Barum Polaris 5 review
Relative score 60% tests + 40% owners
Better than 20% of the winter tires we score.
Owners 48 · 16 reviews analysed Road tests 71 · 12 tests
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Barum Polaris 5 has a Relative Score of 61 out of 100 among winter tires. In 16 road tests with an overall ranking it finished first 0 times and in the top three 0 times. Testers rate it best for efficiency (90) and weakest for noise (53). 16 owner reviews rate it 48 out of 100. 33% would buy it again.
Projected tread life in 5 wear tests: about 40,000 km (25,000 miles) on average, newest 2024.
- Strength: Efficiency 90 — 1st of 20 (2024 Auto Bild Winter tire Test), 1st of 20 (2023 Auto Bild Winter tire Test)
- Weak point: Noise 53 — 15th of 16 (2023 ADAC 16 Inch tire Test), 16th of 20 (2021 Auto Bild Winter tire Test)
Barum is Continental's budget brand, made in Romania, Slovakia and France.
Owners rate it 23 points lower than the instrumented road tests do — see the two score breakdowns below for where they disagree.
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
48/100From 16 owner reviews analysed, scaled like the road tests: the average tested tire gets 70.
By road tests
71/100Scaled across every tested tire: the average gets 70, the best 100.
What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 16 owner reviews found online.
The Barum Polaris 5 is widely regarded as a budget-friendly winter tire that excels in snow and ice traction, offering a strong value proposition for everyday driving. While many users praise its cold-weather performance, experiences are polarized, with some reporting significant issues regarding wet-weather grip, cabin noise, and tread longevity.
Pros
- Excellent traction and handling on snow and ice
- Strong value for money compared to premium alternatives
- Reliable performance in sub-7°C temperatures
- Generally comfortable ride quality
Cons
- Inconsistent performance in wet conditions
- Reports of high cabin noise and road rumble
- Concerns regarding rapid or uneven tread wear
- Reduced handling precision at higher temperatures
Worth knowing
- Users noted that the tire's comfort levels may be influenced by smaller wheel sizes compared to larger summer setups.
- Some drivers of AWD vehicles reported mixed results, suggesting the tire's performance may not always match the capabilities of the drivetrain in deep snow.
16 published test appearances (12 in the score)
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2024 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16
16th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Handling | 17th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 17th of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 4th of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 14th of 20 | |
| Snow Traction | 2nd of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 9th of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 1st of 20 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 18th of 20 | |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 18th of 20 | |
| Noise | 15th of 20 | |
| Value | 7th of 20 | |
| Wear | 15th of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 1st of 20 |
Source: Auto Bild
2024 Winter 55 tire Braking Test · 205/55 R16
18th of 55
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 20th of 55 | |
| Snow Braking | 16th of 55 |
Source: Auto Bild
2023 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 225/45 R18
9th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 12th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 17th of 20 | |
| Wet Circle | 7th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 11th of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 3rd of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 16th of 20 | |
| Snow Traction | 16th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 7th of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 1st of 20 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 12th of 20 | |
| Noise | 13th of 20 | |
| Value | 1st of 20 | |
| Wear | 4th of 20 | |
| Snow Slalom | 12th of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 1st of 20 |
Source: Auto Bild
2023 ADAC 16 Inch tire Test · 205/60 R16
12th of 16
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 10th of 16 | |
| Dry Braking | 11th of 16 | |
| Snow Braking | 10th of 16 | |
| Snow Traction | 14th of 16 | |
| Ice Braking | 10th of 16 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 15th of 16 | |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 12th of 16 | |
| Noise | 15th of 16 | |
| Wear | 4th of 16 | |
| Fuel Consumption | 1st of 16 | |
| Abrasion | 9th of 16 | |
| Wet Braking (concrete) | 13th of 16 |
Source: ADAC
2023 Winter tire Test 54 Set Braking Test · 225/45 R18
14th of 54
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 12th of 54 | |
| Snow Braking | 21st of 54 |
Source: Auto Bild
2022 Winter tire Market Overview · 215/55 R17
26th of 56
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 27th of 56 | |
| Snow Braking | 23rd of 56 |
Source: Auto Bild
2022 ADAC Winter tire Test - 185/65 R15 · 185/65 R15
14th of 15
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2021 Auto Bild Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16
15th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 15th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 13th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 17th of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 13th of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 14th of 20 | |
| Snow Traction | 13th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 7th of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 1st of 20 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 17th of 20 | |
| Noise | 16th of 20 | |
| Value | 1st of 20 | |
| Price | 2nd of 20 | |
| Wear | 5th of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 1st of 20 |
Source: Auto Bild
2021 ADAC 15 Inch Winter tire Test · 225/50 R17
12th of 16
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2021 Winter tire Market Overview · 205/55 R16
15th of 49
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 17th of 49 | |
| Snow Braking | 18th of 49 |
Source: Auto Bild
2021 ADAC Winter Tire Test R15 · 195/65R15
12th of 16
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: ADAC
2021 Autonavigator Winter Tire Test R16 · 205/55R16
6th of 11
Only the final ranking was published for this test, not the results per discipline.
Source: Autonavigator
2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter tire Test · 245/45 R18
15th of 20
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 15th of 20 | |
| Wet Handling | 16th of 20 | |
| Dry Braking | 14th of 20 | |
| Dry Handling | 12th of 20 | |
| Snow Braking | 9th of 20 | |
| Snow Traction | 16th of 20 | |
| Snow Handling | 11th of 20 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 16th of 20 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 13th of 20 | |
| Noise | 7th of 20 | |
| Value | 6th of 20 | |
| Wear | 18th of 20 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 12th of 20 |
Source: Auto Bild
2020 Winter tire Market Overview - 52 tire Braking Test · 245/45 R18
11th of 48
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 17th of 48 | |
| Snow Braking | 9th of 48 |
Source: Auto Bild
2019 Auto Center Winter tire Test · 205/55 R16
4th of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 5th of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 8th of 10 | |
| Snow Braking | 7th of 10 | |
| Snow Traction | 6th of 10 | |
| Ice Braking | 7th of 10 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 1st of 10 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 8th of 10 | |
| Dry Handling (tester's mark) | 9th of 10 | |
| Comfort (tester's mark) | 6th of 10 | |
| Wet Handling (tester's mark) | 2nd of 10 | |
| Ice Traction | 7th of 10 | |
| Snow Handling (tester's mark) | 9th of 10 |
2019 Winter tire Test Market Overview · 225/45 R17
21st of 47
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 23rd of 47 | |
| Snow Braking | 18th of 47 |
Source: Auto Bild
Barum Polaris 5 specs & sizes
Prices vary by size, so each one links out separately.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| EU label: wet grip | C in 98% of sizes |
| EU label: energy | D in 75% of sizes |
| EU label: external noise | 71–73 dB |
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Reviews from our readers
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