The testing heroes at Sport Auto have answered a question we've all wanted to know the answer to! Just how good are all season tires in large wheel sizes on a performance vehicle?
To answer this, Sport Auto have tested six of the best all season tires, and included a NAMED summer and winter tire, the Bridgestone Potenza Sport UUHP summer tire, and the test winning Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 winter tire.
It's a good test.
Test Publication:
Sport Auto
235/35 R19
7 tires
5 categories
Test Size:
235/35 R19
Tires Tested:
7 tires
Sport Auto is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, Tire Reviews. This is independent editorial coverage of their published test.
Dry
What can we learn? Naturally the summer tire wins the dry tests, that's no surprise, but there's quite a big delta in dry braking and a huge difference in dry handling! The winter also places as you'd expect in dry handling, although it does beat the Goodyear Vector 4Seasons G3 in dry braking, which is always a weakness of that all season tire.
- Bridgestone Potenza Sport Ref
- Michelin CrossClimate 2
- Bridgestone Weather Control A005
- Toyo Celsius AS2
- Continental AllSeasonContact
- Vredestein Quatrac Pro
- Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
- Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen 3
- Bridgestone Potenza Sport Ref
- Michelin CrossClimate 2
- Bridgestone Weather Control A005
- Vredestein Quatrac Pro
- Toyo Celsius AS2
- Continental AllSeasonContact
- Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen 3
- Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
Wet
Wet braking is quite a surprise. The tests were done at 8c, and it's important to remember the Potenza Sport UUHP summer tire is one of the UUHP tires that does need a bit of temperature to work, but in this test the summer tire could only manage mid pack in wet braking and near the bottom during wet handling! The rear star is the winter tire, beating all the all season tires are relatively warm winter conditions, apart from the Vredestein Quatrac Pro, which is always outstanding in the wet.
- Vredestein Quatrac Pro
- Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
- Bridgestone Weather Control A005
- Bridgestone Potenza Sport Ref
- Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen 3
- Continental AllSeasonContact
- Michelin CrossClimate 2
- Toyo Celsius AS2
- Vredestein Quatrac Pro
- Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
- Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen 3
- Continental AllSeasonContact
- Bridgestone Weather Control A005
- Bridgestone Potenza Sport Ref
- Michelin CrossClimate 2
- Toyo Celsius AS2
- Toyo Celsius AS2
- Bridgestone Potenza Sport Ref
- Continental AllSeasonContact
- Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
- Michelin CrossClimate 2
- Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen 3
- Vredestein Quatrac Pro
- Bridgestone Weather Control A005
Snow
Fortunately the winter tire was also the best in all the snow tests and the summer tire the worst.
As we've seen in other tests, the Michelin CrossClimate 2 is as close to a winter tire as any all season tire is.
- Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
- Michelin CrossClimate 2
- Continental AllSeasonContact
- Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen 3
- Bridgestone Weather Control A005
- Toyo Celsius AS2
- Vredestein Quatrac Pro
- Bridgestone Potenza Sport Ref
- Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
- Michelin CrossClimate 2
- Continental AllSeasonContact
- Toyo Celsius AS2
- Bridgestone Weather Control A005
- Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen 3
- Vredestein Quatrac Pro
- Bridgestone Potenza Sport Ref
- Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
- Michelin CrossClimate 2
- Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen 3
- Continental AllSeasonContact
- Toyo Celsius AS2
- Bridgestone Weather Control A005
- Vredestein Quatrac Pro
- Bridgestone Potenza Sport Ref
Environment
Noise is an interesting test, with the summer tire by far the nosiest and the winter tire once again only being beat by the Vredestein. Summer tires are usually closer to all season tires in noise, this Potenza Sport is particularly noisy.
- Vredestein Quatrac Pro
- Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
- Toyo Celsius AS2
- Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen 3
- Bridgestone Weather Control A005
- Michelin CrossClimate 2
- Continental AllSeasonContact
- Bridgestone Potenza Sport Ref
There was quite a spread in rolling resistance, with the AllSeasonContact proving to be the best of the group.
- Continental AllSeasonContact
- Michelin CrossClimate 2
- Bridgestone Weather Control A005
- Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
- Toyo Celsius AS2
- Vredestein Quatrac Pro
- Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen 3
- Bridgestone Potenza Sport Ref
Interestingly all the all season tires were priced between the summer and winter tires.
- Bridgestone Potenza Sport Ref
- Vredestein Quatrac Pro
- Bridgestone Weather Control A005
- Continental AllSeasonContact
- Toyo Celsius AS2
- Michelin CrossClimate 2
- Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen 3
- Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
Results
Very good on snow with a high level of grip and a comparatively wide limit range for an all-season. Very short braking distances dry. Good feedback and high grip in dry corners, good safety reserves.
Slightly longer braking distances in the wet and heavy understeer in wet turns, somewhat reduced aquaplaning safety. Weakly audible howling noise between 50 and 30 km/h (determined when the vehicle coasts from 80 km/h)
Test Winner / Very Good.
| Test |
# |
% |
| Dry Braking |
1st |
100% |
| Dry Handling |
1st |
100% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Wet Braking |
6th |
84.55% |
| Wet Handling |
6th |
92.71% |
| Wet Circle |
6th |
94.37% |
| Straight Aqua |
4th |
94.44% |
| Curved Aquaplaning |
4th |
78.68% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Snow Braking |
2nd |
99.24% |
| Snow Handling |
2nd |
99.58% |
| Snow Slalom |
2nd |
97.71% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Noise |
5th |
98.61% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Price |
5th |
83.65% |
| Rolling Resistance |
2nd |
98.68% |
Moderate grip on snow, but excellent wet grip with very precise and reliable handling. Reliable performance even in the dry. Very quiet on the outside and inside, comfortable.
Slightly longer braking distances on snow, a bit nervous and sensitive to load changes when cornering. High rolling resistance.
Very Good.
| Test |
# |
% |
| Dry Braking |
5th |
88.84% |
| Dry Handling |
3rd |
99.84% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Wet Braking |
1st |
100% |
| Wet Handling |
1st |
100% |
| Wet Circle |
1st |
100% |
| Straight Aqua |
6th |
92.72% |
| Curved Aquaplaning |
6th |
74.81% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Snow Braking |
7th |
84.47% |
| Snow Handling |
7th |
90.81% |
| Snow Slalom |
7th |
87.68% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Price |
1st |
100% |
| Rolling Resistance |
6th |
83.33% |
Very good traction and easy to control driving behavior on snow, cooperates very well with the ASR/ESP/ABS control systems. Quite safe from aquaplaning, good level of grip and safe handling on dry roads, very low rolling resistance.
Sharp traction break, narrow slip zone on snow. Slightly longer braking distances on wet and dry roads.
Very Good.
| Test |
# |
% |
| Dry Braking |
4th |
90.31% |
| Dry Handling |
5th |
99.1% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Wet Braking |
5th |
87.25% |
| Wet Handling |
4th |
95.62% |
| Wet Circle |
3rd |
97.8% |
| Straight Aqua |
2nd |
95.77% |
| Curved Aquaplaning |
2nd |
93.8% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Snow Braking |
3rd |
90.63% |
| Snow Handling |
3rd |
96.45% |
| Snow Slalom |
4th |
91.4% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Noise |
7th |
97.26% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Price |
3rd |
90.16% |
| Rolling Resistance |
1st |
100% |
Quite balanced performance on snow for an all-season, decent grip in the wet, cornering, precise and quite similar to a summer tire in the dry.
Comparatively narrow threshold range on snow, low aquaplaning resistance, faintly audible, humming road noise at low speeds.
Good.
| Test |
# |
% |
| Dry Braking |
2nd |
95.5% |
| Dry Handling |
2nd |
99.92% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Wet Braking |
3rd |
91.49% |
| Wet Handling |
5th |
95.09% |
| Wet Circle |
2nd |
98.29% |
| Straight Aqua |
7th |
90.87% |
| Curved Aquaplaning |
7th |
71.32% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Snow Braking |
5th |
90% |
| Snow Handling |
5th |
94.15% |
| Snow Slalom |
6th |
88.25% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Noise |
5th |
98.61% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Price |
2nd |
95.6% |
| Rolling Resistance |
3rd |
90.36% |
Reference winter tires with better grip due to the system and wider slip and limit areas on snow. Easily manageable even in critical situations. Good wet grip, decent ride comfort.
Significant deficits when driving fast on winding, dry roads. Sluggish steering response, strong understeer. Very weakly perceptible rolling noise inside the vehicle, increased rolling resistance.
| Test |
# |
% |
| Dry Braking |
6th |
88.63% |
| Dry Handling |
7th |
97.88% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Wet Braking |
2nd |
92.05% |
| Wet Handling |
2nd |
97.75% |
| Wet Circle |
5th |
97.55% |
| Straight Aqua |
3rd |
94.58% |
| Curved Aquaplaning |
5th |
78.29% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Snow Braking |
1st |
100% |
| Snow Handling |
1st |
100% |
| Snow Slalom |
1st |
100% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Noise |
2nd |
99.86% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Price |
7th |
72.5% |
| Rolling Resistance |
4th |
87.21% |
Decent grip and agile handling on snow, safer and wider limit area on wet. Very manageable on dry roads, but not very dynamic.
Low reserves for spinning wheels on snow. Not very stable when changing loads in the wet. Longer braking distances on dry asphalt, high rolling resistance.
Good.
| Test |
# |
% |
| Dry Braking |
7th |
87.02% |
| Dry Handling |
6th |
98.94% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Wet Braking |
4th |
89.85% |
| Wet Handling |
3rd |
96.95% |
| Wet Circle |
4th |
97.67% |
| Straight Aqua |
5th |
93.12% |
| Curved Aquaplaning |
3rd |
79.07% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Snow Braking |
4th |
90.31% |
| Snow Handling |
6th |
93.74% |
| Snow Slalom |
3rd |
91.69% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Noise |
4th |
99.16% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Price |
6th |
76.99% |
| Rolling Resistance |
6th |
83.33% |
Acceptable braking and cornering grip on snow. Good balanced performance on dry roads, superior aquaplaning safety.
Inharmonious with too small steering angle and slip reserves handling on snow. Deficits in cornering grip and too long braking distances on a wet road (devaluation). Increased rolling resistance. A bit rumbling, howling road noise at 70-50 km/h.
Fair.
| Test |
# |
% |
| Dry Braking |
3rd |
93.4% |
| Dry Handling |
4th |
99.35% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Wet Braking |
7th |
76.2% |
| Wet Handling |
7th |
90.85% |
| Wet Circle |
7th |
92.78% |
| Straight Aqua |
1st |
100% |
| Curved Aquaplaning |
1st |
100% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Snow Braking |
6th |
86.71% |
| Snow Handling |
4th |
94.36% |
| Snow Slalom |
5th |
88.83% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Noise |
3rd |
99.44% |
| Test |
# |
% |
| Price |
4th |
86.14% |
| Rolling Resistance |
5th |
85.23% |
Interesting. The difference though between the winter and a/s seems frankly negligible. Is there a reason for that - what temperature were the tests conducted at? I have vredstein hitrac a/s on the car currently was considering a winter for a drive through some snowy passes, but based on this data doesn't look like there would be much benefit?
These are European all season tires, which you call all weather tires. They have a lot more snow performance than a US all season
Hey there’s error on this test results. Michellin cross climate 2 has 3pmsf.
You're right, they''re all 3peak
This is a really good test that I’ve been hankering for. Can the top winter tires match all seasons and even a summer tire in similar sizes. I have 235/40/18 tires on a short wheel base Quattro 3.2 TT. A heavy little car, FWD biased and obviously when pushed prefers an under steer balance. My gut says a Vred Wintrac Pro is a better solution than a Bridgestone Weather Control all season, but due to laws on the continent, I need all season or a winter tire. After experiencing the CC2 on my wife’s car year round, I’d rather just get the very very best UHP winter or all season I can buy.
I've fitted a pair of CC2 tires to the rear of my car (front has CC+) in 205/55R16 , this is the first time I've read elsewhere about someone else experiencing a strange noise with them on, but I too get a weird 'whooshing' noise only when coasting on quiet surfaces between ~40-50mph. Weird!
That is an interesting review with known winter and summer references AND temperatures.
It looks like the Quatrac Pro is better in the dry on this size than the 225/45R17 recently tested by Jon. Too bad, because otherwise, it seems the right balance for winter driving on mild climate.
Either the Quatrac Pro is better or the competition is worse in this size. Vred always seem to have done better in tests in bigger sizes, though there's a reason there's not a lot of all season tires in the big sizes, they start becoming too much of a compromise!
This disparity with the different sizes makes me uncertain. My car runs 245/45R18, it seems like it's halfway from the 225 from the other test and this one
It might just be that the better size had a midlife update that wasn't in the other size at time of testing. Only Vred will know.