2011 Auto Express Winter Tyre Test

Auto Express, the pillar of the UK automotive magazine scene, has just released its second ever winter tyre test.

Looking suspiciously like its sister magazine EVOs winter tyre test, and in a surprisingly large size, the tyre test puts a rather odd selection of winter tyres to test.

Odd selection or not, Auto Express do an excellent job in testing all their tyres at Continentals test facility in Sweden and Hannover. On test are five and a half winter tyres, three all season tyres and a single summer tyre for comparison in the wet and dry tests.

As always, to respect Auto Express we won't publish our full write up until the magazine is off sale next week. For now here's an overview of the results along with a few choice comments. Get this weeks Auto Express, on sale between 12th and 18th October for the full article!

The Results

	1st: Continental WinterContact TS 830 P Total: 1074.8 / Dry: 196.6 / Wet: 387.4 / Snow: 391.8 / Rolling Resistance: 99 Overall: Great all round performance with no real weakness
	2nd: Goodyear Ultra Grip Performance 2 Total: 1066.5 / Dry: 195 / Wet: 377.4 / Snow: 398.1 / Rolling Resistance: 96 Overall: Excellent on snow, just misses out on the top spot thanks to trailing the Conti in other areas
	2nd: Dunlop SP WinterSport 4D Total: 1057.7 / Dry: 196.6 / Wet: 374 / Snow: 387.6 / Rolling Resistance: 99.5 Overall: Pre production version tested, but if the production version is anything like the tyre tested this will be a very good all round option.
	3rd: Pirelli Sottozero Serie II Total: 1066.8 / Dry: 194.6 / Wet: 395.3 / Snow: 376.9 / Rolling Resistance: 100 Overall: Good value winter tyre with good rolling resistance. Well suited to cold wet winters
	4th: Michelin Alpin A4 Total: 1053.4 / Dry: 194.4 / Wet: 381.4 / Snow: 382.8 / Rolling Resistance: 94.8 Overall: Good in the snow and the wet, the dry performance lacks a little
	5th: Hankook Optimo 4S Total: 1020.2 / Dry: 197.5 / Wet: 369.1 / Snow: 368.3 / Rolling Resistance: 85.3 Overall: The best all season tyre in the test, relatively small compromises in winter and summer when compared to dedicated tyres
	6th: Vredestein Quatrac 3 Total: 1014.7 / Dry: 200 / Wet: 359.8 / Snow: 368.2 / Rolling Resistance: 86.7 Overall: Another good year round choice, better in the dry than the Hankook but not as strong in the wet or snow
	7th: Nankang SV2 Total: 976.5 / Dry: 196 / Wet: 342.8 / Snow: 341.1 / Rolling Resistance: 96.6 Overall: Cheap for a reason. While better than a summer tyre in the snow, the gains do not out weigh the draw backs in the wet and dry
	8th: Kumho Solus Vier KH21 Total: 944.1 / Dry: 195.3 / Wet: 362 / Snow: 296.5 / Rolling Resistance: 90.3 Overall: The all season tyre that fails to shine in any conditions!

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