Test Summary | |
Wet Braking | Reference Summer |
Dry Braking | Reference Winter |
Wet Handling | Reference Winter |
Wear | Nexen N Blue 4 Season |
Rolling Resistance | Continental AllSeasonContact |
Straight Aqua | Nexen N Blue 4 Season |
Snow Braking | Michelin CrossClimate |
Snow Handling | Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2 |
When looking at the results of this test from a UK view point, ADAC have put more weighting on the snow and ice performance than we would for UK specific driving.
Dry running takes 15% of the overall weighting, wet 30%, snow 20%, ice 20%, noise 5%, fuel consumption 10% and wear 10%. Snow and ice performance is a lot more important for European climates that see plenty of snow fall, but for the UK dry and wet grip should take a higher priority as that's where most of our miles are done.
Unfortunately ADAC don't release the data from their tests, so we don't know how close the results were in raw figures, but the Nexen N'Blue 4Season has a well deserved win with a very well balanced performance in all categories. The new Continental AllSeasonContact finishes a strong second place, thanks again largely down to a well balanced performance, and the well regarded Goodyear Vector 4Season Gen-2 takes third place, proving to be the best tyre in the wet.
Even the best all season tyres on test couldn't earn the ADAC "highly recommended" label, with the testers preferring the combination of a dedicated summer / winter tyre pairing. This was due to the all season tyres being weaker than a dedicated summer tyre in the dry, and not as good as the winter tyre in snow / ice - again this is more of a consideration for parts of Europe which have larger amounts of snowfall than the majority of the UK.
Wondering what tyre type is best for you? Give this video a watch to help you decide!
Results
1st: Nexen N Blue 4 Season | |
| Good in the wet, top marks on ice. Slightly weaker than the best tyres in the dry. Read Reviews Buy from £56.47 |
2nd: Continental AllSeasonContact | |
| Good in the wet and on snow covered roads. Weak in the dry. Read Reviews Buy from £66.58 |
3rd: Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2 | |
| Best in the wet, low wear. Relatively weak in the dry and on snow. Read Reviews |
4th: Nokian WeatherProof | |
| Best in the snow, good in the wet, relatively low wear. Weak in the dry. Read Reviews |
5th: Firestone MultiSeason | |
| Low fuel consumption. Weak in the dry and wet, noisy. Read Reviews |
6th: Maxxis All Season AP2 | |
| None mentioned. Weak in the snow and the dry. Read Reviews |
7th: Vredestein Quatrac 5 | |
| Top marks in the dry, low fuel consumption. Weak on snow. Read Reviews Buy from £75.99 |
8th: Hankook Kinergy 4S | |
| Low wear. Weak in the snow and on wet roads. Read Reviews |
9th: Michelin CrossClimate | |
| Lowest wear on test, good in the dry and on icy roads. Weak on snow. Read Reviews |