Auto Bild

Auto Bild won’t publish the results of its summer tyre test for another fortnight, but it has let the identifies of the finalists out of the bag. Of the more than 50 tyre brands that the German motoring magazine looked at – this year in size 205/55 R16 91V – it selected 20 for further, more intensive testing thanks to their performance in an initial qualifying round. A Hankook tyre tops the shortlist after achieving the best stopping distances in both the wet and dry braking tests.

The tyre boffins at Auto Bild have been busy of late. In addition to recommending the best car, SUV and high-performance tyres for the coming winter, the German car magazine’s testers have taken a look at all-season tyres. They fitted 32 brands of size 205/55 R16 tyre to a VW Golf, and after an elimination round of wet and dry braking tests evaluated the 14 top performers in wet, dry and snow conditions. They gave five of the candidates Auto Bild’s top ‘exemplary’ rating and judged these tyres every bit as good as summer or winter tyres.

The latest issue of Auto Bild warns drivers not to buy a pig in a poke. Test results rather than blind luck should guide tyre purchases. To help in this area the motoring publication has now shared the outcome of its 2020 winter tyre test. This evaluation of size 245/45 R18 tyres for executive cars (Auto Bild used a BMW 5 Series for testing) compares the 20 best performers from an initial field of 51 tyre brands subjected to wet and snow braking tests. Six of the brands received Auto Bild’s top ‘exemplary’ rating.

In round one of its 2020 summer tyre test, Auto Bild kicked out more than half the 50 candidates as their braking distances weren’t competitive enough. The German motoring magazine scrutinised the 20 survivors more intensively and has now published the results of this comprehensive second test round.

It’s a glaring omission from an illustrious who’s who of the tyre world – the Pirelli P Zero absent from the list of finalists for the Auto Bild summer 2020 tyre test. Its overall result in the initial knock-out round only sufficed for 25th place, a result Auto Bild called “disappointing”. But Pirelli isn’t leaving this stain on the P Zero’s reputation unanswered.

Auto Bild has examined the braking test results from recent tyre tests and calculated an average percentage value for these. Based upon these values, it has determined which products are “the best tyres for the cold season”.

If you are like most UK motorists and want to drive year-round on one set of tyres, then all-season tyres may well be right for you. But can one tyre offer safe driving in every type of weather? After testing 31 size 225/45 R17 all-season models, Auto Bild believes so.

The tyre testers at Auto Bild are certainly earning their keep. We’ve only just seen the results of the magazine’s 2019 winter comparison, and now a new test is on its way. Auto Bild has looked at all-season tyres in size 225/45 R17. Starting with 31 tyres, its test team has cut the field of contenders down to just ten.

Auto Bild has published the results of its 2019 winter tyre test. As expected, premium brands dominate the victors’ podium. But that’s not to say the test didn’t deliver a surprise or two. Tyre maker Apollo Vredestein has particular reason to like this year’s results: Two of its products achieved the top ‘exemplary’ rating.