{"id":5532,"date":"2025-10-10T18:47:29","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T18:47:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/\/mag\/auto-express-winter-tyre-test-2025-225-45-r17-2\/"},"modified":"2025-10-10T18:47:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T18:47:30","slug":"auto-express-winter-tyre-test-2025-225-45-r17-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testpnevmatik.si\/mag\/auto-express-winter-tyre-test-2025-225-45-r17-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Auto Express Winter Tyre Test 2025 (225\/45 R17)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Autoexpress i back with it&#8217;s test for this season &#8211; this time in size 225\/45 R17 \u2014 the rubber most Golfs, Octavias and A3s actually run. Snow might be rare in many towns, but when winter turns ugly these tyres are night-and-day better than summers in cold, wet conditions. After back-to-back wins in this size, Continental\u2019s <strong>WinterContact TS 870<\/strong> returned hunting a hat-trick. Facing it: Bridgestone\u2019s new <strong>Blizzak 6<\/strong>, <strong>Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3<\/strong>, <strong>Michelin Alpin 7<\/strong>, <strong>Vredestein Wintrac Pro+<\/strong>, <strong>Falken Eurowinter HS02PRO<\/strong>, debutant <strong>LingLong Sport Master Winter<\/strong>, and a randomly chosen budget set, <strong>Triangle WinterX TW401<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_69_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">\u2630<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d18bc1e5f6c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d18bc1e5f6c\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/testpnevmatik.si\/mag\/auto-express-winter-tyre-test-2025-225-45-r17-2\/#How_they_tested\" title=\"How they tested\">How they tested<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/testpnevmatik.si\/mag\/auto-express-winter-tyre-test-2025-225-45-r17-2\/#What_happened_this_year\" title=\"What happened this year\">What happened this year<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/testpnevmatik.si\/mag\/auto-express-winter-tyre-test-2025-225-45-r17-2\/#Tyre-by-tyre_in_a_paragraph\" title=\"Tyre-by-tyre in a paragraph\">Tyre-by-tyre in a paragraph<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/testpnevmatik.si\/mag\/auto-express-winter-tyre-test-2025-225-45-r17-2\/#Three_takeaways_for_real-world_buyers\" title=\"Three takeaways for real-world buyers\">Three takeaways for real-world buyers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/testpnevmatik.si\/mag\/auto-express-winter-tyre-test-2025-225-45-r17-2\/#What_to_buy_match_to_your_winter\" title=\"What to buy (match to your winter)\">What to buy (match to your winter)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_they_tested\"><\/span><strong>How they tested <\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Snow work ran at Goodyear\u2019s Arctic Center in Saariselk\u00e4, Finland (track temps around \u22127 to \u22124 \u00b0C). The team used a tight 0.8 km loop to probe balance and traction, plus repeated runs for 50\u21925 km\/h braking and 8\u219230 km\/h acceleration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wet and dry testing moved to the Contidrom near Hannover at ~4 \u00b0C \u2014 prime winter-compound territory. Wet braking (50 mph \u2192 0) was rail-guided so every tyre hit the same asphalt. There was a 57.5 m circle for lateral grip, a 1.1-mile wet handling lap, and both straight (9 mm water, 15% slip threshold) and curved aquaplaning (5 mm flood, 37\u201356 mph, residual g). Dry testing covered 100\u21920 km\/h braking and a one-mile handling loop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scoring is weighted to reality: <strong>50% wet<\/strong>, <strong>20% snow<\/strong>, <strong>20% dry<\/strong>, with the final <strong>10%<\/strong> shared between cabin noise and rolling resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happened_this_year\"><\/span><strong>What happened this year<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Hat-trick achieved.<\/strong> Continental\u2019s <strong>TS 870<\/strong> takes the crown again, with a mix of wet mastery, snow control and calm, precise steering \u2014 plus the quietest cabin here. <strong>Goodyear UGP3<\/strong> pushes it to the wire (topping five individual disciplines), while <strong>Bridgestone Blizzak 6<\/strong> lands third as a cold-wet\/cold-dry specialist and the test\u2019s efficiency leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>New <strong>Michelin Alpin 7<\/strong> shows a gentle snow bias without feeling nervous in the wet and posts second-best rolling resistance. <strong>LingLong<\/strong> grabs headlines with the <strong>fastest dry-handling lap<\/strong>, but gives that time back at the pump. <strong>Vredestein<\/strong> sits mid-pack with few peaks but no disasters. <strong>Falken<\/strong> is refined and confidence-inspiring. The budget <strong>Triangle<\/strong> proves the perennial lesson: acceptable in snow and okay in the dry, but convincingly outclassed in the wet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tyre-by-tyre_in_a_paragraph\"><\/span><strong>Tyre-by-tyre in a paragraph<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Continental WinterContact TS 870 \u2014 Winner<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dominant mix of security and drivability: best in wet handling and wet cornering, best in dry braking, best for cabin quiet, and still superb on snow (it wins snow handling). The steering feels tidy and progressive, so fast laps come easily without drama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 \u2014 2nd<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Snow ace and wet-braking king. It tops straight and curved aquaplaning and leads both snow braking and snow traction, which makes it a phenomenal safety play when temps drop and roads flood. Loses the tiniest sliver to Continental on overall balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bridgestone Blizzak 6 \u2014 3rd<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A new tyre that already looks fully sorted. Confident in the wet and dry, near the front in most disciplines, and <strong>best rolling resistance<\/strong> of the test. If you\u2019re chasing long motorway miles and low fuel use (or range in an EV), this one\u2019s a standout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Michelin Alpin 7 \u2014 4th<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reassuring on snow, tidy in the wet, and second only to Bridgestone for efficiency. Braking performance is strong in both dry and wet, and the tyre feels calm when you lean on it \u2014 more \u201cquietly fast\u201d than showy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>LingLong Sport Master Winter \u2014 5th<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That <strong>dry-handling P1<\/strong> lap time is the twist everyone will talk about. Steering is eager, front-end bite is real. But the trade-off shows in rolling resistance and wet performance that\u2019s merely mid-pack. Great price\/performance if your winter is mostly cold-dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vredestein Wintrac Pro+ \u2014 6th<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No single superpower, but a lot of \u201cfine.\u201d Respectable wet-handling pace, decent noise comfort, average-plus efficiency. If you value predictability and price stability, it\u2019s an easy recommendation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Falken Eurowinter HS02PRO \u2014 7th<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Refined ride and low cabin noise with friendly breakaway in the wet and dry. It won\u2019t top the charts, yet it rarely puts a foot wrong. A sensible option when you want comfort with credible winter manners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Triangle WinterX TW401 \u2014 8th<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Solid in snow and acceptable in the dry, but the <strong>wet<\/strong> is where it falls behind: longer wet-braking distances and weaker aquaplaning resistance. If you regularly drive in heavy rain or standing water, look higher up the results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Three_takeaways_for_real-world_buyers\"><\/span><strong>Three takeaways for real-world buyers<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Wet&gt;everything.<\/strong> With 50% of the score in the wet and the overall podium mirroring wet strength, this test underlines what winter actually looks like for most of us: cold, dark and rainy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dry pace can mislead.<\/strong> LingLong\u2019s dry-lap win is cool \u2014 but winter safety is decided by braking and aquaplaning when temperatures drop and roads flood.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Efficiency spread matters.<\/strong> Rolling resistance ranged widely; if you do big mileage (or care about EV range), Bridgestone and Michelin give you a measurable advantage over thirstier options.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_to_buy_match_to_your_winter\"><\/span><strong>What to buy (match to your winter)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cold rain, standing water, mixed conditions:<\/strong> Continental TS 870 or Goodyear UGP3 \u2014 class-leading wet-braking and aquaplaning security.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regular snow trips \/ mountain passes:<\/strong> Continental (snow handling winner) or Michelin Alpin 7 (snow-leaning balance without wet nervousness).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Motorway miles &amp; economy first:<\/strong> Bridgestone Blizzak 6.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Value play with some sparkle:<\/strong> LingLong if your winter is mostly cold and dry \u2014 but be mindful in heavy rain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Autoexpress i back with it&#8217;s test for this season &#8211; this time in size 225\/45 R17 \u2014 the rubber most Golfs, Octavias and A3s actually run. Snow might be rare in many towns, but when winter turns ugly these tyres are night-and-day better than summers in cold, wet conditions. After back-to-back wins in this size, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5511,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/testpnevmatik.si\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/testpnevmatik.si\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/testpnevmatik.si\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testpnevmatik.si\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testpnevmatik.si\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5532"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/testpnevmatik.si\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5532\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5533,"href":"https:\/\/testpnevmatik.si\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5532\/revisions\/5533"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testpnevmatik.si\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5511"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/testpnevmatik.si\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testpnevmatik.si\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testpnevmatik.si\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}