The German magazine Auto motor und sport has tested and compared 7 all season tyres in the size 225/45 R17. A winter and a summer tyre were also tested for the comparison.

By Published On: 7 June 2021Categories: Tyre reviews653 words3.4 min read
Test on all season tyres conducted by Auto motor und sport
Auto motor und sport have tested 7 all season tyres in various conditions. © Auto motor und sport

7 all season tyres, 1 winter tyre and 1 summer tyre

All season tyres are, as their name indicates, designed for use throughout the year. This is why the German magazine Auto motor und sport has decided to test 7 all season tyres in the size 225/45 R17 in different driving conditions on the wet, dry, snow and ice:

The Continental Premium Contact 5 (summer) and Continental WinterContact TS 860 (winter) tyres were also tested to give a comparative value for their segment. But, note that the German magazine decided to test these tyres in a smaller size 205/55 R 16, to reduce the difference with all season tyres. The latter remain a compromise tyre and will never be as efficient as summer and winter tyres in their respective seasons.

Automotorundsport all season tyres test 2018
© Auto motor und sport

All season tyres, increasingly efficient

The Toyo Celsius is the only tyre recommended with reservations. At fault, its poor performance on wet roads despite stable and balanced driving on snow. It’s performance seems reassuring on dry roads.

The Continental Premium Contact 5 offers the best performance in dry conditions compared with other all season tyres. Normal, it is the only summer tyre in this comparison test. It is also good in wet conditions with a strong resistance to aquaplaning. On the winter side? It delivers what is expected of a summer tyre, i.e. not a lot. 

The Nokian WeatherProof delivers good braking and traction performance on snow. It also has a high resistance to aquaplaning. However, it remains hesitant when driving in the wet and dry, with a slight tendency to understeer on snow. 

The Vredestein Quatrac 5 excels in dry conditions with the best steering response and the best stability. Certainly smaller, it even beats the summer tyre on this surface. Even if it delivers average performance in wet conditions, especially for aquaplaning, its performance is satisfactory on snow. 

The Nexen N’Blue 4 Season delivers good snow traction. Despite its weaknesses in terms of aquaplaning and poor steering precision in wet conditions, it remains a well-balanced tyre on all surfaces. Excellent value for money according to Auto motor und sport.

The Michelin CrossClimate+ is very efficient and balanced in snow. It also provides good grip in wet conditions and short braking distances (36.1 m). It is the best tyre for handling on this surface. In dry conditions, this tyre has the shortest braking distance behind the summer tyre (39.4 m) and is only beaten by it and the Vredestein tyre in handling tests on this surface. Average in terms of aquaplaning resistance, Auto motor und sport regrets its rolling noise and high price. 

The Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen2 is exceptionally well balanced according to Auto motor und sport. On snow, only the winter tyre has a shorter braking distance than it. It is also very stable, reliable and controllable on this surface. In the wet, it is similar to the winter tyre for braking performance. It is just behind the CrossClimate in wet handling tests despite a slow steering response. It is also the all season tyre with the highest resistance to aquaplaning in the comparison test. In dry conditions, it is slightly behind compared with the other specialists such as the Vredestein Quatrac 5 or the Michelin CrossClimate +.

The Continental AllSeasonContact has good winter capabilities. It even surprised Auto motor und sport with its performance on snow, almost comparable to that of the associated winter tyre from the same brand, the Wintercontact TS 860. Above all, its steering response is good in wet and dry conditions. It also has the lowest rolling resistance of this comparison test.

Tyre Ranking
Continental WinterContact TS 860 Winter tyre
Continental AllSeasonContact 1
Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 2 2
Michelin CrossClimate+ 3
Nexen N’Blue 4 Season 4
Vredestein Quatrac 5 5
Nokian WeatherProof 6
Continental Premium Contact 5 Summer tyre
Toyo Celsius 7

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