Auto Motor und Sport All-season tire test 215/40 R18 2024

The Sport Auto test evaluated all-season tires on the Hyundai i20N sports car, and included both summer and winter reference tires – although the summer model was the Asymmetric 3, a tire launched more than 10 years ago.

Wet road tests were conducted in cold conditions, well below 10°C (around 7°C when braking). Despite this, many all-season tires outperformed the older summer model, although it is unclear how a modern summer tread pattern would fare.

The test evaluated braking, handling and wet stability, with all results comparing well between the all-season models and the reference tires. This test is a valuable source of information for drivers looking for reliable all-season tires for a sportier driving experience, taking into account the age of the reference summer model.

When braking on dry roads from 100 km/h to 0, the reference summer tire Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 performed best, stopping the vehicle after just 35.3 meters. At the opposite end , the reference winter tire Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 finished with 43.4 meters, an 8.1 meter longer braking distance, which can be decisive in critical situations.

All all-season tires placed between these extremes, with the Michelin CrossClimate 2 coming closest to a summer tire with a braking distance of 37.2 meters – a very solid result that confirms that modern all-season tires can be safe even on dry surfaces.

In the dry handling test, the reference summer tire Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 again led, reaching an average speed of 101.2 km/h. The slowest was the winter tire Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 with an average speed of 97.6 km/h, 3.6 km/h slower .

Among all-season tires, the Continental AllSeasonContact 2 performed best with 100.4 km/h, which shows that modern all-season tires can offer handling very close to summer tires in dry conditions.

Wet road tests yielded interesting results, with some all-season tires even outperforming reference summer and winter models.

When braking from 80 km/h to 0, the Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6 led with a braking distance of 31.9 m, while the reference summer tire needed 35.2 m, 3.3 m longer. The winter tire came in the middle with a result of 34.3 m .

In the wet handling test, the Continental AllSeasonContact 2 was the best with an average speed of 79.9 km/h, while the reference tires achieved 77.8 km/h. The difference between the best and the weakest model (Michelin CrossClimate 2, 77.4 km/h) was only 2.5 km/h, which indicates that modern all-season tires have a very good balance when driving on wet roads.

In the aquaplaning tests, the winter tire performed best, leading both in straight-line (77.2 km/h) and cornering (2.67 m/s²). The summer tire also performed surprisingly well, while the all-season tires lagged behind - the Vredestein Quatrac Pro Plus showed the greatest weakness in straight-line aquaplaning (71.1 km/h).

The snow tests clearly showed how big the difference is between summer and winter tires in cold conditions. The winter reference tire dominated all tests – stopping the vehicle from 50 km/h in just 24.4 m, while the summer tire needed 52.9 m, more than double the distance. When it came to handling on snow, the difference was even more dramatic: the winter tire reached 50.4 km/h, while the summer tire only reached 14.3 km/h, which is dangerously slow.

All-season tires performed very well in the snow, achieving approximately 90% of the performance of a winter tire. The Hankook Kinergy 4S2 was particularly strong, excelling in all snow tests and showing that modern all-season tires can provide sufficient winter performance for mild climates .

The Sport Auto 2024 test with the sporty Hyundai i20N provided clear evidence that modern all-season tires can compete with traditional summer and winter models in many situations. In dry tests, the all-season tires were close to the summer reference tires, with the Continental AllSeasonContact 2 leading in handling and the Michelin CrossClimate 2 with very short braking distances.

On wet roads, all-season tires often outperformed the reference summer tire – for example, the Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6 had a shorter braking distance than the summer model – and the Continental AllSeasonContact 2 dominated in handling.

In the snow, all all-season tires performed solidly, achieving approximately 90% of the performance of the winter reference tire, with the Hankook Kinergy 4S2 excelling in all snow disciplines.

Quietness and ride comfort were balanced across most tires, with the Continental AllSeasonContact 2 being the quietest model, and low energy consumption was confirmed by good results in rolling resistance .

The Continental AllSeasonContact 2 emerged as the most balanced all-season model with very good performance on dry, wet and snow, while also offering low rolling resistance. The Hankook Kinergy 4S2 is a strong candidate for drivers in regions with snowy winters, while the Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6 and Michelin CrossClimate 2 offer balanced properties for everyday use.