There is savings potential everywhere, including when it comes to tires. However, it is important that safety is not neglected. After all, the tire plays a crucial role as the link between the vehicle and the road. All-season tires are becoming more and more popular, with which, in addition to the costs for the second set of wheels, the assembly and storage costs, a lot of time can also be saved by eliminating the change appointments. On the other hand, the tires should not be stingy with the safety reserves.
Our candidates have to prove their skills in 14 individual disciplines across all climate zones before they are checked again for their cost-effectiveness in the final chapter on costs. AUTO BILD is also awarding the “Green Tire” seal for the first time. We use this to assess the environmental compatibility and sustainability of the tyres. Because you shouldn’t skimp on that either.
All-season tires in the AUTO BILD test: 195/55 R 16
Results in detail: see table below!
Comparison with winter and summer tires
Even if the winters are getting milder and there are no heavy snowfalls, all-season tyres offer safe driving characteristics even under extreme conditions. A direct comparison of the winter and summer tires tested in all test disciplines shows how large these safety reserves are. Almost all test candidates have good and safe winter qualities. The Michelin CrossClimate 2 is sometimes even superior to winter tires. But although all test participants have the snowflake symbol required by law, the winter suitability of the Maxxis tires and the Bridgestone tires is only satisfactory, and the Bridgestone Weather Control A005-Evo is even severely limited.
On wet slopes and in summer temperatures, the all-season tyres be measured against the qualities of the summer tire. With the exception of the aquaplaning tests, in which the wet specialist Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 offers the best reserves, the summer tire is always ahead, as expected. You are also on almost the same level with the crisp, turning and sporty candidates from Vredestein, Hankook, Dunlop and Bridgestone. Nexen and Toyo aren’t doing so well, as their all-rounders lack right-hand grip when braking and cornering.
All-season tires are especially recommended for vehicles in the small and compact class. In our wet tests, they cut a good figure compared to summer tires in most cases.
Even in sunny temperatures and dry slopes, the candidates have to use summer tires as a guide. This applies in particular to the steering and handling characteristics, which ideally also ensure the necessary pinch of driving fun in addition to driving safety. The candidates from Vredestein, Bridgestone, Michelin and Kleber offer the greatest fun factor. They react spontaneously to commands from the steering wheel and weave actively and sportily over the handling course. It is no coincidence that our test Polo comes to a standstill with them in the shortest possible way after an emergency stop. On the other hand, tires from Maxxis and Nexen are typically tough on winter tires, while Continental, Firestone and Nokian deliver the longest braking distances.
costs and sustainability
When it comes to costs, the pure purchase price only plays a subordinate role. The most important criterion, however, is the mileage. It determines after how many kilometers the legal minimum tread depth of 1.6 millimeters is reached in the main tread grooves. With a gigantic 72,000 kilometers, the Nexen is far ahead. On the other hand, Michelin, which has so far been considered the measure of all things in terms of mileage, comes in third from last, albeit with a still respectable almost 44,000 kilometers. As the most expensive tire in this comparison, it also slipped to the last places in the cost calculation per 1000 kilometers with the Continental, which was also beaten.
The environmental pollution from motor vehicle traffic cannot be explained away. However, fine dust, noise emissions and waste of resources cannot be stopped easily and certainly not quickly. And, let’s not fool ourselves, there will be no environmentally friendly private transport even with the switch to e-mobility. The tires produced by the millions with a great deal of energy are also responsible for this.
Nevertheless, tire manufacturers are making serious efforts to gradually reduce these loads. A welcome commitment that we want to promote and support with our new “Green Tire” eco-label. Of course, always on the condition that driving safety for us drivers is not neglected.
Goodyear Vector 4Seasons is test winner
Less abrasion, less fuel consumption, less consumption of resources, less noise pollution and shorter transport distances – after implementing these criteria, we analyzed the candidates from our all-season tire test and evaluated the individual points. The mileage, the lowest possible amount of tire wear that results from this, and the fuel consumption are the decisive characteristics. In the end, Goodyear’s Vector 4Seasons won the race – convincing proof that top performance in driving dynamics and commitment to the environment are not mutually exclusive.
How AUTO BILD tested it
All candidates must first qualify for the main part of the test via the brake test. Each tire is braked from 100 km/h on wet and dry slopes. If both braking distances are longer than 99 meters in total, a tire does not make it into the next test round – it is then in the second division. In the main part of the test, the 15 finalists will first go to the southern half of the planet. In the New Zealand Alps, we find optimal wintry test conditions at -5 degrees on the SHPG test site. Summer temperatures of 22 degrees, on the other hand, prevailed during our wet and dry tests, which we carry out at the ATP test site in Papenburg and on the Wachauring in Austria.
We left the abrasion test over 12,000 kilometers of road, which determines the costs, to the wear professionals of the IFV (engineering company for driving tests in Clausthal-Zellerfeld).
All-season tire test 2022: 195/55 R 16*
Test winner with convincing driving characteristics in all weather conditions, dynamic wet and dry handling, precise steering behavior, high mileage
All-season tires with a well-balanced performance profile, short wet and dry braking distances, agile handling, direct steering, low rolling resistance
Winter pro with convincing driving characteristics on snow, short wet and dry braking distances, well-balanced comfort, moderate price level
Average mileage and economy
Good driving performance on snowy and dry slopes, the best safety reserves in the event of aquaplaning, short braking distances in the dry, good comfort
Understeering handling on wet roads
Stable handling, good traction and short braking distances on snow, high mileage, good economy
Understeering handling on wet and dry slopes, longer wet braking distances, increased rolling resistance
Short snow and wet braking distances, high mileage, low rolling resistance
Moderate cornering on snow, low safety reserves when aquaplaning in curves, longer dry braking distance
High mileage, very good price-performance ratio, good aquaplaning reserves
Understeering handling and delayed steering response on wet roads, extended wet braking distance
Best winter qualities, stable wet handling, low rolling resistance
Understeering handling and longer braking distances on dry roads, limited mileage and economy
Very good aquaplaning qualities, low price
Delayed steering response, understeering in all weather conditions, limited mileage and economy
Short wet braking distances, low rolling resistance
Just satisfactory ride quality on snow and ice, delayed steering response and understeer snow handling, average mileage
Our test was supported by Bridgestone, Continental, Dunlop, Falken, Firestone, Fulda, Goodyear, GT Radial, Hankook, Kleber, Kumho, Laufenn, Maxxis, Michelin, Nexen, Nokian, Pirelli, Toyo and Vredestein. You can find our standards for transparency and journalistic independence here.
