Auto Bild

Auto Bild has done it again - the motoring publication has examined no less than 50 brands of tyre in the first round of its summer 2022 tyre test. It looked at how these tyres brake in both wet and dry conditions, and the 21 tyres with the shortest combined stopping distances will progress to a more comprehensive second round that includes aquaplaning, handling and mileage tests.

After carrying out no less than five comparative tyre tests for various Auto Bild titles, specialists Dierk Möller and Henning Klipp have a solid understanding of which all-season and winter tyres they’d gladly recommend, and which they wouldn’t. Auto Bild summarises Möller and Klipp’s findings for the current season in its 42/2021 issue and at the same time names its leading manufacturers in the all-season and winter categories. Three brands occupy the podium’s upper step.

Auto Bild begins coverage of its 2021 test by noting that motorists in its home market of Germany largely ignored winter tyres until legislation mandated their use in certain conditions. The absence of a comparable law in the UK means winter tyres remain a niche product here, yet they’re a sensible choice for some drivers, such as those living in remote areas of the country or owners of powerful vehicles.

Multiple tyre tests in recent years have shown all-season tyres to be a good choice for people wanting safe, year-round motoring, but Auto Bild points out that testing has mostly focused on tyres for small and compact cars. To shift the spotlight onto tyres for sporty mid-sized saloons, the German motoring publication has evaluated 32 brands in size 225/50 R17. In Auto Bild tradition, its testers carried out wet and dry braking tests to cut down this field of candidates to a shortlist of the 16 top performers.

The shortlist for this year’s Auto Bild winter tyre test provides no big surprises, with all 20 tyres chosen for the final round being flagship or second brands from well-known manufacturers. Bridgestone’s Blizzak LM005 tops the list after delivering the shortest combined stopping distance (from 80 km/h in wet conditions and 50 km/h on snow) during the preliminary test round. Following closely on the Bridgestone tyre’s heels were the Dunlop Winter Sport 5, Hankook Winter I*Cept RS² and Continental WinterContact TS 870.

What’s the best tyre for my car? While there’s no definitive answer to this question, a few tips from the experts will certainly do no harm when it comes to buying a replacement set.

While anyone who thinks ride comfort the be-all and end-all should steer clear of low profile, higher rim diameter tyres, motorists wanting a more dynamic driving experience will benefit from a couple of extra inches and a flatter sidewall. Auto Bild can help decide what tyre to buy, too. It has tested size 235/35 R19 tyres suitable for sporty compact cars such as the VW Golf GTI, Audi S3 and Seat Leon Cupra.

The market for classic car tyres is small but lucrative, with some vehicle owners prepared to pay up to four times the price of a regular tyre for a fitment that looks the part. A handful of major tyre brands now offer classic lines that are either past products brought up to date with modern compounds and/or construction or else newly-developed tyres featuring period treads. But how do these tyres compare with regular, current-generation tyres?

When browsing tyre test results it’s sometimes easy to gain the impression that the same premium brands dominate proceedings. But this isn’t always the case. Auto Bild has released the results of its 2021 summer tyre test, and the biggest names in the business needed to clear space on the top step of the winners’ podium for an ambitious competitor. The runner-up premium tyre was also given a run for its money by the third-placed candidate, a lower-priced product from the same manufacturer.