I often get asked to do braking tests at different temperatures to see exactly how temperature affects the dry and wet performance of summer, all season and winter tyres.
Until recently it's been impossible as you can't control the weather, and even if you started to test at a certain temperature outdoors, the weather would change through the test (it takes about an hour to do 5 sets of tyres in braking testing!) Now, thanks to Test World in Northern Finland, we've been able to test summer, CrossClimate, all season, winter and nordic winter tyres in dry and wet braking at 0c, 2c, 6c, 10c, 15c! We've also tested the snow performance of all the tires.
The test car is a VW Golf using 205/55 R16 tires. Watch the video for what is a very interesting test, and check out Test World at https://www.testworld.fi/
@tyrereviews:disqus it would be fantastic if you could re-run this test with updated tyres!
I'm most interested in quite how much summer tyres give up in cold, wet braking vs the best sport-biased all-seasons in warmer temps. Based on yours and others published testing, it seems that summers give up disproportionately more in colder temps than the best all-seasons do in average/warmer temps. Thanks for your work - it is fascinating to watch/read. All the best.
What tyres did you used? I don't find that information.
Thank you for all your reviews.
It's been a while since I watched this video but I'm almost certain that's discussed throughout the video.
It's in the video!
summer: continental premiumcontact 6
crossclimate-he failed to speak here correcty = michelin crossclimate+
all season = continental allseasoncontact
winter= continental wintercontact ts 860
I don't think you watched it thoroughly.. 25C and 40C is obviously summer tyre>allseason>winter>nordic.
What were the initial vehicle speeds for the dry and wet braking tests?
I believe we were limited to 60 kph in the tunnels
The graph in the video shows 80-5 kph.
Very interesting test, I've been running Conti all season
tyres since last autumn on my golf GT Tdi and wouldn't go back to winters. I
would have used Cross climates but Conti’s were £25 cheaper per tyre! I plan to
use summer tyres this summer just to maximise but so far haven't
felt the need to change, with reduced mileage due to Covid19 might not this
year. Before, I had Dunlop efficient grip blue response in the summer (awesome
in the wet, wore out pretty quick but cheap so ok) and Conti winter TS830 or Goodyear
ultragrip9 in the winter (awesome in 2 feet of snow in Yorkshire).
Now on the all seasons which were very impressive in the cold frosty and snowy
weather. First day out, I took a four wheeled trailer on a 70 mile trip and
straight away drove on black ice, which was fine, obviously I was taking it
steady but reassuringly grippy and I can really press it, in wet cold
conditions. They still work well in the dry, definitely less wayward than warm
winter tyres. They're a very good compromise for the UK,
have saved me from putting it through the hedge a couple of times. Almost as good as a winter tyre in
the snow and good enough in the summer. Just not quite as solid feeling
as a summer tyre when absolutely flying, however, if you reach the limits of
grip on these in the dry, you will be breaking a number of laws of the Queen's
highway so I don't see it as a problem. Get some decent all season tyres you won’t regret it
and will feel really smug when you avoid crashing in the damp cold frosty miserable
weather we have for 6 months in the UK!
Remember, money spent on quality tyres is money well spent
and much cheaper than the fallout from an accident however small, but you
already knew that or you wouldn’t be here!
Great review, glad you like them. If you get the time and haven't already, it would be great if you could post the review here - https://www.tyrereviews.co....
This is a really interesting test and the first of its kind; most tests don't mention what temperature tyres are tested and it is clear that that is a huge factor in performance.
It would be great to see a variety of all season tyres tested at these temperatures AND different levels of wear (new, 4mm & 2mm)! Would be a beast, but the ultimate tyre test!
Summer tyre, A005, Crossclimate+, AllSeasonContact, Vector 4 Season Gen3 & winter tyre
One can only dream......!
That would be incredible, sadly it would also be so expensive!
Hogwash. Just test wet cold temperatures in your testing. You only test summer tires in the summer, which is stupid IMO. They and all types need to be tested in the colder temps on wet asphalt since that's where they are weak and it's also a very common road condition.
"Just test wet cold temperatures in your testing"
I've not yet learnt to control the weather sadly.
Jonathan, I commend that you at least published this rogue test here, but IMO you are lying here, and it's destroying a decade of your research. You boast testing 3,500 treads. Your team, in fact, tests about 50 tires per year in cooler temperatures. I am guessing mostly in Ivalo, Finland, and it is nice that Tesla let you use their facility, but it doesn't matter for a lot of reasons, one of which is that on clear nights the day/night temperature swings are easily 40F. So, just get up at 4 am, like you did in your recent blog post confessing the winter/summer switch propaganda is bogus. It seems YOU REFUSE to test/bring summer tires in cold temps or all season tires in hot temps, not pairing tires outside of their designated/maker-authorized category with one another, etc., by simply not taking any with you or you when do those non-summer tire tests, or you just refuse to publish summer tire data in cool temperatures on wet asphalt. But that's your decision. It's entirely on you, not the weather, given that you're regularly testing tires in cold temperatures already and consistently. Why would you reiterate this misleading and irrelevant truism about mother nature? Do the tire makers not want you to reveal how their products fail in cooler temperatures causing you to come up with this excuse? I don't know, but you should come clean here IMO. The video itself explains how important it is, and no, most people cannot afford to switch out tires twice a year. I am not an expert on where you reside but it looks like the UK. You claim to travel wherever you need to, so drop that claim as well and come clean.
@TyreReviews:disqus when choosing a tyre for fuel economy, is it better to go for a reinforced / XL version if extracting maximum efficiency gains is your primary concern - even if you don't drive a heavy car or SUV? What are the other pros and cons of doing this, apart from potentially a slightly harsher ride?
Also are you going to do a test on the latest low rolling resistance tyres with an A or B rating now that the Conti Ecocontact 6 has been in the market for almost a year, there is ever-increasing focus on reducing emmissions / fuel consumption and there are now a number of excellent options in this category?
The reason I ask - I'm looking at replacing the tyres on my BMW (205/55/16 fronts / 225/50/16 rears). The car likes a drink, so I'm after every MPG I can squeeze from it (but also want low noise and good stopping distances as most of my journeys are primarily A road or Motorway). I don't do huge mileage a year so don't need to spend on Michelins as I'd never come close to wearing them out before they expired due to age!
So far, my preferred contender that is available in both sizes I would need is the Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance, I would value your opinion...
An interesting question, I'm not sure if there's a definite correlation between XL and non-XL versions, there's a lot of variables involved, I'd just trust the EU label on that one.
The Goodyear EGP is a good all around choice, if not a little old now (v2 is due very soon)
I've not done much with the EC6, from what I've seen the Michelin Energy Saver+ is very low rolling resistance, but at the expense of wet grip
To buy reinforced / XL tyres type is NOT extracting maximum fuel efficiency gains, because that tyres are more robust & heavier (the EU label is relative here in compare to this specific category!), produced for more difficult roads and offering better protection against pathways touches when parking.
Further Conti Ecocontact 6 has only around 6.9 mm thread new instead of normal min. 8 mm but maybe the mixed compound can balance this for the same mileage.
I am also focused on best mileage economy and use front GY Efficient Grip Performance and rear Hankook K425 Kinergy 195/65 R15 on VW Golf Bluemotion (now K435 is newest model), both are great also in the wet and with the mileage and Hankook even better priced.
Why don't you use 205/55/16 also for the rears tyres?, that would also improve your fuel efficiency (MPG).
Looking forward to EGP v2 very soon?! and for the first summer tyres test for 2020!
P.S. I almost forgot to add also the older Dunlop Bluresponse or newest Bridgestone Turanza T005, which are also low rolling resistance & water resistance optimized.
Thanks for the input - My rear rims are 8J wide vs. the fronts which are 7J wide.
I would prefer a matching set all-round, however the only one that seems to meet my requirement for low rolling resistance whilst also being good for wet / dry grip and low noise are the Goodyears; wear rates don't matter so much for me as I only do limited, warmer weather mileage. I can get a set of £310 fitted which isn’t bad.
I didn’t know the labels are relative to the XL category - interesting.
Great video! When you think of the vast sums spent by the public on cars, it’s astonishingly hard to get useful information about tyres- the car dealers know literally nothing about it. Even Land Rover dealers.
1. I’ve just bought a new Mercedes GLE which comes with Continental summer tyres- 275/50 R20s. In that size, I have a grand choice of two all seasons tyres, both by Pirelli and a few more winter tyres.
2. I tried to find out from Mercedes Customer Services whether I could change the wheel size to get a better choice and got a firm “no”. Mercedes own brand alloys are £3,300 plus 4x Pirelli Scorpion Zero All Season tyres say £4,300 fitted. Ouch.
3. Modern cars are massively complex in the sensors and I’ve heard people say that fitting a new alloy wheel (even in the same size) can really upset a car’s stability systems.
4. Finally, assuming I stick to the Mercedes’ current alloys and just fit new All Seasons tyres when the summer tyres wear out, what should I tell the car? The GLE has a setting for telling the car that you have fitted “winter tyres”. What should I do if I fit all season tyres??
5. So while my GLE could probably take, say, a 19 inch wheel and so a better choice of all season or winter tyres, am I brave enough to risk voiding my insurance? Even though my insurers are really top for service and communication, there’s little chance I could get approval for what I’d like to do- they will say “follow Mercedes’ suggestions or else”. At least the R20 Scorpion Zero is labelled “MO” so I should be ok with that.
6. Finally, while I’m whining, what chance of getting a tyre hotel service to hold the monster wheels/tyres? No much!
The tyre is all that connects your £70k car to the road. Incredible that it’s so hard (and expensive) to try to be safe!
Thanks again for the great review. Any suggestions gratefully received!
Patrick
Winter tyres have a lower speed rating than summer tyres but all-season tyres don't, so you don't tell the car that you have winter tyres if you are fitting all-seasons. It's legal to fit tyres with a lower speed rating than the factory fit but you either put a sticker in the window or 'tell' the car. On my Skoda if you select winter tyres it asks for the speed rating - maybe it warns if you exceed that speed?
Kelper is probably right about the car notification. Your insurance company won't mind if you fit 19" alloys, they'll just charge you for them, and same with a tyre hotel :) Good luck on the search though!
Thank you!
Now I must sign up for the YouTube channel!
Thanks kelper, much appreciated.
It’s bizarre that so many people talk all the time about their cars, but hardly anyone even knows what brand of tyre is on the car, let alone whether they have 4 the same...
I will carry on trying to learn!
Whereabouts do you live out of interest?
Excellent piece of work on this review - really appreciate the methodical approach with clear explanations and conclusions. Kudos to all involved.
My wife is the main winter driver (shorter semi-rural commute) and we added a set of winter tyres to swap in quite a few years back after some hairy moments in occasional snow (West Midlands, UK). The choice of tyre type was about balancing the need for safety in the harsher (English winter, not Nordic) conditions with snow while not compromising the general need for safety in the more regular English winter conditions (cool and damp/wet), both with a relatively conservative driving style.
The conclusion at about 10:50 in the video looks spot on. Summer tyres don't hack it in even English winter driving conditions so a change of tyre for the season is appropriate. All Season and Cross Climate tyres are comparable with Winter tyres in the wet, concede a little on snow/ice, but have a big gain on dry braking in the 8C and 5C tests. Snow/ice driving in England is relatively rare, but dry, cool driving is much more common. Unless you have an overriding need to be able to get about in any snow conditions (in which case, never mind the tyres, don't use a BMW 5-series), the All Season/Cross Climate option in winter seems to be the right compromise.
I've learnt something today and will reconsider the tyre choice when this set of winter tyres are done.
Glad you found it useful and thank you for the comment :)
Please share the graphs from video on this site. Thank you! Great work!
Dry:
https://uploads.disquscdn.c...
Wet:
https://uploads.disquscdn.c...
Snow:
https://uploads.disquscdn.c...
Hi, I'd like to review the graphs, can't find them on the site. Am I missing something? Thank you!
Love the videos as always, great to see the comparison and surprised that the cross climates were so similar to the winters (a miles life expectancy would also be interesting to see, but not sure how you would go about comparing that consistently at each of the temperatures).
Small request - when you display the graphs could you please keep the ranges consistent? On the first graph you had the temps going from low to high and on the last graph they were going from high to low. Minor criticism intended as constructive, as it confused me for a second.
With that out of the way, what a facility! Thanks for giving us the opportunity to see it and keep the comparisons coming.
I did think that when editing, but unfortunately due to the way we tested the graphs had to represent the story as it moved along!
Thanks for the kind words :)
any thoughts on how the cross climates and 4 seasons are with aquaplaning? - their tread patterns have no front-back grooves, so i imagine that wider tyres may suffer?
There's plenty of tests on the site that cover aquaplaning testing, and compare to summer and winter tyres. Generally all season copes well, though the crossClimate can struggle in certain sizes
wow - quick reply as well as great vids!. - sorry, i'd just looked at the vids and not elsewhere on the sight... - thankyou!
Bit late but thanks for the review, I see you have followed up with a winter, nordic and studded so have covered everything in 2 vids! The PH winter tyre forum thread will now have to bow to my knowledge !.
Joking aside great vids and the facilities up there indoors and outdoors are fantastic!
Some points.
1. I always thought the 7C rule was far too cut in stone like you. It must be a a gradation rather than a cliff. I had some old Michelin Pilot Sport 3's on a car and only noticed in the dry slippery conditions when -9C... then it was like wet road. But, I then got some Pilot Super sports and they sucked in cold wet conditions 4-6C range ... I ended up in a nettle patch...
Your vid perfectly demonstrated in the cold and wet the compounds of the non summer tyres really do take over. If dry you can get away with summers to a bigger extent. Of course in the UK it has been raining since September and is now cold ...
2. I got stuck 3 times a few years back with the Michelin PS3's when the UK odd day of snow came along, people having to help me out from other cars and the fear of not getting home. Problem is that is once per year or two maximum, so I didn't want to buy all season or change tyres. What was solution ? Come 2015 and the Cross climate. Bought a set for my Yaris as soon as they came out.
3. They were fine in the sun and rain and a bit of snow but nothing to make me use them in anger and always wondered whether they were as good as claimed. Then you did the Alpine 21Nov 2016 review and I knew they would not let me down. Nice review. And they have not. Been about 5 days of bad weather in the UK since then with snow and ice and they are great for our "nordic" which is a lot less of course.
Like people are an Apple or Tesla Fanboy I am a crossclimate fanboy.
4. Final story, whilst dog walking down a lane met a guy who was building a house and noticed he had crossclimates on his Pug estate ( yep I look at other peoples tyres!) . Asked him how he found them on snow, said in winter with the snow he found them brilliant getting up to the main road only to be blocked by traffic both ways struggling to get up the hills from his valley .. so had to go home ! Such is living in winter in SE England :)
Once again thanks for covering the entire spectrum of tyres. Roll on summer 2020 and the sporty ones!
Great video! Didnt expect the summer tyre to perform better than all season in dry and cold weather!
Myth busted!
Thanks for the fantastic test! I mean it, really! I’ve discovered all season tyres few years ago and love them more day after day.
Glad you liked it :)
So you have proved the value of the latest flavour of all-seasons for a mild winter climate - Thank you very much for an awesome test that will guide my buying decisions going forwards! The question for me is now thus:
For a southern U.K. climate, what is the level of trade-off in terms of stopping power lost by keeping all-seasons on through the summer, as many people will now be doing, rather than using them in the colder half of the year and swapping to summers when things properly warm up (as I believe you do on your personal car)?
This question could simply be answered by repeating the same tests at higher temperatures, such as 15/20/25 degrees for example.
I suspect the results would show it isn’t really worth swapping to summers at all unless you want the absolute best stopping distance possible (i.e. you’d gain a few %), but it’d be good to have hard data.
By watching these sorts of tests don't we all want the best possible braking distances? Personally at the moment I'd only leave the CrossClimate on year round, and only on smaller cars where the differences is less.
If I went for all-seasons it would be to get traction in heavy snow. I'd give away a little on the dry braking as I drive conservatively. I live on Scotland's north coast so unploughed roads are a real possibility.
If you keep all seasons on over the summer I am not sure but for the Cross climates, Michelin quote here
https://www.michelin.co.uk/...
" MICHELIN CrossClimate has a similar level in dry braking as the Summer reference tyre (Comparative test conducted by AutoBild on dimension 205/55 R16, published the 30th of September 2016)"
and the summary of the tyres tested is shown on this site.
http://www.tyrereviews.co.u...
Please think about testing the influence of tire age! I often see people driving 10yo Michelin Winter 6mm and think a 2yo LowBudget would perform much better.
i'd love to, but finding a tyre 5+ years old with the same compound as a currently made tyre is nearly impossible :(
I'm surprised that tyre manufacturers are not more forthcoming with this. They must have an old stock somewhere that they haven't been able to shift. You'd think they'd be happy to get rid of them whilst allowing a demonstration of why people need to replace their tyres.
Could you publish the graphs so I can reference them instead of taking screenshots? Would be helpfull.
He's already said he'll publish them when he gets home in another 5 days
I've been reading your site for a few years now and would like to know your thoughts on whether the tarmac used between different tests can have an impact on how a tyre reacts to dry and wet results and also noise levels, also would softer more silica compounds be quieter on rougher surfaces?
What about speed ratings on tyres, do manufacturers adjust the compounds to meet higher speed ratings or is it more to do with the structure of the tyre?
Great website by the way, but it's creating more questions!!!
Big thanks for all this! It answers to so many interesting questions.
Great job!
Brilliant test. Looking forward to seeing the data next week!
Great test to run and great video! I think I'll be happy with my choice of the Michelin CrossClimate+ for living in the PNW.
Do you have the data for these tests available somewhere? I'd love to take a closer look at it and the charts. Thanks.
I'll share them when I'm back home next week :)
Did you get around to doing this?
great video, thanks. surprised to see that you need temperatures of above 12 degrees for the summer tyre to have better wet braking than the crossclimate. i'll be putting a set of CC+ on this saturday, question now is should i keep them on all year round........
In the spring/summer use the older tyres first (here probably the summer ones), its economical. Later on, when they are finished/scrapped for recycling, you don't need to re-buy them (summer) and stay with all seasons, if you do less than 15K km/year.
if i can get the garage to keep my summer tyres that's what i'll do; good idea. thanks
That's why I use three sets of tyres. Semi-slic or UHP to enjoy driving in summer. All season in fall and spring to not be bored by dedicated winter tyres on dry wet and light snow. And finaly winter tyres to enjoy driving on snow in protected landscape area, where salt road spreading is prohibited, and for safe driving on slush on A/B roads.
That does seem like a good idea - but it also seems like a lot of changing tires.
Sure, but I change wheels myself in my garage. A have 2 complete sets hung on wall in my garage and one on car. I need tyre service only for balancing and when I buy new tyres to put them on the disks. This I do in the middle of summer, when there aren't queues as in spring and fall. I do all works on my car myself. Brakes, suspension, arms, driveshafts, exhaust etc. I save money for work and mainly I know which parts I put on my car and that I did it properly. Here are a lot of nasty mechanics. I know only three, I wouldn´t be afraid to entrust them my car.
As Arc said, that's a lot of changing, but an awesome way of motoring!!
Thanks very much Jonathan for the informative video.
I'm feeling justified in my decision 3 years ago to go the summer and all season route.
Having just upgraded/replaced my all seasons with CrossClimates + I was considering ditching the summer but will now keep them.
Glad you're getting on with your setup :)