Winter tyre test 225/40 R18 - ADAC 2025
Winter The test was conducted by ADAC at the Testworld proving ground in Finland, ensuring access to reliable snow conditions; additional testing was performed on wet and dry tracks tailored for rigorous winter tyre evaluation.
The primary test vehicle was a VW Golf, typical for the compact/mid-size class; this choice reflects common user applications for tyres sized 225/40 R18.
Price vs Quality
See how tyre price relates to test performance at a glance
Results
Agenda:Best value in test
Better than average value
Worse than average value
Worst value in test
Wet
Wet Braking#1/31
Aquaplaning Cross#2/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#2/31
Snow
Snow Braking#5/31
Snow Traction#6/31
Premium tyres delivered consistently short and predictable braking distances; some budget and lower mid-range models exhibited notably longer stopping distances and less stable behaviour during evasive manoeuvres.
Wet
Wet Braking#2/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#4/31
Aquaplaning Cross#7/31
Snow
Snow Braking#2/31
Snow Traction#3/31
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#3/31
Wet Braking#3/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#6/31
Snow
Snow Braking#4/31
Snow Traction#8/31
There was a gulf of over 15 meters in stopping distance between the best and worst tyres at 80 km/h; while the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 already brought the car to a halt, the Syron Everest 2 left the vehicle still moving at nearly 46 km/h.
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#2/31
Wet Braking#11/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#13/31
Snow
Snow Braking#3/31
Snow Traction#7/31
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#3/31
Wet Braking#6/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#9/31
Snow
Snow Braking#5/31
Snow Traction#9/31
Severe deficiencies were observed in budget tyres, with models like CST Medallion Winter WCP1, Petlas SnowMaster 2 Sport, and Nankang Winter Activa 4 breaking traction and sliding prematurely on snow; premium tyres maintained superior grip and control.
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#4/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#4/31
Wet Braking#7/31
Snow
Snow Braking#6/31
Snow Traction#11/31
Wet
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#3/31
Aquaplaning Cross#5/31
Wet Braking#15/31
Snow
Snow Braking#2/31
Snow Traction#2/31
Premium models provided reliable traction and stability on snow; certain budget tyres (e.g., Landsail Winter Lander) struggled to maintain composure, threatening early loss of grip and control.
Wet
Wet Braking#4/31
Aquaplaning Cross#8/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#19/31
Snow
Snow Braking#6/31
Snow Traction#13/31
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#6/31
Wet Braking#12/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#18/31
Snow
Snow Traction#3/31
Snow Braking#5/31
A total of 31 tyre models were tested, the largest selection yet in ADAC winter tyre benchmarking.
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#7/31
Wet Braking#14/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#15/31
Snow
Snow Braking#5/31
Snow Traction#6/31
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#5/31
Wet Braking#6/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#16/31
Snow
Snow Braking#5/31
Snow Traction#12/31
All tyres were marked with the Alpine (3PMSF) symbol, yet several budget products failed to meet minimum grip standards in snow and ice testing.
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#3/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#9/31
Wet Braking#19/31
Snow
Snow Braking#5/31
Snow Traction#5/31
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#5/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#8/31
Wet Braking#8/31
Snow
Snow Braking#4/31
Snow Traction#12/31
Test methodology included rigorous standardization: each tyre underwent repeated tests on separate circuits for snow, ice, wet, and dry to ensure control and repeatability.
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#1/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#1/31
Wet Braking#13/31
Snow
Snow Braking#8/31
Snow Traction#15/31
Environmental metrics—rolling resistance, tread wear (with Goodyear scoring a projected 76,000 km), and noise—comprised 30% of the total rating.
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#7/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#11/31
Wet Braking#15/31
Snow
Snow Braking#5/31
Snow Traction#9/31
Wet
Wet Braking#7/31
Aquaplaning Cross#8/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#10/31
Snow
Snow Braking#5/31
Snow Traction#5/31
Winter safety was weighted most heavily at 70% of the criteria, subdivided into dry (30%), wet (40%), and snow/ice (30%) conditions.
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#4/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#7/31
Wet Braking#21/31
Snow
Snow Braking#5/31
Snow Traction#14/31
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#6/31
Wet Braking#10/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#14/31
Snow
Snow Braking#6/31
Snow Traction#16/31
Premium segment tyres (e.g., Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3, Michelin Pilot Alpin 5, Bridgestone Blizzak 6) demonstrated the best all-round performance—balanced safety, grip, and high mileage/low wear.
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#6/31
Wet Braking#22/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#24/31
Snow
Snow Braking#3/31
Snow Traction#4/31
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#6/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#17/31
Wet Braking#18/31
Snow
Snow Braking#9/31
Snow Traction#21/31
Budget tyres exhibited alarming deficiencies, particularly poor grip on snow, ice, and wet, with many failing to deliver basic winter safety despite Alpine symbol compliance.
Wet
Wet Braking#5/31
Aquaplaning Cross#6/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#19/31
Snow
Snow Braking#13/31
Snow Traction#23/31
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#10/31
Wet Braking#17/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#26/31
Snow
Snow Braking#10/31
Snow Traction#20/31
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#11/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#21/31
Wet Braking#23/31
Snow
Snow Braking#9/31
Snow Traction#18/31
Even within the mid-priced 'Quality' segment, performance varied: some tyre models had adequate winter traction but dangerous instability in emergency dry handling situations.
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#6/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#22/31
Wet Braking#26/31
Snow
Snow Braking#8/31
Snow Traction#9/31
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#9/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#25/31
Wet Braking#25/31
Snow
Snow Braking#7/31
Snow Traction#8/31
There are rare exceptions among budget tyres (Matador MP93 Nordicca, Momo W-20 North Pole) that performed acceptably for occasional drivers, highlighting that price is not the only indicator but still correlates strongly with safety and performance.
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#7/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#16/31
Wet Braking#24/31
Snow
Snow Braking#11/31
Snow Traction#19/31
Non-obvious finding: 'Nordic' winter tyres designed for Scandinavian markets (with additional ice symbol) provide more snow/ice grip but perform hazardously on wet and dry roads common in Central Europe, thus not recommended for typical German users.
Wet
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#5/31
Aquaplaning Cross#6/31
Wet Braking#16/31
Snow
Snow Braking#12/31
Snow Traction#22/31
Wet
Aquaplaning Cross#12/31
Aquaplaning Longitudinal#27/31
Wet Braking#28/31
Snow
Snow Braking#1/31
Snow Traction#1/31
Same size tyres not featured in the test
Tests usually don't cover the whole market - here is our selection what not to miss when shopping for tyres in this size.
