Tested under BMW M135i
We started our tire test weeks with all-season tires, now it’s time for the winter tire test. This test covers the latest winter tires in size 225/40 R18, which ensure that sporty compact cars can safely navigate through winter precipitation, especially when King Winter really strikes. This test produces different winners than the all-season tire test, where only premium brands stood on the podium. Number four is an affordable tire from Kumho, which gives hope. Not only the top manufacturers master the art of developing a very good winter tire.
Powerfully motorized compact sports cars like the Audi S3, Volkswagen Golf GTI or R, Mercedes-AMG A 35 or Hyundai i30 N must also be able to perform well when there’s ice or snow on the road – and of course also perform well on wet and dry roads. Winter tires are a must under truly winter conditions. To see what is the best winter tire in size 225/40 R18, we anonymously purchased 51 current tires from tire dealers and subjected them to an extensive test. The huge field of participants covers the entire market offering, including tires from well-known brands, their cheaper B-brands, interesting newcomers and numerous products from the Far East that lure with very low prices.
300 horsepower test car
Under our 300 horsepower test car, a BMW M135i, we mount the most diverse tires. But before they can participate in the final, the main test with all disciplines on snow, wet and dry road surfaces, all candidates must first pass our preliminary round. This consists of the decisive braking tests on wet and snow-covered road surfaces. Tires that fall short and cause too long braking distances face disqualification without mercy. Only the twenty best braking tires advance.
Why winter tires as a Dutch driver?
But why would you as a Dutch driver, with our usually mild winters, bother to change tires? We recently subjected all-season tires in the same size (225/40 R18) to an extensive test. Those all-seasons are on the rise: the best performing all-season tires reach the level of winter tires on snow. But: in the warm half of the year, summer tires undoubtedly provide better handling and shorter braking distances. That’s why some drivers of compact sports cars still accept the semi-annual tire change. Because if you need to go to the snow or often drive through Germany in the cold season, it can be an advantage.
These 20 winter tires advanced to the final after the braking measurements:
Tire manufacturer braking distance wet road surface/braking distance snow/total
These are the best winter tires
In the winter tire test, our colleagues from AutoBild who perform the tire tests annually mainly look at performance on snow (where winter tires really pay off) and on wet road surfaces, but factors such as lifespan, noise and rolling resistance also play an important role. And this leads to the following final ranking in the 2025 winter tire test:
Judgment
In total, we mounted 212 wheels under our test car for the qualification for the final. The tire market has become quite complex and unclear due to an abundance of new manufacturers and products from the Far East. Nevertheless, among all winter tires that receive the designation ‘exemplary’ or ‘good’ in our final, it’s again exclusively the well-known brands and their B-labels. This shows that developing a winter tire that performs well in all areas is no sinecure. Experienced manufacturers still dominate. With the products from Michelin, Dunlop and Bridgestone, you’re very safe during the winter season. That the affordable winter tire from Kumho can keep up with these brands is a pleasant surprise. Barum (from Continental) also offers a good product at a reasonable price. Cheap unbranded winter tires, on the other hand, create dangerous situations in traffic.