Tire Reviews Tire Tests

The all weather category of tires is quickly growing in popularity, as a tire that can be used in all weathers is a big advantage for people living in snowy climates, it saves changing tires twice a year between an all season and a winter product.

To find out which of these new all weather category tires is best, I have tested them in the dry, wet, snow and ice to give you a really good overview of their abilities, and also looked into the the rolling resistance, comfort, noise levels and value, to find out which tire is best in all conditions.

THIS DATA IS BASED ON INTERNAL MICHELIN TESTING.

Now that's clearly out of the way, I think it's quite an interesting datapoint. I'm confident the data will be good as when companies put competitor data in the public eye, they risk being sued over it, so they triple check everything is fair.

Vi Bilägare has completed their latest winter tire test, evaluating seven dedicated Nordic friction tires and one all-season tire in size 225/45 R17. The reigning champion, Continental VikingContact 7, has been replaced by the VikingContact 8, which is tested against competitors from Goodyear, Michelin, Nokian, and Hankook. The test also included two budget tires, Radar and Greenmax.

The excellent magazine Vi Bilagare tested seven studded tires and one friction (non-studded) winter tire - the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5. Testing was conducted in various locations across Finland and Sweden, using a Volkswagen Golf for most tests.

Below is the data from the Sport Auto all season tire test. Their test vehicle was a sporty Hyundai i20N, and they included named reference summer and winter tires, which is always nice (even if the summer tire was the Asymmetric 3, a tire originally launched over 10 years ago!)

Another key point is that the wet tests were done at cold conditions, "significantly below ten degrees", and around 7c for wet braking. Many of the all season tires out performed the summer tire, however as the summer tire is not current it's hard to say whether a modern summer tire would have performed better.

These are the result from 2024 Auto Express All Season Tire Test.

These are the result from 2024 Auto Express Winter Tire Test

Auto Bild AllRads's 2024 SUV All Season Tire Test tested 12 all-season tires in size 245/45 R18, alongside summer and winter reference tires. The test revealed significant performance gaps between the best and worst all-season tires across various conditions, while also highlighting the compromises these tires make compared to specialized seasonal options.

In dry conditions, the top-performing all-season tires approached the capabilities of the summer reference tire, but couldn't quite match its grip or balance. The Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF3 demonstrated the shortest dry braking distance among all-season tires at 37.7 meters, though still 2.4 meters behind the summer reference. In contrast, the poorest performing Minerva All Season Master required an additional 5.7 meters to stop. Dry handling tests showed similar trends, with the best all-season tire, the Hankook Kinergy 4S2, achieving an average speed just 1.1 km/h slower than the summer reference, while the slowest Nexen N Blue 4Season 2 lagged by 5.3 km/h.

Below is all the glorious data from the Auto Bild full winter test, in 205/55 R16. These are the top 20 tires that made it through the 53 tire shootout, so they're all essentially good tires, they're just different shades of good.

German auto magazine AUTO Straßenverkehr has conducted an SUV winter tire test, evaluating ten models in the 235/55 R18 size. The test, carried out under various weather conditions including snow, wet, and dry surfaces, aims to provide consumers with valuable insights into tire performance for the upcoming winter season.

The Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 SUV emerged as the top performer, achieving the highest score of 8.9 and a "very good" rating. It excelled particularly in snow performance and dry handling. Close behind was the Continental WinterContact TS 870 P, securing second place with a "very good" 8.6, showing balanced performance across all conditions.

Motor magazine has recently conducted an SUV all-season tire test, focusing on the popular 235/60 R18 size commonly found on SUVs and family vans.

The Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV won the test. It had a great balance between snow, wet, and dry performance, while maintaining low rolling resistance and noise levels. The Continental AllSeasonContact 2 secured the second position, excelling in wet conditions and achieving the lowest rolling resistance. Bridgestone's Turanza All Season 6 completed the top three, displaying consistent high-level performance across all tests. In the mid-range segment, the Falken EuroAll Season AS220 Pro showed strong dry handling characteristics but underperformed in snow conditions. The budget-oriented Dębica Navigator 3 demonstrated impressive snow performance and competitive pricing, although its wet performance was subpar. The Imperial All Season Driver, while offering the lowest price point, consistently ranked at the bottom of most performance metrics, with notable weaknesses in wet and snow conditions. These results indicate a clear correlation between tire price and performance, with higher-priced options generally offering superior all-round capabilities. However, some mid-range and budget options showed strengths in specific areas, suggesting potential value for users with particular performance priorities.

Auto Zeitung, a German automotive publication, has conducted a tire test comparing the performance of all-season and winter tires. The test features 10 premium touring tires in size 215/55 R17, including three all-season and seven winter options, across various driving conditions.

The test results highlight the difference differences between all-season and winter tires. In dry conditions, all-season tires consistently outperformed their winter counterparts, demonstrating shorter braking distances and faster handling times. This showcases their versatility in warmer weather.

The gap between all-season and winter tires narrowed in wet conditions. While some all-season tires still excelled, certain winter tires, notably the Bridgestone Blizzak LM005, showed impressive wet performance, sometimes surpassing their all-season rivals.

As expected, winter tires generally dominated in snowy conditions. However, the test revealed that some high-quality all-season tires could compete effectively with winter tires in light to moderate snow, particularly in traction and lateral grip tests.

As usual, no one does it better than AutoBild. Since revealing the best 15 all season tires in wet and dry braking, they put the victors through to their full barrage of tests, which includes wear testing!

It's a really fascinating in depth look at the best of the all season tires in the popular 225/50 R17 size, check out all the data below. The Bridgestone was the best in the pre-test, best in both dry and wet braking, but can it continue its dominance now that there's 15 more categories to grade? 

For the 2024 AutoBild Camper test, Autobild tested the popular 235/55 R17 size. While they used a camper van for the test, this tire dimension is commonly found on a variety of vehicles, including SUVs such as the Audi Q3 and BMW X1, and even some family cars like the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack.

The Michelin CrossClimate 2 emerged as the clear winner, earning top marks across all test categories. It demonstrated exceptional performance in winter conditions, with impressive traction and handling on snow and ice. The tire also excelled in wet conditions, offering excellent aquaplaning resistance and short braking distances. On dry roads, it provided precise handling and low rolling resistance, contributing to fuel efficiency.

The 2024 winter tire test conducted by Teknikens Värld, a Swedish automotive magazine, evaluated 18 different tires across various categories, including studded, Nordic non-studded, and Central European winter tires. The test also included two used tires to demonstrate how performance changes over time. 

The magazine crowned an overall winner, which we feel is a bit of an odd choice given the differing target requirements. The overall winner of the test was the Continental ContiVikingContact 8, a Nordic non-studded tire that demonstrated excellent all-round performance. It maintained the strong winter capabilities of its predecessor while significantly improving wet performance and rolling resistance. This proved manufacturers are working to address the traditional weaknesses of Nordic non-studded tires, particularly in wet conditions.

The 2024 Autobild All Season tire test tested 37 premium touring all-season tires in the 225/50 R17 size, focusing on dry and wet braking performance. The test reveals a significant performance gap between the top and bottom performers, especially in wet conditions. The Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6 emerged as the standout performer, excelling in both dry and wet braking tests. It was closely followed by the Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF3 and Continental AllSeasonContact 2. The test highlighted that while many tires performed adequately in dry conditions, wet performance varied dramatically, with some budget options showing alarming results. This overview serves as a preliminary assessment, with top performers likely to advance to more comprehensive testing.

For 2024 ADAC have tested two sizes of winter tires. The below test covers the 16" version. There's nothing particularly shocking in the overall results, so enjoy the data, which includes wear, below!

Autobild are back at it again, this year testing a massive 55 winter tires in wet braking, then taking the top 33 to a snow braking test, all to find out the safest 20 winter tires in the wet and snow to put through to their full test!

Auto Bild Klassik magazine recently conducted a test of seven classic-style summer tires in the 205/70 VR 15 size, aiming to improve safety and performance for vintage sports cars. The testers used a Jaguar E-Type Lightweight replica, an iconic 1960s sports car renowned for its powerful 270 PS engine and impressive 240 km/h top speed. I'm very sad this isn't a Tire Reviews test!

As usual with Auto Bild tests, they've done a proper job. On wet surfaces, the tires were evaluated for their resistance to aquaplaning, cornering stability, overall handling, and braking efficiency. Dry condition tests focused on handling, braking performance, rolling comfort, and noise levels. Additionally, the tires' rolling resistance was measured to gauge their efficiency.

Famously, ADAC are not fans of all season tires, seeing them as too compromised for year round motoring and insisting that a summer and winter tire combination is superior.

This means ADAC have not tested all season tires since 2020, so lets see if the modern batch of all season tires can change ADACs mind!