Barum Polaris 3 review
Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners
Better than 72% of the winter tires we score.
Owners 79 · 18 reviews analysed Road tests 67 · 2 tests
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Barum Polaris 3 has a Relative Score of 72 out of 100 among winter tires. In 18 road tests with an overall ranking it finished first 0 times and in the top three 1 times. Testers rate it best for snow (74) and weakest for noise (55). 18 owner reviews rate it 79 out of 100. 88% would buy it again.
Projected tread life in 2 wear tests: about 38,000 km (24,000 miles) on average, newest 2018.
- Weak point: Noise 55 — 18th of 20 (2018 Auto Bild Winter tire Test), 14th of 20 (2017 Auto Bild Winter tire Test)
Barum is Continental's budget brand, made in Romania, Slovakia and France.
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews found online; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
How scores work
- Relative score
- 0–100. Blends road tests (60%) and owner reviews (40%) category by category, the same way on every TireWheelGuide page. With only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from it, so the score stays closer to average. It needs at least one road test or five owner reviews.
- Road tests
- 0–100 per score, from published tests, newer tests counting more. Each result is compared with every other tire in the same test, so a win against a strong field counts for more. The average tested tire gets 70, the best 100; with only one or two tests a tire stays nearer 70. The discipline rows show % of the best tire in that test.
- Owner reviews
- 0–100 from the owner reviews we found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates and scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70. With only a few reviews a tire stays near the average.
By owner reviews
79/100From 18 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.
By road tests
67/100Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.
What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 18 owner reviews found online.
The Barum Polaris 3 is widely regarded as a high-value winter tire that punches above its weight class, offering impressive traction on snow, ice, and wet surfaces. While it may lack the high-performance precision of premium brands, it provides consistent, reliable handling for daily driving and is frequently praised for its excellent price-to-performance ratio.
Pros
- Exceptional value for money
- Strong traction and stability in snow and icy conditions
- Reliable wet weather performance and water drainage
- Generally quiet and comfortable ride quality
Cons
- Inconsistent tread wear reported by some users
- Longer braking distances compared to premium alternatives
- Reduced performance when pushed to the absolute limit
- Potential for increased fuel consumption
Worth knowing
- Users with rear-wheel-drive vehicles noted that while snow traction is excellent, the tires can struggle with standing-start grip in wet or dry conditions.
- The tire performs well on smaller, lighter vehicles like the Seat Ibiza and Peugeot 308, maintaining stability throughout the winter season.
18 published test appearances (2 in the score)
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2018 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 195/65 R15
16th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 15th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 18th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 17th of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 9th of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 9th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 6th of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 6th of 20 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 18th of 20 | |
| Noise | 18th of 20 | |
| Value | 15th of 20 | |
| Price | 7th of 20 | |
| Wear | 16th of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 7th of 20 |
Source: Auto Bild
2018 51 Winter tire Shootout · 195/65 R15
12th of 52
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
2017 50 Winter tire Shoot Out · 225/50 R17
13th of 45
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
2017 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 225/50 R17
16th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 15th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 18th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 17th of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 3rd of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 6th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 1st of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 2nd of 20 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 17th of 20 | |
| Noise | 14th of 20 | |
| Value | 5th of 20 | |
| Wear | 10th of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 2nd of 20 |
Source: Auto Bild
2016 AutoBild Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16
10th of 20
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Bild
2016 Winter tire Market Overview · 205/55 R16
8th of 43
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
2016 ADAC Winter tire Test - 185/65 R15 · 185/65 R15
12th of 15
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2015 Auto Bild Top 18 Winter tire Test · 185/60 R15
3rd of 18
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Bild
2015 ADAC Winter tire Test - 165/70 R14 · 165/70 R14
11th of 16
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2015 ADAC Winter tire Test - 205/55 R16 · 205/55 R16
10th of 19
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2015 Winter tire Market Overview · 185/60R15
9th of 51
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
2014 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 225/50 R17
11th of 16
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Bild
2014 50 Winter tire Braking Overview · 225/50 R17
16th of 48
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
2013 Auto Bild Top 15 Winter tire Shootout · 195/65 R15
6th of 15
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Auto Bild
2013 Winter tire Overview - Braking · 195/65 R15
7th of 50
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
2013 ADAC Winter tire Test - 185/60 R15 · 185/60 R15
9th of 17
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2012 European tire Test - 165/70 R14 · 165/70 R14
4th of 13
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
2011 European Winter tire Test - 195/65 R15 · 195/65 R15
10th of 14
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Barum Polaris 3 specs & sizes
Prices vary by size, so each one links out separately.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| EU label: wet grip | C |
| EU label: energy | E in 86% of sizes |
| EU label: external noise | 71–72 dB |
| Size | Retailer |
|---|---|
| 165/80 R13 | Amazon |
| 165/80 R14 | Amazon |
| 185/55 R14 | Amazon |
| 225/70 R16 | Amazon |
| 235/60 R16 | Amazon |
| 235/70 R16 | Amazon |
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Reviews from our readers
Drivers who have these tires on their car, in their own words. We check every review before it goes live.
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