These are the best all-season tires in size 225/50 R18

Nowadays everyone tries to save money whenever possible. You can also save money on tires. Of course it makes a difference whether you spend just €290 on a set of cheap Goodride tires or a whopping €800 on four Michelins, as is the case with the eleven test candidates. In addition, there are the costs for mounting, balancing and possibly also the bill for the storage of the wheels that are not used for six months. No wonder that more and more motorists are interested in all-season tyres. Once mounted, you save the cost of a second set of wheels and a second set of tires. In addition, there is no need to change the wheels twice a year, which can be tedious if you do it yourself, and expensive if you call in the workshop. In addition, there is loss of time and planning problems, and in the worst case, one or two vacation days are lost due to tire changes.

Technical progress all-season tyres

All-season tires already existed decades ago. But technical progress in materials and further developed production methods have improved them to such an extent that even discerning motorists are now thinking about purchasing them. In the past, these tires were either disastrous on snow or spongy on dry surfaces – and often both. Nowadays, even we are amazed by the properties of the current generation of all-seasons. Because although you have to look with a magnifying glass for real progress in many things in everyday life, it is unmistakable with all-season tyres.

The temperature stability of the high silica content tread compounds makes this possible. This means that the tread rubber remains flexible at all temperatures and provides stable grip in all weather conditions. At high summer temperatures, the tread blocks remain stable and form-retaining, which ensures short braking distances and sporty, direct steering behaviour. On cold winter days, on the other hand, the tread pattern with sufficient sipes ensures a firm grip on snow and ice. The best examples of all-round successful all-season tires are our two test winners from Michelin and Hankook. At €200 per tyre, the Michelin CrossClimate is the most expensive test candidate, but it did not score badly in any test discipline. Hankook’s Kinergy 4S2 X, which was also described as ‘exemplary’, but is almost a quarter cheaper, is a lot closer to the intended savings target. However, producing all-season tires is and remains a difficult task: the tire from the Chinese brand Goodride, which costs only €72, is sidelined due to its poor wet braking performance. The low-priced all-season tire from Maxxis, on the other hand, offers insufficient safety reserves on ice and snow. Your own safety (and that of others) should cost a few euros, after all, you are on the road with these tires all year round.

We have tested these tires

We included the following tires in the winter tire comparison test in size 225/50 R 18:

• Bridgestone Weather Control A005-Evo
• Continental AllSeason Contact
• Falken Euro All Season AS21
• Goodride All Season Elite Z-401
• Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 SUV
• Hankook Kinergy 4S²X
• Maxxis Premitra All Season AP3
• Michelin CrossClimate SUV
• Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF 2
• Toyo Centigrade AS2
• Vredestein Quatrac Pro

The test parts on snow

During a tire test, we naturally change one tire after another. A small heater on the wall provides some warmth. We always set the tire pressure on the test track on the spot.

Traction: Except for the disappointing Maxxis, all four-season tires perform so well on snow that they are at least rated ‘good’; the best six tapes even deserve the label ‘very good’. That is real winter tire level!

1. Goodyear 2,678
2. Hankook 2,663
3. Winter tire 2,650
4. Continental 2,599
5. Pirelli 2,595
6. Goodride 2,585
7. Vredestein 2,557
8. Michelin 2.507
9. Bridgestone 2,443
10. Falcon 2,443
11. Toyota 2,281
12. Maxxis 1,984
13. Summer tire 995 (out of scale)

Average tractive force in newtons

Cornering behaviour: What matters in this part is the combination of predictable handling, reliable response to steering movements and good traction. The winter tire takes the lead, but especially the Continental comes very close. The Maxxis makes a slip on this part.

1. Winter tire 57.5
2. Continental 57.2
3. Goodyear 56.4
4. Michelin 56.3
5. Hankook 55.6
6. Pirelli 55.5
7. Tokyo 55.3
8. Falcon 54.1
9. Vredestein 54.1
10. Bridgestone 53.5
11. Goodride 53.3
12. Maxxis 50.8
13. Summer tire not drivable

Average speed in km/h

Brakes: In this part of the test, the winter tire tested for reference takes the lead undisputed. But all four-season tires brake really well and put down decent values. With the exception of the Maxxis, whose braking distance is about eight (!) meters longer than that of the well-performing Goodyear.

1. Winter tire 23.1
2. Goodyear 25.1
3. Hankook 25.1
4. Continental 25.3
5. Pirelli 25.3
6. Bridgestone 25.7
7. Vredestein25,7
8. Falken26.8
9. Michelin26.9
10. Tokyo 26.9
11. Good Ride 27.4
12. Maxxis 33.0
13. Summer tire 59.5

Braking distance 50-0 km/h in metres

Slalom: On this part we measure the maximum lateral grip on snow. Continental, Pirelli and Hankook even outperform winter tyres. The candidates from Bridgestone, Goodride and Falken are clearly doing less well and that again applies to the Maxxis.

1. Continental 4.24
2. Pirelli 4.18
3. Hankook 4.15
4. Winter tire 4.14
5. Goodyear 4.13
6. Michelin 4.09
7. Vredestein 3.95
8. Tokyo 3.87
9. Bridgestone 3.75
10. Good Ride 3.73
11. Falcon 3.68
12. Maxxis 3.36
13. Summer tire not drivable

Transverse acceleration in m/s²

The test parts on wet roads

Aquaplaning and cornering aquaplaning: The Michelin gets the maximum score on the aquaplaning section. He leads the field in this area by a considerable margin. But even the tire that finishes 9th in this section, the Bridgestone, can be rated ‘good’, thanks to its proven safety reserves.

1. Michelin 85.1
2. Pirelli 82.8
3. Hankook 82.5
4. Continental 82.0
5. Summer tire 81.9
6. Maxxis 81.2
7. Tokyo 81.1
8. Falcon 81.0
9. Goodyear 79.8
10. Bridgestone 79.8
11. Vredestein 77.7
12. Winter tire 77.5
13. Goodride 75.1

Loss of road contact in km/h

1. Summer tire 3.76
2. Continental 3.69
3. Hankook 3.65
4. Goodyear 3.52
5. michelin 3.49
6. Tokyo 3.48
7. Falcon 3.36
8. Pirelli 3.34
9. Bridgestone 3.29
10. Winter tire 3.25
11. Maxxis 3.23
12. Vredestein 3.06
13. Good ride 2.48

Average speed in km/h

Roundabout and driving behaviour: The first seven tires all earn a final rating of ‘good’ in terms of cornering grip on wet surfaces. Goodyear, Continental and Falken are even above the level of the summer tyre. The cheap Goodride sinks through the ice because it pushes strongly straight ahead over the turned-in front wheels, or understeer.

1. Goodyear 84.3
2. Continental 84.2
3. Falcon 84.1
4. Summer tire 84.0
5. Vredestein 84.0
6. Hankook 83.6
7. Winter tire 83.5
8. Michelin 83.2
9. Maxxis 82.7
10. Bridgestone 82.4
11. Pirelli 82.2
12. Tokyo 80.7
13. Goodride 77.5

Average speed in km/h

1. Continental 15.80
2. Falcon 15.84
3. Summer tire 15.86
4. Vredestein 15.86
5. Goodyear 15.96
6. Hankook 16.02
7. Winter tire 16.08
8. Michelin 16.15
9. Maxxis 16.19
10. Bridgestone 4.30pm
11. Pirelli 16.30
12. Tokyo 16.40
13. Goodride 17.38

Lap time in seconds

Brakes: The cheap Goodride is quite disappointing on this part: the braking distance is more than ten meters longer than that of the second worst tire, the Maxxis. And the braking distance is more than 16 meters longer than the best all-season tire in this area, the Michelin. Vredestein and Continental also receive the final verdict of ‘very good’, where they brake considerably better than the winter tyre.

1. Summer tire 41.9
2. Michelin 43.4
3. Vredestein 43.8
4. Continental 43.9
5. Hankook 44.4
6. Bridgestone 44.5
7. Falcon 44.9
8. Goodyear 45.4
9. Winter tire 45.9
10. Pirelli 46.2
11. Toyo48.1
12. Maxxis 49.1
13. Good Ride 59.5

Braking distance 100-0 km/h in metres

The test parts on dry road surface

Driving behaviour: Bridgestone’s all-season tire is only just behind the summer tyre, which naturally performs well in this area – a respectable score. The Toyo all-season and the cheap Goodride, on the other hand, offer just as little lateral grip as the winter tyre.

1. Summer tire 110.8
2. Bridgestone 110.7
3. Goodyear 110.0
4. Pirelli 109.9
5. Hankook 109.6
6. Michelin 109.6
7. Vredestein 109.3
8. Maxxis 109.1
9. Continental 108.8
10. Falcon 108.6
11. Goodride 107.5
12. Winter tire 107.5
13. Tokyo 107.4

Average speed in km/h

Sound (when driving by): Winter tires are noisy, summer tires are quiet and all-season tires are in between – so the popular wisdom goes. The truth is that you cannot simply deduce the noise level from the type of tire. Also in this test there are four-season tires that are quieter than the tested summer tyre.

1. Pirelli 67.7 71.9
2. Vredestein 67.8 72.1
3. Michelin 68.1 71.9
4. Bridgestone 68.2 72.3
5. Continental 68.5 72.0
6. Toyota 68.4 72.4
7. Hankook 68.4 72.5
8. Goodyear 68.6 72.5
9. Summer tire 68.3 72.8
10. Falcon 68.8 72.5
11. Goodride 68.5 72.9
12. Winter tire 69.0 74.5
13. Maxxis 69.8 74.3

At 80 km/h in dB(A)

Brakes: This is where the summer tire shows its class. When it comes to braking on dry asphalt, the all-season tires clearly perform less well, especially the pure winter tyre.

1. Summer tire 33.3
2. Michelin 35.6
3. Maxxis 36.7
4. Pirelli 36.8
5. Bridgestone 37.1
6. Hankook 37.6
7. Tokyo 37.7
8. Falcon 38.5
9. Continental 38.7
10. Vredestein 39.0
11. Goodyear 39.5
12. Good Ride 40.9
13. Winter tire 42.2

Braking distance from 100 km/h in metres

Just like with regard to the noise production test item, it is not possible today to simply say that tires with good winter properties always score high values ​​in this area.

1. Bridgestone 7.26
2. Tokyo 7.33
3. Good ride 7.55
4. Continental 7.65
5. Michelin 7.97
6. Summer tire 7.99
7. Pirelli 8.00
8. Hankook 8.02
9. Vredestein 8.04
10. Goodyear 8.06
11. Winter tire 8.07
12. Maxxis 8.37
13. Falcon 8.49

Rolling resistance in kg/ton

Conclusion

Our all-weather and temperature testing shows that good all-season tires perform well in all weather conditions. Because a second set of tires becomes unnecessary, you can save a lot of money. However, make sure that you also consider the results of tire tests when purchasing a tire. If you only look at the price, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise.

Top 5

1. Michelin CrossClimate SUV
2. Hankook Kinergy 4S²X
3. Continental AllSeason Contact
4. Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 SUV
5. Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF 2

Extensive results and graphs

All results are also presented in graphs, as is an overview of all tires and their performance. We cannot show these on the web page, but you will find them in the PDF that you can download on this page.

Price comparator

With the AutoWeek Car Tire Price Comparison we offer you a handy tool to find the best offers on summer tires. The price comparator currently provides an overview of the full range of 16 different tire suppliers. Also here are the results all tire tests of the past 9 years.