Die Reifentester and Autoflotte compared eight officially ranked all-season tyres in 225/40 R18, using a 300 PS, 400 Nm Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport. Pirelli’s Cinturato All Season SF3 secured victory with 806 points, only five ahead of the new Goodyear Vector All Season 4 on 801. Both received a “very good” verdict.
The programme combined dry and wet work at the Goodyear proving ground in Mireval, France, with snow testing at the Arctic Center in Ivalo, Finland. Dry and wet disciplines contributed 70 percent of the official total, while snow supplied the remaining 30 percent. Braking was measured from 100 km/h on dry asphalt, 80 km/h in the wet and 50 km/h on snow at about -10 C.
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Pirelli wins a close contest
Pirelli established the shortest dry braking distance at 36.8 metres and led longitudinal aquaplaning at 90.7 km/h. Its 31.1-metre wet stop was also competitive, helping it reach 806 points and first place despite snow figures that did not lead the field.
Goodyear finished second with 801 points. It recorded the highest wet-handling score of 85 points, the highest dry-handling score of 83 and the second-shortest wet braking result at 30.9 metres. Its snow package was strong too: 27.0 metres in braking, 2,304 N in traction and 79 handling points. Pirelli’s five-point advantage nevertheless decided the overall result.
The official ranking
- 1. Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF3 — 806 points, very good.
- 2. Goodyear Vector All Season 4 — 801 points, very good.
- 3. Michelin CrossClimate 3 — 775 points, good.
- 4. Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6 — 768 points, good.
- 4. Hankook Kinergy 4S2 — 768 points, good.
- 6. Nokian Seasonproof 2 — 762 points, good.
- 7. Continental AllSeasonContact 2 — 758 points, good.
- 8. Kumho Solus 4S HA32+ — 748 points, satisfactory.
Michelin’s CrossClimate 3 claimed official third with 775 points. Bridgestone and Hankook then shared fourth place on exactly 768 points, so the next position was rank six rather than fifth. Nokian occupied that sixth position with 762 points, followed by Continental on 758 and Kumho on 748.
Different strengths behind the totals
The official Michelin CrossClimate 3 produced the shortest snow braking distance, stopping in 26.3 metres, and matched Goodyear’s 79 snow-handling points. Nokian led wet braking at 30.3 metres, while Hankook followed at 30.7 metres. Bridgestone’s 37.7-metre dry stop was second only to Pirelli among the officially ranked tyres.
Continental achieved the joint-highest interior-noise score of 81 points alongside its 81-point comfort result, but its 81.3 km/h longitudinal aquaplaning speed trailed most of the field. Kumho earned 79 wet-handling points, yet its 41.5-metre dry braking distance and aquaplaning results of 80.0 km/h longitudinally and 2.15 m/s2 laterally limited its total.
The unranked guest
The Michelin CrossClimate 3 Sport participated only as a guest outside the official ranking. It scored 780 points, but that total does not make it the official third-place tyre. Its individual results included 38.1 metres in dry braking, 30.5 metres in wet braking and the highest recorded snow traction figure of 2,323 N.
Sources and video
Read the Autoflotte test report and the published results summary. The test is also covered in the official video.
Tirelab verdict
This was a narrow win built on Pirelli’s dry braking and aquaplaning performance, with Goodyear only five points behind after strong handling and snow results. The broader table shows distinct compromises rather than one tyre leading every discipline: Michelin led official snow braking, Nokian wet braking and Pirelli dry braking. The official order remains decisive, including the fourth-place tie and the resulting jump directly to sixth.