With the cold weather quickly approaching, should you be fitting a winter, all season or summer tyre?
I take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of the four main tyre types, and recommend the best in each category.
If you have any questions or comments please feel free to ask below, or on the YouTube page!
In case you are still looking at this thread, I am in the market for a set of all seasons for a Kia Sorento (235/55R19). We have a run a year down to the alps and will carry snow chains for the very bad days. What would you recommend? Reading the reviews of tyres in this size until the updated MCC SUVs or the Conti ASCs come out the GoodyearV4SG2s look like the ones of choice. We have until mid march to make the decision, what would you recommend?
Thanks.
I should say based on the video I live in the south but the north downs.
If you're carrying snow chains for the bad days in the alps, I'd go for the original Michelin CrossClimate SUV's. The + version doesn't actually move the performance on that much, and they'll be far happier in the summer in the UK.
Very interesting, thank you. I spoke to Michelin earlier today to see if there was an update planned and they said not. What you have said above is where my thinking was going. Do you know how the tyre will perform over time? I got the impression that they go plasticy and will be dangerous as a result. I'm old school so would get the fronts and backs swapped each service to even it all out as it is a big heavy front engined car.
Goodness knows why I am now Dougherty_Alessandro_K20
And I'm back again, weird
Michelin make a big deal of performance across the life of the tyre.
If you check this test, you'll see the CrossClimate retains it's performance the best across various tread depths.
http://www.tyrereviews.co.u...
Superb, thanks. Done deal then.
Let me know how you get on :)
Wilco
Well that was a good review except I live in Wales which you didn't talk about. I don't get much snow but some ice and lots of water and mud on the road. I have a small 4x4, Fiat Panda Cross. I think I will go for Michelin Cross Climate.
Solid choice
I put Kleber Quadraxer on my old Citroen Xantia 2 Litre petrol automatic load lugger four years ago. They went everywhere Swiss Alps in the winter, 40 C French roads in the summer, and thousands of miles of motorway in between in all weathers. Two words sum them up. Fantastic tyres. I drive reasonably steady, but at the top end of the limit on European motorways. I noticed a slight increase in road noise. I sold the car earlier this year after 40,000 km with plenty of tread still on them. I need new tyres on my C3 Picasso that I now have and am looking forward to putting Quadraxer 2 on it for this coming winter.
I will need new allseasons next autumn. I was resolved for GY V4S g2, but I dislike dry performance in tests. So Continental seems idelal for me now. Michelin, GY, Pirelli and Continental lastly released new allseasons, but what Bridgestone? Are they sleeping there?
Bridgestone are well behind the curve at the moment, even with their summer tyres. The Potenza S001 has been on the market for a long time now, and never tested that well in the beginning!
Ad summer: Besides their updated summer model: T001 Evo, they just released a brand new summer tyre T005...But I believe already the EU tyre production offers a broad portfolio enough in all seasons.
The T005 does exist, but in limited sizes and hasn't officially been launched to press yet. It will be interesting to see whether it starts testing well, the T001 EVO did get some good results in a number of tests this year.
It would be a welcome change to see Bridgestone back at the front of tests.
Potenza s001 are old now but still has a very rigid sidewall structure that love them. Don't know if you ca find better for this maybe Pirelli Pzero 2017 or Michelin pilot 4 but I don't know
You won't find a UHP tyre that firm these days outside of a track day tyre such as the Cup2 / R888. The Michelin Pilot Super Sport has good sidewalls for a semi modern tyre, sadly the Pilot Sport 4S went softer (see video review).
The PZ4 P Zero is very soft on the sidewall in aftermarket fitment.
That's a shame! Why the tendency has change to that? So I suppose that when bridgestone will substitute the S001 they will change the firm sidewall. Actually I like it because it's good in limiting the roll on the turns.
Sadly EU rolling resistance label scoring and comfort have driven for lighter, softer tyres!
Thanks for you suggestions. Indeed my Bridgestone Potenza S001 have the F mark on fuel consumption and the A mark on wet driving. Of course the firm sidewall bring to great handling but more fuel consumption. I think that I'll keep buying the potenza S001 as long as they will remain in production.
What about using an allseason tyre as full winter tyre in mild climates where there might be snow once or twice a year. That way you won't lose as much grip in dry and wet as full winter tyres would. Also to save your more expensive summer rims against salt.
So in summer - summer tyres
in winter - allseasons on other (smaller) rims
Also a very good idea!
I use 3 sets of tyres. Summer 205/50/16 in summer, allseason 195/55/16 in spring and autumn and winter 185/65/15 in snowy winter
That's impressive attention to detail. When it's really hot and dry you should fit an extreme performance track day tyre ;)
Thank you for recommendation :-D I do it like this due to I drive 55 miles to work and 55 miles fom work every working day and if starts to be cold, summers losts their grip and other characteristics and for winters is still too "hot" for their optimal performance and they wear quickly in dry/warm roads. So for colder dry/wet roads covered with light snow sometimes are allseasons best choice.
Hi - I live in Warwickshire / Oxfordshire - am considering winter tyres as have BMW 125i and live on a steep hill - if the weather is icy I need to be able to drive out of the village for work etc. For me would you suggest the Continental TS850/860 or the Goodyear Vector 4 Gen2?
Honestly, either would be a great choice, they seem almost identical in performance!
Very good and useful review!Really nice job!You've helped me make my choice!
Great :) What did you decide on?
CrossClimate+.But i was wondering if it will keep it's good hot dry performance in our very hot summer (Greece) conditions...For London,as you mentioned,where hot conditions is around 25 celcious it's great but here in Greece hot means at least 35 degrees in summer..I live in central Greece(Larissa) where at summer the temperatures are 35+ and at winter(Jan-Feb) from -5 to 5 most of the time and we have snow almost each single year..Difficult choice,eh??
They're the best single tyre choice for your situation. It will be interesting to see how they take the very hot temperatures, but I've used them on track with very little degradation so for normal road driving they should be fine.
I will let you know.There will be a full review!
Great, I look forward to it :)
I used crossclimate in 30+ degree hear this summer on a large vehicle, they were basically no different to cool conditions.
Incidentally the tyres are the ones Jonathan used on track, following some track use and a years worth of daily road running now, they are still in the 5.5-6mm region of remaining tread.
"70: Is the thermal amplitude of tests in degrees Centigrade. Tests were conducted in outside temperatures ranging from - 30°C to + 40°C."
Source: https://www.michelin.com/en...
You made the best choice vag. I have been using them for 2 years. They perform excellent even during the greek hot summers. I live in Volos, Greece.
Super information so thanks a lot?
I'm glad you found it useful :)
Thanks for the good and informative article as usual.
Do you know if any tests will pit the new Continental AllSeasonContact versus other all season tyres and in particular the CrossClimate?
I've gone the unusual route of having summer tyres and all season tyres for winter as I live in a coastal area but do get occasional snow/ice.
https://www.tyrereviews.co.... :)
Oops and I thought I'd seen all the winter and all season tyre tests you'd posted....
Id better get off to Specsavers!
Do you know how the wear of the AllSeasonContact compares to say the Conti 860?
I've not seen any comparison, but looking at how the tyre wore in that test, and how the TS860 wore in the 2017 Auto Bild winter tyre test, it looks like the wear rate is comparable.
The Crossclimate are also good for the midlands, Im from the Derbyshire/South Yorkshire border and the winters are still pretty mild up here, well within the michelin's credentials.