2019 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test

Test Size: 225/45 R17
Tyres Tested: 12 tyres
Test Categories:
5 categories (12 tests)
Similar Tests

Test Category Best Performer Worst Performer Difference
Dry (2 tests)
Dry Braking Maxxis Premitra All Season AP3: 39.5 M Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2: 44.4 M4.9 M (11.0%)
Dry Handling Michelin CrossClimate Plus: 85.7 Km/H Cooper Discoverer All Season: 82.5 Km/H3.2 Km/H (3.9%)
Wet (3 tests)
Wet Braking Bridgestone Weather Control A005: 46.3 M Cooper Discoverer All Season: 52.6 M6.3 M (12.0%)
Wet Handling Vredestein Quatrac Pro: 72.6 Km/H Cooper Discoverer All Season: 66.2 Km/H6.4 Km/H (9.7%)
Straight Aqua Maxxis Premitra All Season AP3: 74.3 Km/H Continental AllSeasonContact: 68.9 Km/H5.4 Km/H (7.8%)
Snow (2 tests)
Snow Braking Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2: 23.6 M Bridgestone Weather Control A005: 27.1 M3.5 M (12.9%)
Snow Handling Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2: 56.9 Km/H Bridgestone Weather Control A005: 54.8 Km/H2.1 Km/H (3.8%)
Comfort (1 tests)
Noise Nexen N Blue 4 Season: 71.3 dB Michelin CrossClimate Plus: 73.7 dB2.4 dB (3.3%)
Value (4 tests)
Wear Michelin CrossClimate Plus: 70800 KM Bridgestone Weather Control A005: 39000 KM31,800.0 KM (81.5%)
Value Nexen N Blue 4 Season: 5.34 Price/1000 Bridgestone Weather Control A005: 10.26 Price/10004.9 Price/1000 (48.0%)
Price Nexen N Blue 4 Season: 320 Michelin CrossClimate Plus: 450 130.0 (28.9%)
Rolling Resistance Bridgestone Weather Control A005: 8.45 kg / t Nexen N Blue 4 Season: 11.02 kg / t2.6 kg / t (23.3%)
For the first time in 2020, Tyre Reviews will be performing its own all season tyre test, but until then, the Auto Bild all season tyre test is the best you can get! Testing ten sets of all season tyres in 225/45 R17 using a BMW 1 Series, and including a summer and winter tyre as reference, Auto Bild have done as thorough a job as ever for their 2019 all season tyre test.

The most notable performances follow the trends other tests have shown during 2019. The new Bridgestone WeatherControl A005 couldn't deliver on the foundations laid by the strong wet and dry braking performance in the shootout test, finishing ninth overall due to a very average snow performance, but more importantly for UK drivers, very high wear.

The Vredestein Quatrac Pro again impressed, beating the established excellent all season tyres from Goodyear and Continental to second place, with a sporty handling feel in all conditions, coupled with good dry and wet grip.

It's no surprise that the Michelin CrossClimate+ won another test, but it was a surprise the "summer optimised" all season tyre from the French manufacturer was second in snow handling. Apparently, it is now a tyre that can do everything.

As this is a German tyre test, they put more weighting on snow performance than we perhaps would in the UK, however the top four places are all excellent all season tyres, with the Goodyear the best if you expect to experience a lot of snow and ice, and the other three patterns having slightly different blends of dry, wet and snow performances.

As always, check out all the glorious data below to decide which tyre is the best for your own personal driving circumstances.

Dry

Due to very strong performances by the new comers from Maxxis and Bridgestone, the usual dry weather braking king, the Michelin CrossClimate+ had to settle for third overall. As usual, all ten all season tyres struggled to match the reference summer tyre, with the Goodyear Vector 4Season Gen-2 the worst of the all seasons, tying with the reference winter tyre.

Michelin asserted it's dry dominance during dry handling, with the Vredestein Quatrac Pro the best of the rest. Both tyres were reported to have a sporty handling feel when compared to other all season tyres on test.

Wet

The wet braking test showed the summer tyre having an even bigger advantage. The Bridgestone A005 continued its run of excellent wet braking results to stop the car ahead of all the other all season tyres, and the new Vredestein Quatrac Pro again impressed.

The Vredestein Quatrac Pro was the only all season tyre to beat the summer tyre during wet handling, with the Continental, Michelin, Goodyear and Bridgestone all closely matched.

Dry braking and aquaplaning are often opposing qualities, so it was surprising Maxxis also won the aquaplaning testing! Vredestein, Michelin and Continental were the worst in testing, which highlights the deemphasis of aquaplaning results in new premium designs.

Snow

 The winter reference tyre had a narrow advantage over the best all season tyres, with the summer reference tyre performing as expected.

Goodyear again won the snow handling test, with a surprisingly strong second placed for the dry-optimised Michelin CrossClimate+. 

Value

It's no surprise Michelin won the wear testing, the French manufacturer consistently has the best wearing tyres in the market. Continental again prove they've fixed their wear issues with the latest generation of products, wearing nearly as well as the Michelin, and proving better value overall thanks to a lower purchase price.

The cheaper tyres on test had the best mileage / purchase price balance, with the Continental, Michelin and Goodyear performing well.

Environment

The Bridgestone and Continental had very low rolling resistance results.

Nexen had a significant advantage in external noise testing.

Results

1st: Michelin CrossClimate+

Michelin CrossClimate Plus
  • 225/45 R17
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking3rd39.9 M39.5 M+0.4 M99%
Dry Handling1st85.7 Km/H100%
Wet Braking4th48.6 M46.3 M+2.3 M95.27%
Wet Handling3rd71 Km/H72.6 Km/H-1.6 Km/H97.8%
Straight Aqua9th70 Km/H74.3 Km/H-4.3 Km/H94.21%
Snow Braking5th25.4 M23.6 M+1.8 M92.91%
Snow Handling2nd56.7 Km/H56.9 Km/H-0.2 Km/H99.65%
Noise10th73.7 dB71.3 dB+2.4 dB96.74%
Wear1st70800 KM100%
Value4th6.36 Price/10005.34 Price/1000+1.02 Price/100083.96%
Price10th450 320 +130 71.11%
Rolling Resistance4th9.38 kg / t8.45 kg / t+0.93 kg / t90.09%
Convincing all round performance with sporty driving characteristics in all conditions. Precise steering, short wet and dry braking, lowest wear and good comfort.
None mentioned.
Test winner.

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2nd: Vredestein Quatrac Pro

Vredestein Quatrac Pro
  • 225/45 R17
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking8th42.9 M39.5 M+3.4 M92.07%
Dry Handling2nd85.1 Km/H85.7 Km/H-0.6 Km/H99.3%
Wet Braking2nd46.5 M46.3 M+0.2 M99.57%
Wet Handling1st72.6 Km/H100%
Straight Aqua8th70.4 Km/H74.3 Km/H-3.9 Km/H94.75%
Snow Braking4th24.9 M23.6 M+1.3 M94.78%
Snow Handling6th55.9 Km/H56.9 Km/H-1 Km/H98.24%
Noise5th72.1 dB71.3 dB+0.8 dB98.89%
Wear6th52000 KM70800 KM-18800 KM73.45%
Value8th7.21 Price/10005.34 Price/1000+1.87 Price/100074.06%
Price6th375 320 +55 85.33%
Rolling Resistance6th9.86 kg / t8.45 kg / t+1.41 kg / t85.7%
Excellent year round tyres with impressive qualities on ice and snow, sport handling on wet and dry roads, precise steering response with good feedback, short braking distances in the wet.
Average wear.
Exemplary.

Read Reviews    Buy from £92.47

3rd: Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2

Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2
  • 225/45 R17
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking10th44.4 M39.5 M+4.9 M88.96%
Dry Handling8th83.3 Km/H85.7 Km/H-2.4 Km/H97.2%
Wet Braking3rd47.5 M46.3 M+1.2 M97.47%
Wet Handling4th70.9 Km/H72.6 Km/H-1.7 Km/H97.66%
Straight Aqua3rd72.9 Km/H74.3 Km/H-1.4 Km/H98.12%
Snow Braking1st23.6 M100%
Snow Handling1st56.9 Km/H100%
Noise4th72 dB71.3 dB+0.7 dB99.03%
Wear3rd64100 KM70800 KM-6700 KM90.54%
Value5th6.4 Price/10005.34 Price/1000+1.06 Price/100083.44%
Price8th410 320 +90 78.05%
Rolling Resistance3rd9.35 kg / t8.45 kg / t+0.9 kg / t90.37%
An excellent all season tyre with strong winter characteristics, safe handling and a good balance int he wet, good comfort, good mileage, good price to wear ratio.
Slow steering in the dry.
Good.

Read Reviews    Buy from £108.86

4th: Continental AllSeasonContact

Continental AllSeasonContact
  • 225/45 R17
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking7th42.6 M39.5 M+3.1 M92.72%
Dry Handling4th84.4 Km/H85.7 Km/H-1.3 Km/H98.48%
Wet Braking6th49.9 M46.3 M+3.6 M92.79%
Wet Handling2nd71.2 Km/H72.6 Km/H-1.4 Km/H98.07%
Straight Aqua10th68.9 Km/H74.3 Km/H-5.4 Km/H92.73%
Snow Braking2nd24.2 M23.6 M+0.6 M97.52%
Snow Handling5th56 Km/H56.9 Km/H-0.9 Km/H98.42%
Noise7th72.7 dB71.3 dB+1.4 dB98.07%
Wear2nd67700 KM70800 KM-3100 KM95.62%
Value3rd6.35 Price/10005.34 Price/1000+1.01 Price/100084.09%
Price9th430 320 +110 74.42%
Rolling Resistance2nd8.64 kg / t8.45 kg / t+0.19 kg / t97.8%
A balanced all season tyre with sporty wet handling, low wear, short braking distances and stable cornering on ice and snow, good price / performance ratio, low rolling resistance.
Slightly extended wet braking.
Good.

Read Reviews    Buy from £105.79

5th: Hankook Kinergy 4S2

Hankook Kinergy 4S2
  • 225/45 R17
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking5th42 M39.5 M+2.5 M94.05%
Dry Handling3rd84.6 Km/H85.7 Km/H-1.1 Km/H98.72%
Wet Braking8th50.8 M46.3 M+4.5 M91.14%
Wet Handling6th70.6 Km/H72.6 Km/H-2 Km/H97.25%
Straight Aqua4th72.2 Km/H74.3 Km/H-2.1 Km/H97.17%
Snow Braking3rd24.8 M23.6 M+1.2 M95.16%
Snow Handling3rd56.6 Km/H56.9 Km/H-0.3 Km/H99.47%
Noise8th72.8 dB71.3 dB+1.5 dB97.94%
Wear7th50500 KM70800 KM-20300 KM71.33%
Value7th6.93 Price/10005.34 Price/1000+1.59 Price/100077.06%
Price3rd350 320 +30 91.43%
Rolling Resistance5th9.47 kg / t8.45 kg / t+1.02 kg / t89.23%
Strong winter performance, good traction and dynamic handling on snow, good aquaplaning safety, good wet and dry handling, good price to performance ratio.
Slightly extended wet braking.
Good.

Read Reviews    Buy from £98.45

6th: Nexen N Blue 4 Season

Nexen N Blue 4 Season
  • 225/45 R17
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking6th42.3 M39.5 M+2.8 M93.38%
Dry Handling7th83.4 Km/H85.7 Km/H-2.3 Km/H97.32%
Wet Braking7th50.4 M46.3 M+4.1 M91.87%
Wet Handling7th70 Km/H72.6 Km/H-2.6 Km/H96.42%
Straight Aqua6th71 Km/H74.3 Km/H-3.3 Km/H95.56%
Snow Braking8th25.7 M23.6 M+2.1 M91.83%
Snow Handling4th56.1 Km/H56.9 Km/H-0.8 Km/H98.59%
Noise1st71.3 dB100%
Wear4th59900 KM70800 KM-10900 KM84.6%
Value1st5.34 Price/1000100%
Price1st320 100%
Rolling Resistance10th11.02 kg / t8.45 kg / t+2.57 kg / t76.68%
Low priced all season tyres with a safe balance in all weathers, stable cornering and short braking in the snow, low wear, good price to performance ratio, low noise.
Slightly extended wet braking, high rolling resistance.
Good.

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7th: Maxxis Premitra All Season AP3

Maxxis Premitra All Season AP3
  • 225/45 R17
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking1st39.5 M100%
Dry Handling6th84.2 Km/H85.7 Km/H-1.5 Km/H98.25%
Wet Braking9th51 M46.3 M+4.7 M90.78%
Wet Handling9th68.7 Km/H72.6 Km/H-3.9 Km/H94.63%
Straight Aqua1st74.3 Km/H100%
Snow Braking9th26.3 M23.6 M+2.7 M89.73%
Snow Handling7th55.7 Km/H56.9 Km/H-1.2 Km/H97.89%
Noise2nd71.8 dB71.3 dB+0.5 dB99.3%
Wear9th48100 KM70800 KM-22700 KM67.94%
Value9th7.38 Price/10005.34 Price/1000+2.04 Price/100072.36%
Price4th355 320 +35 90.14%
Rolling Resistance7th9.88 kg / t8.45 kg / t+1.43 kg / t85.53%
A new all season tyre form a Chinese manufacturer with safe handling on snow and dry roads, good aquaplaning resistance, short dry braking distances.
Average grip in the wet, long wet braking, average wear.
Good.

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8th: Kumho Solus HA31

Kumho Solus HA31
  • 225/45 R17
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking9th43.8 M39.5 M+4.3 M90.18%
Dry Handling9th83.1 Km/H85.7 Km/H-2.6 Km/H96.97%
Wet Braking5th49.5 M46.3 M+3.2 M93.54%
Wet Handling8th69.3 Km/H72.6 Km/H-3.3 Km/H95.45%
Straight Aqua7th70.5 Km/H74.3 Km/H-3.8 Km/H94.89%
Snow Braking6th25.6 M23.6 M+2 M92.19%
Snow Handling8th55.1 Km/H56.9 Km/H-1.8 Km/H96.84%
Noise3rd71.9 dB71.3 dB+0.6 dB99.17%
Wear5th59600 KM70800 KM-11200 KM84.18%
Value2nd5.96 Price/10005.34 Price/1000+0.62 Price/100089.6%
Price4th355 320 +35 90.14%
Rolling Resistance9th10.06 kg / t8.45 kg / t+1.61 kg / t84%
Good aquaplaning properties, low wear, short braking distances on snow, low noise.
Average snow handling, slightly extended wet and dry braking distances, soft dry handling, average comfort.
Average.

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9th: Bridgestone Weather Control A005

Bridgestone Weather Control A005
  • 225/45 R17
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking2nd39.7 M39.5 M+0.2 M99.5%
Dry Handling4th84.4 Km/H85.7 Km/H-1.3 Km/H98.48%
Wet Braking1st46.3 M100%
Wet Handling5th70.8 Km/H72.6 Km/H-1.8 Km/H97.52%
Straight Aqua5th71.5 Km/H74.3 Km/H-2.8 Km/H96.23%
Snow Braking10th27.1 M23.6 M+3.5 M87.08%
Snow Handling10th54.8 Km/H56.9 Km/H-2.1 Km/H96.31%
Noise9th73.1 dB71.3 dB+1.8 dB97.54%
Wear10th39000 KM70800 KM-31800 KM55.08%
Value10th10.26 Price/10005.34 Price/1000+4.92 Price/100052.05%
Price7th400 320 +80 80%
Rolling Resistance1st8.45 kg / t100%
Short braking distances and sport handling in the wet and dry, good aquaplaning reserves, low rolling resistance.
Average performance in the snow, very poor wear.
Average.

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10th: Cooper Discoverer All Season

Cooper Discoverer All Season
  • 225/45 R17
  • 3PMSF: no
Test#ResultBestDifference%
Dry Braking4th41.2 M39.5 M+1.7 M95.87%
Dry Handling10th82.5 Km/H85.7 Km/H-3.2 Km/H96.27%
Wet Braking10th52.6 M46.3 M+6.3 M88.02%
Wet Handling10th66.2 Km/H72.6 Km/H-6.4 Km/H91.18%
Straight Aqua2nd73.7 Km/H74.3 Km/H-0.6 Km/H99.19%
Snow Braking6th25.6 M23.6 M+2 M92.19%
Snow Handling9th55 Km/H56.9 Km/H-1.9 Km/H96.66%
Noise6th72.4 dB71.3 dB+1.1 dB98.48%
Wear8th50100 KM70800 KM-20700 KM70.76%
Value6th6.69 Price/10005.34 Price/1000+1.35 Price/100079.82%
Price2nd335 320 +15 95.52%
Rolling Resistance8th9.92 kg / t8.45 kg / t+1.47 kg / t85.18%
Good aquaplaning resistance, short braking distances in the snow and on dry roads, low price.
Poor cornering and long braking distances in the wet, slow steering and poor balance in the dry.
Not Recommended.

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