Barum Polaris3 4x4 review
The Barum Polaris 3 4x4 is regarded as a reliable and durable winter tire that performs exceptionally well in wet and slushy conditions. While users note an initial break-in period where handling can feel slightly imprecise, the tire settles into a stable and confidence-inspiring performer suitable for long-term seasonal use.
Owners rate it 52.7 points higher 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 on retailer and review sites; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
By owner reviews
84%By road tests
31.3%What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 2 owner reviews across retailers and review sites.
The Barum Polaris 3 4x4 is regarded as a reliable and durable winter tire that performs exceptionally well in wet and slushy conditions. While users note an initial break-in period where handling can feel slightly imprecise, the tire settles into a stable and confidence-inspiring performer suitable for long-term seasonal use.
Pros
- Strong grip and performance in wet and slushy winter conditions
- Impressive tread longevity and durability over multiple seasons
- High level of driver confidence and stability
- Good value-to-performance ratio
Cons
- Initial 'mushy' handling feel during the first 1,000 miles of use
- Increased road noise as the tread depth wears down to 3mm
- Slightly less precise handling compared to dedicated summer tires
Worth knowing
- Users operating the tire on smaller 4x4 vehicles, such as the Suzuki Jimny, report excellent multi-year durability even when used outside of the winter season.
- The tire demonstrates consistent performance characteristics across varied UK weather conditions, maintaining grip levels comparable to summer tires once broken in.
1 published test appearance
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2017 ADAC SUV Winter tire Test - 215/65 R16
12th of 16
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Side G-Force on Wet surface | 7th of 16 | |
| Wear | 4th of 16 | |
| Inside Noise level | 4th of 16 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 10th of 16 | |
| Ice Handling | 4th of 16 | |
| Ice Braking | 4th of 16 | |
| Snow Handling | 4th of 16 | |
| Snow Traction | 4th of 16 | |
| Snow Braking | 4th of 16 | |
| Wet Handling | 7th of 16 | |
| Wet Braking | 7th of 16 | |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 7th of 16 | |
| Straight Aquaplaning | 7th of 16 | |
| Dry Braking | 7th of 16 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 7th of 16 | |
| Dry Handling | 7th of 16 |