5Rank 05 of 8 · Best Winter Tyres 205/55 R16
Semperit Semperit Speed-Grip 5
A Continental-owned budget brand that finished third of twenty at AUTO BILD in this size, matching the winners on snow braking. But ADAC graded it 3.2 in a different size — the testers sharply disagree.
8.1BPR score
- €81Price
- 1.4 sehr gut — 3rd (AUTO BILD 2024)Independent test grade, 205/55 R16
- 5 of 8in Best Winter Tyres 205/55 R16
- 8.1BPR score 0–10
Review
What this product is
Written after the analysis, from the same sources the score is built on: the manufacturer's documentation, available studies and verified owner feedback.
The most interesting result in this ranking, and the one requiring the most caution.
AUTO BILD tested 53 candidates in 205/55 R16 and placed the Speed-Grip 5 third of the twenty finalists with grade 1.4 "sehr gut" — ahead of the Bridgestone, the Michelin Alpin 6 and the Hankook, and behind only the Continental and the Goodyear. On snow braking from 50 km/h it matched the two winners exactly at 29.1 m. For a tyre at around €81 that is a remarkable result, and Semperit being a Continental-owned brand makes it plausible rather than surprising.
But ADAC / ÖAMTC / TCS graded the same tyre 3.2 in their 2025 test in 225/40 R18. That is a poor result, well below every recommended tyre in this ranking. The two tests were in different sizes and different years, which may explain part of it, but the gap between "third place, sehr gut" and "3.2" is much wider than size variation usually accounts for.
We are not able to resolve this, and we are not going to pick whichever result suits the recommendation. What we can say is that the strong result was measured in 205/55 R16, which is the size this page is about, while the weak result was not. That is a reason to take the AUTO BILD placing seriously — but it is also a reason to treat this as a value option rather than a confident recommendation.
The label reads rolling resistance C, wet grip B, 72 dB class B, with both M+S and 3PMSF.
Technical data
Specification
Figures from the manufacturer's documentation, verified against available outside sources. Values we could not confirm are marked as declared.
- Size and common indices
- 205/55 R16 91H
- EU label - rolling resistance
- C
- EU label - wet grip
- B
- EU label - external noise
- 72 dB, class B
- Markings
- 3PMSF and M+S
- AUTO BILD 2024
- 3rd of 20, grade 1.4 sehr gut
- Snow braking 50-0 km/h
- 29.1 m, matching the test winners
- ADAC/OeAMTC/TCS 2025 (225/40 R18)
- 3.2 - a substantially weaker result
- European price per tyre
- approx. EUR 81
Component scores
Where the score
comes from.
Four components, equal weight, each on a 0–10 scale and each resting on a named source. The overall score is their mean — the full procedure is in the methodology.
What we liked
- 3rd of 20 at AUTO BILD 2024 in this exact size, grade 1.4 sehr gut
- Snow braking 29.1 m — matched the two test winners
- Around €81, well below the premium brands
- Continental-owned brand with shared technology
- 3PMSF and M+S
Worth knowing
- ADAC/ÖAMTC/TCS graded it only 3.2 in 225/40 R18 in 2025 — a sharp contradiction
- The two testers disagree more than size variation normally explains
- 72 dB, joint noisiest here
- No result in the ADAC test conducted in this size
Comparison
How it compares
within the category
All values come from the same analysis and are comparable only within the category Best Winter Tyres 205/55 R16.
| Product | Score | Independent test grade, 205/55 R16 | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continental WinterContact TS 870Top score | 8.9 | 2.0 gut — winner (ADAC/ÖAMTC/TCS 2024) | €103 |
| Semperit Speed-Grip 5This product | 8.1 | 1.4 sehr gut — 3rd (AUTO BILD 2024) | €81 |
| Category average8 products analysed | 8.3 | — | — |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Which result should I believe?
The AUTO BILD result was measured in 205/55 R16, the size you are buying, and it was a large test — 53 candidates narrowed to 20. The ADAC result was in 225/40 R18, a lower-profile size on a different car. Size-specific results deserve more weight. That said, the gap is large enough that we would not present this as a confident recommendation: buy it as a value option knowing that one credible tester rated it poorly in another size.
Is a Continental-owned budget brand the same tyre as a Continental?
No. Semperit is a separate product line with its own compounds and tread patterns, developed with access to Continental's technology and manufacturing. The shared ownership makes a strong result credible; it does not make the tyres equivalent. The Continental TS 870 outperformed it in the same AUTO BILD test.
From the same ranking
Other products in Best Winter Tyres 205/55 R16.
The same protocol, the same key parameter, the same set of sources.
-
No. 018.9/ 10
Continental WinterContact TS 870
The only tyre to win this size in three separate test programmes. Uniquely, it posted both the…
-
No. 028.6/ 10
Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3
Runner-up in this size at both ADAC and AUTO BILD, and outright winner in two other sizes in…
-
No. 038.5/ 10
Hankook Winter i*cept RS3 (W462)
The value pick. Third at Auto Express 2026 in this size, strong snow and ice scores and…
-
No. 048.4/ 10
Bridgestone Blizzak 6 Enliten
The best measured snow braking of the AUTO BILD qualifying round, combined with low rolling…