The new test, conducted by the German motoring magazine, showed that all-season tires continue to improve their characteristics, yet not all of the tire makers are capable of producing tires that perform equally well in any weather.
List of models tested:
- Bridgestone Weather Control A005 Evo
- Continental AllSeasonContact
- Falken EuroAll Season AS210
- Goodride All Season Elite Z-401
- Goodyear Vector 4Seasons SUV Gen-3
- Hankook Kinergy 4S2 X H750A
- Maxxis Premitra All Season AP3
- Michelin CrossClimate SUV
- Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF 2
- Toyo Celsius AS2
- Vredestein Quatrac Pro
The experts from the German magazine Auto Bild Allrad tested 11 models of all-season tires designed for SUVs, noting after the test that, even though some of the all-season tires do deliver quite impressive performance, there are still all-season tires out there that cannot ensure adequate driving safety.
«The all-season tires came around a few decades ago, but only the technical progress in the production of rubber compound, as well as further development of production technologies, improved them so much that today even the most demanding motorists are considering purchasing them — the AB experts noted In the past, these tires either had catastrophically weak snow traction or poor handling performance in summer, and often both. Today, however, we are amazed at the capabilities of the last-generation all-season tires because, while with many things in our everyday life you have to look very hard for signs of progress, with all-season tires, the progress is obvious. This became possible due to high thermal stability of the new rubber compounds with a high content of silica, which means that the tread remains supple across the entire temperature range and ensures consistent traction in any conditions. In addition, in the height of summer, the tread blocks retain stability and the desired shape, providing effective braking and good handling, and in the cold season, the tread pattern with a sufficient number of sipes ensures the necessary ice and snow grip.»
The best tires in the 2022 test were the Michelin CrossClimate SUV and Hankook Kinergy 4S2 X. The Michelin tire was the most expensive on test (200 Euro for a tire), yet it did show excellent results in all of the disciplines, and the Hankook tire, which also secured the «Exemplary» verdict, costs 25% less in Germany. At the same time, developing a really good all-season tire is still a challenging task for many tire makers — the tests showed that the Goodride tire, produced by China’s ZC Rubber, has a dangerously long wet braking distance, and the inexpensive Maxxis model has obvious issues with snow grip. Ultimately, both tires ended up at the bottom of the tournament bracket with a «Not recommended verdict.
We should add that even the best all-season tires are designed for regions with a mild climate, and in northern latitudes it is still necessary to change tires twice a year for optimal safety.
1st place: Michelin / CrossClimate SUV
Michelin CrossClimate SUV
- An exemplary all-season tire with impressive performance in any weather conditions
- Good hydroplaning resistance
- Short braking distance on wet and dry pavement
- High price
- Exemplary
2nd place: Hankook / Kinergy 4S2 X H750A
Hankook Kinergy 4S2 X H750A
- Well-balanced performance
- Good snow performance
- Stable handling performance and a short braking distance in any weather conditions
- Attractive price
- Average ride comfort
- Exemplary
3rd place: Continental / AllSeasonContact
Continental AllSeasonContact
- Well-balanced performance
- Very good snow performance
- Good handling response in the wet
- Excellent hydroplaning resistance
- Low rolling resistance
- Prone to understeer on dry pavement
- Good
3rd place: Goodyear / Vector 4Seasons SUV Gen-3
Goodyear Vector 4Seasons SUV Gen-3
- Well-balanced performance
- Stable handling performance and crisp steering response
- Low noise emission
- Smooth ride
- Relatively long braking distance on wet pavement
- Good
5th place: Pirelli / Cinturato All Season SF 2
Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF 2
- Well-balanced performance
- High traction on snow
- Good handling response in the dry
- Average lateral stability on wet pavement
- Good
5th place: Vredestein / Quatrac Pro
Vredestein Quatrac Pro
- Good snow grip
- Good handling response and a short stopping distance on wet pavement
- Good handling response in the dry
- Reduced hydroplaning resistance
- Good
7th place: Falken / EuroAll Season AS210
Falken EuroAll Season AS210
- Good handling response and a short stopping distance on wet pavement
- Excellent hydroplaning resistance
- Attractive price
- Prone to understeer on snow and dry pavement
- Good
8th place: Bridgestone / Weather Control A005 Evo
Bridgestone Weather Control A005 Evo
- Good handling response and a short stopping distance on dry pavement
- Low rolling resistance
- Fuzzy steering response and prone to understeer on snow and wet pavement
- Satisfactory
9th place: Toyo / Celsius AS2
Toyo Celsius AS2
- Good snow performance
- Excellent hydroplaning resistance
- Great riding comfort
- Low rolling resistance
- Prone to understeer on dry and wet pavement
- Satisfactory
10th place: Maxxis / Premitra All Season AP3
Maxxis Premitra All Season AP3
- Short braking distance on dry pavement
- Low price
- Very poor traction and prone to understeer on snow
- Long braking distance on wet pavement
- Not recommended
11th place: Goodride / All Season Elite Z-401
Goodride All Season Elite Z-401
- Low rolling resistance
- Low price
- Dangerously long braking distance on wet pavement
- Delayed steering response and less-than-perfect handling performance in any weather conditions
- Not recommended