Pirelli Winter Tyres Top the 2026 Tests: ADAC, AvD and Auto Bild

How the Cinturato Winter 3 scored

ADAC tested the 225/50 R17 size on a front-wheel-drive Audi A4, with dry and wet work in Germany and Italy and snow testing at Ivalo in Finland. The Pirelli finished first with the best driving safety rating and the strongest wet performance, ahead of the Continental WinterContact TS 870, Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3, Michelin Alpin 7 and Bridgestone Blizzak 6. It also resisted aquaplaning best and was the second quietest tyre. In the AvD test the same tyre was rated "very good" with the best wet and dry scores among 15 tyres, and in Auto Bild's 205/55 R16 test on a VW Golf it beat 13 rivals with an "exemplary" rating.

Six tyres rated poor

The ADAC result also shows how much the cheap end of the market varies. Six tyres scored poor overall: the Falken EUROWINTER HS02 Pro, Toyo Observe EWS1, Tracmax S210 Ice Plus, Aptany RW211, Royal Black Royal Winter UHP and Sunwide Snowide. Under ADAC rules a poor result on any surface sets the final grade. The Sunwide stopped shortest on both snow and ice and was the quietest, yet finished joint last because of weak wet and dry results. For longevity, the Dunlop Winter had the longest projected tread life and the Falken the shortest.

Other Pirelli winter and all-season results

The Scorpion Winter 3, launched for SUVs days before the statement, won Italian magazine alVolante's six-tyre test on an Alfa Romeo Stelvio, with the shortest wet braking. The P Zero Winter 2 for high-performance cars reached the podium in Auto Bild's annual test. In the all-season class, the Cinturato All Season SF3 won the Auto Zeitung, Reifentester, Auto Express and Que Choisir tests. Pirelli also claims up to 10% more range for its Elect tyres for electric cars, a figure that comes from its own 2022 tests on a VW ID.4.

What it means for drivers

If you need winter tyres, check results for your exact size, since rankings change from one size and test car to another. Wet braking matters most for typical European winters, so treat a tyre that shines on snow but rates poor in the wet with caution. In Italy, winter tyres or suitable equipment are required on many roads from 15 November to 15 April, so time is short to fit them.

Compare all-season, winter and summer tyres or learn how to choose winter tyres.