2025 | 225/45R17 | Summer/All-season - UTAC Summer/All-season Tire Test

Every year, a tire test comes along that raises questions about the final ranking – and in 2025, that "award" goes to the UTAC/Aftonbladet test.

The summer tire test attracted attention, especially due to the evaluation method and conclusions, which in some cases diverged from the measured data. It was the difference between the objective results (braking distances, handling, aquaplaning) and the final ranking that sparked a discussion about the methodology and weighting of individual disciplines.

Such tests remind us that when choosing summer tires, it is important to look not only at the overall ranking, but also at specific results in areas that are key for the driver.

A total of 14 tires in size 225/45 R17 were tested – 10 summer and 4 European all-season models.

Handling was tested over an even wider temperature range – from summer 20-30°C on the Pirelli test track in Vizzola to cold conditions in a controlled indoor environment.

The Continental PremiumContact 7 was the only one to score a full 10 points in the subjective rating, maintaining excellent steering precision and high levels of grip across all temperatures. Most other summer tires came in very close with a score of 9 points, confirming their optimization for driving on dry asphalt.

All-season tires showed clear compromises here. Both the Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6 and the Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 scored just 7 points. Testers described a softer ride feel, delayed steering responses, and an earlier onset of understeer compared to summer models. This difference was noticeable at all temperatures, but became more pronounced as the temperature rose.

Overall, dry conditions clearly confirmed that specialized summer tires retain a significant advantage in both braking distance and steering precision, while all-season models bring a compromise that is even more noticeable at higher temperatures.

The wet test was one of the most interesting parts of the comparison. Instead of a single temperature, braking was carried out at several conditions – from +17°C at the Pirelli circuit in Italy to +2°C, +7°C and +12°C in the Testworld indoor hall in Finland. The results were then averaged.

This approach revealed differences that would not have been apparent in a classic single-temperature test.

At +12°C, both summer and all-season tires were very balanced.
At +17°C, summer tires already had a clear advantage, braking almost three meters shorter on average.

The biggest surprise, however, came at +2°C. On cold, wet roads, the all-season tires significantly outperformed the summer tires – stopping almost 6.5 meters earlier from 80 km/h. In northern regions, where driving at low temperatures is common even during the summer, this is a significant safety difference.

After averaging all temperatures, the Michelin Primacy 5 achieved the best result (33.0 m), just ahead of the Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2 (33.1 m) and the Nokian Hakka Blue 3 (33.2 m). These premium summer models showed high consistency across temperatures.

Among all-season tires , the Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6 (33.5 m) performed best, followed by the Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF3 (33.8 m). It is their performance in colder conditions that explains why testers called them the ideal “spring and autumn” solution.

At the other end, the Vredestein Ultrac finished with a value of 36.5 m – 3.5 meters more than the leader. In a crisis situation, such a difference can be decisive.

Handling temperatures ranged between +7°C and +14°C – values that, according to the testers, are "unfortunately quite common summer temperatures" in Scandinavia.

Summer tires had the upper hand here, especially at higher temperatures. The Pirelli Cinturato P7 C2 and Continental PremiumContact 7 achieved the fastest times (75.5 s), followed by the Nokian Hakka Blue 3 (76.5 s). They were characterized by precise steering and clear behavior at the limit.

All-season tires remained at the bottom of the table. The Continental AllSeasonContact 2 recorded the slowest time of 79.0 seconds – 3.5 seconds more than the leader. As the temperature rose, the gap widened, although at temperatures close to freezing, the all-season models closed in again.

Subjective evaluation confirmed these differences. The summer tires offered better steering precision and higher lateral grip, while the all-season tires felt softer, with a more gradual but earlier onset of grip loss. The Continental PremiumContact 7 and Michelin Primacy 5 received a full 10 points for balance and predictability.

Aquaplaning resistance made a significant difference. The Michelin Primacy 5 maintained contact with the road up to 79.4 km/h. It was followed by the Vredestein Ultrac (78.6 km/h), the Continental PremiumContact 7 and the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 (both 78.0 km/h).

All-season tires showed weakness here. The Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 lost grip at 73.2 km/h, closely followed by the Continental AllSeasonContact 2 (73.4 km/h). A difference of more than 6 km/h compared to the best model represents a significant safety handicap in heavy rain.

Overall, the test clearly showed that wet performance is strongly dependent on temperature. Summer tires dominate in moderate and higher temperatures, but in very cold conditions, quality all-season models can offer a significant advantage.