5 categories (12 tests)
Test Category | Best Performer | Worst Performer | Difference |
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Dry (2 tests) | |||
Dry Braking | ▲ Maxxis Premitra All Season AP3: 39.5 M | ▼ Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2: 44.4 M | 4.9 M (11.0%) |
Dry Handling | ▲ Michelin CrossClimate Plus: 85.7 Km/H | ▼ Cooper Discoverer All Season: 82.5 Km/H | 3.2 Km/H (3.9%) |
Wet (3 tests) | |||
Wet Braking | ▲ Bridgestone Weather Control A005: 46.3 M | ▼ Cooper Discoverer All Season: 52.6 M | 6.3 M (12.0%) |
Wet Handling | ▲ Vredestein Quatrac Pro: 72.6 Km/H | ▼ Cooper Discoverer All Season: 66.2 Km/H | 6.4 Km/H (9.7%) |
Straight Aqua | ▲ Maxxis Premitra All Season AP3: 74.3 Km/H | ▼ Continental AllSeasonContact: 68.9 Km/H | 5.4 Km/H (7.8%) |
Snow (2 tests) | |||
Snow Braking | ▲ Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2: 23.6 M | ▼ Bridgestone Weather Control A005: 27.1 M | 3.5 M (12.9%) |
Snow Handling | ▲ Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2: 56.9 Km/H | ▼ Bridgestone Weather Control A005: 54.8 Km/H | 2.1 Km/H (3.8%) |
Comfort (1 tests) | |||
Noise | ▲ Nexen N Blue 4 Season: 71.3 dB | ▼ Michelin CrossClimate Plus: 73.7 dB | 2.4 dB (3.3%) |
Value (4 tests) | |||
Wear | ▲ Michelin CrossClimate Plus: 70800 KM | ▼ Bridgestone Weather Control A005: 39000 KM | 31,800.0 KM (81.5%) |
Value | ▲ Nexen N Blue 4 Season: 5.34 Price/1000 | ▼ Bridgestone Weather Control A005: 10.26 Price/1000 | 4.9 Price/1000 (48.0%) |
Price | ▲ Nexen N Blue 4 Season: 320 | ▼ Michelin CrossClimate Plus: 450 | 130.0 (28.9%) |
Rolling Resistance | ▲ Bridgestone Weather Control A005: 8.45 kg / t | ▼ Nexen N Blue 4 Season: 11.02 kg / t | 2.6 kg / t (23.3%) |
The most notable performances follow the trends other tests have shown during 2019. The new Bridgestone WeatherControl A005 couldn't deliver on the foundations laid by the strong wet and dry braking performance in the shootout test, finishing ninth overall due to a very average snow performance, but more importantly for UK drivers, very high wear.
The Vredestein Quatrac Pro again impressed, beating the established excellent all season tires from Goodyear and Continental to second place, with a sporty handling feel in all conditions, coupled with good dry and wet grip.
It's no surprise that the Michelin CrossClimate+ won another test, but it was a surprise the "summer optimised" all season tire from the French manufacturer was second in snow handling. Apparently, it is now a tire that can do everything.
As this is a German tire test, they put more weighting on snow performance than we perhaps would in the UK, however the top four places are all excellent all season tires, with the Goodyear the best if you expect to experience a lot of snow and ice, and the other three patterns having slightly different blends of dry, wet and snow performances.
As always, check out all the glorious data below to decide which tire is the best for your own personal driving circumstances.
Dry
Due to very strong performances by the new comers from Maxxis and Bridgestone, the usual dry weather braking king, the Michelin CrossClimate+ had to settle for third overall. As usual, all ten all season tires struggled to match the reference summer tire, with the Goodyear Vector 4Season Gen-2 the worst of the all seasons, tying with the reference winter tire.
Michelin asserted it's dry dominance during dry handling, with the Vredestein Quatrac Pro the best of the rest. Both tires were reported to have a sporty handling feel when compared to other all season tires on test.
Wet
The wet braking test showed the summer tire having an even bigger advantage. The Bridgestone A005 continued its run of excellent wet braking results to stop the car ahead of all the other all season tires, and the new Vredestein Quatrac Pro again impressed.
The Vredestein Quatrac Pro was the only all season tire to beat the summer tire during wet handling, with the Continental, Michelin, Goodyear and Bridgestone all closely matched.
Dry braking and aquaplaning are often opposing qualities, so it was surprising Maxxis also won the aquaplaning testing! Vredestein, Michelin and Continental were the worst in testing, which highlights the deemphasis of aquaplaning results in new premium designs.
Snow
The winter reference tire had a narrow advantage over the best all season tires, with the summer reference tire performing as expected.
Goodyear again won the snow handling test, with a surprisingly strong second placed for the dry-optimised Michelin CrossClimate+.
Value
It's no surprise Michelin won the wear testing, the French manufacturer consistently has the best wearing tires in the market. Continental again prove they've fixed their wear issues with the latest generation of products, wearing nearly as well as the Michelin, and proving better value overall thanks to a lower purchase price.
The cheaper tires on test had the best mileage / purchase price balance, with the Continental, Michelin and Goodyear performing well.
Environment
The Bridgestone and Continental had very low rolling resistance results.
Nexen had a significant advantage in external noise testing.
Results
1st: Michelin CrossClimate+ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Convincing all round performance with sporty driving characteristics in all conditions. Precise steering, short wet and dry braking, lowest wear and good comfort. None mentioned. Test winner. Read Reviews | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2nd: Vredestein Quatrac Pro | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Excellent year round tires with impressive qualities on ice and snow, sport handling on wet and dry roads, precise steering response with good feedback, short braking distances in the wet. Average wear. Exemplary. Read Reviews Buy from £97.99 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3rd: Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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An excellent all season tire with strong winter characteristics, safe handling and a good balance int he wet, good comfort, good mileage, good price to wear ratio. Slow steering in the dry. Good. Read Reviews Buy from £107.40 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4th: Continental AllSeasonContact | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A balanced all season tire with sporty wet handling, low wear, short braking distances and stable cornering on ice and snow, good price / performance ratio, low rolling resistance. Slightly extended wet braking. Good. Read Reviews Buy from £105.79 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5th: Hankook Kinergy 4S2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Strong winter performance, good traction and dynamic handling on snow, good aquaplaning safety, good wet and dry handling, good price to performance ratio. Slightly extended wet braking. Good. Read Reviews Buy from £96.74 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6th: Nexen N Blue 4 Season | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Low priced all season tires with a safe balance in all weathers, stable cornering and short braking in the snow, low wear, good price to performance ratio, low noise. Slightly extended wet braking, high rolling resistance. Good. Read Reviews Buy from £81.64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7th: Maxxis Premitra All Season AP3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A new all season tire form a Chinese manufacturer with safe handling on snow and dry roads, good aquaplaning resistance, short dry braking distances. Average grip in the wet, long wet braking, average wear. Good. Read Reviews | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8th: Kumho Solus HA31 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Good aquaplaning properties, low wear, short braking distances on snow, low noise. Average snow handling, slightly extended wet and dry braking distances, soft dry handling, average comfort. Average. Read Reviews | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9th: Bridgestone Weather Control A005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Short braking distances and sport handling in the wet and dry, good aquaplaning reserves, low rolling resistance. Average performance in the snow, very poor wear. Average. Read Reviews | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10th: Cooper Discoverer All Season | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Good aquaplaning resistance, short braking distances in the snow and on dry roads, low price. Poor cornering and long braking distances in the wet, slow steering and poor balance in the dry. Not Recommended. Read Reviews Buy from £122.53 |