Jan 2012:Continental Tyres Acquire ‘Best Buy’ Ranking in Which? Winter Tyre Test

Two of Continental tyres winter tyres secured a place in ‘best buy’ list for winter tyres in the tests conducted by Which? magazine. The tyres that achieved this honour were the ContiWinterContact TS830 and the ContiWinterContact TS800.

Which? is a subscription only consumer awareness magazine and a reputed independent authority on quality of products and services.

The magazine periodically undertakes tests and surveys across various product categories to educate consumers as to the best products in a particular category. The fact that ContiWinterContact TS830 and TS800 have been accorded the ‘best buy’ label reiterates their high quality and performance for customers and will definitely influence their sales positively.

Which? Says

With regard to the ContiWinterContact TS830 tyres, Which? commented that the tyres not only offer the best grip on snow, but are also clearly the class leaders when it comes to wet and dry conditions handling and grip.

This tyre in the size 205/55 R16H outperformed competitors in the category and acquired an impressive overall rating of 72%.

The tyre was also praised for its grip on ice, an extremely risky surface condition during winter that greatly enhances chances of skidding and accidents. Incidentally, you will find the ContiWinterContact TS830 tyres of size 205/55 R16 on vehicles like the VW Golf, Vauxhall Zafira and Renault Laguna.

The other tyre – the ContiWinterContact TS800 in the size 175/65 R14T scored a higher overall test rating of 75%.

According to Which? the TS800 offers the best performance in conventional wet and dry conditions and also has an excellent wear rate. The magazine made a special mention of the tyre’s fuel efficiency, which was rated as best in the category. The Continental TS800 winter tyres fitted on superminis like the Toyota Yaris and the Vauxhall Corsa, also received praise for its grip on snow.

Continental Says

Continental has been actively campaigning to educate motorists on the risks of winter driving and the benefits of fitting winter tyres.

The company looks at the Which? ‘best buy’ label as further testimony to customers of Continental’s commitment to tyre safety. Peter Robb, Brand Manager at Continental acknowledged that it was indeed an honour to be recognized by Which? and that this recognition will motivate the company to work further in the cause of winter tyre awareness.

The Which? Winter Tyre Test

Recognising the safety benefits and importance of fitting winter tyres, the Which? magazine has included this product category for the first time for independent testing.

The test was conducted across 69 winter tyres spanning six popular tyre sizes. These sizes included 175/65 R14T, 185/60 R14H, 185/65 R15T, 195/55 R15T, 205/55 R16H and 225/45 R17H. The test was carried out under the extreme winter surface conditions of the Alps.

The tyres were rated for their performance with relation to the following factors – braking efficiency in dry, wet, snow and ice, dry and wet handling, traction on snow, cornering on snow and ice, fuel efficiency and finally noise levels and wear resistance that is an important factor in tyre durability.