Earlier this year Auto Bild published their 2019 SUV all season tire test, using an Audi Q3 wearing the popular 235/55 R19 all season tire size.

As usual, all seven tire patterns were tested in the dry, wet and snow, and as a reference Auto Bild included a premium summer and winter tire.

All Season vs Summer vs Winter

As we've seen before, the balance of all season vs summer tires follows a general trend. Summer tires do the best in the wet and dry, but cannot perform in snowy conditions.

When it comes to comparing all season tires against winter tires, things get a little more muddled. In this test the unnamed premium winter tire only won the aquaplaning test. It was strong in the snow, but not the strongest on test, and while it was weaker in the dry and wet than most of the all season tires, it wasn't the worst. It just goes to show, the range of all season tires abilities can span from dry optimized, like the Michelin Crossclimate to a winter tire beating all season tire, like the Nokian Weatherproof.

Dry

The dry braking results yielded no big surprises, with the summer tire and Michelin CrossClimate leading the pack. The Continental was the best of the rest, with the winter bias Nokian Weatherproof struggling to stop the SUV in dry conditions.

Dry Braking
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
RefReference Summer	121 ft	-7 ft
1Michelin CrossClimate SUV	128 ft	Best
2Continental AllSeasonContact	132 ft	+4 ft
3Vredestein Quatrac 5	133 ft	+5 ft
4Falken EUROALL SEASON AS210	133 ft	+5 ft
5Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2 SUV	138 ft	+10 ft
6Gripmax Status AllClimate	138 ft	+10 ft
RefReference Winter	140 ft	+12 ft
7Nokian WeatherProof SUV	143 ft	+15 ft

The difference between best and worst was 18.2% (22 ft ≈ 1.5 Car Lengths).

The dry handling results were similar to the dry braking, with the summer and Michelin leading the pack.

Dry Handling
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
RefReference Summer	59.7 mph	+0.5 mph
1Michelin CrossClimate SUV	59.2 mph	Best
2Vredestein Quatrac 5	59.0 mph	-0.2 mph
3Falken EUROALL SEASON AS210	58.6 mph	-0.6 mph
4Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2 SUV	58.5 mph	-0.7 mph
5Continental AllSeasonContact	58.3 mph	-0.9 mph
RefReference Winter	58.0 mph	-1.2 mph
6Nokian WeatherProof SUV	57.3 mph	-1.9 mph
7Gripmax Status AllClimate	57.2 mph	-2.0 mph

The difference between best and worst was 4.2% (2.5 mph).

Wet

During wet braking, the Vredestein and Continental were closest to the summer tires distances, just 0 feet off. The Nokian, Falken struggled compared to the best on test, and the budget GripMax was shockingly bad.

Wet Braking
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
RefReference Summer	182 ft	0 ft
1Vredestein Quatrac 5	182 ft	Best
1Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2 SUV	182 ft	Best
3Michelin CrossClimate SUV	192 ft	+10 ft
4Continental AllSeasonContact	192 ft	+10 ft
RefReference Winter	194 ft	+12 ft
5Nokian WeatherProof SUV	201 ft	+19 ft
6Falken EUROALL SEASON AS210	203 ft	+21 ft
7Gripmax Status AllClimate	290 ft	+108 ft

The difference between best and worst was 59.5% (108 ft ≈ 7.3 Car Lengths).

As with the dry handling results, the wet handling results showed a similar order to wet braking.

Wet Handling
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
RefReference Summer	51.3 mph	+1.6 mph
1Vredestein Quatrac 5	49.7 mph	Best
1Continental AllSeasonContact	49.7 mph	Best
3Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2 SUV	49.0 mph	-0.7 mph
4Michelin CrossClimate SUV	48.8 mph	-0.9 mph
5Nokian WeatherProof SUV	48.8 mph	-0.9 mph
RefReference Winter	48.6 mph	-1.1 mph
6Falken EUROALL SEASON AS210	48.0 mph	-1.7 mph
7Gripmax Status AllClimate	41.5 mph	-8.2 mph

The difference between best and worst was 19% (9.8 mph).

The straight aquaplaning results had the reference winter tire winning the test, with the summer in the middle of the all season tires.

Straight Aqua
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
RefReference Winter	47.5 mph	0.0 mph
1Falken EUROALL SEASON AS210	47.5 mph	Best
2Continental AllSeasonContact	46.7 mph	-0.8 mph
RefReference Summer	46.4 mph	-1.1 mph
3Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2 SUV	46.3 mph	-1.2 mph
4Michelin CrossClimate SUV	46.0 mph	-1.5 mph
4Nokian WeatherProof SUV	46.0 mph	-1.5 mph
6Vredestein Quatrac 5	44.9 mph	-2.6 mph
7Gripmax Status AllClimate	42.6 mph	-4.9 mph

The difference between best and worst was 10.5% (4.9 mph).

Snow

The winter bias Nokian all season tire won snow braking, stopping in a shorter distance than even the full winter tire! Continental Did a great job of mixing dry, wet and snow results by finishing second.

Snow Braking
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Nokian WeatherProof SUV	77 ft	Best
RefReference Winter	79 ft	+2 ft
2Continental AllSeasonContact	81 ft	+4 ft
3Vredestein Quatrac 5	82 ft	+5 ft
4Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2 SUV	84 ft	+7 ft
5Falken EUROALL SEASON AS210	89 ft	+12 ft
6Michelin CrossClimate SUV	89 ft	+12 ft
7Gripmax Status AllClimate	94 ft	+17 ft
RefReference Summer	205 ft	+128 ft

The difference between best and worst was 166% (128 ft ≈ 8.7 Car Lengths).

The Continental and Nokian were again the strongest tires during snow handling, besting the full winter tire. The summer tire could not complete a lap of snow handling, so didn't set a time.

Snow Handling
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Continental AllSeasonContact	29.4 mph	Best
2Nokian WeatherProof SUV	29.3 mph	-0.1 mph
RefReference Winter	28.7 mph	-0.7 mph
3Michelin CrossClimate SUV	28.5 mph	-0.9 mph
4Vredestein Quatrac 5	28.4 mph	-1.0 mph
5Falken EUROALL SEASON AS210	28.1 mph	-1.3 mph
6Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2 SUV	27.7 mph	-1.7 mph
7Gripmax Status AllClimate	26.7 mph	-2.7 mph

The difference between best and worst was 9.1% (2.7 mph).

Environment

The Goodyear was the only tire to match the low noise of the summer tire.

Noise
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best
1Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2 SUV	72.1 dB	Best
RefReference Summer	72.1 dB	0.00 dB
2Continental AllSeasonContact	72.2 dB	+0.10 dB
3Nokian WeatherProof SUV	72.4 dB	+0.30 dB
RefReference Winter	72.5 dB	+0.40 dB
4Michelin CrossClimate SUV	72.8 dB	+0.70 dB
5Falken EUROALL SEASON AS210	73 dB	+0.90 dB
6Vredestein Quatrac 5	73.1 dB	+1.00 dB
7Gripmax Status AllClimate	73.8 dB	+1.70 dB

All the tires in the Noise test finished less than 3% apart.

The Continental and Michelin had the lowest rolling resistance on test, but were some of the most expensive tires to purchase at the time of test.

Rolling Resistance
Position / Tire	Result	Gap to best	Extra fuel / year
1Continental AllSeasonContact	6.73 kg/t	Best	$0
2Michelin CrossClimate SUV	7.37 kg/t	+0.64 kg/t	$28
RefReference Summer	7.37 kg/t	+0.64 kg/t	$28
3Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2 SUV	7.51 kg/t	+0.78 kg/t	$34
RefReference Winter	7.52 kg/t	+0.79 kg/t	$34
4Gripmax Status AllClimate	7.69 kg/t	+0.96 kg/t	$42
5Falken EUROALL SEASON AS210	7.98 kg/t	+1.25 kg/t	$55
6Vredestein Quatrac 5	8.27 kg/t	+1.54 kg/t	$67
7Nokian WeatherProof SUV	8.55 kg/t	+1.82 kg/t	$79

The difference between best and worst was 27% (1.82 kg / t). Over 12,000 miles a year at $3.60/gal, the Nokian WeatherProof SUV uses about 22 gal ($79) more fuel than the Continental AllSeasonContact.

Adjust the assumptions

Calculated estimates, not additional measurements. Use the controls to explore the assumptions.

Gas/Diesel Electric

Annual Mileage

12,000 mi

km (L)

miles (US gal)

Fuel Price

$3.60/gal

GBP (£)

EUR (€)

USD ($)

Set my vehicle consumption

Estimates based on typical driving conditions. Rolling resistance accounts for approximately 20% of IC vehicle fuel consumption and 25% of EV energy consumption. Actual savings vary based on driving style, vehicle weight, road conditions, and tire age. For comparative purposes only. Lifetime savings based on a 40,000km / 25,000 mile tread life.

Results

Dry97.9%

Wet99.4%

Snow95.3%

Comfort98.6%

Rolling Resistance81.4%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	Result	Gap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better	3^rd / 7	133 ft	+5 ft
Dry HandlingHigher is better	2^nd / 7	59.0 mph	-0.2 mph
Wet BrakingLower is better	1^st / 7	182 ft	Best in this discipline
Wet HandlingHigher is better	1^st / 7	49.7 mph	Best in this discipline
Straight AquaHigher is better	6^th / 7	44.9 mph	-2.6 mph
Snow BrakingLower is better	3^rd / 7	82 ft	+5 ft
Snow HandlingHigher is better	4^th / 7	28.4 mph	-1.0 mph
NoiseLower is better	6^th / 7	73.1 dB	+1.00 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better	6^th / 7	8.27 kg/t	+1.54 kg/t

Price: 650.00

Dry100%

Wet96.7%

Snow91.7%

Comfort99%

Rolling Resistance91.3%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	Result	Gap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better	1^st / 7	128 ft	Best in this discipline
Dry HandlingHigher is better	1^st / 7	59.2 mph	Best in this discipline
Wet BrakingLower is better	3^rd / 7	192 ft	+10 ft
Wet HandlingHigher is better	4^th / 7	48.8 mph	-0.9 mph
Straight AquaHigher is better	4^th / 7	46.0 mph	-1.5 mph
Snow BrakingLower is better	6^th / 7	89 ft	+12 ft
Snow HandlingHigher is better	3^rd / 7	28.5 mph	-0.9 mph
NoiseLower is better	4^th / 7	72.8 dB	+0.70 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better	2^nd / 7	7.37 kg/t	+0.64 kg/t

Price: 830.00

Dry97.8%

Wet97.5%

Snow97.6%

Comfort99.9%

Rolling Resistance100%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	Result	Gap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better	2^nd / 7	132 ft	+4 ft
Dry HandlingHigher is better	5^th / 7	58.3 mph	-0.9 mph
Wet BrakingLower is better	4^th / 7	192 ft	+10 ft
Wet HandlingHigher is better	1^st / 7	49.7 mph	Best in this discipline
Straight AquaHigher is better	2^nd / 7	46.7 mph	-0.8 mph
Snow BrakingLower is better	2^nd / 7	81 ft	+4 ft
Snow HandlingHigher is better	1^st / 7	29.4 mph	Best in this discipline
NoiseLower is better	2^nd / 7	72.2 dB	+0.10 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better	1^st / 7	6.73 kg/t	Best in this discipline

Price: 770.00

Dry95.7%

Wet99.1%

Snow93.2%

Comfort100%

Rolling Resistance89.6%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	Result	Gap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better	5^th / 7	138 ft	+10 ft
Dry HandlingHigher is better	4^th / 7	58.5 mph	-0.7 mph
Wet BrakingLower is better	1^st / 7	182 ft	Best in this discipline
Wet HandlingHigher is better	3^rd / 7	49.0 mph	-0.7 mph
Straight AquaHigher is better	3^rd / 7	46.3 mph	-1.2 mph
Snow BrakingLower is better	4^th / 7	84 ft	+7 ft
Snow HandlingHigher is better	6^th / 7	27.7 mph	-1.7 mph
NoiseLower is better	1^st / 7	72.1 dB	Best in this discipline
Rolling ResistanceLower is better	3^rd / 7	7.51 kg/t	+0.78 kg/t

Price: 810.00

Dry93%

Wet94.6%

Snow99.8%

Comfort99.6%

Rolling Resistance78.7%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	Result	Gap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better	7^th / 7	143 ft	+15 ft
Dry HandlingHigher is better	6^th / 7	57.3 mph	-1.9 mph
Wet BrakingLower is better	5^th / 7	201 ft	+19 ft
Wet HandlingHigher is better	5^th / 7	48.8 mph	-0.9 mph
Straight AquaHigher is better	4^th / 7	46.0 mph	-1.5 mph
Snow BrakingLower is better	1^st / 7	77 ft	Best in this discipline
Snow HandlingHigher is better	2^nd / 7	29.3 mph	-0.1 mph
NoiseLower is better	3^rd / 7	72.4 dB	+0.30 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better	7^th / 7	8.55 kg/t	+1.82 kg/t

Price: 710.00

Dry97.4%

Wet93.8%

Snow91.1%

Comfort98.8%

Rolling Resistance84.3%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	Result	Gap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better	4^th / 7	133 ft	+5 ft
Dry HandlingHigher is better	3^rd / 7	58.6 mph	-0.6 mph
Wet BrakingLower is better	6^th / 7	203 ft	+21 ft
Wet HandlingHigher is better	6^th / 7	48.0 mph	-1.7 mph
Straight AquaHigher is better	1^st / 7	47.5 mph	Best in this discipline
Snow BrakingLower is better	5^th / 7	89 ft	+12 ft
Snow HandlingHigher is better	5^th / 7	28.1 mph	-1.3 mph
NoiseLower is better	5^th / 7	73 dB	+0.90 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better	5^th / 7	7.98 kg/t	+1.25 kg/t

Price: 650.00

Dry94.5%

Wet74.9%

Snow86.7%

Comfort97.7%

Rolling Resistance87.5%

Category scores (% of best)

All discipline results (9)

Discipline positions compare the ranked tires in this test, not the whole market. These are individual measurements, not weighted overall scores.

Test	Position in discipline	Result	Gap to best
Dry BrakingLower is better	6^th / 7	138 ft	+10 ft
Dry HandlingHigher is better	7^th / 7	57.2 mph	-2.0 mph
Wet BrakingLower is better	7^th / 7	290 ft	+108 ft
Wet HandlingHigher is better	7^th / 7	41.5 mph	-8.2 mph
Straight AquaHigher is better	7^th / 7	42.6 mph	-4.9 mph
Snow BrakingLower is better	7^th / 7	94 ft	+17 ft
Snow HandlingHigher is better	7^th / 7	26.7 mph	-2.7 mph
NoiseLower is better	7^th / 7	73.8 dB	+1.70 dB
Rolling ResistanceLower is better	4^th / 7	7.69 kg/t	+0.96 kg/t

Price: 480.00

Discussion

8 comments

naxop Feb 11, 2020 archived

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.

#5543
MausyMaus Dec 7, 2019 archived

Nice Test John!
Just ordered the Vredestein Quatrac 5 in 245/45/20 for our Discovery Sport.
They gonna replace the Pirelli Scorpion Verde Allseason (who have only M+S) and are done.
Ps. We live in the Grindelwald Region in Switzerland, can’t wait to test these in this size.
We had these Quatrac 5 on our Smart fortwo and they did amazingly well here.
Thank you Vredestein!!

#5415
1. TireReviews MausyMaus Dec 8, 2019 archived
  
  I just came back from Grindelwald! BEautiful place, video up in a few weeks and there's stuff on instagram. Let me know how you get on with the Vreds :)
  
  #5418
  1. MausyMaus TireReviews Dec 12, 2019 archived
    
    found the article John, all good.
    http://www.tirereviews.co.uk/Article/2019-Auto-Bild-SUV-All-Season-Tire-Test.htm
    Yes it is nice over there! we move in 2020 to Scandinavia after 4 years Switzerland. Main reason: We need more snow on the streets ;) (they clean to quick and to good the swiss roads during winter...) :p
    
    #5438
David CGlez Oct 8, 2019 archived

I´m using the Continental AllSeasonsContact in Luxembourg where 3PMFS is mandatory and they are performing much better than my previous winter tires (MS77) - at least in wet & dry, not tested yet on snow- Really good option.

#5174
1. TireReviews David CGlez Oct 8, 2019 archived
  
  Glad you're enjoying them :)
  
  #5176
Paolo Cavarzere Sep 29, 2019 archived

Looking at the last tests (not only this one), it seems that all seasons tires have similar (sometime better) snow performances than pure winter tires but with significant better performances on the dry and wet.
I'm starting to think that in my country (Italy) a good option could be to use AS tires in the winter and Summer tires in summer...

#5135
1. TireReviews Paolo Cavarzere Sep 29, 2019 archived
  
  I've been recommended all season tires as winter tires for a while now, especially summer bias all season like the CrossClimate to the warmer parts of Europe.
  
  #5138

Menu

Tire shortlist

The evidence behind the verdict

All Season vs Summer vs Winter

Dry

Wet

Snow

Environment

Results

Cross-check this test