2026 AMS All Season Tire Test - 195/55 R16

+The Continental AllSeasonContact 2 is the most complete tire here once the roads are simply wet or dry. It was the fastest round both the wet and the dry handling courses, held the most lateral grip on the wet circle, and took the highest subjective wet score from the test drivers, who found it steady and easy to place. Wet braking was among the shortest in the test, and it has the lowest rolling resistance of the nine, which is why the testers single it out for small electric cars.

−Standing water is the Continental's weak point. It sat near the back of the field on both the straight and the curved aquaplaning tests, and the drivers reported a rubbing feel from the front axle once the car was pushed to the cornering limit. Snow is adequate rather than strong: traction on packed snow was second lowest here and the snow handling lap was one of the slower ones, and dry braking falls into the lower half of the field.

+The Vredestein Quatrac produced the shortest wet braking distance in the test and backed it up with the second fastest wet handling lap and the second highest subjective wet score, so its wet performance is genuine rather than a single good run. It was also the second fastest tire round the dry handling course, and the drivers rated it agile in steering yet stable through quick avoidance maneuvers. On snow it is solidly mid-field in every test rather than weak anywhere.

−Dry braking is the Quatrac's clear weakness, sitting second from last in the test. Comfort is the other soft spot: it took one of the lower ride scores, with the testers pointing at limited self-damping, and it is towards the noisier end of the field on external noise. Aquaplaning resistance is mid-pack rather than a strength.

+The Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF3 is the winter specialist of this group. It generated the most traction on packed snow, set the second fastest snow handling lap and shared the highest subjective snow score, so it is quick and confidence-inspiring in the conditions all-season tires are bought for. It is also the best tire here in deep water, topping the straight aquaplaning test and finishing second in the curved test, and it stopped shortest of all nine on dry tarmac.

−The Pirelli pays for that winter ability at the pump. Its rolling resistance is second highest in the test, which costs fuel or range, and it took one of the lower ride comfort scores. On merely wet tarmac it is unremarkable, with mid-field braking and a mid-field handling lap, and dry handling speed and snow slalom grip both sit near the bottom of the field.

+The Nokian Seasonproof 2 set the fastest snow handling lap in the test, produced the second highest snow traction and shared the highest subjective snow score, so it is a strong winter performer. It is also the best tire here in curved aquaplaning and second best in the straight test, a rare combination with that level of snow ability. The drivers gave it the highest subjective dry handling score of the nine and one of the best steering response scores, and it is among the quietest tires in the test.

−For all its ability in deep water, the Nokian is the weakest tire here on merely wet tarmac. It generated the least lateral grip of the nine on the wet circle, took one of the lowest subjective wet scores and was near the back on wet handling speed, with wet braking in the lower half of the field. Snow braking is only mid-field too, so its winter strength is in traction and pace rather than stopping.

+The Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6 is the dry-road tire of this test. It stopped second shortest on dry tarmac, shared the highest subjective steering response score of the nine and took the highest ride comfort score, and its rolling resistance is second lowest here. On wet roads it is respectable rather than weak, with a mid-field handling lap and a good subjective wet score, and it was third best in curved aquaplaning.

−Snow is where the Bridgestone falls away. It was last of all nine in snow braking, last in snow traction and last for lateral grip in the snow slalom, with a low subjective snow score to match, so three of the five snow tests end with this tire at the bottom. It is also the second loudest tire in the test on external noise, and the drivers noted it can be sensitive to lifting off mid-corner on dry roads.

+The Uniroyal AllSeasonExpert 3 is the cheapest tire in the test and still stopped third shortest on wet tarmac, with the third fastest wet handling lap behind only the top two. It was also third fastest round the snow handling course, and the drivers found it consistently safe and predictable rather than sharp. Ride comfort scored above the middle of the field.

−Dry braking is the Uniroyal's real problem: it needed the longest distance of any tire in the test, and by the largest single step in that chart. Aquaplaning is the other weak area, with poor results in both the straight and the curved test, and the drivers described a rear that goes light in fast lane changes. Everything else it does, it does at a slightly lower level than the tires above it, and it responds slowly.

+The Hankook Kinergy 4S2 recorded the shortest snow braking distance in the test and generated the most lateral grip of any tire in the snow slalom, so its static grip on snow is the best here. It also ran the third fastest dry handling lap and took strong subjective scores for dry handling and steering response, making it one of the more satisfying tires to drive on dry roads.

−The Hankook's snow grip does not carry over into dynamic snow driving: it was the slowest tire of all nine round the snow handling course and took the lowest subjective snow score, with the drivers reporting heavy understeer once it was asked to change direction. Wet performance is in the bottom third for braking and handling alike, and it has both the highest rolling resistance and the highest external noise in the test, with a firm ride to go with it.

+The Kleber Quadraxer 3 is, with the Nokian, the quietest tire in this test on external noise, and one of the better ones on snow, stopping second shortest of the nine and producing the third highest traction on packed snow. It also placed third in straight-line aquaplaning and stopped fourth shortest on dry tarmac, and the drivers found its behavior forgiving and easy to read.

−Wet roads undo the Kleber. It was last of all nine on wet handling both against the clock and in the drivers' scoring, and its wet braking distance is second longest in the test. It was also joint slowest round the dry handling course and took the lowest steering response score of the nine, with the testers describing strong understeer, little in reserve and weak feedback through corners.

+The Falken Euroall Season AS220 Pro held the second highest lateral grip of the nine in the snow slalom and took a good subjective snow score, and it stopped third shortest on dry tarmac. Rolling resistance is among the lowest in the test, so it is one of the more efficient tires here, and the drivers found its snow behavior secure and easy to control.

−The Falken has the longest wet braking distance in the test and was last of all nine in both the straight and the curved aquaplaning tests, so its weakness is water in every form. It also took the lowest ride comfort score of the group by a clear margin, with the testers noting audible road noise inside the car, and its dry handling lap is near the bottom of the field.