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Cells are colour-coded from green (best) to red (worst). The Total Score reflects the weighted sum of all categories. A ★ marks the best tyre in each test.
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Hi, just seen the latest 2020 video (top 7 all season). Great but could you advise, would the result be the same for Run Flats? I have a BMW 420d with different sizes (front/back) and run flats as OE. All season tyres don't seem to come as RFT and don't come in my rear 255/40 18 size. I don't want full Winter as I'm in London but need all season for my visits to Europe to be tyre legal. I'm thinking of all season (Bridestone or Hankook) but non RFT and rear as 245/40 18? Or do I go with full winter and keep RFT and same tyre size. Your opinion would be greatly appreaciated
non-runflat tyres always perform better, however only you can decide if you're happy running without them
Hi thanks for the video
530d 2011 estate .
Which all season tyre you recommend and how does the black lion bu66 compare
hello! love your videos, you make such a dry subject to something really quite interesting! i've learned so much! anyway, i'm looking to change my tyres from my Honda Civic. They're the standard 205/55 16 V. I'm debating on trying the goodyear vector 4 seasons Gen 3 - have you been able to test this one? the second favourite is michelin CrossClimate. i only really need to change 2 so i was planning to have the all seasons at the front and the other 2 are cooper CS8 at the back. i've read somewhere that i shouldn't have 2 different types of tyres, and i should change all 4... what would you recommend? thank you in advance for your help! :)
If you can wait a month, my all season test will be out, WITH the Gen 3 in :)
As for mixing tyres, it's not something anyone will ever officially advise due to the grip differences in various conditions. For example, your future setup would be extremely dangerous in snow or ice as there would be a lot of oversteer. There's a video on youtube covering this!
Hi, We have a Hyundai Santa Fe 4x4 for general usage plus towing a horsebox. Most mileage will be on roads but the vehicle also needs to be capable of towing across fields to access equine events. So not serious off road usage at all but needs to be able to go over grass fields in spring/summer/autumn. What tyres would you recommend please? Is there a shortlist to choose from? Many thanks, Glyn
I would say this video is the short list!
Thank you. It's a good video but does not really help. We are looking to buy now whereas that video was made two years ago and many manufacturers have brought out new models which were not around when the video was made.
Are you able to reconsider my initial enquiry please and offer views in the context of what's currently on the market?
The only major change is the Vector 4Seasons Gen-3, which I've not yet fully tested. I would pick between that and the Conti AllSeasonContact for the extra grass performance over the CrossClimate
Many thanks for that. Cheers
Hello, I have an Audi A4 Cab Quattro. I'm wondering if I go for a Summer tyre how much 4x4 will help or is a four season tyre the only way to drive in snow and ice. I had a golf before on Dunlop SP Sports Maxx and I found it dangerous to drive/terrifying in the snow. That's why I bought the audi.
There's a video on the channel called 4wd vs winter tyres, it should give you a similar idea
Yes l was pretty shocked by the outcome.
After watching a few videos I know the answer. Thinking the Michelin CrossClimate+ is my best option.
Hi. I am looking for the best all season for a F60 MINI Countryman Cooper S All4 PHEV with Run Flats. Most of my mileage is in Cumbria with mixed weather conditions plus occasional 250mile plus motorway trips.
Thanks
I've very little knowledge of runflats, but it might be worth checking to see if Bridgestone are making a "DriveGuard" version of the A005 in your size yet, as that's a good runflat technology in a good all season tyre.
Hi Jonathan, I spend equal time in the Scottish Highlands & southern city & looking for an all season, if that is the best way to go, that not only has good winter & summer credentials, but also very low rolling resistance and low noise for a 2010 Passat Estate BlueMotion. From those discussed in the video, "7 of the best all season tyres", which would you recommend or suggest as being the best option to meet my requirements. Snow, Ice, Wet, Dry, low noise, low rolling resistance? Tyre size is 205/55 R16
Continental AllSeasonContact, or if you can wait a little, maybe the new Goodyear vector 4 seasons gen 3
O.M.G is there really a Gen3 on the way? I was just about to order a set of Gen2's for my wifes new car, have you any idea when these may be on the market?
Cheers.
Well, I've just been testing with them in Finland, and the test will be completed and out at the start of April, so I'd guess around then if not already :)
Superb, thanks for all your hard work on this site it’s ace.
I have spent hours going through the tests and reviews on here and gone full circle back to gen 2’s which were on her previous car.
Are the gen 3’s going to be similar to the 2 as in more all round ability with a good snow performance rather than say the crossclimate which is more dry focused?
We need a tyre that will perform on wet grass and mud as well as on road and the gen 2 were great as she never got stuck ‘Off-road’ when many around her did and I believe the current vector is much better than a crossclimate at this sort of thing.
I've not seen any official material, but I believe it's just a little better in all categories.
Hi! I have a CX5 2.0 petrol (165 bhp) only front drive.
We live in a hot and near the sea area, but we have to do like 250 km a day into a cold area, with snow sometimes and frequent ice presence on winding roads. We wear currently Toyo Proxes R46 (225/55 R19). Bad wet handling and decent on dry.
We are thinking of mounting all season. 225/55 r19 is not very common size and the preferred option (Michelin Crossclimate SUV) is very expensive, so we are thinking of changing to equivalent 235/50 R19.
As we do a lot of kms, with hot surfaces, frequent ice and event snow, and mixed highway and secundary roads, which model would yoy recommend me? We value wear (as we do lot of kms), and dey/wet/snow/ice balance.
Thanks.
The CrossClimate is certainly the best all season choice for warmer weathers, and given the wear advantage it has, isn't the worst value for money :)
Hi, great website but I can't decide! - help - what would you recommend for my 06 Subaru Outback 3litre 215/55R 94V. I live in the South East UK, tow a caravan all over the UK & Europe and drive to the Alps once or twice each winter? Many thanks
CrossClimate if you stay on the main roads in the alps!
Thanks for the reply. One follow up question - CC's are directional tyres - if I have a puncture what do I do unless I have two spares onboard (one for each side)? Do I just carry one spare and fit it backwards if necessary? How long can I dive like that? Nipping to the nearest tyre retailer is not always possible with a caravan in tow in the wilds of Scotland or enroute to the Alps in the middle of the night. Any suggestions welcome - the only real solution I can think of is taking two spares. Thanks
Running a direction tyre backwards isn't ideal, however it isn't dangerous. The main issue will be with standing water and snow performance, so as long as you're mindful in those scenarios, running on a spare backwards is no problem until you can get the puncture fixed.
Hi, excellent video and information. I'm struggling to decide on which all season tyre would be best suitable for a Toyota Yaris 175/65/R14, driving mostly around Hertfordshire/London.
http://www.tyrereviews.co.u... :)
Took your guidance and got CC's fitted today, really good feedback, rolling resistance and not too harsh as I was a bit worried about the XL rating. Thank you for your help!
Glad you like them, I look forward to the full review :)
Which all season tyres do you recommend for vw touareg 275 45 R20 please. As tyre size limits options in the video. Bedfordshire. Thanks.
Michelin CrossClimate - http://www.tyrereviews.co.u...
Thank you for your prompt reply, i have ordered a set, Michelin CC, looking forward to driving on them, thanks.
Let me know how you get on :)
Thanks for great video and info.
My Mercedes C-class W204 is set up with 245/40 R17 at rear and 225/45 R17 in front and when I looked into all season tyres I discovered there are none available in 245/40 R17 size. I'm considering changing the rims at the back to match the front which would allow me to have a square set up of 225/45 R17. Do you think it would work or maybe have a different recommendation? Thanks.
225/45R17 is cheaper and more common. I'd hit that!
Thanks for the videos and information, really useful. I'm considering replacing my Dunlop Sport BluResponse for the CrossClimate+ tyres on my Golf. I'm sure they'll be good enough for a UK winter, and by all accounts the dry braking looks good. I was unsure though of whether the wet braking is going to be a noticeable drop in temperatures above 4-5 degrees. Any thoughts? Thanks
Working on this test now. In short, there's no drop off on the crossclimate as there is in summer tyres
Thank you. I look forward to the test results...
reading your message again, are you suggesting there's a drop off in wet braking on summer tyres at temperatures *above* 4-5 degrees?
my question on the crossclimates was about their wet braking in non-winter temperatures, and whether they would be noticeably worse than a good summer tyre. Thanks again.
Really impressive and interesting general review but I'm wondering if you have any thoughts on All Season tyres for my Porsche 944 noting that that I'm of an older and pretty relaxed driving generation ?
Tyres will be 205/55/16 on 7J(front) and 225/50/16 on 8J(rear) - wheel sizes are more to do with appearance than actual "boy racer" performance ?
Where in the world are you? Personally I wouldn't fit all season tyres to a sports car, unless it had to be used in snow. And I'm not sure I'd want to get a lovely 944 all snowy!
Thanks for that ?
We're up on the Wirral so don't have to cope with much snow or ice and I'm more than happy to limit my "daily drives" to warm/wet or cold/wet days so question becomes what tyres to use year round ?
I've actually got Conti Sport Contacts on my 928 which I currently drive year round and have never experienced any problems so ...
...maybe I should just do the same or similar on the 944 ?
Any suggestions as to what might be a safe and cost effective alternative would be much appreciated - privately or publicly ?
I'd be looking at a nice modern tyre with as stiff a sidewall as possible. Something like the Conti PC6 or Michelin PS4 are available in both your front and rear sizes
Thanks for this. How d I knoiwif a tyre's got a stiff sidewall - is that the same as reinforced ?
Also, is there a trick to finding staggered tyre sets rather than just ploughing through a manufacturer's and/or tester's lists ?
Just a thought, but, while nosing around , I cam across the Avon ZV7 which seems to offer a lot of what I'm looking for at a price that is "affordable" - am I, perhaps,onto something or is it my rose tinted glasses ?
Conti sidewall is stiff? :o
Good and useful vid. thanks.
Have you had a chance to compare the Bridgedstones (A0005) yet to your 'down south' choice - Mich xclimate+?
Would be interesting to know your views.
About to replace 235/50/18/97v's (Pirelli's scorpion verdes) on an old X3 sport 3.0i.
Cheers
Unfortunately not, this is the question I've not managed to answer yet!
Just to throw in my sixpence worth.... I know different car, with different specifics, but fitted some A005s to the wifes FWD old 2.5 V70 in January (225/45/17s), never really driven sportily, but being in the Welsh valleys have seen a lot of differing weather conditions, inc heavy rain... all I can say is how impressed I have been with the A005s, they probably outperformed the Eagle F1 assymetrics previously fitted in the wet stuff, dry was pretty good too, ride is softer in the colder months, but yet to be tried in real snow as only had a smattering last winter here... They certainly feel a lot more (and I mean a lot) surefooted than the Scorpion Verdes I have on my XC70 still with 4mm+ tread, a tyre I have never really been happy with, but were fitted by previous owner a couple of months before I acquired the car so got a couple of years use out of them.... that said, with all the praise for the A005s, I am this saturday booked in to have some CC+ fitted to the XC, main reasons, extended longevity (55,000k being mentioned but doubt I will get that on the fronts), grip still effective through the life of tyre even in the snow due to improved patterning over the previous CC.... and the superior, proven, snow performance over the A005s in all tests, despite being slightly less effective in summer months...(blame tyre reviews Audi A3 video) just gives us a fighting chance if we do get a bad winter as slightly isolated here.... if you buy now, a well known chain is selling them with 10% off and giving away a free amazon show thingy before the end of Nov, so brings the price down to the same as Bridgestones..... you will also find the Michelins & Bridgestones have a heavier load weight then the Scorpions (101 vs 97)... whichever way you go, in my experience, if you're used to the scorpions you will be happy with either choice
I contacted Michelin direct about whether to buy the CC+ or SUV variant, as car is not used off road they said CC+ as improved tread pattern through life of tyre made it more viable / cost effective
Good information, you should leave a review on the site if you haven't already :)
The latest Auto Bild all season test also compares the CC to the A005.
http://www.tyrereviews.co.u...
Just to update now the CC+ are fitted to the XC, replacing the Verdes.... in true fashion it tipped down this morning, only driven the car 15 or so miles home on country road, so tyres not even bedded in yet and the car feels a lot better to drive, bends that offered understeer due to the usual bit of standing water with the Pirellis were handled with ease ... quite a high profile 215/65/16 and the side walls feel nice and stiff at the same time offering a cushioned ride... so far so good
Glad you like them, look forward to the full review on the site ;)
Great site, and videos. I chose Nexen Winguard Sport 2 based on the published tests and the sudden availability in the US market. We have to look to sites like TyreReviews.com for insight on these models. The most common snow here is Blizzak, it's all you hear. Nokian has been coming into the US market strongly now, which is great. Are General tyres available in UK? They make some of the best a/s and truck tyres here, for the price.
I’ve just bought a set of four conti all-season contacts for my mother’s Ford Fiesta (195/50/15) based on this video and lack of availability of the Michelin (nowhere had them in stock). They replace the age-condemned summer tyres she was previously running all year round.
My questions are based on the fact that I could only get the reinforced, extra load (XL) version as the normal load version wasn’t available anywhere:
1) Is this normal? I read that XL tyres would perform better in snow and have better fuel economy due to less sidewall flex so I wondered if the tyre only comes as XL.
2) How would this potentially affect the tyre’s attributes on a light small car such as the Fiesta?
3) I understand she may need to run slightly higher tyre pressures to compensate, do you have an opinion?
The modern take on XL tyres is run them as you would any other tyre. Often in smaller sizes, the XL and non XL tyres are now the same tyre.
Thanks for the reply, I will set them to the fully laden pressures in that case and then come down a few PSI to soften the ride if needs be.
Very interested to see how they perform vs. the old ones!
I look forward to your thoughts :)
Should we expect a 2019 version of this anytime soon? I havent seen if any potential chart topping tyres have been released since this test
If I shoot one, there won't be much difference in the overall results!
Okay, I will just buy Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons G2 205/55 R16 94V XL with steel rims for my Octavia then :) hope they are more silent and less bumpy than the 18" sport tyres I bought it used with
Let me know how you get on :)
If Michelin or Goodyear would release an updated version, would you expect it had already been released this year or later, not sure when they normally release All Season tyres
There's no new all season tyres I'm aware of due this year from the premium brands
Firstly, I must say how impressed I am with your videos! Keep up the great work!
Looking to replace some rear 205/55/16/91V Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance tyres on a 2010 VW Golf 1.6 TDI which does about 10k miles a year on motorways and A-roads in the south east of England. Have never fitted winter or all-season tyres on any cars in the past. Live near Heathrow airport so was just going to replace the worn tyres with the same EfficientGrip Performance tyres however, reading about the Michelin CrossClimate+ tyres (and Bridgestone Weather Control A005) has made me consider all-season tyres for the first time. With the weather we get in London/south east England would you recommend changing all four tyres to all-season or just replace with the rears with summer Goodyears again? Would the wet weather braking/handling be that much better in low temperatures (<7C) compared to the Goodyear summer tyres?
There's a video about mixing summer and winter tyres on youtube, go check it out. It also applies to all season and summer tyres in snow. In short, don't mix.
Thanks for your reply. I didn't say I was going to mix all season and summer tyres! I was more after some advice about fitting replacement rear summer tyres vs four summer bias all season tyres in the south east region. However, I found another of your videos which was quite helpful - "What's the BEST winter tyre? Winter, all season and summer tyres explained and recommended!" (https://youtu.be/RU4O3ulin80) which has provided some more information to me. The question is now which summer bias all season tyre to go for - CrossClimate+ or Bridgestone Weather Control A005...
Right now, all we know is that the A005 has done well in a few tests, but the CrossClimate is proven, so is the safer buy. New tests should be appearing in the next month or so
Many people find themsevles in a situation where they need two tyres replacing. Any thoughts on whether it is ok to mix two summer tyres with two all season tyres? I saw one of your posts a year ago which said you will do a video on mixed fitment. i saw one but that was on fitting only two winter tyres?
It's definitely not ideal, especially in high turn situations, so not something I'd recommend. That said, people do it....
My new 5 series has 20 inch rims, so I am in the process of buying 18inch alloys to fit a winter set up, as it’s almost impossible to get 275/30/20 winters and I was wondering your thoughts on running all season (cross climates) over winter instead of a full winter tyre ie the winter contact TS860. I will be swapping back to a summer set up.
From watching your videos and looking at test results .. it seems to me, than here in the UK the likes of the Cross Climate is maybe better suited, than a full winter tyre due to our mostly mild winters, Ie better dry braking and temps above 7c, as at the most we only get few days snow if any at all.
Assuming you're not in the Scottish highlands, running a CrossClimate as a winter tyre is a good approach for the UK
There is so much to look at tyre wise. Im getting lost in it all. Iv got a ford focus eco tech 12plate. Im trying to get some information on the best all weather tyres to buy. But then iv just read that some tyres are better than ones under the all weather tyre heading... can anyone point me in the right direction please?
Does the video not answer the question for you?
Hello, I am looking to replace the tyres on my SUV. I am mostly looking for good dry and wet traction, but also need a tyre that can handle ice and some light snow during the winter months. After researching, I am leaning toward the CrossClimate SUV. The new Quatrac Pro tyres also caught my eye, but there doesn't seem to be any real tests out yet on the Quatrac Pro. I am curious if you have any familiarity with the Quatrac Pro and if you would recommend that or the CrossClimate SUV.
I've never tested it. If you can wait another month or so, all this years all season tests should be available
Sounds good. Thank you for your prompt reply.
Hello
I have a Peugeot 307 1400cc.Now i have tyres Michelin Crossclimate and i am very satisfy.Are superb!I plan to change it with crossclimate + but i saw the Nokian WeatherProof and i am wondering what is the best choice.Michelin C.C or Nokian?
Nokian are better in the snow, Michelin in the dry and wet, so pick based on what you will be driving on more :)
Thank you.Live in Athens,Greece,here the snow is not common One or two days In the winter the roads is covered by snow.!I will stay with C.C again.The tyres are perfect in dry and wet road.
Hi
I have a VW Caravelle 2wd and live in the south. Which all weather tyre would you recommend for me, I also go into wet grassy fields and muddy lanes. Thanks
Crossclimate would likely be most suited
hi,
which tyre summer side do you think from all these all season tyre brands, fits better to a warm klima area? For example, for a redidense from Greece, where he can meet rain, ice, snow but with very hot summer whitch tyre is the best choise?
CrossClimate
Excellent video but I am a little unsure about what choice to make. I live in an isolated village in North Yorkshire, very wet, very hilly, lots of snow and ice in winter. I drive a Honda CR-v and need to use the car in the winter to access local services once the snow plough has cleared away the drifts. Roads are rarely gritted. I am a careful driver. The Continental All Season Contact is not available in my size (225 60 18) but the Michelin Cross Climate is available as an SUV version. Is this different from the + version?
The difference between the + and non + are very small, so don't worry about getting the SUV version of the CC :)
Hi, i have a polo GTI 6C, and i am needing new tyres, i currently use michelin pilot sport 4, my question is the michelin crossclimate just as good as the pilot sports in the dry and wet? or are the pilot sports a lot better? thanks!
If you enjoy driving, I'd stick with the Pilot Sport 4 tyres.
Hi, I have a BMW 320D, any recommendations on rear tyres for this rear wheel drive? Currently looking at the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5? Worth getting? Thanks!
Lots of data on the site and youtube covering that tyre so you should be able to make up your own mind!
Hi I have a Skoda yeti 2 wheel drive 1.2 turbo all weather tyre would be good for this car.thanks
It depends what you want from the tyre. This site should be able to answer your questions!
Any recommendations for All Season smaller town based cars (based in Glasgow) - I have a Fiat Panda with 155/80R13, limited in choice due to size to something like the Vredestein Quatrac 5, Uniroyal AllSeasonExpert 2 or since I am mainly doing low mileage / low speed, would a Continental TS 860 used all year be too much of a compromise for all season use? My main car swaps between Continental summer/winter tyres so this is really just a weekend car for short trips.
The Quatrac 5 is an excellent dry bias all season tyre, however I have said before the TS860 is more all season than some all season tyres, so wouldn't be the worst choice either!
Excellent review. What do you think of the bf goodrich g grip all seasons 2?. I think that are more "all seasons" than the crossclimate +, but it´s only an impression. I´m thinking between these ones, for me your criteria is very interesant. Thanks.
I've not yet tried them, but you'd right they're probably more winter bias than the crossclimate
Love your site and YouTube channel. The reviews are excellent. One thing I would love for you to test is tires between categories. You did this once for the CrossClimate when you compared it to a summer tire, an all season tire and a winter tire. I would love to see more like this. Example a high performance tire is supposed to handle better than a Grand Touring tire but maybe not as smooth riding. But exactly how much better and how much rougher. I am facing this dilemma right now. Purchased a new roadster with Summer tire. The tires on the car are Bridgestone Potenza S001. Online reviews are not very good and the tires are extremely expensive compared to the competition. Living in a 4 season area where we do see some snow I will need to get different tires for the winter. So do I get a good performance all season tire like the Michelin Pilots AS 3+ and run them all year round or get a performance winter tire like the Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 on new wheels. When the S001 wear out I can replace with Michelin Pilots Super Sport Summer tires. Although I avoid the snow as much as possible I definitely have to be prepared for it.
So exactly how much better is a top performance Summer tire compared to a top performance AS. Same with a top Performance winter tire compared to an AS. I don’t track the car but I do want sporty good handling, top breaking in both wet and dry plus as much of a comfortable ride as can be expected. Plus be able to deal with snow if needed.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Either way keep up the good work.
There's actually a video already shot for winter covering all 6 major tyre types, so keep an eye out for that :)
Thanks for the quick response. Looking forward to seeing the video.
Hi. I just wanted to follow up with you. Any ETA when the video will be released. I have been checking periodically. I can’t wait to see it. Thanks.
Hi Laura, being primarily focused on winter products, the video will be out late September. IF there's something specific you want to know I'm happy to answer, but I think you already have a fairly decent understanding of how these categories work. FWIW, the video was shot with Nokian using a 205/55 R16 size, so not the UHP stuff you're looking at
Thank you for the quick response. My general question is how much better performance would the Michelin Pilots Super Sports/4s have over the AS Pilots 3+. Likewise during the winter how do the Pilots 3+ compare to a dedicated winter performance tire such as the Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 in dry and wet conditions. I would expect the winter tire to be better in the snow. I expect the summer tire to be better than the AS in the warm weather but how much better. Is the AS better than a winter tire in the cold, but just not as good in the snow and ice. I know everything is a trade off. Just need to determine if it is worth it to get separate winter and summer tires or is a top AS performance tire like the Pilots 3+ good enough. I have never seen a comparison like this before. Thank you again.
Without testing those particular brands, it will be difficult to be as exact as you want. However a dedicated summer and winter tyre is always best for climates which see heavy snow. I see the PS3A/S as something for light snow only, especially on UHP.
Thank you very much.
Hello! Great site and great job!
Currently wearing the CrossClimate SUV tyres (having 40,000 km) on my X-Trail and I am really happy with them. Fuel efficient, excellent on dry and wet, very good on snow - had some problems slipping on black ice but that was normal for the situation.
It's time to get a new set I am also looking at BFGoodrich Urban Terrain TA but unfortunately I can't find even a single test for them! Do you know if they are using the same material compound as CrossClimate (because Michelin and BFGoodrich are the same company)?
I believe that they will have better off-road capabilities than the CrossClimate SUV (?) but I am concerned on the dry/wet/fuel efficiency comparison.
Any thoughts?
They won't be the same compound as the CrossClimate, and while I've not seen them tested, when AT tyres have been included with all season tyres, they lack a lot of wet, snow and ice performance.
Thanks for the reply! I think I'll stick with the CrossClimate :-)
Hello! Thank you for your great job. I am a tire freak too ;-)
Contunuously looking for the best option (one set of tires for a car with a small to medium mileage, central european weather conditions) I'm still thinking about having different sets for both axes with their replacement in spring and autumn. I mean having two all season tires (for front in summer and rear in winter), e.g. CrossClimate or all season with less aggressive tread pattern and two all season or winter tires (for front in winter and rear in summer), e.g. Conti AllSeasonContact or WinterContact TS860.
What do you think about such a solution, especially what drawbacks could it have?
I don't really see the advantages it brings. If you're central Europe on a small car, why not just fit 4 crossclimates and forget about it?
Well, maybe the idea is over-contrived, but the theoretical advantage I see is that for each season at front axis (which in FWD car is clearly much more burdened than rear: acceleration, braking, turning) I have better fitted tire type i.e. with better performance. I realise, that it still requires wheels change every half a year, what can be unnecessary job for some (but still possible to do on one's own in front of the house), but my main concern was about car behavior with different tires front and back.
See the winter tyre video for an extreme example. It doesn't make sense to me to intentionally unbalance a car.
It depends how are you driving and what kind of weather do you have in your area. If you are sporty driver in spring summer and fall you will feel less grip on rear. If you are driver from A to B, you will not notice difference. The same can be in a winter time with winter on front and all-season on rear. But not as drastically as winter+summer combo. If you'll combine AllSeasonContact with CrossClimate, you'll not help to himself much.
Hello! First of all thanks for your reviews. They are an oasis among all these different options. I am driving a Suzuki swift 1.3 and currently living in Denmark. I commute 50km every day to work through highway (110km/h speed). The snow every year lasts for maximum 20 days, but we have a lot of rain and ice some times, with temperatures around 0-5 degrees except of May-September. Having said that, I am interested to buy all season tyres, but not spending a fortune. I am between the Goodyear Vector G2 and the Continental AllContact as they both are much cheaper than Michelin's options. What are your thoughts on these? Do you agree with the "all seasons" option and do you have any suggestions for alternatives for such a car (ideally with low wearing)?
If you've done your research, and it sounds like you have, you probably know as much as I do :) Both the Goodyear and Continental are amazing tyres, you won't be disappointed with either. The video also sums up my thoughts on both your questions
Thanks for the reply :)
hello, I am looking for the best 255/45 R20 all-season tires for Ford Edge 2016. This is a big and heavy SUV by European standards. I can choose between CrossClimate SUV or Quadrac5. I live in the south of Poland, where winter, although short, lasting 3-5 weeks, is recently quite intense with lots of snow and freezing ice at night. Which all-season tires choose?
I would lean towards the Michelin for their greater performance outside of winter conditions.
Thx !
I live in Seattle, WA, which has almost identical weather to London. We get a few days of snow per year in the city. However, the Cascade Mountains are about an hour drive to skiing. During the week it's wet or dry conditions 99% of the time, but on the weekends I head up to the mountains. This will often have snow or slushy conditions.
Would you recommend a dedicated winter tire or an all weather tyre?
I'm having a hard time finding the Goodyear Vector 4Season Gen-2 or the Continental WinterContact TS860. A local shop does have the Nokian WRG3. Thoughts on this tyre for the driving conditions I described?
Your market has different all season tyres to ours, some people are now calling them "3 season tyres" as they're not as effective in snow. Our version of all season tyres seem to be being called "all weather" tyres in the states.
Anyway, if you're hitting the mountains hard I'd probably go full winter / summer, but I'm sure you have all season options which have enough traction to get you by.
I believe the Michelin CrossClimate is now available in your market so give that a look.
Thanks for the response. I recently found your youtube page and really enjoy your videos. I've learned a lot.
Query on SUV vs Passenger cars categorisation of tyres (of All season specifically)
We have a 2WD Nissan QQ+2 currently on AVON ZX7 SUV tyres.
Have been toying with All Seasons (especially given another bought of snow and below 7 degree weather) and the Falken AS210's are a good price
But is this an SUV and not a passenger car andthe AS210's state for car.....
Yet the QQ is little more than an estate car in reality (it's no Shogun, X5 or Disco)
Cross Climates come in PC and SUV flavours (the latter much more expensive) but the AS210s are 'car' only.
Relevant?
Or am I good to put the AS210's on the QQ when the the time comes (not mixing, it will be a set of four)?
Views or expert advice appreciated
Cheers
Generally the rule seems to be if the tyre is made in the correct size and load rating for your SUV, it's fine to fit. Not all tyre manufacturers separate their SUV from road tyres, and sometimes those that do have no differences between the tyres other than the name and size.
Oh okay, thanks for confirming my thoughts (we all love marketing depts....)
Will have proper look at them then
Cheers
I got a terrific deal on a set of Nexen N Blue 4 Season (216/60 r16, I think), and they are superb. For just over half the price of the CrossClimate+ they offer an excellent compromise.
The capabilities of modern ASTs render full-winters redundant.
I appreciate the point you make about European tyre reviews downgrading the Vredestein because of relativity poor snow and ice performance. Are any tyre reviews conducted in the UK? Thank you
Auto Express make an all season and winter tyre test every year, but they don't share the weightings.
I will be conducting one soon too :)
I will look out for this :)
Hi
I am replacing two Pirelli Scorpion Zero tyres on my Discovery ahead of a trip to the Alps. Do all tyres in the PSZ range carry the 'M+S' mark or are their different ranges within PSZ? Probably an obvious question but i wanted to make sure ahead of ordering a set.
Thanks
I'm afraid I'm not sure of the answer to that, you'd have to check with Pirelli. Also double check anywhere you're travelling through doesn't now require the three peak mountain and snowflake symbol, some countries don't recognise M+S anymore.
okay thanks for the reply. I'll be throwing in snow chains too.
Hi. I have a BMW X1 2016 plate with 225/50 R18 99W Bridgestone Turanza T001’s on board. I was looking at an all season tyre but there are very few available with my size. Strangely there are 225/45, 235/50, 235/40, 235/60 sizes available. If I am changing all four so I do not to mix the two rear summer tyres, would there be any issues with choosing one of these other sizes? I live in Lincolnshire so not really much snow but do get low temps and frost so don’t really want to go to the expense of a summer and a winter set.
It is sometimes possible to change tyre size, but sadly it's outside the scope of the advice I can give. I would check both your handbook to see if there's a winter tyre size allowed for the vehicle, and BMW specific forums to see what people have done in the past.
I can only find one set of compatible all season tyres for my Toyota yaris, the falken euroall season as210, why do no other manufacturers make a 195/50/16 tyre for all season?
That's not a popular tyre size, and when there's low demand tyre companies don't go the expense of making sizes in low volume tyre patterns like all season.
Our second car is a Hyundai i10 and our 21 year old (sensible) driver uses this car as well, we need new tyres on the front (175/65 R14 85T Continentals on since purchase) As he doesn't have much winter experience (he lived in Switzerland last winter using public transport), we are debating whether to use an all weather tyres on the front?(we have nowhere to store 2 sets) The use is mainly town, short Motorway/A roads 25-50 miles a day weekdays. Any advice welcome as need to change around the beginning of February.
Don't mix tyre types, if you're switching to an all season tyre, it's important to do all four or you can end up in a situation like this, just less extreme.
http://www.tyrereviews.co.u...
If in the south of the UK I'd be looking at Crossclimate still.
Thoughts, please - have Fiat Panda 4x4 mostly used on road, but needs to gentle off road from time to time across fields etc in Wales. Came fitted with Continental Crosscountry winter tyres 175/65 R15 84T which now need replacing. These Tyres have been fine on road & ok off road, apart from clagging up a few times in soft mud. Should I replace like for like, or will Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons tread be a bit better at cleaning soft mud from tread for those limited times when the Continentals have been problematic?
I've not heard of the CrossCountry, do you mean wintercontact or crosscontact AT?
Sorry winter contact
The Goodyear Vector 4Season Gen2 will perform very similarly to the TS850/860 on and offroad, so you won't get much benefit, or negative change. Both are excellent tyres
Thanks, TyreReviews, think I’ll try the Goodyear’s this time, astread looks more open
I’m so undecided every time I read I review I think I know what type I want then I read another and I’m more confused
I’ve a 2018 golf r dsg I live in Northern Ireland see a lot of wet weather but not a lot of snow but when it snows it’s usually here for a few days and takes the gritters till day 2 or 3 to get to us
We live in a rural area so mostly single carriage way A roads and do about 15k a year
Have been think of Michelin cross climate plus
What’s your thoughts thanks
That's about all I'd fit, but I wouldn't use it year round still, I'd use it as a winter tyre on a car like the Golf R
Thanks for confirming my original choice got so confused
What would u put on for summer
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S goes very well with the Golf R!
Thanks so much for your advice and time
Will get the cross climate ordered
For 10yrs or so I had been switching between summer & winter tyres as we drive over to Germany - last year I picked up my first set of all season tyres and they've been great in the winter we had last year, I'm running Kumho Solus 4S HA31 on my 2015 Rav4 (235/55 R18) and they done well and are reasonable at around £100.00 per corner on 18" rims, cheaper still for small diameter.
Thanks for this, helped me understand what all seasons are all about! I'm thinking about buying a set of Viking FourTech all seasons. There's an entry for them on your site (https://www.tyrereviews.co.... - there's not too much info there, but the percentages at the top (dry grip, wet grip, etc..) look pretty good. Just wondering where those numbers come from - have you tested them yourselves and that's what you'd give them? Or does that come from the user reviews? Just trying to decide whether I should pay an extra £90ish (for the whole set) to get Goodyear Vector 4Seasons G2s, or just go with the Vikings... Cheers!
The numbers are from user reviews, and while they all seem to like them, I would imagine in objective tests they would fall short over the premium Goodyears. I'd spend the extra money!
Thanks for clarifying!
I've been using Firestone MultiSeason on my 2014 Peugeot 208 (I've also reviewed them) and they have been absolutely superb. In the March cold snap they were tracking straight and true on untreated roads with a good few inches of snow while others were sliding all over the place. The fronts are now reaching the 3mm winter use limit after 18 months of mixed bag use and I've been impressed enough that I'll be sticking the same on again.
I'm always surprised they never test well, but how much reality to the real world do the tests actually resemble? (genuine question, not trying to be facetious)
The tests are pushing the extremes of the tyre which you tend to do less on the road, but the results represent how the tyres will generally perform on the road. I'm glad you're happy with your Firestone tyres, but that doesn't mean there isn't a better option!
I thought that may be the case. I know that it is different conditions and weightings are used in the tests and in Scotland snow and ice was more of a consideration for me, resulting in the Firestone's being chosen over the CrossClimates. I think you have to be careful when reading the tests and find out which test replicates your real world conditions the most. Hence the ADAC test would be most relevant for me
I have a Nissan Note 2008 1.4 petrol manual, location, Middlesex,UK, and have recently fitted a pair of Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25's on the front, with Conti PremiumContact 2 on the rear. The car is a fwd. I previously had the Goodyear Vector 4Seaons gen 1 and Gen 2 on my previous cars, and thought they were great. However, with the Bridgestone's now, they are the dogs danglies, especially in the dry. I fitted them just when the cold started 2018, and been waiting for the temps to get down to below 10 degs to see how they do, and am not disappointed. Dry grip is out of this world, and wet grip is like driving on dry roads. Braking distances have been cut really short too.
Glad you're getting on with them, but they've never really tested that well! Also please be VERY careful with a mixed winter and summer fitment as the temperatures drop, you might experience sudden oversteer which can be very dangerous.
My name is Mark and I'm a research obsessive. Unfortunately due to this I need to make a decision today on tyres. I want to get all season (225/45-17W) - best current pricing on Micheline CC+ and Bridgestone A005. I live in NE near Scot border, mild coastal but with any bad winter lingering and a cash strapped council. Any opinions out there on the Bridgestone or other options? Fancy trying the Bridgestone's but as they will be only tyres for next few years bit reluctant to take a punt on them
Have a read of this: http://www.tyrereviews.co.u...
Thank you. The thing I am unclear on from these reviews is how the tyre will perform in icy conditions. If it was snowing badly I'd think twice about moving the car, but I think how they deal with icy roads is very relevant to uk drivers, especially further north you go. If tyres are less good on snow are they then less good on ice?
No one seems to be doing separate ice testing anymore sadly, however there will be some correlation between snow and ice performance. Sipes are even more important in ice so lesser siped tyres like the CrossClimate might struggle more than a heavily siped tyre like the Nokian.
Thanks again. I ended up going for Michelins so I can't help to review the Bridgestones unfortunately..
I'm guessing the Bridgestone Weather Control A005 would be the best option for 19" wheels (245/45)? Doesn't seem to be a lot of choice in All Season at that size though.
http://www.tyrereviews.co.u... should help
Certainly does, thank you. Follow-up question - any idea why Bridgestone (presumably because Mercedes) would require a Y speed rating (and therefore not recommend the A005s) for a car with a claimed top speed of 143? Given primarily UK use, the car's not likely to get anywhere near that speed, so would a V-rating be just fine?
You're fine to use a lower speed rating, as long as you match the size and load rating :) Some cars even recommend H versions of their tyres for winter.
I live in London and have an A4 Avant with 19" 245/35 wheels with SportContact 6s fitted. I'd prefer not to get another set of wheels (space is at a premium!), Are there any all season tyres worth having in that size? Given a wheel / tyre combo will cost at least £800 (sourcing 17" wheels on eBay!) is the best alternative just to keep the summer tyres on and just be careful when the temperature drops below 2* (which isn't so often)? Thanks...
Living in London myself I will probably keep summer tyres on this winter, but I don't use my car much, and can leave it at home in really bad weather. Whether that works for your driving style, only you will know!
Many thanks. Yes, like you I can always find some other way of getting around...
I have 2 wheel sets for my Mazda 6. I run 225/45/18 summer and 205/60/16 winter. The summer tyres (Hankook Ventus Prime 3) still have 6mm so they're good for a while. The winter tyres need replacing. I can't decide between a replacement set of winters, or switch to all season tyres to run through the winter. I'm in North Yorkshire and drive on some untreated country roads. We don't often get much snow, but there's quite a few icy mornings.
Tbf you're just as well on either all season or winter. The winter will have the edge in Ice, but all season will have the edge in the dry... It also depends -which- particular tyres as the line is very blurred. You'd still do well in severe weather with crossclimate, conti all season etc whilst reaping greater benefits away from extreme conditions.
Andy is pretty much spot on. In your situation I'd be looking at the Goodyear Vector 4Season Gen-2 or the Continental WinterContact TS860
Thanks. Great video. Cross Climates look like the best option for my 2015 Volvo V70, to give the least compromise in the wet/dry and keep me moving if we get snow. Original tyres are 225 50 R17 98W XL. When I go to the Michelin website it recommends a 225 50 R17 98V XL. It specifically states that a different speed or load index may be recommended but its compatible with my vehicle. As a V is up to 149mph and the cars top speed states 137, that all makes sense. However, while on the Michelin website I saw an ask a question button which I foolishly did, just to clarify this. The initial response contradicted the website and said I cant use a V rated tyre, when I questioned this, a second email has said I can but need a sticker fitted by a dealer to state this and remain legal. Surely this can't be right, can anyone confirm I can fit a 'V' with no repercussions. Wish I'd never asked! Thanks
In the UK, I don't believe we have a law regarding stickers for lower speed ratings. You do need to at least match the load rating, but you seem to be doing that.
With regards what you say "V is up to 149 mph and the cars top speed states 137", its per definition correct, so you don't need expensive W speed index tyres at all! Dttto for summer tyres. One doesn't need "Bugatti" tyres...
P.S. With winter tyres you could even go further speed down to H or T (if exist) and again save money but then (e.g. in Germany or Czechia, Italy or...) with the sticker in front of driver or Tempomat/Speed limit alert to the given tyre max. limit speed.
New car has 19" wheels so can't fit my preferred Crossclimates. Hoping they bring some bigger sizes out soon as had those fitted last winter to the old car and they were stunningly good in the beast from the east. Might go Falken or Bridgestone Weather control now as none of the top 3 there make a 225 45 19 yet. Look forward to your review of those!
Sounds like you have the same predicament as me. Mazda by any chance?
For some reason, as they Left Ford's group, they changed all their latest (Skyactiv) gen cars to run on unusual tyre sizes, e.g. 205/60 R16 and 215/45 R18 on the gen-3 Mazda3, whereas my gen-1 car (from 2005) and the gen-2 cars have 205/55 R16 and equivalent 15in and 17in rims/tyre combos fitted, most of which are 30% cheaper to buy than the latest combos for the tyres.
No different in ride quality between similar sized tyres too, but I worked out replacing my OEM 205/55 R16s would cost me nearly £200 less than the latest equivalent model shod on the 60 profile tyres. The latest ones (Sport models only) shod on the 18in rims are horrendously expensive (often £150 a pop minimum), very hide riding and the range available is about 5x smaller than the most popular 16in and even 17in tyres.
To me, this is all about (across many manufacturers) tyre manufacturers selling odd and large/low profile tyres to manufacturers at rock bottom prices for OEM fitments so that they make a mint on replacements, because the really low profile tyres last only 15k miles tops (many often a lot less) even without getting damaged by kerbing, potholes or debris in the road - many last a few months because they are so susceptible to damage on our poor roads.
This is magnified because these tyres are often 50% more to twice the price of the previous gen sizes they replaced, have a horrible ride after a short space of time and contribute to suspension parts wearing out far quicker as well (more money for dealerships to replace those parts). You get slightly better grip when comparing new tyres fitted in two different sizes (low [40-45] to med [50-60] profile tyres) but only under extreme circumstances, e.g. on the absolute limit, very high [often illegal] speeds, on tracks, etc.
This has to be made public so the farce can be stopped.
Any idea who the OE tyre fitments are in those odd sizes are? I can try and get commentary from the tyre manufacturer as to why they've used alternative sizes.
Agreed on the Mazda 3 odd sizing. I came from a Mk5 Golf with Crossclimates on and you just can't get them in 215/45/18. Or the Bridgestones...or the Continentals! The OE tyre is the Dunlop Sport Maxx.
Thinking of getting the Quatrac 5s at the moment, really just because they're the only all season tyre available in that size.
They're great for the UK :) IS there not a winter tyre size in the handbook which you could change to?
Sorry not to reply before. As regards the 'unusual' tyre sizes that Mazda now use, I think that they fit (at least they did 18 months ago when I test drove the updated 3 and CX-3 [both use the same sizes]) these as OEMs:
205/60 R16V - Toyo NanoEnergy R38
215/45 R18W - Dunlop SP Sport MAXX /MAXXRT
They may be fitting new variants of these now (e.g. the R38A and RT2?) - I might be able to check next time I'm at my local dealer, though that may be late December (service).
From reading reviews both here and on the Mazda3 owners forum, the Toyos are ok, though not so good in the wet, whilst the Dunlops are generally very good, but are very difficult to get hold of in the UK (perhaps more so a year or so ago), not helped by them wearing quite quickly, though this may be due to their size (low profile) as much as anything else. Mazda3s, CX-3s and 6s shod on them get below average reviews for ride comfort after the first 6 months (when everything's 'worn in') - probably a combination of low profile size and suspension than just the tyre model.
Seemingly very few products for these sizes (and from the latest models - many on offer have been on the market a long time and are below average on rolling resistance and noise) compared to the 'standard' 205/55 R16V and equivalent OD 17in tyres that used to be fitted to mk1 and earlier mk2 Mazda3s and 6s.
I just ordered Continental from https://daekbutikken.dk/ - hope that i made a good deal!
Be sure to let me know how you find them :)
Here is a brand new allseason tyre test (in German unfortunately): https://www.auto-motor-und-...
The Continental wins while Goodyear and Michelin score second
Thanks, it'll be on the site in English soon :)
Be sure to let me know how you find them :)
Just ordered Bridgestone A005 for my BMW 118D 225 45 17 , hope to made a good Choice instead of Michelin. I'll assemble them next week. Let's see if they are OK for Northern Italy.
Be sure to let us all know by leaving a review! :)
Are Michelin intending to release the crossclimate+ in size 225-45-R19 any time in the near future? Bridgestone Weather Control A005 seem to be available in this size. Do you have any test data or feedback for these tyres?
I don't have any size extension data for the CrossClimate for 2019, perhaps Michelin will answer? I've not yet seen the tyre in a test (surprisingly), as soon as it is it will be on the site!
Unfortunately the only available test of Bridgestone Weather Control A005 till now was, by my humble opinion, in the size 195/65 R15 in Autobild (September 2018) : https://reifenpresse.de/201...
From the table you can see - except snow they were fine, even best breaking in the dry & wet: http://www.autobild.de/arti...
Would the Michelin CC+ or Goodyear V gen2 be a better choice as a 'winter' tyre for the South West of England? I have spare wheels, so summer performance is secondary. Seems that the Goodyear has the edge in the snow but the Michelin is a better alrounder?
Your assumption of the situation is about right :) both tyres are excellent
Hi guys, I have a similar request thant Andrew.
With an Alfa 156 V6, I drive around 1000 kms/week in the North-West of France, between Britain with a mild climate (average of 15-20 days/year of freezing and only a couple days of snow), and Normandy with a similar but slightly harsher climate (over 30 days/year average of freezing and 15 of snow, which can be quite deep). Both regions have very wet winters.
The Continental TS850 on my winter wheels are shot and need replacement. Should I believe that all season tyres would be a better replacement than say TS860 or Dunlop Wintersport 5 ?
I don't need dry performance, as the summer wheels use Goodyear Eagle F1 Asy3 for now. ;)
Hi Jonathan Benson
A recent test for you (Auto Express Winter 2018)
[19 Sep, 2018 1:15pm] :
https://www.autoexpress.co....
+ Autobild 2018 Winter Tyre Shoot Out :
http://www.autobild.de/arti...
Cordially
Thanks very much for your informative website.
Do you know how the performance of the all weather tyres drops off below 3mm? I believe Michelin claim that their CrossClimate+ is still effective to 1.6mm in all conditions?
Yes, the tests you will find in the right column under "All Season Tyre Tests" + scroll a bit down here on the main page for the Worn tyres test from Hungary as well.
The CrossClimate+ is one of the best at full life performance, but as mentioned in the video all these tyres snow and ice performance will start to degrade after 3mm, and in certain countries there are laws in place which remove their winter tyre legality at 3 or even 4mm!
I would still add these brand new A/S tyre models: Uniroyal AllSeasonExpert 2 and Barum Quartaris 5. They could beat at least some of your top picked 7.
P.S. Further good to mirror these 2 new tests: Auto Moto und Sport with All Seasons 225/45 R17 94 V/Y and Autobild Winter tyres 2018 test with 195/65 R15 H.
Thank you & fingers crossed!
To be fair, Tyre Reviews have shown this on their review of new vs 4mm tread depth vs 2mm for the CC, GYV4S and standard summer/winter reference tyres here:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.u...
The CC did do the best on that score, but in snow/ice all tyres aren't as good when they're old and worn. Its just that the CC's performance degrades that bid less than the competition, probably why they are quite expensive in comparison. Didn't stop me from buying a set for my car a few months ago. Thus far, they've worked very well. I'm keen to see how they fair in winter, so watch this space!