Which tyres should you fit to ensure you’re prepared to face all conditions throughout the year?
- 1Introduction – currently reading
- 2Uniroyal AllSeasonExpert 2 – 8th
- 3Kleber Quadraxer 3 – 7th
- 4Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF 2 – =5th
- 5Hankook Kinergy 4S2- =5th
- 6Firestone Multiseason GEN 02 – 4th
- 7Michelin CrossClimate 2 – 3rd
- 8Vredestein Quatrac – 2nd
- 9Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 – 1st
- 10Verdict & results by category
As our weather becomes increasingly extreme, more drivers are turning to all-season tyres to provide additional safety in a wider range of conditions than conventional designs offer.
And we’re not the only ones. Sales are increasing in the UK, and in parts of Germany with a similar climate to southern Britain, more all-season tyres are sold than the summer alternatives that dominate our market. That trend means all-season tyres are a key part of our testing. And for 2023 we return to the popular 225/45R17 size, which we assessed last year.
It may be the same size, but the test was different because we used two venues: Pirelli’s Sottozero Centre in Flurheden, Sweden, for snow testing, with wet and dry handling rated at the TRIWO facility in Pferdsfeld, Germany.
Three tyres returned from the 2022 test, but we have also brought back our winter and summer tyre comparison. These will show what the other options – changing for the seasons and doing nothing – offer.
Returning to see if it can retain its crown is Hankook, while Michelin is hoping to go one better than last year by winning, and Goodyear (fourth in 2022) is back with the Vector 4Seasons. Vredestein also returns, but this time with the Quatrac, and Pirelli is back with the Cinturato All Season after missing a year. Continental’s and Bridgestone’s new tyres didn’t arrive in time for our test, but they did send tyres from associate brands Uniroyal and Firestone respectively, plus Michelin added its new Kleber to the mix.
So will Hankook go on to make it three all-season wins on the trot in our tests? You can find out over the next six pages.
What we tested
Shipping and stock problems meant we reverted to checking our top three tyres in wet braking against purchased examples after the main test to ensure we tested what you can buy. All were within tolerance. Here, we've given the weight and speed ratings for each tyre, plus the EU tyre label grades. For wet grip (WG) and fuel economy (RR), A is top, and for pass-by noise (N), lower is better.
| Tyre | Load | Speed | Economy / Rolling Resistance (RR) | Wet grip (WG) | Noise (N – decibels) |
| Firestone Multiseason GEN 02 | 94 | V | C | B | 72 |
| Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 | 94 | W | C | B | 70 |
| Hankook Kinergy 4S2 | 94 | W | C | B | 72 |
| Kleber Quadraxer 3 | 94 | V | C | B | 69 |
| Michelin CrossClimate 2 | 91 | W | C | B | 69 |
| Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF 2 | 94 | W | C | B | 70 |
| Uniroyal AllSeasonExpert 2 | 94 | V | D | C | 72 |
| Vredestein Quatrac | 94 | V | C | B | 71 |
How we tested the tyres
This was our first time using Pirelli’s Swedish Sottozero proving ground, and it was also the only time we’ve tackled snow handling in the dark. Unusually high temperatures meant a very early morning start to ensure it was still cold enough to test. We also took the opportunity to assess traction and braking, measuring the distance needed to slow from 35-10kph (22-6mph) and the time to accelerate between the same speeds.
We timed laps around the wet and dry circuits at the TRIWO proving ground. Back at the Contidrom, wet and dry braking was completed, measuring the distance needed to stop from 80kph (50mph) for the former and 100kph (62mph) for the latter. Deep-water ability was assessed in a straight line and on a curve, while lateral wet grip was measured on a 57.5-metre tarmac circle.
All tests were performed multiple times and an average used to get a result, and cabin noise was measured at 100kph (62mph) on asphalt.
Rolling resistance is key to fuel economy and was tested to industry standards. The prices, for fitted tyres, are from our online tyre-retailer test winner, Black Circles.
To find a winner, we converted all results to percentages, with 50 per cent of the results going to wet performance, 30 dry and 10 snow, with price, noise and fuel economy taking the remainder. Within the snow and wet sections, we put the emphasis on braking and handling. Price played a small part in the result.
The results for each tyre rank the test winner at 100 per cent and the rest relative to that result.
In this review
- 1Introduction – currently readingWhich tyres should you fit to ensure you’re prepared to face all conditions throughout the year?
- 2Uniroyal AllSeasonExpert 2 – 8thThe Uniroyal’s score in wet handling was disappointing
- 3Kleber Quadraxer 3 – 7thExcellent on snow, but the Kleber was less impressive elsewhere
- 4Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF 2 – =5thSF 2s were at their best in the dry and on snow
- 5Hankook Kinergy 4S2- =5thHankook was third in dry handling, working well in direction changes
- 6Firestone Multiseason GEN 02 – 4thFirestone was good in shallow wet tests but struggled in deep water
- 7Michelin CrossClimate 2 – 3rd Michelin CrossClimate 2 performs better on snow than the original version
- 8Vredestein Quatrac – 2ndQuatrac performed strongly in snow and wet braking tests
- 9Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 – 1stTwo of Goodyear’s top spots came in the wet handling and circle tests
- 10Verdict & results by categoryTables show which all-season tyres performed well where, and how they compare
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