| Test Summary | |
| Wet Braking |
Vredestein Quatrac Lite |
| Dry Braking |
Pirelli Cinturato AllSeason Uniroyal AllSeasonExpert |
| Wet Handling |
Uniroyal AllSeasonExpert Nexen N Priz 4S Kumho Solus HA31 |
| Rolling Resistance |
Vredestein Quatrac Lite |
| Noise |
Vredestein Quatrac Lite Uniroyal AllSeasonExpert |
| Snow Handling |
Vredestein Quatrac Lite |
With this in mind, here at TyreReviews we've come to the conclusion the best winter tyre for the UK climate, is actually an all season tyre.
What is an all season tyre?
Ten years ago, there was no such thing as a true all season tyre. Tyres which were branded "all season" were simply summer tyres with slightly wider tread blocks to to gain the M+S marking, and were generally useless in snow.
Modern tyre technology allows tyre companies to blend dry, wet and snow abilities in a much smarter way, which gives modern all season tyres the ability to work year round, in all conditions.
So, true all season tyres exist?
In short, no. If you a looking for the optimum grip year round, you're still better off with a dedicated summer and winter tyre, and changing once the temperatures get near freezing. However, modern all season tyres DO work in all conditions, and can now offer 90% of the grip of a full winter tyre on ice and snow, while keeping 90% of a summer tyres performance in the dry and wet.
Why is this important for the UK?
UK winters are generally categorised by long periods of cold and wet weather, with occasional snow.
This means during the average UK winter, a tyre with snow performance as its best quality can only really shine for a few days a year. While a winter tyre will work better than a summer tyre in cold, wet conditions, an all season tyre will work better than the winter tyre in cold, wet conditions, and still retain excellent snow performance to and the ability to be run through the summer if you need.
The below chart compares the third place Vredestein All Season tyre tyre with the summer and winter tyre included in the AutoBild test detailed below
Which all season tyre should I buy?
To answer this question we turn to the 2014 Auto Bild All Season Tyre Test. This year Auto Bild have tested ten all season tyres in 185/60 R15, and include a summer and a winter tyre for the braking and handling tests.
Being a German publication, they naturally focus on the snow performance as the highest scored category which means the winning tyre might not be the best all season tyre for the UK climate. The full results are below, but we suggest paying particular attention to the third place Vredestein Quatrac Lite, which has an excellent blend of dry and wet performance, while retaining excellent snow qualities.
Also worth considering is the Bridgestone A001. Although not tested by Auto Bild this year, it is a very capable all season tyre for the UK climate, combining strong wet and dry handling, good wear and a high snow performance.
Results
