Premium Touring Tire Tests

I've performed the world's first test of the new Michelin CrossClimate 3 and CrossClimate 3 Sport all season tires, putting them up against two of the leading competitors, the multiple test winning Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF3 and the excellent dry and wet focused Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6.

As always I've tested them in the dry, wet, noise and comfort, and I have rolling resistance and snow data to show you exactly how the two new Michelins compare to some of the best competition in the segment.

The German motor club ADAC is at the very peak of tire testing, so any new test of theirs is extremely exciting. For 2025 ADAC has tested popular all season tires in the common 225/45 R17 size, and included a wear test and a real world economy test. Sadly this test was started before the introduction of the CrossClimate 3.

Even with ADAC's rather unique way of testing, the winners are not a surprise, with Goodyear, Continental and Pirelli taking the top spots. The most interesting piece of data was the wear result of the Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF3 - all but matching the Michelin CrossClimate 2 and beating the Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6, but none of the leading tires could get close to the Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 impressive wear results.

Auto Bild's 2025 All Season Camper Van Tire Test evaluated 9 all-season tires in size 245/45 R18, alongside reference summer and winter tires. The test revealed significant performance differences across the all-season field, with gaps of up to 9.7 meters in wet braking and 12.4 km/h in aquaplaning resistance. While the best all-season tires approached or exceeded the reference tires in certain conditions, the results highlight the importance of choosing quality products within the all-season category.

Michelin has just unveiled not one but two exciting new additions to their all-season tire lineup: the CrossClimate 3 and the all-new CrossClimate 3 Sport. While the CrossClimate 3 represents an evolution of the much loved CrossClimate 2, the CrossClimate 3 Sport is a completely new offering aimed at drivers of sportier vehicles who still want all-season versatility.

Having spent a week testing both new tires alongside the CrossClimate 2, I can explain how these new models perform, and what improvements Michelin has made to their already impressive all-season range.

Nokian have just announced the Nokian SeasonProof 2, the first tire from their new, state of the art factory in Europe. They are hopeful this will finally be the tire that brings them to the front of the all season market, so of course I had to test it!

In this test, I will be testing seven of the best all season tires in the popular 235/55 R18 tire size. As these are all season tires, I will be testing them in all seasons, covering the dry, wet and snow performance of these tires, and testing the noise, comfort and rolling resistance levels of the tires to help you make the most informed choice for your own driving needs.

Car and Driver recently put five all-weather tires to test to find the best option for drivers who want to run one set of rubber year-round. Using a BMW 330i xDrive for dry and wet testing at Tire Rack's South Bend facility and a Genesis G70 for snow evaluations at Michigan's Keweenaw Research Center, the magazine teamed up with expert drivers to collect objective performance data and subjective impressions across multiple driving scenarios.

In their latest tire test, Teknikens Värld magazine has put eight leading SUV tires through their paces. Using the popular Volvo XC60 as their test platform with the increasingly common 235/55 R19 tire size, the Swedish publication's experienced test team subjected each tire to a battery of challenges ranging from emergency braking and handling to comfort and fuel efficiency assessments.

AutoBild has recently conducted an on and off-road tire test of ten SUV tires in size 255/55 R18, evaluating their performance on both asphalt and in off-road conditions. The test included premium brands like Pirelli, Bridgestone, Michelin, Falken, Vredestein and Kumho, alongside budget options from Triangle and Hifly.

The testing was split into three main categories: on-road wet performance, on-road dry performance, and off-road capability across various terrains including grass, sand, gravel, and loose stone surfaces. 

The Italian newspaper al Volante has just published a tire test with both the new Pirelli Cinturato C3 AND the Michelin Primacy 5!

The test was somewhat limited, for example there was no dry handling, but it gives a good overview of the new tires relative performance.

Every year there's a tire test that makes me stop and wonder how they got to their conclusion, and this year that award goes to the UTAC / Aftonbladet summer tire test.

As a bit of scene setting, Aftonbladet is a Scandinavian newspaper, so UTAC, who performed the testing, focused on the cold weather ability of the tires, which is something I love. However, they did make some interesting statements, and ended up with some interesting findings. In total they tested 14 tires, 10 summer and 4 European spec all season tires, all in 225/45 R17.

In their latest tire test, Motor magazine has taken a unique approach to evaluating summer tires, focusing on models that combine energy efficiency with high performance. The test specifically targeted tires with the lowest rolling resistance ratings, examining whether fuel-saving characteristics would compromise grip and safety features.

The testing team selected seven tires in the popular 205/55 R16 size, a dimension commonly found on vehicles ranging from the Audi A3 to the Volvo V70. Six of the tested models carried the EU label's top "A" rating for both rolling resistance and wet grip, while the seventh tire (Prinx XLAB Comfort EV) featured an "A" rating for rolling resistance but a "B" for wet grip.

Auto Motor Und Sport always pushes traditional tire testing in new directions, and this years summer tire test has a new twist - sustainability. The test focused on the 215/55 R17 size, suitable for midsize sedans, station wagons, and compact SUVs, with particular attention paid to tires achieving at least a "B" rating for rolling resistance on the EU tire label.

Finnish magazine Moottori tested eight mid-range summer tires in size 205/55 R16. They ran the tires through wet and dry braking tests, handling circuits, aquaplaning resistance, and measured noise levels and rolling resistance. The test showed clear differences in grip levels, with Nokian's Hakka Blue 3 taking the top spot over BF Goodrich Advantage DT1 and Hankook Ventus Prime 4.

There's a new comfort bias summer tire to market, the Pirelli Cinturato C3! To see how good the new tire really is, I've tested it against some of its key rivals from Michelin and Continental. I've also added some new tires I've not tested before. 

As usual, all the tires in this test will be tested in the dry and wet, and I'll be assessing the comfort, noise, and rolling resistance (energy use) of the tires to give you a complete overview of which tire is best.

The all weather category of tires is quickly growing in popularity, as a tire that can be used in all weathers is a big advantage for people living in snowy climates, it saves changing tires twice a year between an all season and a winter product.

To find out which of these new all weather category tires is best, I have tested them in the dry, wet, snow and ice to give you a really good overview of their abilities, and also looked into the the rolling resistance, comfort, noise levels and value, to find out which tire is best in all conditions.

THIS DATA IS BASED ON INTERNAL MICHELIN TESTING.

Now that's clearly out of the way, I think it's quite an interesting datapoint. I'm confident the data will be good as when companies put competitor data in the public eye, they risk being sued over it, so they triple check everything is fair.

Vi Bilägare has completed their latest winter tire test, evaluating seven dedicated Nordic friction tires and one all-season tire in size 225/45 R17. The reigning champion, Continental VikingContact 7, has been replaced by the VikingContact 8, which is tested against competitors from Goodyear, Michelin, Nokian, and Hankook. The test also included two budget tires, Radar and Greenmax.

The excellent magazine Vi Bilagare tested seven studded tires and one friction (non-studded) winter tire - the Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5. Testing was conducted in various locations across Finland and Sweden, using a Volkswagen Golf for most tests.

Below is the data from the Sport Auto all season tire test. Their test vehicle was a sporty Hyundai i20N, and they included named reference summer and winter tires, which is always nice (even if the summer tire was the Asymmetric 3, a tire originally launched over 10 years ago!)

Another key point is that the wet tests were done at cold conditions, "significantly below ten degrees", and around 7c for wet braking. Many of the all season tires out performed the summer tire, however as the summer tire is not current it's hard to say whether a modern summer tire would have performed better.

These are the result from 2024 Auto Express All Season Tire Test.