Continental : AutoBild magazine rates ContiWinterContact TS 850 “exemplary”

• Continental premium winter tire for compact and mid-range cars awarded highest rating.
• 50 models of 225/50 R 17 tires were tested in two stages. Only 16 qualified for the second round.

Hannover, October 2, 2014.  

Under the heading "For the Snow that's on its Way" AutoBild magazine has published its latest test for size 225/50 R 17 winter tires (issue 40/2014). The ContiWinterContact TS 850 was rated "exemplary". The tire testers scrutinized a total of 50 tire models of various brands, with 34 of them failing to make the second round owing to excessive braking distances in the wet or on snow. Commenting on the ContiWinterContact TS 850, the experts noted: "A winter specialist with impressive handling characteristics on wet roads. Outstanding reserves of safety under aquaplaning. Short braking distances on snow-covered and wet roads. High mileage and a good price-performance ratio." The AutoBild journalists studied a total of 16 characteristics of the winter tires in the test. These included driving on snow, in the wet and on dry roads, as well as value-for-money, where they summed up by saying that "good performance simply has its price".

The 16 finalists with good braking performance on snow and in the wet also included the Semperit Speed-Grip 2, the Uniroyal MS plus 77 and the Barum Polaris 3 from Continental's brand portfolio. The 30 tires with a braking distance of 40.5 meters or more in the wet-braking test from 80 km/h stopped at least one car's length later than premium products like the ContiWinterContact TS 850 (36.1 m). The winter tire with the worst braking characteristics came to a standstill after 52.7 meters, which is more than the length of three cars.

Further videos regarding winter tire technologies and winter tire service topics can be found here on our video portal .

In Germany, winter tires are mandatory "in wintry road conditions" and so experts recommend running on these cold-season specialists from October to Easter. Proper winter tires bear not only the M+S mark (for slush and snow) but also the snowflake symbol with which tire manufacturers may only mark products that have passed the appropriate tests.