – 245/50 R18
Price as tested £70.68
Click here to view page 3 - The tests and results
