2024 All Season Tyre Test from Tyre Reviews
The Tyre Reviews portal tested all-season tires of size 235/35 R19 using a Volkswagen Golf GTI on snow, ice, wet and dry asphalt, comparing their results with winter and summer tires. The tests involved Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6, Continental AllSeasonContact 2, Michelin CrossClimate 2, Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF 3, and Vredestein Quatrac Pro+, and as a budget tire, Grenlander Greenwing A/S from the Chinese company ZODO Tire was taken.
On snow, the best handling was provided by Michelin, which "felt like winter tires," while Pirelli and Continental also had good results, as did the cheap Grenlander, which had high grip but slightly slower reactions to driver actions. The Bridgestone and Vredestein lagged behind, lacking traction, and summer tires clearly lost to "all-season" tires, and the car got stuck on a small climb.
On ice, all-season tires are usually not tested, as traction in such conditions is not a priority in their development, but their results are all the more interesting. Michelin showed very good results, and Grenlander had such a good result that Jonathan Benson, the creator of TR, had the assumption that the Chinese simply combined a "winter" compound with an "all-season" tread pattern.
The braking distance was also measured, and here Grenlander was able to surpass the winter tire.
The most difficult thing in creating all-season tires is ensuring a balance of characteristics on different types of surfaces, and tests on wet asphalt showed that ZODO failed to do this, as Grenlander's results were "exceptionally poor". In handling tests, Michelin also lagged behind its competitors, and the other four tires were very close to each other. According to Benson, Bridgestone stood out for their stability and predictability, Pirelli had high grip on entry into a turn, but they slowly returned grip after the start of skidding, while Vredestein had slightly slower reactions, and Continental had a less sporty character than Bridgestone or Pirelli.
The braking distances of the tires on wet surfaces differed significantly, and Pirelli was the clear leader, while Grenlander's results raised concerns from a safety point of view, and they also had reduced aquaplaning resistance.
On dry asphalt, Grenlander again confidently occupied the last places in the rating, including due to low stability during steering, while Michelin and Vredestein had decent performance, but for sports driving, they can hardly be recommended. Bridgestone was able to surprise, approaching summer tires in the handling test thanks to excellent grip level (although a small dead zone on the steering wheel was noted).
The quietest tires were recognized as Michelin and Vredestein, while Bridgestone had slightly increased noise, but overall, the results of all tires did not differ significantly. In terms of comfort, Pirelli and Continental received the highest ratings, effectively absorbing vibrations when driving over small and large obstacles.
Finally, in the rolling resistance test, Michelin took first place, followed closely by Pirelli, and Vredestein was the worst in this regard.
The Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF 3 tire took the first place in the entire test, combining good grip in all conditions with a high level of comfort and fuel efficiency, i.e., possessing an impressive balance of parameters. According to Benson, the company is actively developing its lineup for the secondary market, including SF series tires, and "it was worth it".
The second place was shared between Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6, Continental AllSeasonContact 2, and Michelin CrossClimate 2. The first tire is recommended for those who live in a warm climate, as it was the best among competitors on dry surfaces, and the grip on snow was average (and the tires also had a relatively hard ride and increased rolling resistance), while Continental had no serious drawbacks, and Michelin is well suited for those who often drive on snowy roads in winter (although for northern winters, they are not recommended). Michelin also stands out for its low noise and rolling resistance, but the grip on wet surfaces was not as good as that of the best tires in this parameter.
Vredestein Quatrac Pro+ showed good results on wet and dry asphalt, and in winter conditions, they had average results, but they also had to compete with more expensive premium-class tires. As for the budget Grenlander Greenwing A/S, they work perfectly on snow and, especially, on ice, but that's where their advantages end. On dry surfaces, the grip is low, and on wet surfaces, it's "awfully weak" - 45% worse than the best tires. Grenlander also had the worst aquaplaning resistance and not the best comfort, as well as relatively high rolling resistance. "This is an all-season tire that only works in the most difficult winter conditions, and I think that the manufacturer simply took a cheap soft 'winter' compound and wrote All Season on the sidewall to try to sell some tires," Benson noted. "You shouldn't do it that way".
Source: Tyre Reviews.