2015 has been called the year of the all season tire, and Auto Express have just confirmed it with their first ever all season tire test.
Testing six all season tires, and a class winning summer and winter tire, Auto Express put all eight tires through fourteen tests covering the snow, wet, dry abilities of the tire, and included noise, rolling resistance and price too.
All Season, Summer or Winter
While full commentary of each tires ability is below, we thought it is important to compare the summer and winter tires against the best of the all season.
Traditionally all season tires are simply winter tires with a slight snow compromise in favour of wet performance. In previous tests this has been highlighted by the Continental WinterContact TS850 actually being a better "all season tire" than all season tires, due to its remarkable blend of dry, wet and snow performance.
This year the all season game has moved on, with the first and second placed all season tires actually beating the Continental winter tire in snow braking, traction and handling! Furthermore, at the tested temperature (7c) the Goodyear all season tire beat both the summer and winter tire in wet handling and braking. The gap however remains in the dry, with the best dry braking all season tire (Pirelli) stopping over five meters (10%) from 62 mph behind the summer Dunlop, and the benchmark Nokian all season tire over 15% behind.
So the gap between all season and summer tires still exist in the dry at 7c, which means the summer / winter combination is still the safest way of year round motoring. The gap is however closer than ever, and with the new Michelin CrossClimate missing from the test which promises an even stronger dry performance, the latest generation of all season tires are now a real option for year round motoring on smaller cars in wheel sizes 17 inches and below.
The new Nokian Weatherproof had a clean sweep in the snow tests, winning the snow traction, braking, circle and handling, even beating the Continental winter tire. The Nokian also managed to be the best in both aquaplaning tests, and scored second in wet braking. The compromise is made in wet and dry handling and dry braking, where the Nokian could only manage fourth, fifth and sixth respectively, but it was never more than 5% away from the best on test.
The second generation of the multi test-winning Goodyear Vector 4Season focused on improving the wet ability of the tire, and judging by this test they've been successful. The Goodyear won the wet tests, beating even the summer tire in wet braking, handling and on the wet circle, came close to the best in the dry, and was second overall in the snow. When combined with the best rolling resistance and second quietest ride, the Goodyear might actually be the best all season tire for the UK, where wet roads are more of an issue than snow.
The Vredestein Quatrac range is one of the better known all season tire ranges in the UK, and the Quatrac 5 builds on the excellent base of the Quatrac 3. A win in the dry handling test (but still beaten by the summer tire) and second in dry braking and rolling resistance were the stand out results for the Vredestein, but a strong mid pack performance in the wet and snow tests resulted in a third place overall. Weak in aquaplaning, losing both tests and a long way back in the curved test.
As the cheapest tire on test, Maxxis can be proud of their fourth place, finishing just 5% behind the winner overall. Seeming focusing on snow and dry during development, the Maxxis falls behind in the wet, finishing last in all the shallow water tests. It's better news in the dry and snow where the Maxxis gets close to the best, finishing third in dry braking, and second in the snow circle.
When developing the Pirelli Cinturato All Season, Pirelli concentrated on dry and wet performance, and this test highlights exactly that. Finishing no more than 5% away from the best in the dry and wet tests, the Pirelli wins dry braking and finishes just 0.3% behind the Vredestein in dry handling. Sadly, the snow performance doesn't make the Pirelli a well rounded tire, and it finishes only in front of the Bridgestone in snow traction and circle, and last overall in snow handling and braking. It's worth noting these snow scores are still way ahead of the summer tire, so the Pirelli shouldn't be discounted as an excellent year round tire for the south of the UK.
As the first all season tire to prioritise wet and dry grip over snow at launch in 2013, the Bridgestone A001 was a good option for the UK climate. Sadly, this was over three years ago, and the competition has moved the game on. Finishing last overall in the snow, and near last in the wet and dry handling tests, the A001 only managed to well in the cabin noise and aquaplaning tests. Had the test included wear we expect the Bridgestone will have scored well in this category.
Total: 1089.9
Dry192.5
Wet277.8
Snow344.5
Rolling Resistance81.8
Noise100
Overall93.3
Our results exclude the aquaplaning scores, so don't forget to pick up Auto Express issue 1,387 for the full results or check out the website at autoexpress.co.uk
