The magazine of the USA non-profit organization Consumers Union tested tires of two categories suitable to be used in the wintertime.
In Canada and the USA, all-season tires are very popular but the drivers that live in the regions with a relatively cold climate, concerned about their safety, often install special winter tires on their vehicles. At the same time, in recent years, tire makers have launched on the North American market the so-called all-weather tires that, unlike all-season tires, are manufactured with increased grip on ice and snow, which brings them closer to winter tires.
«The best all-weather tires have proved to provide year-round traction that truly combines all-season and winter/snow performance — says Gene Petersen, Consumer Reports’ tire-program manager — They’re different from typical all-season tires mainly because they provide better traction in the snow. For this reason, they have the same mountain/snowflake symbol on the sidewall as winter/snow tires».
In its latest test, CR compared five models of all-weather tires from Goodyear, Michelin, Nokian, Toyo and Vredestein. According to the experts, the best in the new category were the Michelin tires that demonstrated the most balanced performance and showed great results in all of the disciplines. «Although Michelin cost more than the average all-season tires, they ensure a truly outstanding performance» — the spokesman for CR said.
CR also conducted winter tire tests, the first place in which was scored by the recently-launched Cooper model. In addition, the «Recommended» verdict was bestowed on Hankook, Continental, Michelin and Nokian.
