Auto Club Europa (ACE) has compared a summer tyre and a winter tyre against eight all season tyres in the size 205/60 R16. The aim? Find out if all season tyres are a good compromise now that winters are becoming milder. Tested in Finland then near Vienna in Austria, the test showed that buying 4 season tyres requires making a choice in expected performances.
4 seasons tyre test: the test conditions
Auto Club Europa chose to compare eight 4 season tyres, an increasingly popular type of tyre, especially in regions where winters are mild. They were tested in dry conditions on a hot summer day and on snow covered roads with temperatures below zero. They were also up against a summer tyre in summer conditions and a winter tyre in winter conditions to evaluate their performances and the differences with a tyre specifically developed for a season.
The size 205/60 R16 was selected to test 8 all season tyres for medium-sized passenger cars such as the BMW 3-Series or the Audi A4, or an MPV such as the VW Sharan or Renault Scenic. But it was the Citroen Berlingo van that was used as the test vehicle on both test tracks. One comparison test was conducted in Finland to evaluate the different tyres in winter conditions and the other test at Vienna, Austria in summer conditions.
What is the best 4 season tyre for ACE?
Opinion on the Continental AllSeasonContact all season tyre
It is the winner of this All season tyre comparison test conducted by ACE. As its name suggests, it is more efficient than its competitors on three different types of surfaces: snow, wet and dry surfaces. It behaves almost like a winter tyre when braking in wet conditions and in general, its handling is reassuring. It is a tyre whose reactions are easy to predict for the driver. However, there is room to improve its potential for dry braking or during sudden load changes. As for the price of the all season tyres tested, this tyre is in the upper price bracket: it is not the cheapest all season tyre but it is certainly not the most expensive one.
Continental AllSeasonContact tyre : sizes et prices
The 8 all season tyres tested by ACE
| ACE ranking | |
| Strenghts | Weaknesses |
| 1 – Continental AllSeasonContact | |
| Good braking performance on snow and wet surfacesLow rolling resistance | Weak traction on snow |
| 2 – Fulda Multicontrol | |
| Excellent performance on snowLow rolling resistance | Slightly high rolling resistance |
| 3 – Goodyear Vector4Seasons Gen-2 | |
| Good performance on dry and wet surfacesLow rolling resistanceLow rolling noise | Weak on snow |
| 4 – Nokian Weatherproof | |
| Good performances on snowLow rolling resistance | Slight weaknesses on wet and dry surfacesSlightly high rolling resistance |
| 5 – Hankook Kinergy 4S 2 | |
| Good performance on dry surfacesLow rolling resistance | Weak on wet surfacesQuite high rolling resistance |
| 6 – Michelin Crossclimate + | |
| Good performance on dry surfacesLow rolling noiseLow road noise | Slight weaknesses on wet surfaces and on snow |
| 7 – Bridgestone Weather Control A005 | |
| Good performance on dry surfacesLow road noiseLow rolling resistance | Slight weaknesses on wet surfaces and on snow |
| 8 – Nexen N’blue 4Season | |
| Good performance on dry surfacesAttractive price | Slightly weak on wet surfaces and on snowQuite high rolling resistanceHigh rolling resistance |
All season tyres: a compromise for ACE
In its test, ACE say that buying All season tyres is all about compromise. Indeed, where the Fulda Multicontrol tyre is good on snow and ice, the Continental AllSeasonContact tyre is ideal in wet conditions and the All season approved winter tyre, the Michelin Crossclimate +, is very efficient in dry conditions. For Auto Club Europa, the most important thing is to know your vehicle and its limits. Don’t forget, it is recommended to choose your tyres depending on the roads you drive on most frequently and the weather in your region which may be heavily affected by snow. In this case, it is recommended to fit winter tyres for more safety.
For example, driving with summer tyres on snow or ice exposes drivers to dangerous driving conditions. This is the case of the Dunlop Sport BluResponse summer tyre which failed handling, acceleration and braking tests on snow covered and icy roads. Cold, snow and icy conditions are dangerous for summer tyres which lose much of their grip.
