5 categories (12 tests)
Test Category | Best Performer | Worst Performer | Difference |
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Dry (2 tests) | |||
Dry Braking | ▲ Michelin CrossClimate 2: 38.2 M | ▼ Continental AllSeasonContact: 43.6 M | 5.4 M (12.4%) |
Dry Handling | ▲ Michelin CrossClimate 2: 105.5 Km/H | ▼ Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF2: 103.7 Km/H | 1.8 Km/H (1.7%) |
Wet (4 tests) | |||
Wet Braking | ▲ Continental AllSeasonContact: 48.3 M | ▼ Imperial All Season Driver: 60.8 M | 12.5 M (20.6%) |
Wet Handling | ▲ Vredestein Quatrac Pro: 66.2 Km/H | ▼ Imperial All Season Driver: 61.3 Km/H | 4.9 Km/H (8.0%) |
Straight Aqua | ▲ Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen 3 SUV: 86.8 Km/H | ▼ Vredestein Quatrac Pro: 75 Km/H | 11.8 Km/H (15.7%) |
Curved Aquaplaning | ▲ Cooper Discoverer All Season: 4.81 m/sec2 | ▼ Imperial All Season Driver: 3.53 m/sec2 | 1.3 m/sec2 (36.3%) |
Snow (3 tests) | |||
Snow Braking | ▲ Hankook Kinergy 4S 2 X: 23.8 M | ▼ Imperial All Season Driver: 25.3 M | 1.5 M (5.9%) |
Snow Traction | ▲ Hankook Kinergy 4S 2 X: 3518 N | ▼ Imperial All Season Driver: 3163 N | 355.0 N (11.2%) |
Snow Handling | ▲ Hankook Kinergy 4S 2 X: 43.6 Km/H | ▼ Imperial All Season Driver: 41.3 Km/H | 2.3 Km/H (5.6%) |
Comfort (1 tests) | |||
Noise | ▲ Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF2: 70.8 dB | ▼ Vredestein Quatrac Pro: 73.8 dB | 3.0 dB (4.1%) |
Value (2 tests) | |||
Price | ▲ Imperial All Season Driver: 295 | ▼ Michelin CrossClimate 2: 580 | 285.0 (49.1%) |
Rolling Resistance | ▲ Michelin CrossClimate 2: 7.11 kg / t | ▼ Cooper Discoverer All Season: 9.32 kg / t | 2.2 kg / t (23.7%) |
While the Allrad tests aren't quite as in depth as the industry leading Auto Bild tests, they're still an excellent reference point for the market, and especially useful if you drive an SUV, or are interested in how an all season tyre compares to a summer and winter tyre, as both are included as references.
The tested size is 215/65 R17, which fits many popular SUVs such as the VW Tiguan test vehicle, the Audi Q5, Mercedes GLA, Nissan Qashqai and many others. It's worth remembering that sometimes SUV tyre sizes have different constructions to their regular cousins, meaning that surprising results can be a feature in this sort of test!
Read on to find out exactly what all season tyre was good at each category of test!
Dry
Dry braking was unsurprisingly led by the summer tyre, with the Michelin CrossClimate 2 taking its usual spot of the best of the all season tyres.
The new Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF2 performed well in dry braking to place second of the all season tyres, and Maxxis rounded out the top three.
The Continental AllSeasonContact performed poorly, as did the Bridgestone WeatherControl A005 EVO, something we're not used to seeing, but another reminder that SUV sizes sometimes throw up unique results!
The summer tyre and Michelin CrossClimate 2 again led the group in dry handling, but this time the Vredestein Quatrac Pro and new Hankook Kinergy 4S2 X rounded out the top three.
Wet
Wet braking was again led by the summer tyre, which indicates the testing was done at warm temperatures. Continental, which was the worst tyre in dry braking, was the best in wet braking, with the Vredestein a close second.
Vredestein continued its strong performance in the wet, having the fastest wet handling lap.
Goodyear had the highest levels of safety in the straight aquaplaning test.
Snow
The winter tyre led the way in snow braking, with the Hankook and Continental again performing well. The new Michelin CrossClimate has obviously improved snow performance, placing third.
Hankook, Michelin and Continental were again the best in the snow traction test, but this time with Michelin beating its German rival.
And finally for the grip tests, snow handling was won by Hankook, Continental and Michelin, with all three tyres showing an impressive performance in the snow, and close to the full winter tyre.
Environment
The new Pirelli was the quietest tyre on test with an impressively low noise.
The CrossClimate 2 led the group again during the rolling resistance test, with Continental and Pirelli close behind.
Finally, the Michelin were the most expensive to buy, however as there's no wear testing in this test, it doesn't tell us anything about the value of the tyres.
Results
1st: Hankook Kinergy 4S 2 X | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The new Hankook Kinergy 4S 2 X is the test winner with excellent driving characteristics in all weather conditions, stable, safe wet and dry handling, precise steering, high aquaplaning safety, low noise, well priced. None mentioned. Read Reviews | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2nd: Michelin CrossClimate 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The new Michelin CrossClimate 2 is an excellent all round tyre with exemplary driving properties on snow and dry roads, short dry braking distances, petro saving rolling resistance. Average wet handling. Read Reviews Buy from £138.20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3rd: Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen 3 SUV | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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All-round talent with balanced performance potential, stable wet and dry handling, high aquaplaning safety, short wet braking distances, good comfort. Long dry braking. Read Reviews Buy from £124.81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4th: Continental AllSeasonContact | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Top performance on snow covered and wet roads, high steering precision, dynamic snow and wet handling, short wet braking distances, low rolling resistance. Long dry braking. Read Reviews | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5th: Bridgestone Weather Control A005 EVO | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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High traction and short braking distances in the snow, precise steering behavior and dynamic driving qualities in the wet, good safety reserves for longitudinal aquaplaning. Long dry braking. Read Reviews Buy from £122.86 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6th: Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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High traction and short braking distances on snow, quiet rolling noise, very low rolling resistance. Understeer driving behavior on wet and dry tracks, extended wet braking distances. Read Reviews Buy from £151.92 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6th: Vredestein Quatrac Pro | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Convincing driving characteristics on wet and dry surfaces, precise steering behavior, short wet braking distances, low price. Poor grip in all snow tests, low aquaplaning safety. Read Reviews | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8th: Maxxis Premitra All Season AP3 SUV | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Good winter qualities, stable dry handling, good safety reserves for longitudinal aquaplaning, low price. Slightly understeering driving behavior, longer braking distances on wet roads, high rolling resistance. Read Reviews | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9th: Cooper Discoverer All Season | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Short snow braking distances, very good aquaplaning properties, low price. Understeer balance on snow and wet roads, slow steering response, moderate comfort, increased rolling resistance. Read Reviews | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10th: Imperial All Season Driver | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Short snow braking distances, low price level. Very low grip in the dry, wet and snow. Read Reviews |