Ai Volante Winter SUV Tire Test 235/60 R18 2026

Do you have an SUV and are you looking for winter tires? The Italian magazine Al Volante tested six winter tires in the 235/60 R18 size, which is typical for mid-size SUVs. The test included five well-known brands and one cheap Chinese tire. The battle for first place was extremely close: just one tenth of a point separated first and second place.

Which tires were tested

• Bridgestone Blizzak 6
• Dynamo Winter Sport (Chinese brand)
• Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
• Michelin Alpin 7
• Nokian Snowproof 3P
• Pirelli Scorpion Winter 3

For a set of four tires, you'll pay roughly 500 to 800 euros depending on the brand and retailer. The testers deliberately excluded the absolute cheapest tires at "ridiculous" prices.

The test car was an Alfa Romeo Stelvio with all-wheel drive. The tires went through tests on snow (at a temperature of around −8 °C), on wet surfaces, and on dry surfaces. Noise and rolling resistance, which affects fuel consumption, were also measured in the laboratory.

All driving tests were conducted with electronic assistance systems switched on (ABS, ESP) so that the results would correspond as closely as possible to everyday driving.

Important note: even 4×4 drive won't help you on snow if you don't have winter tires. Summer tires don't have sipes and have no grip on snow. All-wheel drive will help you get moving, but it won't help you stop.

According to the testers, the winning Pirelli Scorpion Winter 3 has no real weakness. It excels most on wet surfaces: it has the shortest braking distance in the test, reacts quickly to changes in direction, and behaves predictably. On snow, it's right behind Goodyear, with more balanced reactions. For SUV drivers who drive mainly on wet and dry roads and occasionally on snow, this is the most balanced choice.

Goodyear lost by just one tenth of a point. On snow, it was clearly the best: the shortest braking distance, the best traction, and the fastest lap time. It also reacts quickly to small steering wheel movements and holds firm in corners.

Its weakness is wet pavement. In deep puddles, it starts to hydroplane sooner than the others, and after several laps on a wet track, its grip decreases. If you drive in the mountains often, this is an excellent choice.

Nokian performed well on both snow and wet surfaces. On wet surfaces, it was very resistant to hydroplaning and maintained good grip for a long time. On snow, it feels safe and doesn't react abruptly even beyond the limit of grip. It lost points on dry surfaces, where it tends to lose grip faster during quick changes of direction and steering becomes more difficult.

Michelin was the quietest and had the lowest rolling resistance in the test, which means lower fuel consumption. On dry surfaces, it turns in most willingly and received the best rating in this discipline. However, its grip is not the highest: on wet surfaces, it starts to hydroplane at lower speeds and brakes for longer. It's a suitable tire for those who drive a lot on highways and want comfort and low fuel consumption.

Bridgestone is among the most balanced tires in the test, but it falls behind when braking. It had the longest braking distance on both snow and dry surfaces. Handling is intuitive, it holds well in corners, and on wet surfaces it comes close to the best. However, during longer driving on a wet track, it overheats and grip decreases.

The cheapest tire in the test finished last, but given the price, it didn't do badly.

Pros:

• shortest braking distance on dry surfaces in the entire test,
• highest resistance to hydroplaning in a straight line.

Cons:

• longest braking distance on wet surfaces,
• on snow, it easily veers off track and loses grip suddenly,
• on dry surfaces, it requires constant steering corrections,
• ABS and ESP have to intervene most often.

The testers concluded that numbers don't tell the whole story. Tires from well-known brands offer a calmer, more predictable, and more confident ride, and even an average driver will notice it.