Tires Tested with a Golf GTI
This year we tested 30 current all-season tires in size 225/40 R18. Five candidates delivered top-level performance. But not all tires are true all-rounders, that also became clear. That eleven of the fifteen candidates in this test received at least the rating ‘good’ is a resounding result. But the test results also show that only the premium manufacturers deliver truly balanced all-season tires that offer top-level performance and thus receive the final judgment of excellent. What else stood out? The Roadhog all-season tire made it to the finals. A relatively unknown budget tire.
Is an all-season tire a true all-rounder or a poor compromise? Well, it is clear that current all-season tires are getting closer and closer to pure summer and winter specialists, as our tire tests show. The high demand for this type of tire ensures that manufacturers invest heavily in the development of these tires. The advantage of all-season tires is of course clear: drivers no longer have to perform (or have performed) a tire change twice a year, and if you don’t have space at home to store those tires you also pay storage costs. But does this split also work for tires in size 225/40 R18, which are used on sporty compact cars like the Volkswagen Golf GTI we used as a test car, the BMW M135, or the Audi S3?
15 Tires Eliminated in Braking Tests, Budget Tire Roadhog Advanced to Final Round
For this test, we first separated the wheat from the chaff. In a preliminary round, we subjected 30 tires first to a braking test. Only the 15 tires that performed best in this safety-critical test component on wet and dry road surfaces advanced to the final round. Surprisingly, the tire from the budget brand Roadhog, distributed by the Moerdijk-based wholesaler Inter-Sprint, also managed to qualify for this. For testing the 15 top candidates, we spared no expense or effort. During the Dutch summer, our test team traveled to the other side of the world to perform snow tests in the New Zealand winter. In doing so, the testers also examined a summer and a winter tire. Why? To map out the sometimes extreme differences. Where until now the motto for all-season tires was ‘one for all’, Michelin is now taking a new turn. In addition to the new CrossClimate 3, the French have also launched the Cross Climate 3 Sport for drivers who prioritize driving dynamics. Whether and how these tires differ from each other, which manufacturer ultimately emerges as the winner, and which tires you should avoid, you can read in this article; if you are a logged-in user, you can download the PDF from the magazine for free with scores per test component.
These All-Season Tires Advanced to the Finals
Ranking in Braking Test on Wet Road/Dry Road/Combined Result
In the tests, conducted by our colleagues from AutoBild, the characteristics on wet roads, dry roads, but of course also on snow are covered. Furthermore, the specialists from our sister publication look at aspects such as wear, rolling resistance, and lifespan. The Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF 3 wins this edition of the all-season tire test, in second place finishes the Continental AllSeason Contact 2, and in third the Michelin CrossClimate 3.
These Are the Best of 2025
Click on the links to see what the three best tires cost; in the AutoWeek tire comparator, you can find the data for all car tires.
