All-season tires are getting more and more attention from both consumers and testing organizations. There are several reasons for this, but the main one is clear: over the past 10 years, they have made significant advancements and are now a viable alternative to winter tires for mild climates.
Test winner
GoodYear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3
Dimensions: 155/30R14 - 315/70R21
Number of sizes: 126
Number of tests: 5
Show more details ...There are additional reasons why these tires are becoming more popular with drivers. Rising costs of tire changes and the convenience of avoiding two seasonal tire swaps per year—especially during the busy October season before winter—are strong factors. But does this increased comfort and savings come at the cost of worse driving performance? This is surely a question on every driver’s mind when considering the switch.
Test winner
Continental AllSeasonContact 2
Dimensions: 0/0R15 - 285/70R65
Number of sizes: 127
Number of tests: 5
Show more details ...Tested models
There have been several attempts to answer this question in past tests. However, in many cases, all-season tires were simply listed without specifying a model, or winter tires were included in all-season tire tests. This year, Autozeitung decided to conduct a comprehensive test comparing all-season and winter tires directly. Although only three all-season tires were included, these are the best models currently on the market: Bridgestone Turanza Allseason 6, Continental AllSeasonContact 2, and Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3. The only notable absence is the Michelin CrossClimate 2, which is often considered the best all-season tire for snowy conditions and could have provided stronger competition against the winter tire models.
The results
So how did it turn out? If we consider the overall point scores, the all-season tires won decisively. Both the Continental AllSeasonContact 2 and Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 scored 401 points, while the best winter tire in the test, the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005, scored 382 points.
Best winter tyre
Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005
Dimensions: 155/30R14 - 315/70R22
Number of sizes: 184
Number of tests: 5
Show more details ...
Snow results
Let’s dive into why this happened. The results on snow are especially interesting—newer all-season models have made significant improvements compared to previous generations. That being said, it’s worth noting that the allseason tyre Bridgestone Turanza Allseason 6 was still the worst-performing tire in the snow category. But other allseason tyre scored very well and what is interesting is the result of the two Continental tyres in the test – surprisingly, the Continental AllSeasonContact 2 scored higher on snow than its winter variant, the TS870P, due to better traction and lateral grip.
The key takeaway from the snow results is that winter tires should have a significant lead in this category to have a chance at an overall win, which they clearly do not. Why is this? The difference in tread patterns between winter and all-season tires is no longer as large as it used to be. Winter tires now also prioritize wet performance and resistance to aquaplaning, which has made them more similar to all-season tires. Conversely, all-season tires typically use a directional V-shaped tread pattern similar to winter tires. The most noticeable difference lies in the number of sipes, which are more abundant in winter tires to help with traction on snow and ice. However, nearly all all-season tires now feature aggressive V-shaped tread patterns that provide high traction on snow while still effectively evacuating water, even with a more summer-leaning tread compound.
Wet results
On wet surfaces, surprisingly, a winter tire took first place, but it’s just the exception that proves the rule. The winter tyre Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005 has long been recognized as a wet-weather expert in tests. However, the second, third, and fourth places went to all-season tires, with Bridgestone once again at the top. The main weakness of winter tires in this test was their braking distance and overall safety, which was judged subjectively on the test track.
Dry results
In dry conditions, the results were as expected. Winter tires, due to their compound, simply cannot compete, especially when rolling resistance and noise are taken into account. Winter tires held their ground in handling and slalom tests, but when it came to braking, safety, and rolling resistance, the all-season tires outperformed them by a wide margin.
How to Interpret the Results
What might seem like a resounding defeat for winter tires is not necessarily the case. It’s important to note that summer tires perform much better than all-season tires in summer conditions, as confirmed by many other tests. For example, in the latest all-season tire test by Autobild, the summer tire stopped nearly 5 meters earlier from 80 km/h compared to the Bridgestone Turanza AllSeason 6, which is considered one of the best all-season tires in wet conditions. This is due to the fact that all-season tires do not differ much from winter tires. If you expect sportier driving characteristics from your car in the summer, all-season tires may not be the right choice, at least for the summer season. The key takeaway from this test is that all-season tires can compete well with winter tires during the winter months. For drivers living in climates where snow is rare, all-season tires are a very suitable alternative to winter tires, as they will mostly be driving in wet conditions, which is where all-season tires perform better than winter tires.